The holidays never really meant anything special to Noctis. He enjoyed them in a passing sort of way, but they didn't hold magic for him the way they did for other people. Christmas for the royal family was always about appearances and public events, rather than quiet time with loved ones. It was no big deal; he was pretty much used to it by now. He liked seeing the joy that Christmas brought to the people of Insomnia, and that was enough for him.

This year was shaping up to be a little different. A huge snowstorm was brewing to the west and was set to hit the capital on Christmas. Insomnia basically shuts down when it snows, so all the big events were cancelled or postponed. That meant Noctis would get to spend today, Christmas Eve, however he pleased. He thought he might decorate a little, or possibly just pour some eggnog and play video games on the couch. His idea of holiday spirit was a little more reserved than most.

Noct did, however, have to get gifts for his friends. He and Prompto walked side-by-side down the street, having just finished shopping for the guys. He'd found a nicely bound book for Ignis and a fancy bottle of bourbon for Gladio. He wasn't really sure yet what to get Prompto, but since he was with him on this shopping excursion, he couldn't buy anything for him now anyway. Whatever it ended up being, he wanted to see surprise on his best friend's face. Spending time with Prompto was his favorite thing. They'd become nearly inseparable over the last couple of years, and Noctis found that he liked it. He'd never had a friend like this before, someone who didn't care that he was the prince. He knew Prompto respected him, but not in the fearful, overwhelming way that a lot of their schoolmates respected him. He was excited that they could spend the next couple of days together. Prompto's family was never around, so Noct had invited him to stay at his apartment for the last few days of the year. He knew Christmas could be a sentimental time, and he didn't want Prom to be alone. Or, at least, that's what he told himself.

Truth be told, he wanted Prompto around all the time.

"You okay, bud?" Prompto turned to him, nudging him with his shoulder as they walked. "You got all quiet, all of a sudden."

Noct turned to look at him. Prompto didn't look concerned; there was cheer in those blue eyes. He smiled at Noctis, hands in the pockets of his jacket. His cheeks were flushed from the cold, and Noctis couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just thinking about how happy I am to have a couple of days to ourselves. We can just hang around and do nothing."

Prompto chuckled, and turned forward again. "Yeah, it's gonna be fun." He was still smiling, but he seemed to be thinking about something. He bit his lower lip, and Noctis had to ask.

"Are you okay? You seem like you have something on your mind."

Prom smiled again, turning back to Noctis. "Am I really that easy to read?" Noct shrugged but remained silent, hoping Prom would continue. Prompto shifted a little beneath his jacket, pulling his hands out and rubbing them together. "It's just that…" he began, his eyebrows knitted together. "Well, I've never really had a Christmas before. My parents are usually gone this time of year, and I didn't really have a lot of friends before I met you. So I've never really celebrated it or anything." He tucked his chin into his scarf, looking down at the sidewalk. "To be honest, I don't really know what people even do on Christmas."

Noctis stopped walking, grabbing Prompto's arm. "Wait, so you've never done anything for Christmas?" Prom shook his head. "You've never wrapped presents or put up a Christmas tree?"

Prompto shook his head again. "I've seen Christmas trees in stores and stuff, and I think they're beautiful. But I've never put one up myself. It seemed silly to put one up if I'm the only one who's going to see it." He shrugged and smiled, but Noctis couldn't help but notice it wasn't a normal Prompto smile. It seemed like he was forcing himself to be okay with something that made him sad. Noct couldn't let him feel this way. He started to think. A smile spread across his face.

"I know what we're gonna do today."

"You really don't have to do this, Noct! I'll be happy no matter what we do." They were standing in the holiday section of Insomnia's biggest department store. Prompto tried to slow Noctis down, but he grinned because he knew it was no use. Noctis explained that there was a big fake tree in storage in his apartment, but he'd never put it up because there was always a huge tree on the main floor of the Citadel that he helped his dad decorate. It was one of the few things about Christmas he really enjoyed. Noctis had already found several strings of white lights and tossed them in the cart.

"Well, it's no big deal. I like Christmas trees, and Gladio always teases me for not putting one up." He turned away from the display of garland to look at Prompto. "You wouldn't know it, but that guy fuckin' loves Christmas."

Prompto laughed, imagining Gladio in a Santa hat. "Okay." He walked over to stand beside Noct, and reached out to touch a bundle of white garland. "Wow, this stuff is really soft." He ran his hand over it absently, not noticing the way Noctis looked at him.

"Then we'll get some of that kind for the tree," Noctis said, and gathered up several bundles to add to the cart. "But now we need some ornaments. Those are most important part of a Christmas tree." He pushed the cart around to a different section. There was an endless array of colors, shapes, and sizes of ornaments, and neither of them really knew where to start.

Prompto walked ahead, looking at the different kinds. He found a large set of red, white, and green baubles, and turned to Noct. "How about these? They're simple, but this is kind of what I think of when I imagine a Christmas tree."

"These look great," Noctis agreed, lifting the box off the shelf. "Let's pick a few special ones too. You know, since it's your first Christmas." Prompto looked up, wondering what Noctis meant. "Families tend to get special ornaments that they put on the tree each year, to remember Christmases from years past. It's like tradition."

Prompto smiled widely and nudged him. "Aww Noct, does that mean we're family?"

Noctis chuckled. "I mean, Iggy and Gladio are basically our parental figures, so yeah, we kind of are." He smiled at Prompto. "I mean, I'm sure we'll spend Christmas together for the next few years at least. And then when you go off and get married and leave your dear old Noctis behind, you'll need something to remember me by." He playfully tapped Prompto on the cheek and they both chuckled, but deep down, Noctis didn't want to think about that at all. He never wanted that to happen. It was beginning to dawn on him that he cared for Prompto as more than a friend. Okay, let's be honest, that dawned on him a long time ago. But he was beginning to realize how seriously, how deeply he felt it. He shook his head; he could worry about that another time.

Prompto meandered down the aisle, looking at the other ornaments. There were cartoon characters, moogles, small Santas and teddy bears. Toward the end of the aisle, he saw what he was hoping to find. He grabbed the box and took them to show Noct. "Hey, these are perfect!" he said as he handed the box to him. It was a set of four porcelain chocobos with ribbons for hanging. There was a red one, a blue one, a gray one, and a yellow one. "See, they're just like us: intense red Gladio, calm blue Ignis, yellow for me, and sullen emo gray for you!" Prompto laughed as Noctis punched his shoulder, but Noct couldn't help but laugh too. He was right, these ornaments definitely represented the boys. Noct put them in the cart and they continued on, Prompto chattering about emo chocobos and Noctis grinning as he pushed the cart.

They got back to Noct's apartment and unloaded all the stuff they'd bought. Prompto felt guilty that Noctis had paid for all this, but he seemed really happy to be doing all this. He always felt guilty when Noct did stuff for him, probably because he was secretly afraid that one day it'd be too much and Noct would leave him behind. The thought of that cut Prompto to the core. His life before he met Noctis had been nothing special, but since they became friends, it was like he was living in a dream. Having a best friend to share everything with had changed his life in so many ways. Prompto was used to spending birthdays alone, and that was a thing of the past with Noctis. Holidays never meant much to Prompto, but spending them with Noct made them special. He tried to enjoy these days as fully as he could, because of the fear that, inevitably, someone as wild and strong and beautiful as Noctis would eventually get tired of someone like Prompto. What could he possibly offer that the prince didn't have already?

"Hey help me get this tree down!" Noct shouted from the hallway. He'd already pulled down the ladder to the attic and opened the hatch in the ceiling. He climbed up and found the large dusty box in the cramped space, pulling it toward him. Prompto walked up to him and stood at the foot of the ladder. It wasn't very tall, as the ceiling wasn't very high, but Noct's upper half was out of sight, up in the attic. Prompto placed one hand on the ladder and the other on the back of Noct's calf.

"Be careful, Noct. If you can pull the box out, I'll help lift it down."

Noctis gulped quietly, feeling Prompto's hand on his leg, silently thankful that Prom couldn't see how red his face was turning. "Okay, I've almost got it. I'll come down, just help me catch it, when it slides down."

It took a while, but they finally got the tree put together. Prompto really enjoyed fluffing the branches out, and it was quite a large tree, reaching almost to the ceiling in Noct's living room.

Prompto turned to Noctis, eyes brimming with excitement. "This looks great! Now what?"

Noct was fiddling with the remote, flipping through channels until he found a Christmas program. "The Grinch, man I used to love this movie!" he exclaimed. He turned back to Prompto. "Alright, I guess now we put on the lights." He found the boxes of lights and took them out, untangling them. "We'll have to wait until the end to plug them in, though. It's like, the big reveal at the end is what makes it all worth it." He smiled up at Prompto. "I'm sorry you've never had the chance to do this before now, but I'm glad we're spending Christmas Eve together."

Prompto felt his stomach do flips. "Me too, Noct." He felt his face becoming red, so he turned to dig through the shopping bags. He found a Santa hat and fit it carefully on his head. He walked over and sat beside Noctis on the couch. "How do I look? Christmassy enough for ya?"

Noct turned to look at him and it was his turn to feel flushed. Prompto's blonde hair fanned out around his face beneath the hat. The red hat brought out the flush of his cheeks, making his freckles stand out across his cute nose. Oh, what the hell am I thinking? This is my best friend, I've got to stop having these thoughts. He somehow managed to chuckle and play it cool. "Yeah, you look like a regular ol' Saint Nick." He stood up and walked to the kitchen before he could say anything stupid. He poured two glasses of eggnog and pulled a bottle of cheap bourbon out of his cabinet. "Have you ever had eggnog before?" he called over his shoulder, pouring bourbon into each cup.

"No, I haven't. Is it good?" Prompto asked, untangling more of the string lights.

"Yeah, it tastes like Christmas. Dad would always let me have a little on Christmas Eve." He carried over two mugs and handed one to Prompto. "Here, try it." Prompto had somehow gotten lights wrapped around his arms and shoulders, and Noctis couldn't help but chuckle. He untangled the lights from around him and carried them over to the tree.

Prompto sipped at the drink, savoring the taste. "Wow, this is incredible." He watched as Noctis wound the lights around the tree, carefully tucking them into place between the branches. He smiled and sipped from the mug again. This was the most perfect day. He thought back to last Christmas. Noctis was busy with royal things, so he spent it by himself. He kept the shades drawn most of the day, and didn't change out of his pajamas. The best part of the day was when Noctis stopped by his apartment late that night to bring him a present. It was a soft, plush chocobo that chirped when you pressed its wing. He'd felt embarrassed because he couldn't afford anything to give Noctis, but Noct had just chuckled and hugged him tight. I don't need anything, I'm just lucky to have you in my life, he'd said. Prompto was the lucky one.

He got up and helped Noct put the rest of the lights on the tree. He pulled the end of the cord over to the wall but didn't plug it in yet. He wanted to wait till the end, like Noct suggested. Noctis was still adjusting the lights, so Prompto grabbed the bundle of the white garland. He popped open the packaging and marvelled at the long, soft strands. A mischievous smile spread across his face. He quickly tied a loose lasso with the garland and snuck up behind Noct. He tossed the loop over his head and started wrapping Noctis up like a mummy.

Noctis snorted and laughed. "What the hell, Prom?" He turned around just as Prompto finished winding the last of it around him, draping it over his head. He worked the end of the long strand loose from around his middle and lurched toward Prompto. "I'm gonna get you back for that!"

Prompto ducked and ran around the coffee table, giggling as Noctis chased behind him, unwrapping himself. "You gotta catch me first bitch!" But of course, Noctis was much faster and more adept, so he caught him. He wrapped one arm around Prompto's waist and used the other hand to wind the garland around his torso. Prompto laughed and tried to pull away, diving for the end of Noct's huge couch. Noctis hadn't finished unwinding his own self from the garland, so as Prompto fell backward, Noctis was pulled down too. They both landed on the couch, laughing hysterically. Noctis landed mostly on top of Prompto, so he reached down and pinched his friend's sides.

"That's what you get!" Noctis laughed, trying to unwrap the last of the garland from around his body. Prompto was still laughing beneath him, clearly enjoying himself. Noct sighed and rested his head on Prompto's chest, feeling it rise and fall as he laughed. He smiled to himself.

Prompto finished laughing and sighed deeply. "Man, I got you good." He put his arms around Noctis and squeezed him. "Alright. We can finish decorating the tree now, I promise not to wrap you up in anything else."

Noct lifted his head and looked at Prompto, smiling. "You'd better not." He lifted himself up and held out a hand to Prom. They both stood up, untangled the garland, and began wrapping it around the tree.

"This is really starting to come together," Noctis said as he stepped back. Prompto was placing the last of the garland along the top of the tree, standing on his tiptoes. The bottom of his shirt lifted up slightly, and Noctis flicked his eyes away before he could think about the soft skin it revealed. He turned to grab the boxes of ornaments, thinking back to just minutes ago when they were on the couch. It felt so right to lay there with him, so normal.

He opened the box of ornaments and began to hang the red, green, and white ones, trying to ignore the blush creeping to the top of his ears. He handed Prompto a few to hang, smiling at him. "Are you having fun?"

"So much!" Prompto smiled and unwrapped a candy cane. "This is great, Noct," he said before putting the candy in his mouth. He hung a bauble on one of the branches. They spent a long time placing ornaments, reaching over each other, trading ornaments back and forth, laughing as they tried to spread the colors around evenly. When they finally ran out, Noctis got the box of chocobo ornaments.

"Ready to hang these?" he asked, handing the box to Prompto.

Prompto crunched the rest of his candy cane thoughtfully, holding the box in his hands. He took out the red chocobo, holding it up. "Where do you think we should put Gladio?"

Noctis pointed to an empty branch toward the top of the tree, and Prompto hung the ornament carefully. He pulled out the blue one next. "What about Iggy?"

Noct chuckled. "Let's put them near each other, but not close enough for them to argue."

Prompto hung the Iggy chocobo a few branches away from Gladio, touching it carefully before letting it hang there. He pulled out the yellow ornament, turning it over in his hands. "Now I guess it's my turn," he said, placing the ornament between the first two, on a branch slightly above them. "I don't wanna get in the middle of those two." He smiled and pulled the gray one out.

"I'm still mad you called me emo," Noctis said, his smirk giving him away.

Prompto shook his head and smiled back. "You know you're not mad at me." He reached up carefully, hanging the gray chocobo above the yellow one, near the top of the tree. "You go at the top, of course."

Noctis looked at the tree for a moment, but then shook his head. "No way, man." He reached up and pulled down the gray ornament, sliding its ribbon off the branch. He found a branch right beside the one where Prompto's ornament hung, and slipped the ribbon over it so that the ornaments were facing each other. The gray and yellow chocobos hung side-by-side, gently clinking when they touched.

He turned to Prompto, who was looking at the ornaments with a strange expression on his face. "My place is right beside you, Prom."

Prompto looked up at him and smiled, his eyes watery. "Aw shucks, Noct." He dipped his head down and nudged Noctis' arm, hoping that he wouldn't see how overwhelmed that small gesture had made him feel. He loved Noctis so much, and he knew all hope of hiding this little crush of his was lost. But a rejection right now, on such a wonderful day, well, that would just tear him apart.

"Hang on," Noctis said, turning and skipping down the hallway. "There's one more thing." He climbed the ladder back to the attic and reached up, searching for a moment but finally pulling down a small box. He descended the ladder and came back into the living room. Prompto watched as he opened the box and pulled out a shiny silver object. He turned it to Prom. It was a beautiful silver star, with jewels and clear stones embedded in the front. "This goes on the top of the tree," Noctis explained. "It was my mom's. It's too small to go on the big tree that Dad and I put up, so it's just been in the attic for a while." He smiled as he talked. "I'm really glad I get to put it on our tree."

Our tree. Prompto mused over that quietly, smiling to himself as Noctis stretched up to place the star at the top of the tree. He plugged the cord from the star into the string of lights already on the tree. He stepped back to look with his hands on his hips. He turned to Prompto and smiled softly. "Wanna see what it looks like all lit up?"

Prompto bit his lip and met Noct's eyes. "Yeah, let's see it."

Noctis moved over to the wall and turned off the overhead lights. The apartment was dark except for the light coming from the TV. He came over and put his hands on Prompto's shoulders, moving him so that he was standing right in front of the tree. He let go and moved around to pick up the cord, fumbling a little in the near darkness. "Are you ready?"

Prompto nodded. "Yeah, go for it."

Noctis plugged the cord into the wall and the tree sprung to life. He stood quickly and turned so he could see Prompto's face. It was exactly like he had hoped.

Prompto's jaw dropped, and his eyes went wide. He'd never seen anything so incredible, right in front of him. The lights bounced off the shiny ornaments, and the star lit up with an array of colors as light shone through the stones. He was mesmerized, his eyes feeling wet with tears.

But he wasn't the only one. Noctis felt his breath catch in his throat as he caught sight of Prompto. The light from the tree illuminated him as he stood in front of it. Tiny specks of light reflected in his eyes, gleaming with emotion. He still wore that adorable hat on his head, his golden hair spread out over his forehead and ears. Prom's face was a soft gold in the light, the freckles across his nose and cheeks standing out more than ever. His hands were clenched before his chest, and he looked so small and perfect, Noctis couldn't stand it anymore. He walked slowly over to him, not sure what he was going to do here. He walked around behind him, not wanting to obstruct his view.

Noctis took a deep breath, coming around Prompto's right side. Now or never. He put a hand on each of Prompto's shoulders, facing the tree himself. It really was beautiful. He felt Prompto's arm wrap around his lower back, his hand resting on Noctis' side. Noct turned to ask quietly in Prompto's ear, "What do you think?"

Still looking at the tree, Prompto turned his body to press against Noct's, wrapping both his arms around his friend's waist. "I love it," He murmured. Noctis wrapped his arms around Prompto in return, their cheeks pressed together. Noct closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could live in this moment forever.

Prompto felt the same. He knew this was the right moment to lay it all on the line. Now or never, he thought. He turned his head quickly and placed a kiss on Noct's cheek. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable fallout, the awkward gasp, the rejection.

Feeling Prompto's lips on his cheek sent fire through Noct's body, and he reacted before he even had a moment to think. He turned his head and captured Prompto's lips with his own.

Prom was shocked for a second, wondering if this was real. He felt Noctis pull back slightly, so he brought his hands up and wound them through his dark hair, holding him close. He kissed Noctis back, tentatively at first, but gaining confidence when Noct tightened his arms around him.

They kissed feverishly, like this was their only chance. Noctis lightly nipped Prompto's lower lip, causing Prompto to sigh softly. Prom brought his hands down to touch Noct's cheeks, rubbing his thumbs over his face. Their tongues danced, Noctis noticing that Prom tasted a little like peppermint. So much emotion coursed through him and he couldn't hold back anymore. He pulled back from Prompto and met his eyes, bringing a hand to his face. "I love you, Prom. I know this is sudden, but I do. I have for a long time and I didn't know how to say it."

Prompto felt weak, astounded that this all was real. "I love you too, Noct." He smiled and leaned into Noct's hand. "I love you so much." They kissed until their knees were weak and they collapsed on the couch, laughing and holding each other.

Prompto fell asleep, cuddled on the couch that night, with Noctis laying beside him, his head on Prompto's chest. They fell asleep with the tree still on and the TV playing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Prompto stirred awake sometime in the middle of the night, careful not to move and wake Noct. He smiled to himself, running his hand lightly through Noct's hair. He turned to the back of the couch, moving the curtain aside to look out the window. Snow had begun to fall in thick flakes, covering the ground in a powdery coating of white. The light of the moon reflected off of it, so that it looked like a glittery wonderland. He sighed contentedly. This was the best Christmas of his life, the best day of his life. He didn't imagine it could get any better than this.

He thought about that perfect day pretty often, especially around Christmas. It was six long years before it snowed again on Christmas Eve in Insomnia. Prompto was sitting on the couch, looking out the window at the snow falling down, feeling almost like he'd traveled back in time. He turned and looked at his tree, lit up beautifully, just like it was that night. The Grinch played on the TV, same as before. It all seemed the same, but one big thing was different.

He sighed and looked back out the window at the snow. The next thing he knew, a cup of eggnog was being presented to him. He smiled and took it, looking up at the love of his life. "Thanks, darling."

Noct smiled and sat beside him, curling up and holding his own mug. Prompto smiled as he heard the clink of his new wedding band against the ceramic of the cup.

"Our first Christmas as a married couple," Noctis mused. "And it's snowing, just like our first Christmas." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Prompto's lips.

Prompto smiled. Everything was so perfect. "Do you remember what you said, when we were at the store that day?" He looked up at the tree, focusing on the yellow and gray chocobo ornaments, still hanging side-by-side. "You said one day I'd be married and I'd need something to remember you by."

Noctis snuggled into his side. "Yeah, you'd better not forget me."

"I don't think there's any danger of that." Prompto pressed a kiss to his forehead, grateful for another Christmas with his best friend.