I am alive and I'm going to hell for this.
"Once upon a time there was a-"
"Wait hold on, aren't we getting too old for these stories?" He pointed out.
She puffed her cheeks, "You're one to talk."
He laughed and stuck his tongue out childlishly.
"Hey I'm mature for my age!"
She rolled her eyes and supressed a smile. "Sure you are Prompto."
"Can I help?"
She spun around and brought the spoon she was holding to his neck.
He paused before jokingly saying, "Are you trying to spoon me?"
She brought the spoon down but her glare didn't waver. "Who let you in?"
"I did." They both turned to see Serah standing in the doorway covered in glitter. She had paint streaks on her face. "I thought we could use an extra hand in the preparations."
"So out everyone you chose him to help?" Lightning asked clearly not amused.
She shrugged and glitter fell on the floor. "He just showed up and offered. I told him I finished with the decorations, so he should help you in the kitchen. Etro knows you need it." Before Lightning could retort Serah began walking away. "I'm going to go clean up now. You two play nice."
Lightning narrowed her eyes at the cheery blonde who looked back innocently. He smiled and saluted, "Prompto attending for duty Ma'am!"
…
The corner of the kitchen was no fun. He was assigned there like a naughty child and Lightning even went as far as pretending to draw an imaginary line which he was not allowed to pass. He sat slumped on the floor against the cupboards with his arms crossed. He was so bored. He wanted to help. His eyes trailed to the woman in front who was buried in a book. He smiled at how her brows were knitted together as she intently read every instruction. She then picked up a spachelor and looked back to the book, then looked up at the spachelor again. He chuckled and said, "That thing you have in your hand is called a spachelor."
She frowned even more. "I know that."
"Suuure you did." He rolled his eyes playfully. "I may of be some use to you. Unlike some people, I know my way around the kitchen."
Completely ignoring him, she put the spachelor down , slid open a drawer and started rummaging through it. She picked out various utensils, inspected them then threw them back into the drawer.
Prompto sighed and got up. Stubborn she was. He stretched his arms before taking a step forward.
"Who said you could move away from the corner?"
He yawned, "I'm a big boy now. Corners cannot confine me."
"I remember specifically drawing a line there over which you may not pass."
He smirked and locked eyes with hers. "And what will happen if I do? You'll call my mommy?" he challenged.
She narrowed her eyes at him threateningly. "I'll teach you the meaning of discipline since clearly your mommy didn't."
"Hey don't bring my mother into this!" He laughed, "Oh wait I mentioned her, nevermind." Grinning like fool and not breaking eye contact with her, he picked up his foot and stepped forward.
"Heh, it looks like I 'crossed the line'" he chuckled.
"Prompto!" He felt someone collide into his back and wrap their arms around his waist. He twisted his head to see who it was and was met with bright orange hair. He smiled at the familiar sight.
"What's up Vanille? Scaring sheep again?"
"Nope" she popped the 'p'. "I've learnt my lesson. Scary farmer is scary." She shuddered at the memory.
He chuckled, "So then what do I owe the pleasure of you glomping me in public? Not that I'm complaining or anything but it would be nice to talk to you face to face."
He felt the grip around his waist loosen and he took this opportunity to turn around. "Hey there," he ruffled her hair.
She giggled, "Howdy."
Vanille was always a little quirky and spontaneous, he liked that about her, she was also pretty which was never a bad deal but she had this childlike innocence which he couldn't bring himself to take advantage of, so instead the two became fast friends
"I saw you walk past and shouted your name but you didn't hear me." She furrowed her brows and pouted. "So I started running after you!" Her pout disappeared and pure excitement melted onto her face. "Come on" she grabbed his hand and started dragging him, "We're having a picnic at the park. Come and meet everyone."
He let her drag him since he didn't have the heart to say no to her, besides, it was a picnic. Picnic meant food and Prompto loved food, just as much as he loved girls.
That's right...
Just a harmless picnic...what could happen?
"If I didn't know any better, I would think you were stalking me" she spoke over her shoulder as she fired 6 more rounds at the target in the distance.
"I'm just like everyone else here. I wanted to come and practice. You know, hone my skills and all."
"Then there's plenty of space elsewhere." She indicated to all the empty stalls down the line.
"Hmm, I think I'll pick this one." He dropped his bag on the floor next to her and smiled toothily.
She rolled her eyes and readied her gunblade again. He always wanted one of those, they were just so cool, too bad Santa didn't hand them out.
He didn't realise he was staring until she lowered her weapon and looked at him. "What?"
Oops, busted.
"I just wanted to see if you were any good." He replied smoothly.
"You saw me earlier"
He did? When was that?
"I wasn't paying attention." I was too busy staring at your a-
"Then pay attention now."
She lifted the weapon again and fired a few rounds, which all landed within the inner circle. He was impressed.
"Not bad, but let a real master show you how it's done."
She turned and raised her eyebrows. "Master?" she repeated.
"Uh huh" he placed his hand on his chest. "You're looking at the best shooter Cocoon has ever seen. Mind you, I prefer not to flaunt my skill, henceforth why you may not have heard about me. But yes, they used to nickname me Shotgun back in the Academy." He sighed a wistful sigh before continuing, "That's all in the past now, but I'm always up for passing on my knowledge to those who seek it." He glanced expectantly at her.
"Is that so?" she stated impassively. Not quite the ooohs or aawws he was looking for but he didn't let that get to him.
"Yup, so I could teach you if you want in exchange for a small price." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
She seemed thoughtful… or not. He couldn't tell, but being silent meant she was thinking it over right? That's a good sign.
"How about instead, we have a little wager?" she said.
"Oh?" That sounded interesting. "Of what kind?"
"You see the stump beyond the targets?" He squinted and indeed saw the isolated stump just on the edge of the field but also noticed a yellow ring painted on the centre.
"Whoever shoots 3 rounds into the ring wins. Loser has to leave the winner alone."
He liked the challenge. The prize? Not so much.
"That's it? What about the loser having to go on a date with the winner."
She rolled her eyes. "That's only if you win."
He cupped his chin and thought for a few moments. If he lost (which he won't), he would have to give her some space. Eh, like that was going to happen. On the other hand, if she lost (which was most likely) then he would get a date. Sounded good to him.
"Alright. Challenge accepted. Ladies first" he gestured to her.
She brought up the weapon with one arm, and without a word, shot three times simultaneously. All three landed straight in the centre. Satisfied with her result she turned to him smirking. "Your turn."
Okay, he was not expecting THAT. Trying to hide his surprise he ran his hand through his hair and said, "Well then, it looks like it will be a tie. After this should we do sudden death?"
"Don't be so confident. You haven't even gone yet."
"Please," he picked up his trusty old shotgun, his weapon of choice, "I've got this in the bag. Watch and learn." He loaded the gun and pulled it so it fit snuggly on his shoulder, unlike the gunblade, he needed both hands for this. He clicked the safety off, shut his right eye, aimed then pulled the trigger.
One.
He shot again.
Two.
He smiled, this was way too easy. Lightning better find something pretty to wear for their date, because: It. Is. On. He closed his eye again and aimed it the usual 40 degrees to the left of his target. Physics will take its course. He licked his lips, he could practically taste victory and it tasted sweet. His finger curled around the trigger. Easy as one, two, thr-
"Don't flinch" she whispered in his ear, her warm breath fanned his cheek.
He gasped and pulled the trigger. The bang echoed around him and the shell flew who knows where. His hands gripped the shotgun tightly and he stood still in his shooting stance. His cheek feeling warm.
"Oh would you look at that, you missed. Guess I won." She commented nonchantly as if she didn't do what she just did.
"Y-You cheated!" He stammered, still trying to hide his flustered tone. "You purposely distracted me!" He lowered his weapon.
"I did no such thing." She said as she crossed her arms, smirk still firmly in place. She swung her gunblade into her holster. "I'll see you around hot shot, oh wait, I won't." Her smirk grew wider as she walked away victorious.
He continued to stand there, frozen, gazing at her retreating figure. He should be upset at the loss of his pride and date, which he was, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. Slowly, he brought his hand to the ear where had she whispered and wondered to himself.
What the hell just happened?
He inspected his room, checking if he forgot anything important. His eyes landed on his comic book collection stacked neatly on his bookshelf. He contemplated whether to take them or not, after all, he spent a lot of time and money on them. Deciding the extra baggage would just slow him down; he swung his rug sack upon his back and hopped onto the window ledge. He took one more glance at his bedroom and nodded.
Time to say goodbye.
He bent his legs and leapt forward. He landed on the tree branch in front of his room, and his arms grabbed onto the trunk to steady himself. Smiling like an idiot, he nimbly lowered himself branch by branch until he landed perfectly on the ground.
"And the judges give him a 10!" he whispered happily to himself. Tightening his hold on the strap, he quickly glanced at his illuminated watch. Any second now…
BOOM
There it was.
He heard footsteps frantically heading towards the front courtyard; he hid himself in the shadows behind the tree as he watched the guards.
Distraction, check. He gave himself another 10 points.
Making sure the coast was clear he ran towards the back wall where he had strategically strung a rope over the wall, hidden in the vines. Untangling it, he quickly pulled himself over. All that training certainly came in handy. Once he was on top he stood up and turned around. He could hear the commotion on the opposite end and chuckled to himself. He gave a two-fingered salute to his soon-to-be past and jumped off.
He never looked back once.
The wind rushed through his hair and his bag swung wildly behind. His feet pounded heavily on the road as he ran towards the train station. He let out a shout of excitement; he didn't care if it woke up the neighbours.
He was free, and freedom tasted fucking fantastic.
"Two please."
He slid the money across the counter and reached for steaming cups. "Keep the change."
Carefully balancing the two cups, he slowly trudged his way through the sand to the figure standing on the pier. The sun painted the sky like a rainbow snow cone and casted shadows around him. How he loved sunsets on the beach.
"Yo Lightning! Better drink this while it's hot!" he chirped cheerfully as he walked towards her. She turned around, at that angle the sun caused her hair to glow orange and brought out the tan in her skin. Her eyes just looked at him coolly before accepting the drink with a curt nod.
He was used to that behaviour now. He took his place next to her and brought the steaming beverage to his lips. The familiar taste washed down his throat. Sweet and milky.
Huh, he just thought of something. Since when did he drink tea? He never drank tea.
He shrugged and continued to drink it. It didn't taste that bad.
"Autumn is settling in huh? You can definitely feel the chill in the air now."
He glanced at the girl beside him, and watched how she took careful sips while her eyes focused out in the distance. She was in a daze and it seemed like she didn't hear him…or chose not to.
"Not that I don't like autumn or anything. I mean, it's all fine and all, especially how things cool down from the scorching summer, but my favourite season has got to be winter."
He paused but she said nothing so he continued, "Yup, winter is my favourite. You want to know why?" He didn't wait an answer. "It's because it is the most romantic season of all. I mean, you have a legitimate reason to snuggle up with someone without being creepy. All you have to do is say you're cold. In summer you can't do that, most of the time you try keep your distance from people since it's so hot…"
"Prompto." She called out annoyed.
"But in winter, nuh uh, you have none of that. Plus the best part is the snow. A snowy day is the ultimate romantic-
"Prompto"
"Getaway. Sitting in front of the fireplace all huddled under blankets…"
"Prompto" she stated louder.
"Yeah?" he answered, still running through all his ideal winter situations mentally.
"Just shut up"
...
The sun sunk down below the horizon, and so another day had ended, but to him, it was just the beginning of a new dawn.
Speech is silver, silence is golden
"Then there was this crazy chick, Leblanc, who was crying over this dude name Nooj and guess who there to comfort her? Yeah, that's right, me!" He pointed at himself triumphantly.
"That's not something to be proud of" she said, not impressed at all.
He picked up a pebble on the ground and skid it across the lake. It jumped two times before landing with a plop.
"What are you talking about? That's four phone numbers in one day!" He looked at her disbelievingly, "That has to be a new record somewhere. Besides, I can't help it if the ladies find me irresistible."
She growled and stopped in her tracks. "Why? Why do you do it?" She stared at him straight in the eye and he saw the fury swimming in them. "So you can stroke your own ego to make your insecure self feel better?" He was confused as to why she was getting worked up all of a sudden. "You're like a child begging for his mother's attention. Grow up Prompto." She snapped and stormed off in the opposite direction.
Begging for his mother's attention?
Hey mom…are you proud of me?
Have you ever been?
The sky was crying, the weight on its shoulders finally became too heavy for it to handle and because of that, they fell, hitting the relentless ground.
The sky was lonely, since there was only one of them.
But it was okay, it didn't have to cry alone. He would too.
"But, if I have tutors all day I won't be able to see my friends!" he cried out. His big blue eyes stared pleadingly at his mother.
Without sparing a glance at him, she stated coldly, "You don't need friends in the bigger picture."
Her green eyes were focused on him, taking in his every word. They widened in surprise when he almost fell from a fire escape. They filled with excitement and awe when he piloted his first airship. They drooped in sadness when he told her about life being brought up in an orphanage. He had her wrapped around his finger.
"But enough about me, I'm here to listen to you." He said with a crooked grin.
She giggled. "My life isn't half as interesting as yours. I'm afraid I might bore you."
"Nonsense!" he cried. "A pretty girl like you could never bore me. Even as we speak right now, I'm hanging on to every word spilling out your sweet lips."
The brunette blushed profusely, never has she ever been flattered so much in her life.
Prompto believed every girl deserved to be treated like a princess. Despite so, he also believed that they knew the terms of this arrangement. It was never spoken, mostly a silent agreement. After tonight, they would head their separate ways, never contacting each other again. It was supposed to be fun with no strings attached.
When her blush toned down a little, she was just about to speak when her gaze focused behind him. Curious, he turned around and his eyes met piercing blue ones. She was here.
"Lightning!" he cried out in surprise. She never came to a place like this. Not even when he begged her. "What are you doing here?" Silently hoping it wasn't what he thought it was.
Hypocrite.
She looked at him and he hesitated, it had been a while since she had and suddenly he felt extremely uncomfortable, they didn't exactly leave on good terms and he wanted to fix it, but he couldn't…especially in his current position.
She nodded curtly at the girl beside him, acknowledging her presence and the current exchange.
"Have you seen Fang?" she asked impassively, eyes darting around the room.
Fang? Fang, Fang.
Oh, it clicked in his head and he smiled in relief. No date. Of course, Fang, it made sense. Bless her tough Oerban heart. She probably blackmailed the stoic girl into coming here. He mentally noted to get more tips from the raven haired beauty.
"Can't say I have." He said sympathetically. It was always good to empathise with the victim.
She sighed and shook her head. "I'm going to kill her."
It bothered him. She was acting as if nothing happened. As if he wasn't doing what she despised him for doing. Why? The question poked at his mind but he brushed it off, he would play too, so he laughed; she was cute when she was frustrated. "Now now, I'm sure she dragged you here so you could take a break, not proceed with your training."
"Whatever" she replied, "If you see her…"
He waved at her when she took off, ignoring the desire to pull her back. "Yeah I'll let her know." And completely warn her that the pink-haired she-devil was on the warpath.
Aware of his current female acquaintance's stare, he quickly turned around and apologised. "Sorry about that. So where were we?"
"Who was that?"
"Hmmm, you mean the scary looking one who was just here?"
She nodded.
"That's Lightning." He was careful not to dive too deep into the topic, so he picked up his drink and took a sip, hoping to think of a distraction.
She seemed thoughtful for a moment before asking, "Do you like her?"
He almost spilt his drink.
"Wh-what makes you say that?" he choked out.
She tilted her head and looked at him curiously. "I don't know, just the way you look at her."
He was caught off guard. He didn't expect that; to be read so easily, especially by a stranger. He took a few seconds to compose himself before replying, "Haha no, you are mistaken."
Liar.
"She and I are just friends."
Liar.
He gave a flick of his hand, " I could never think of her like that."
Liar.
"Besides, I only have eyes for one little lady tonight," he added with a wink. She blushed again, suspicions drowned by his charming words. He had her hook, line and sinker. He continued their conversation, giggling filled the air as he showered her with compliments. She truly believed that he was focused on her, but if she really concentrated closely, she would've noticed how his gaze would sometimes linger on the pair of women standing across the room.
Throughout the entire night, there was only one thing playing through his mind.
Liar liar liar.
"You better be careful." She flicked his nose and giggled. He flinched and covered it so she couldn't attack it again.
"Why?"
She picked up her story book and peered over at him.
"Because, you might end up just like Pinocchio."
"Are you still mad at me?" he asked hesitantly. He watched her blink her eyes open and blow air into her hands.
"Not mad." She said calmly, watching the mist rise from her breaths.
"Really?" It seemed too good to be true. Her words have been bothering him for a while now. There were many restless nights where he would toss about, feeling agitated with himself. The dark circles underneath his eyes were proof.
"It's your life Prompto, I can't tell you how to live it and I won't interfere with your business but," her voice grew firm, "if you ever hurt any one of my friends, I swear to Etro, I'll never forgive you."
He didn't quiver at the last part, he was too happy relishing the feeling of her forgiveness. He should apologize more often.
He was absorbed in his cloud of bliss, that he didn't notice her get up from the bench and walk over. He almost yelped when he found her face just centimetres from his own. Her piercing eyes seemed to analyse every detail of himself. Time seemed to slow. Normally he would laugh and make a joke but he was so overwhelmed with different emotions that he was frozen to the spot. His heart was beating frantically at their close proximity, her warm breath fanning his face. For the first time in his life, he felt scared. Genuinely scared. What was happening to him? Why was he feeling like he was completely hopeless? Like he couldn't do anything? He felt so exposed, like an experiment on an examination table.
When she pulled away, he let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding. Relief flooded through his system but it didn't numb the shock. She just continued to look at him impassively and then said, "Remember this, others may believe all your stories but I don't."
Sometimes he wondered if this was her way of playing hard to get. Then he would shake his head and argue with himself. Lightning wasn't that kind of person.
Maybe that's why he liked her so much. She didn't play those stupid games he was notorious for. She didn't pretend to impress. That's just who she was. She was just Lightning.
If there was one thing Prompt knew better than the female species (well, except one) it was that he could always count on his friends for advice.
"Hey Ignis."
The man looked up from the documents on his desk. He adjusted his glasses and said, "What is it Prompto?"
"I need some help." If there was anyone who had all the answers, it would be Ignis. That guy is like a walking library of knowledge.
He rubbed the side of his temples and knew he was going to regret asking, "For what?"
"Well you see, there's this girl-"
"Get out Prompto."
Or not.
Take two.
"Hey Noctis"
"Mm?" grunted the dark haired man as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.
"What would you do if you had girl problems?"
"I don't." he yawned through his gloves.
"What do you mean you don't?" Prompto said in disbelief. That didn't make sense. How did Noctis have absolutely no problems with girls and he did? Maybe it was opposite day.
"I don't associate myself with females."
Or not.
That sounded more believable. The world wasn't crazy.
"Haha so what are you? Gay?" the blonde joked.
Obviously his 'friend' didn't find that too funny and the blonde found himself on the street walking home.
So Noctis didn't like gay jokes. Mentally noted.
Take three.
"Girl troubles you say?" Gladiolus exhaled as he lifted the weights again. Prompto stood above him looking down expectantly.
"Well that seems unusual for you, actually it's more unusual you haven't been arrested yet since, you know, molesting girls is illegal these days, but your predicament is unusual nonetheless."
"Yes yes so we've established that it's unusual. So- hey!" he cried out indignantly. "I don't molest girls! If there's one thing I would get arrested for it's stealing hearts or being too good looking because come on, "he pointed at his face," This is just plain ridiculous."
"Ridiculous that someone hasn't smashed that pretty little face" he muttered under his breath.
"You say something?"
"Maybe you're trying too hard? Some girls can just pick up on stuff like that. A bullshit detector of some sorts."
"Trying. Too. Hard?" the blonde repeated those words slightly confused.
"Yeah, you tend to go overboard. When girls are looking for a real relationship, they want something genuine. Not some half-assed loser posing as a prince. You get what I'm saying?"
Posing as a prince? That was just that one time. Going overboard? Hmm…Did he really? But more importantly, did he want a real relationship? Usually the thought repulsed him but now he found that he was curious. What was it like to be in a genuine relationship?
Seeing the blonde lost in, what was an inner debate, Gladiolus stopped and hitched the weights on the stand. "You should start thinking about stuff like that now. You can't play around forever. We all have to grow up sometime kiddo."
Not receiving any sort of reaction the older man tackled the blonde in a headlock, much to the blonde's dismay. "Ouch! Let me go! You reek!" Gladiolus only laughed. "You mull over what I told you alright? If ya got any more problems, don't hesitate to discuss them with me!" He finally let the dishevelled boy go.
"Yeah," he tried to smooth out his hair, "thanks" For covering me in your sweat.
"Anytime."
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. ~ William Shakespeare
He always loved the Fleuret gardens. They were always blooming with exotic flowers and at night, there were thousands of little lights that would make the whole garden seem out of this world. But more importantly, they had the infamous hedge maze where he used to sneak out with girls during parties. Those were the days.
"You haven't visited in a while."
He broke out his reverie and looked beside him. He grinned at her pout and bent down to meet her face. It really has been a while, he almost forgot how petite she was. "Missed me? They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I'm not surprised if you confess your undying love to me right here."
She rolled her eyes and huffed. "In your dreams Blondie."
"Hey hey look who's talking." He twirled one of her golden locks around his finger. It had grown past her shoulders, quite different to the bob she had when they were younger. In return she reached up and ruffled his hair. "Yours is still blonder."
He tossed his hair mockingly, "I eat all my vegetables."
She laughed at his antics. "Well I'm sure your parents would be glad to hear that."
He stiffened slightly, hardly noticeable but it didn't escape her. It was a touchy subject after all.
"They're worried about you."
He could only grin at that. "Mmm, I'm sure they are."
"Seriously Prompto, they want you to come back home." He knew what she was trying to do, and yes he was thankful but at the same time he was happy with his life now. The past was the past and he preferred to let that go, even if it included the people who gave life to him.
"I already have a home" he stated brightly, "Which you have to come and visit sometime. I mean, I basically own the place, Ignis just likes to leech off me. Sheesh can you believe that guy? Making me pay rent for my own place. What kind of logic is that?"
She shook her head in disbelief and sarcastically said, "Oh he sounds terrible. Who needs to pay rent to the man who took you off the streets out of the goodness of his own heart?"
"I know right? I should speak to my lawyer about that."
"Gosh you can be such a blockhead sometimes," she giggled. "A visit would be nice, but I doubt my parents would allow me. You know, being in another city, alone-" he was about to interject but she cut him off. "With two boys, living in their house, where the one totally owes rent to the other…Probably having to share rooms…"
"I bet you'd like that" he stated mischievously.
She pushed him away playfully and he dramatically feigned hurt. "Your tricks won't work on me Mister. Besides, I don't want to be the rebound girl."
He stopped pretending to rub his shoulder where she had pushed him and looked at her confusedly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She ignored his question. "She seems like quite the person. I'm pleasantly surprised that she hasn't fallen for your acts."
Oh she was talking about her. His grin faltered a bit and he placed his hands in his pockets.
"Someone losing their charm?"
He slumped and Stella noticed his posture and flicked his forehead.
"A frown doesn't suit your face," she scrunched her nose, "So cheer up. I was just kidding."
"Who said I was upset? I'm just tired. Plus, you just blatantly rejected me. I'm hurt' he cried looking sorrowful into the distance. She saw past his façade and giggled. He was completely hopeless.
"Wow she's really got you hasn't she?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
She clasped her hands behind her back and began to walk. He followed but at a noticeably slower pace.
"Oh Prompto Prompto Prompto, you know how they say some of the best actors lose themselves in their roles?"
A thoughtful look placed itself on his face and he nodded.
"Well…" she stopped and turned to face him, "Don't lose yourself."
She didn't wait for his reaction before moving along ahead. "I think it's time for tea. We have to somehow figure our way out now. Come on and lead the way slow poke!"
Needless to say, she gave him a lot to think about that night.
~Me? I choose to let go of the past. ~
~Maybe that's your problem. You let go too easily. ~
He stumbled across the familiar road; his head was shrouded with alcohol and his eyesight blurry. Nothing he wasn't used to.
He pressed the doorbell not once, not twice, but multiple times. Even when in his sober state, he found buttons to be absolutely fascinating. They were just so tempting to press. He didn't stop his relentless button pushing until the door was thrown open with a very scary looking Farron sister looming at the handle. He could see the demonic energy just swirl around her being, it should have scared him, but it didn't. The alcohol had taken effect. He just gave her one his biggest, cheesiest smiles and asked sheepishly, "Can I come in?"
It wasn't the first time he had done this.
"Why the hell are you here?" She asked through gritted teeth.
"Please let me stay! Ignis has been moody lately and would kill me if he saw me like this!" he pleaded.
She just glared at him unmoving. He crawled down to his knees and looked at her. "Please?"
He knew she hated when people begged.
"I can't walk all the way home by myself!"
He knew she hated when people played on her guilty conscience.
"And it's so cold I could die from hyperthermia!"
He knew she hated when people were sick.
"Stop being an idiot and get up."
He knew she hated when he won.
He gave her his usual cheesy grin before following her retreating figure into her apartment.
"If you're so afraid about Ignis finding your drunken ass, then what made you think it would be a good idea to come here?" She walked over to the sprawled figure over her couch with a pile of blankets.
He shrugged. "I guess it was just instinct."
His fingers ran over the beaded patterns of the cushions on the couch. They were seemingly out of place with the décor but they were a gift from Vanille; and Lightning was never one to bother about interior design anyway. He smiled. She cared.
His train of thought was broken when something hit him straight in the face. He rubbed his nose and wondered how something so soft as a pillow could be so hard at the same time. Lightning snorted. "Reflexes a little slow there."
He looked at her and pouted. "Be careful! This face puts dinner on the table."
She snorted again. "Is that why you're so scrawny?"
Ouch.
She walked away again and he took this opportunity to bring the blankets to his face and inhale. The familiar scent he identified as hers overwhelmed his senses. It wasn't sickeningly sweet like other girls. It was hard to describe, but it smelled like the fresh air after a rain storm mixed with the smell of an air conditioner, which sounded weird but trust him, it was good. No girl could compare, it wasn't something you could buy in a fancy bottle. It was all natural and oh so addicting.
Etro, he felt like a creep.
When he heard her footsteps heading over he immediately dropped the blankets and proceeded to close his eyes and lie still.
"You can stop pretending."
Dammit. The jig was up. Or was it up in the first place?
He peeked at her and saw her place a glass of water beside him. His heart swelled. It's always the little gestures that got to him.
"You know where the bathroom is." She stated. "If I catch you in Serah's bedroom again, you're sleeping on the balcony."
When was she going to let that go? It was an accident! Not like there signs on the door and hers did have pretty flowers on it. People are attracted to pretty things. Isn't that what's happening to him now?
No.
This was more than a mere attraction. Atoms attracted each other, and when they came too close, their nucleuses repelled. That theory was the explanation for most of his shenanigans, but now, he can't help but wonder why he suddenly hated physics so much.
Or why he kept coming back.
He hated himself for the fact he could only build up enough courage when he was drunk but it was, at least, some kind of progress.
He decided it a long time ago.
He didn't want to play anymore.
"Hey Lightning," he started, the words were on the tip of his tongue, he should be used to saying them now but he always choked at that point. He took a deep breath; the wondrous, addicting scent filled his lungs, giving him a much needed boost before he uttered those three words.
"I love you."
She stopped and rolled her eyes. Not again. This happened every time. It was ironic how the one time he wanted her to see the truth, she didn't.
But he won't give up. No, he wouldn't, because even though life was strong…
He was stronger.
"Go to sleep Prompto."
"Let's read this one!" she shoved the book in his face. He took it and looked at the cover.
"The Boy Who Cried Wolf?" he read slowly. "Does it have any action?"
"Well does eating sheep count?" she asked.
"Only if there's blood."
She scrunched her nose, "Then no."
He grimaced but she ignored it as she reached out to take the book out his hands.
"It may not seem very exciting but…" she nestled herself comfortably on the armchair and patted the small space next to her. He trotted over and sat down.
"It teaches us a very big lesson."
.
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End
Well would you look at that. This is the longest oneshot, scratch that, the longest piece of literature I have ever written.
Hopefully this sort of sheds more light (lol) on this pairing.
Edited 02/06/12