A/N: This has sorely ended up into crackfic territory. I'm not even mad. Enjoy!


THE DAY WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED

-Prompto-

The sound of music caught Noctis' ear, and so the young man began to march forward through the never-ending crowds. Despite the barrage of noise, it was easy to pick up rhythmic blues being played as he jogged his way up the stairs at the end of the street. As he reached the little plateau which featured a three-man live band around the corner, however, a blur of golden hair collided with him, knocking him straight into the nearby fence.

"Hey, watch it!" he called, rubbing his side gingerly where he had made contact with the metal fence.

The voice which responded was surprisingly familiar. "Oh, dude, I am so sorry," the blond responded, slowly crawling his way to his feet, rubbing his cheek gingerly. The young man, clad in bright yellow chocobo gear just like Noctis, stood tall, stretched, massaged his jaw, and finally looked up at the dark-haired man. Blue eyes widened – almost impossibly wide – and before Noctis could say anything, the other man threw his arms around Noctis' neck, squealing in delight. "Noctis! Man, it's really you!"

The young king laughed, immediately registering the voice and pulling his arms up to pat the overjoyed blond on the back. "Hey, Prompto," he chided, rubbing the other's back affectionately, "what did we always tell you about running in town?"

"Never do it," Prompto responded guiltily, letting go of Noctis and running his hands through his hair in embarrassment. "I was hot on the chase! I guess I got too excited."

Noctis raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, waiting for the details of Prompto's latest crazy exploits. "And what chase would that be?" He paused, before an evil grin slowly grew. "Please don't tell me you're chasing some poor girls. That's not exactly how to win over the ladies, Prompto."

"Oh gee, thanks Noct," he groaned, pushing his friend playfully. Before his best friend could respond, the blond pulled out his camera from the bag slung over his shoulder. "I was actually trying to complete some of the photo contests! I'm almost done this one!"

That piqued Noctis' attention. "There are photo contests in this mess?"

Prompto grinned wildly, hooking his arm around Noctis' elbow and dragging him off. "Yup! All you gotta do is take pics of whatever the little kiosks everywhere are asking for! Right now I'm almost done finding all the Brothers Kupomazov!"

"The Brothers Kupomazov?" While the random name didn't sound the least bit out of place coming from Prompto's mouth, it did catch Noctis' attention. Sensing his friend's curiosity, Prompto excitedly explained exactly how he had managed to find the other various moogles hidden around the city. Completing all of them awarded Choco-Mog Medallions, which were little festival-only coins the booths were giving out for challenge completion. Prompto excitedly pulled a handful of medallions out of his pocket, the golden coins jingling in his palm as he pressed them into Noctis' hand.

"Wait, dude, why are you giving me these?"

Prompto held a finger to his lips and winked coquettishly, eliciting an exaggerated eye-roll from the other. "Don't be mad, bro – I'm just helping you out! After all, I'm going to get a ton of these coins, so I might as well share the wealth!"

Noctis grinned, stored the coins into his pocket, and gestured towards the vast, unexplored city before them. "Sounds like a plan, Prompto. I could do that. What are we hunting down next?"

The blond's bright eyes shined, and immediately the two boys were off running, skittering through the streets like mad men, their chortles and hollers and joyous, breathless laughter as beautiful as it had once been, long ago in the city which never slept.

xXx

"Noct, keep it distracted! I need this shot!" Prompto groaned as he lay on his back, head craned back and camera upside-down in his hands as he struggled to take the shot. A mystery picture hunt had led them to the balcony of a small ice cream parlour, the outdoor seating graced with the presence of one particular feline which had perched itself regally upon one of the low tables.

"Here, kitty kitty kitty," Noctis cooed, slowly approached the glossy white cat. The animal simply cocked its head and flicked an ear in his direction, but the quick dart of its eyes when Noctis moved his hands to adjust his hat proved that the dark-haired young man had the feline's attention.

"Ooh, hold it there, Noct!" the blond breathed, but before he could take a proper shot the cat gracefully bounded off the table and twined itself between Noctis' legs. "No, catch the cat, Noct!"

Before Noctis could comply, however, the cat simply rubbed its cheek upon the young man's leg, purred, and began to saunter away. Prompto reached a hand out towards the retreating feline, whimpering as the white blur eventually skittered down the stairs and out of sight.

Noctis could hear the pout in his voice before he could see it. "I needed the kitty with the table and the tower in the background, Noct," he whined. "Why did it run away?"

Noctis snorted, crossing his arms and leaning against the banister upon the balcony. They had been running around for a few hours, and the sweat shining upon his brow was proof of the sheer exertion he felt trying to keep up with the boundless energy of his friend. "Well maybe you shouldn't have walked up to it out of nowhere."

"But I needed to take the picture with-"

"Haven't you ever hear of the zoom feature?"

The blond paused, thought about what his friend just said, and let out something akin to a muffled scream as he let his arm flop onto his face.

Noctis chuckled, helping his friend get back to his feet before dusting off the blond's back and shoulders good-naturedly. "Good job, mister cameraman. Your skills are incredible."

"I hate my life, y'know that, Noct?"

The dark-haired man just laughed, patted his friend on the shoulder, and pointed to the ice cream parlour's sign. "But I know what might make it better," he sang, although his mind was only thinking, Please say yes to ice cream so I can sit down, I'm so tired, Prompto, c'mon…

The pain of the cat's rejection immediately faded away as Prompto took in the sign, grabbed Noct's hand, and ushered his friend into the parlour. "Ooh, ice cream! I could totally go for some right now!" As they walked up to the counter to examine the flavours, however, Noctis felt his arm be pulled back, and Prompto's nervous voice whispered, "Check out the cashier!"

Noctis shook his head, laughing at his friend's inability to stay focussed, and glanced at the girl behind the counter. She was decidedly pretty – large green eyes, a sleek ponytail underneath her uniform visor, a large smile and a slim figure. "And do you think you could, say, win over this cashier?"

Prompto puffed out his chest, flashing a smile at his friend. "Of course I can, Noct – who do you think I am?" And with that, he approached the cashier, nothing but bluster and confidence.

Unfortunately, he also missed Noctis' muttered jab, "I think you're the guy who still hasn't won over Cindy, but alright, bro." If he had heard it, it might have saved him the humiliation as the blond locked eyes with the pretty girl, and all the confidence in his body vanished into thin air. But as he stood there, frozen in place, the girl had already noticed them and awaited his order.

Nowhere to run, Prompto. Let's see how this goes, Noctis thought, waiting for the spectacle to take place before him.

After an eternity of catching his breath and regaining whatever courage he had left, Prompto leaned onto the counter, flashing a strained grin and taking a huge (incredibly awkward) breath before saying, "You know, ice cream would be the perfect treat for a day like this – I bet it's almost as sweet as you."

"Oh my, thank you," she responded flatly, raising an eyebrow at the sheer fear of rejection visible in the blond's eyes, and the trembling Noctis standing behind him, biting his own fist to hold in the laughter threatening to burst at his friend's attempt. "I'll, uh… I'll get you some." She paused, looked up at Noctis again, and met his gaze (teary from the laughter) with a wicked grin. "JUSTIN!"

A mountain of a man lumbered from the back room, pulling on a pair of giant disposable gloves that encased his large, meaty fingers a bit too tightly. "What is it, Alice?" he grunted, peering down at the petite woman through thick, crusty lashes surrounded by gaunt, hollowed eyes. "Ya need somethin'?"

"Oh, I have to use the bathroom. Mind looking after this lovely gentleman?" she asked sweetly, winking at Noctis as she fled to the backroom of the café.

The giant walked up to the counter, looking down at Prompto's shock-filled gaze with amusement. Raising a bushy brow, he smiled, revealing dark yellow teeth. "Would you like the chocobo-lemon sorbet, or the moogle ice cream? It's vanilla and cherry."

"L-l-l-lemon please," Prompto squeaked, eyes locked onto the mammoth before him.

The man's grin widened, and he scooped up the ice cream into a dainty serving bowl, surprisingly delicate for his grand form. As he handed it to a shaking Prompto, he growled loud enough for Noctis to hear, "Here ya go, sweetie."

The squeal of pure terror which escaped Prompto was the last straw for Noctis, and before he knew it he was outside upon the terrace, doubled over in laughter. The blond slapped money onto the counter and took off after his friend, hot on his heels, punching the breathless, shaking man in the shoulder. "What the hell was that, dude? Way to leave me in there with that… that…"

"Oh, sorry, sweetie, I didn't realize you needed saving with all of that suaveness you've got," Noctis practically wheezed back, struggling to upright himself by clutching the railings.

"You are literally the worst, Noct, you know that?"

Finally catching his breath, he snatched the ice cream out of his best friend's hand and took a small bite. "I know I'm the worst." Pausing to savour the taste, he added, "Mm, lemon. It's actually pretty good."

Prompto groaned. "Noct, that's gross, why would you eat what that creepy dude scooped?"

"Hey, it's sorbet. I'm not complaining."

After a little pause, Prompto stole the bowl back and took a hesitant bite. "Yeah," he admitted, sighing in relief, "I guess creepy guys can't ruin ice cream. That's good."

"Sorbet."

"Whatever. Classist." And with that, they were off to find more of the photo contest locations.

xXx

After their sorbet was finished, the pair found themselves back in the square they had first met earlier that morning, the melody of smooth jazz still filling the air. However, one thing this time was indeed different – standing in the center of the miniature plaza was a man who looked equal parts distressed and terrified, clutching at the wings sticking out from his chocobo-themed hat in desperation. "Oh, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna do?"

"Is there something wrong?" Noctis queried, watching the man paced worriedly.

"Let's go find out!" his friend cried, jogging towards the man as Noctis sighed wearily. We'll never get a break, will we? he wondered quietly, but inside, it warmed him, seeing how little his friend had changed despite the passage of time.

Approaching the man as if he were a scared animal, Prompto asked gently, "Hey dude, are you alright?"

With a desperate look in his eye, the man spun around and stared the two friends down. "Excuse me, sirs, but have you seen any chocobo chicks trotting around?"

They shared a confused look, till Noctis replied, "Can't say I have. Why?"

He turned to Noct, eyes practically brimming with tears. "Well, I brought my prized chicks to the carnival, but, y'know, they flew the coop." He sniffed, long and drawn out, the tiredness evident in his face. "So if you run into any of 'em, would you do me a favour and catch 'em for me?"

Prompto immediately tugged at Noctis' sleeve, utter concern showing upon his face as well. "We can't let those baby birds go it alone. Let's find them, Noct!"

Noctis laughed heartily, watching his best friend bounce around impatiently. "Alright, alright – we'll find them, okay?"

To the troubled chocobo breeder, the blond vowed, "Don't worry – we'll get those little fluffy babies back here, if it's the last thing we do!"

And with that, they were off to search for little yellow chocobos around the grand city.

It was nearly noon when they finally finished catching all of the chicks, and after sorely underestimating the brisk speed of the little chicks, they were utterly exhausted by the time they had returned the final chocobo to the breeder. The flustered man was absolutely thrilled, he awarded them copious Choco-Mog medallions, which was an added bonus – but Noctis was just happy that Prompto seemed so content, despite his weariness.

As they entered a nearby café, he murmured happily, "We've done good today, Noct. We've done good."

"You know what else has done 'good'? My feet. They deserve a long, long break," the dark-haired man groaned, bee-lining for the seats in the dining area.

Noctis almost made it, when a high-pitched, sweet-as-candy voice called out, "Excuse me, but would you like to test your moogle knowledge, kupo?"

Why do they always ask us? Noctis cringed internally, looking at Prompto. "Dude, just ignore them, I really want to take a break-"

"Is that a challenge?" Prompto asked, a competitive set to his brow already apparent. "Because I can prove to you – I know moogles. Moogles and chocobos, let me tell you."

The costumed moogle which had spoken clapped large, ill-fitting paws together. "That's wonderful, kupo! Does your friend know about them as well?"

The blond leaned back, rubbing his nose and chuckling. "Well, he's pretty smart, but I think I probably know more."

Noctis rolled his eyes, looking at his friend bleakly. "Yup, okay, you know more than me, but can we sit down now?"

"No, Noctis," Prompto insisted, a fiery expression lighting his gaze. "Now I want to know – which one of us truly knows the inner workings of the majestic kupos and kwehs? Who speaks better Mooglish? Which one of us loves moogles and chocobos more?"

Deadpan, Noctis replied, "And this has to be done right now?"

"Right now," the blond nodded firmly. "Don't you feel it, Noct? The time to battle is nigh!"

I feel nothing, Prompto. My legs and stomach and soul have been empty and numb for a while. "Okay," he conceded finally.

"Perfect, kupo! Let's take the quiz!"

"Yay!" Prompto cheered, fierce determination in his eyes.

"…yay," Noctis repeated sarcastically, and then, the quiz was on.

xXx

After obtaining some complementary snacks and Choco-Mog medallions for participation, Noctis had calmed down immensely, as the two young men leisurely strolled through the festival.

The certificates in Prompto's hand made the blond shine with pride. "Look at this, Noct! Perfect scores, the both of us! I guess we are true choco-mog lovers after all." He sighed dreamily, clutching the joke certificates to his chest.

"Wow," Noctis mumbled around a bite of his finger sandwich, "this is the highest mark you've ever gotten, huh Prompto? Too bad you didn't ace school like this."

"Geez, Noct, why are you like this," Prompto groaned, eliciting a chortle from the other man.

"I live to serve," he bowed in response, sweeping his arm in a deep flourish. Prompto groaned, but his smile showed that even he had found the comment amusing.

"Ooh, look Noct – a photo board!" the blond cried, pointed excitedly at the large wooden board set up in the landing. Upon it was the painted image of a cartoonish moogle riding upon a chocobo's back, the faces of both creatures cut out for eager tourists to take a commemorative carnival photo.

"How about a photo, sir?" the attendant beside the board called, noticing the blond's excitement.

Prompto clapped, "Let's go take a pic!"

Noctis shrugged, following his enthusiastic friend. "Why not?" He walked up to the board, where Prompto had already jogged ahead to speak to the attendant manning the photo station, instant camera in hand. He quickly handed over a few gil before grabbing Noctis' hand and pulling him behind the board and into the hole for the chocobo's face. Prompto sidled up beside him, sticking his head eagerly through the moogle's face.

"Perfect! Now smile for the camera. Say kweh!" the photographer called after a moment, getting into position. The two young men looked at each other through the cutouts, grinned, and turned back to face the camera.

"Kweh!" They both cried, smiling and laughing at the photographer. She laughed with them, clearly enjoying the sheer positivity the best friends were sharing with each other in that simple, simple moment.

After a second, she motioned for them to come out from behind the large wooden frame, and handed them a photo from her instant camera. "It'll develop in a few moments," she explained before motioning the next carnival-goers to the photo booth.

"Ooh, this is totally going in the scrapbook when it's done!" Prompto cheered. Noctis chuckled and nodded, and the two boys leaned close together to watch the image on the small picture slowly appear on the dark sheet.

When the picture finally did, Prompto slung an arm around Noctis' neck and leaned his head against his best friend's. "We look pretty snazzy, you've got to admit that," he laughed, but his voice was quieter than before.

Noctis smiled, and bumped his temple lightly against Prompto's in retaliation. "Yeah, we do look good."

The blond let go of the king, searching his eyes momentarily before whipping out his camera. "Hey, Noct, hold that out for me," he instructed, gesturing to the sweet photo.

As Noctis complied, Prompto took a picture of the photograph – Noctis and all – and smiled, before taking a step back. "Perfect." Pausing, he sighed in satisfaction as he examined the photo upon the digital display of his camera. He looked at Noctis, a sheepish grin on his face. "So dude, there's like, a million more photo contests to take part in, and I just gotta win them all!"

Noctis grinned – he knew that Prompto was not only letting him keep the photograph, but letting him go free and explore the rest of the carnival at an easier pace, as well. They had spent too long together to need words to understand each other's true intentions. "Good luck, Prompto."

"Yeah!" the blond grinned, a light sunburn and pure happiness making his freckles rosy and cheeks bright. "I'll see you tonight!" Waving frantically, he turned around and began jogging up the staircase behind him, ready to tackle the next photo challenge he found in his path.

After his back had disappeared from his vision, Noctis examined the photograph in his hand once more. "I missed you, buddy," he murmured, running a thumb across the wide, loving smile of the photographed blond.

It had been too long.