Help Me Forget
It had been days since he had been able to sleep. The nightmares kept him awake, and there seemed little he could do to keep them away. Even having Ignis by his side did little to chase away the dark thoughts that haunted him after dark.
He would lay awake night after night, scrolling through the pictures on his camera over and over, until he passed out, getting maybe half an hour of sleep before he had to wake again with the others to start the day. It was miserable, but he was afraid.
Afraid to tell anyone about the nightmares.
Afraid that they wouldn't understand.
His biggest fear was losing those closest to him, Ignis especially, over something he barely understood, let alone, something that he hadn't been able to choose. He couldn't explain what the nightmares were, not without being able to understand what was causing them. The red eyes, rigid muscles, watching as he cut his friends down again and again, with no explanation as to why. He could only guess, but his guesses were limited.
What he really needed was a distraction from the haunting fear that plagued him at every second, but it was hard to ask for something he couldn't explain. Something he was ashamed to admit to. He knew the others worried. He could see it in their faces when they noticed the bags under his eyes from yet another sleepless night. Still, he played it off, assuring them he was fine.
What else could he do?
Even as he paced the hotel room trying to relax enough to lay down, he was dreading the moment the lights went out. He knew how quickly Ignis fell asleep, and he knew that meant he would be left to his own thoughts and devices much too soon.
To top it off, he was exhausted from the lack of sleep over the last few days and knew he wouldn't be able to hold off for very much longer. He knew he shouldn't pace and should conserve his energy, but his anxiousness left him restless, and he couldn't keep still while he was alone in the room. He knew Ignis would be back soon enough, and that he would have to settle down to keep from worrying Ignis further.
"Get it together, Prompto," he whispered to himself, trying to deep breaths. The idea of sleep was so terrifying he had been worrying about it all day as he felt himself running out of energy. Not even playing King's Knight had been enough to distract him.
When the door to the room opened, he had already changed into his pajamas, and had finally settled down into a chair, staring dejectedly at his phone. He felt terrible for not trusting the others, but the idea of losing them made him so miserable, he was too afraid to risk it.
"Ah, Prompto, there you are. Are you ready for bed then?" He looked up at Ignis' voice and nodded a little.
"Uh, yeah," he said, his voice quieter than normal. He felt like he was suffocating on his anxiety, and it was hard to force the words out.
Which, of course, Ignis noticed.
"Are you alright?" He asked in concern, his frown deepening when Prompto faked a smile.
"Yeah, I'm, uh, fine," He said, clearing his throat a bit. While he didn't believe him, Ignis knew better than to push the young blond and only nodded.
"If you're sure, I am going to take a quick shower," he said, heading towards the bathroom when Prompto nodded. As soon as the door to the bathroom shut behind him, Prompto let out a huge sigh and looked into his reflection in the window next to him. He could see right through the front he was putting up, and it made him feel pathetic.
"It's no wonder they don't believe you," he muttered to himself. He sighed and dragged himself out of the chair and shuffled over to the bed and dropped onto it, thankful that the rooms only had one bed each. If he had been forced to sit in a room with Noctis and Gladio at the moment, he was sure he would break down and spill his secret.
That was the last thing he wanted to have happen.
While he waited for Ignis to get out of the shower he scrolled through a random photography blog he had found, finding it easier to focus on in the quiet of the room. When Ignis finally emerged, he locked his phone and set it aside to charge and crawled under the covers. He kept his back to Ignis side of the bed while the man changed and finished toweling off his hair.
He only turned back over when he felt Ignis climb into the bed beside him. Even with damp hair and no glasses, Ignis looked majestic to him. He always did, no matter what he looked like. It gave Prompto a small measure of peace, but it still wasn't enough to quell the nausea in his stomach.
Not even when Ignis pulled him close was he able to ignore the churning anxiety of what awaited him when his eyes closed. He wasn't surprised that Ignis could feel his tension, and he was less surprised when the older man spoke up.
"Prompto, are you completely sure you're alright?" he asked again, his voice soft as he made the younger of the two look up at him. Unable to hide negative emotions in his eyes he did his best to not break and give into Ignis' warm and gentle gaze right then and there.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Promise," he assured weakly. "Jus' tired is all." Ignis frowned but realized that Prompto wasn't going to talk about it if he truly didn't want to. So instead he placed a gentle kiss on Prompto's forehead, squeezing him gently.
"Just know, you can talk to me about anything," Ignis reminded him softly, his arms tightening around Prompto a bit when the blond snuggled further into his embrace and lightly nuzzled his neck.
"I know," Prompto whispered, trying to stifle a traitorous yawn. Ignis gave a slight nod and kissed his head once more before closing his eyes, content to have Prompto safe in his arms.
Little did he know, however, as Prompto slipped closer and closer into unconsciousness, the closer he came to the very nightmares he had been trying so desperately to avoid.
And there was nothing he could do to stop them.
It starts the same as before. Driving in the Regalia. He can't tell where they're going, but, like usual, it doesn't matter. They'll never make it.
He can feel the wind in his hair, and Ignis' hand clasped tightly to his as the older man drives. Noctis is sleeping the back, and Gladio is reading. There's nothing at all unusual about this scene, except that when Prompto tilts his head to glance in the right-hand mirror that's when he sees it.
His eyes are no longer the sky blue they should be. Instead they are a threatening, deadly red. A red that has no humanity and resembles a machine. A drone.
Then he hears Gladio in the back.
"Hey, Iggy, can we pull over for a minute? I'm starting to cramp up back here," the large man asks, shifting uncomfortably as if to prove his point. He notices Ignis glance back before nodding, already beginning to pull the car off the road.
"Of course," he says, and the sudden stop wakes Noctis who looks around sleepily.
"What's going on?" he asks, clearly still out of it even as he wakes and blinks the sleep out of his eyes.
"We're stopping to stretch our legs," Gladio said, setting his book down as Ignis puts the car in park.
"Oh, right on," Noctis says through a yawn, shaking his head a little before opening his door and stepping out. Gladio is out of the car just as quickly, stretching himself as tall as possible, his body emitting crackles and pops as he does so.
"Are you going to get out, love?" Ignis asks him, and he knows when he looks at the man he holds so dear, he doesn't yet see the eyes, does not yet know he should fear the usually sweet-hearted blond.
"Yeah, I guess," he hears himself reply, even as he screams for them to run in his mind. But they can't hear him. They never do.
Before he can stop himself, he's getting out of the car, pacing around the front and fidgeting with his camera. He takes a couple of bullshit shots, before dropping the camera on the ground, not so much as flinching as the lens shatters on the ground. When he looks down, there's a short sword in his hand, and his body is already moving before he can stop himself.
First, he moves to Noctis, walking up silently behind his best friend and putting a hand on his shoulder. Before the prince can turn, Prompto has shoved the sword through his back, using the hand that he originally placed on his shoulder to cover his mouth and stifle the cry the prince lets out. He would laugh at the fact that the other two don't notice if he wasn't so horrified with what he's doing.
He lowers Noct's body to the ground after pulling the sword back out, and he wipes the blood on his pants, not caring about the stain it will leave.
He then turns to Gladio, who is zoned out as he tries to work out his leg cramp. By now, he's sat down on the ground, stretching as best he can on the hard road top beneath him. Prompto needs only a few steps to get behind him, and with his free hand he grabs Gladio's hair and yanks his head up, earning a cry of pain.
"Hey, what the fu-" He isn't able to finish his sentence as Prompto brings the sword across his throat, slashing deep and killing the man almost instantly. The partial cry, however, is enough to get Ignis' attention.
"Prompto, what's going on?" he asks, turning to see what's going on. Prompto whips around on his heel and faces Ignis, noticing how the man finally sees his eyes. The emotionless, killer eyes. He can see the fear on Ignis' face as Prompto stalks him. He can see his panic when he notices Gladio and Noctis' bodies.
He watches as his panic shifts to all out terror as the man realizes without Noctis' and his access to the armiger, he is utterly defenseless.
"Prompto, what is going on?" He demands despite his fear, trying in vain to keep up his façade of control. "Why are you doing this?" He's too afraid to fight back, even as Prompto kicks him to the ground.
Without showing an ounce of remorse, Prompto beats Ignis, making sure he can't escape before he stands over him, holding the weakened man up by his hair.
"Because this is what I am." He utters in a distorted monotone, watching helplessly as he thrusts the sword deep into Ignis' stomach and twists, watching as the betrayal in Ignis' eyes fades along with the life that once shone there.
After a moment, he removes the sword and drops the body, kicking it away as he turns and continues walking down the road, watching as his friends bleed out behind him.
But then, the dream changes. He's still walking along the road, but he can hear a voice, one so familiar that it's painful, but he can't place it, not at first.
"Prompto! Prompto, wake up!" His body keeps walking, but he looks back at the bodies on the road, confused when the voice continues. "Prompto, please, wake up."
'Ignis…!' The thought resounds in his mind like a bomb, but he can't understand where it's coming from.
"Prompto, you're having a nightmare, please, wake up!" Suddenly, his world seems to be shaking, the voice thunderous, and the sun is beginning to envelope the entire landscape, blinding him until…
He opens his eyes with a cry of terror, a cry of utter heartbreak, struggling against the arms that hold him tightly in place, feeling nothing but the need to escape, to find the voice that roused him from that hell. At least, until the owner of the arms holding him spoke.
"Prompto, it's alright! You're safe! It was only a nightmare!" He was suddenly stilled by the comforting voice beside him, and it was only then that he realized he was crying and shaking like a leaf. He turned and buried his face in Ignis' shoulder, sobbing hard and clinging to older man.
Ignis could only frown, unsure what to do other than hold the distraught blond, offering whatever comfort he could. He rubbed Prompto's back and whispered softly in his ear, at least until Prompto shoved him away, crying harder.
"N-No! I… I killed you! All of you! For no reason!" he sobbed, sitting up and curling into a ball. It prompted Ignis to sit up as well, frowning in concern.
"What? Prompto, what are you talking about? We're all very much alive," He said, watching Prompto with concerned eyes.
"I-In the dream!" Prompto sobbed. "I… I turned into some kind of monster and killed you all!" He shook his head, pulling on his own hair in his despair. "I didn't want to, but I did!" Ignis' frown only deepened as he tried to understand Prompto's reaction. It was just a nightmare, why should it bother him this much?
"Prompto, it was only a dream," Ignis tried to assure him. "We're all perfectly safe-"
"No! You don't understand!" Prompto snapped, finally looking up at Ignis again. "This isn't the first time I've had that dream! I've been having it for months now! It's why I avoid sleeping, and why I hate… W-Why I hate looking at the Magitek Troopers…" He said. Even in the darkness, Ignis could see the shame and pain that Prompto was holding in, and his heart ached for him. However, he knew he needed more information to truly understand.
"Wait, what? Prompto, slow down and start over," Ignis said, staying calmer than Prompto expected him to. "You've been having this dream for how long now? And what exactly happens each time that frightens you so much?" Prompto took a shaky breath and looked down at his feet, sniffing to hold back another sob.
"T-The last three months… Whenever I go to sleep," he said, his lip trembling slightly. "A-And th-the same thing happens every time," he said. "W-We're d-driving along in the Regalia, and then I look into the mirror and my eyes are wrong. They're red and empty and scary looking like the Magiteks and then G-Gladio asks to stop, and when you pull over, we all get out, and then… I go to the front of the car and take a couple pictures, and then I drop the camera and then I look down I have a sword in my hand, and then… I walk over to Noct and I stab him in the back, and I make sure he doesn't make a sound so you and Gladio don't see, and then I go over to Gladio and I grab his hair and then slit his throat after he yells, and then… And th-then you ask what's going on and I turn to you and then I go after you, and every time you try to fight back until you realize you can't use the armiger, and then you ask me why I'm doing it, and… And then I hurt you… I beat you until you can't fight back and then I grab you by your hair and then… then I… And all I say is that's because it's what I am and then… Th-Then I kill you too…" Prompto paused for a moment, swallowing hard. "And then I just leave…" It was quiet between the two for a moment as Ignis processed Prompto's words.
While he waited, Prompto felt more tears leave hot trails down his cheeks. Just when he thought the silence would go on forever, Ignis finally spoke up after reaching forward and taking Prompto's hands.
"Prompto, I cannot claim to understand why you are having these dreams, but I know you are not the monster you see in them," he said, keeping his voice gentle and soothing. Prompto looked up at him incredulously, and then hiccupped a little, trying to hold in another sob.
"How can you believe that?" Prompto asked, his voice shaking as he spoke.
"Because of how upset you are over what happens in these nightmares," Ignis said easily. "If you weren't upset about them, then I might worry." When Prompto just stared at him he sighed softly and squeezed his hands.
"Prompto, I've known you for almost five years now, and I can say with certainty, that whatever is causing these dreams may be apart of you, but that doesn't mean that you would ever act on it. As far as I'm concerned, until you start having these thoughts while conscious, there's no reason to worry. I understand that the dreams are painful, but they are only dreams," Ignis assured him, watching his face as well as he could in the dark. Prompto looked down again, still clearly bothered.
"I-Ignis, I…" He didn't continue.
"Oh, come here, will you?" he asked, tugging lightly on Prompto's hands. Prompto looked up again and then scooted closer to Ignis, once again letting the older man hold him tightly.
"I-I'm sorry…" he whimpered softly, burying his face in Ignis' collar bone, letting out a couple soft sobs. "I'm so sorry…"
"Enough, Prompto," Ignis chided gently, rubbing the blond's back and smoothing his hair. "You have nothing to be sorry about." He hated seeing the normally bubbly and happy blond hurting like this, but he didn't know what else to do to help him. The last time he had had to deal with anyone having recurring nightmares it had been after Noctis had watched a horror movie without permission as a child. That was a breeze to deal with compared to this.
Either way, he was determined to help Prompto through this, how ever he might be needed.
"Prompto, what can I do?" Ignis finally asked after a silence only permeated by Prompto's soft cries. He noticed when Prompto paused, and he could tell the exact moment that he started focusing on thinking of something that might help him feel better.
"Help me forget," he finally whispered, his voice still shaky. "I don't care how, I just want to stop thinking about it," he pleaded, pulling his head back to look up at Ignis' face as well as he could in the dark. Ignis reached up and brushed some stray hair out of Prompto's face.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked softly, unsure what to do from the blond's vague description. Prompto looked down, fidgeting for a moment before he looked up into Ignis' eyes, biting his lip.
"F-Fuck me," he whispered, unable to hold Ignis' gaze out of embarrassment. Ignis frowned, trying to keep from sounding angry.
"Prompto, are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked, more concerned than anything. While he loved the blond, he didn't want to hurt him in anyway, or ever take advantage of him.
"I don't care," Prompto said looking up at Ignis again, sounding a bit more desperate as he spoke. "I can't get the image of your dead body out of my head." He paused for only a moment before he continued speaking. "Please, Iggy, I need you. I need to know that this isn't just some nightmare too." He had tears racing down his cheeks again as he sat up a bit and crawled onto Ignis' lap so that he straddled him. "P-Please…" Ignis frowned a tiny bit and sighed.
"Prompto, I-" The blond cut him off by pressing a desperate kiss to Ignis' lips, wrapping his arms tight around the older man's neck. He pressed as tightly as he could to him, tangling fingers in sandy blond hair as Ignis tried to push Prompto back slightly.
After a moment he gave up and kissed back, wrapping his arms securely around Prompto's waist. When the kiss broke both were slightly breathless, though Ignis recovered himself quickly.
"I'll ask one more time," he whispered, keeping his tone soft. "Are you sure about this?" He could feel the heat of Prompto's tears as they spilled down his cheeks.
"Iggy, please," Prom whispered, barely able to hold in a desperate sob. He wasn't exactly happy about it, but Ignis relented. Nothing pained him more than Prompto feeling the need to beg, and he would be damned if he made the poor blond feel any worse than he already did.
"Alright, very well," he whispered softly, barely having time to react as Prompto kissed him hard, nearly headbutting Ignis as he did so.
Very gently, Ignis slipped his hand up Prompto's shirt, and running over the smooth skin underneath. When the kiss broke, Ignis moved his head to place light kisses along Prom's jawline and neck, hoping that he might yet change his mind, but knowing that was a very unlikely outcome.
Prompto let out a whine and tugged lightly at Ignis' hair. "Iggy, come on…" Ignis glanced up at him, then let out a little sigh before pushing Prompto's shirt up over his head and off, tossing it away from the bed. Prom watched him closely, before inhaling sharply as Ignis started to suck lightly on the blond's collar bone.
The older of the two used one hand to keep him still while he used the other to rub Prompto's chest, playing with one of his nipples absentmindedly. The responding groan echoed almost painfully through the otherwise silent room, and Ignis was internally grateful that Gladio and Noctis were in a different room.
Ignis only paused his ministrations on Prompto when the blond started trying to undo the buttons on his pajama shirt, his fingers clumsy as he tugged and pushed at the fabric.
"Would you like some help?" the older man asked, noting how quickly Prompto shook his head.
"Just sit back a second," he ordered, using both his hands to finish undoing the buttons once Ignis had leaned away. As soon as the shirt was open he pushed it off of Ignis' shoulders, helping the older man to slip it off his arms and toss it to the floor. He then took the opportunity to run his hands over Ignis' skin, reveling in how damn soft it was. "How do you keep your skin so soft?" he asked in a whisper, his voice still a little hoarse from crying.
"Proper hygiene," Ignis replied easily, brushing Prompto's hair back. The blond blinked but let out a tiny giggle, one that turned into a moan when Ignis leaned forward and kissed Prompto's chest, before capturing one of his nipples in his mouth and sucking lightly. Once again Prompto's fingers tangled in Ignis' hair, holding him there a bit longer than the older man had planned.
Then, before the blond could comprehend the movement, Ignis had him laid out on the bed, his hands pinned lightly over his head as the older man settled between his legs. Already, despite the heavy air between them, both were straining a bit against their pajamas, though Ignis normally wouldn't have been this turned on this quickly in these specific circumstances.
There was just something about Prompto however, that had him ready to go at the drop of a hat, no matter what was going on. He couldn't explain it, but at the same time, it wasn't something he necessarily wanted an explanation for.
He ran a hand up along Prompto's clothed thigh, chuckling softly, as the blond strained to press tighter against the hand. He then leaned over the blond, putting his hands on either side of Prompto's head to hold himself up as he kissed him slowly, deliberately grinding himself against the smaller body beneath him.
"Ugh, Iggy…" Prompto moaned as the kiss broke. He stared up into perfect green eyes, though he couldn't tell the color in the dark, let along make out where the iris ended, and the pupil began. Ignis' couldn't help but chuckle knowing that Prompto was likely blushing furiously.
"Yes, love?" he asked softly, smirking when Prompto groaned again.
"S-Stop teasing me," he whined, grabbing onto Ignis' forearms. Ignis chuckled softly, kissing Prompto gently once more before sitting up to start taking their pants off. Prom sat up enough to watch Ignis as he stripped before he easily pulled Prompto's off as well.
Once both were bare Ignis returned to his place between Prompto's legs, grinding forward lightly against him.
"You put the lube in the drawer yes?" he asked, leaning forward to get it out when Prompto nodded. Using one hand he popped the cap and spread it over a few of his fingers, before leaning down to tease Prompto's entrance. The resulting whine prompted a chuckle out of Ignis before he easily slipped one finger inside.
Prompto's moan once again made Ignis grateful that Gladio and Noctis were sleeping in a different room.
He started out slowly thrusting his finger, pleased by the little sounds Prom let out. When he felt the blond was ready he slipped a second finger inside, scissoring and thrusting a bit faster. Not long after he added a third, moving his hand faster in order to get him fully stretched out.
"I-Ignis, p-please," Prompto finally pleaded. "I need you inside me…" Ignis only gave a soft chuckle as he withdrew his fingers and once again opened the bottle of lube.
After coating his dick quite liberally, he adjusted himself and Prompto so that he was lined up. "Are you sure you're ready?" he questioned softly, rubbing his thumbs over Prompto's hips.
"Yes, please, Iggy, I need you," the blond whined, clutching at the sheets. The older of the two nodded and then pushed his way inside in one fluid motion. The moan that Prompto let out was nothing to scoff at either.
After giving the blond a moment to adjust Ignis started to thrust slowly, enjoying the mewls and groans that Prompto let out. He only started moving faster when Prompto groaned impatiently. It wasn't long before all that came out of Prompto's mouth was a string of moans, curses, and different iterations of Ignis' name.
When Ignis felt himself start to get close he reached between himself and Prompto to take a hold of the blond's dick, somehow staying focused enough to pump his hand along the hardened member. It had Prompto moaning even louder, his words turned into a sloppy mess of gibberish and the occasional 'Fuck!'
"I-I-Ig-gy, I c-can't h-hold o-on…" he whimpered, his eyes squeezed shut and his fists gripping the sheets so tightly his knuckles were white.
"That's… Alright," Ignis panted, on the edge himself. That was all it took for Prompto to tumble over the edge, his cum coating his chest and stomach. The sight itself was enough to send Ignis over the edge as well, groaning hard as he shot off inside Prom's ass.
After a few moments he carefully pulled out and collapsed next to the blond, pulling him close and kissing his swear soaked hair.
"Better?" he whispered, his voice somehow already seemingly normal as he rested his head against Prompto's. The exhausted gunner just nodded, nuzzling into Ignis' neck.
"Much," he whispered back, falling back to sleep not long after. Ignis chuckled softly to himself, pressing one more kiss to Prompto's head, noting that they would have to clean themselves up in the morning.
"I love you too, Prompto," he whispered gently before closing his eyes as well and letting sleep over take him once again.