A/N: AHHH! SO EXCITED TO WORK ON THIS ONE! ENJOY~~!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but this version of Promptis. Co-written with Milaya Milen Zeal.
A Yokai's Kiss
Chapter 2
Prompto woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly awake.
"Man, that sure was a weird dream," he murmured to himself. "My adoptive dad had run off and the house was seized, and I'd become homeless, when a woman gave up her own home for me. But when I went there, it was a rundown shrine and they told me I was a land god… And then that obnoxious yokai named Noctis or whatever went babbling on about this was unacceptable to him and stuff… And then I kissed this Noctis and he ended up becoming a familiar." He laughed softly to himself. "What a dream, huh?" Then he noticed Zidane and Mikoto watching him from near his feet, and he blinked before his eyes widened in shock as he realized it wasn't a dream.
"Mornin'!" Zidane chirped with a big grin, while Mikoto nodded her head and said softly: "Good morning."
"Where am I?" Prompto frowned, noticing how his surroundings looked much nicer now.
"Your room, DUH!" Zidane laughed out.
"But it doesn't look anything like it did yesterday…" the taller blonde commented. "I could have sworn it was a lot more rundown…"
"That is because Noctis has redecorated it to suit your everyday needs," Mikoto explained calmly.
"Noctis did? Why?"
"Wha? You really don't remember, dude?" Zidane questioned, tilting his head. "You welcomed him back as your familiar!"
"And it's a familiar's job to serve his god," Mikoto added. Prompto was silent for a bit, before he remembered.
"That's right!" he yelped. "That wasn't a dream after all and…I forced a kiss on Noctis yesterday!" He was honestly shocked with himself, before he forced himself to calm down and asked, "Wh-where's Noctis?"
Rather than say anything, though, both Zidane and Mikoto pointed to the side at the same time. The blonde looked over, and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of the brooding fox. 'I forced him to become my familiar…' he thought, still shocked with himself. While the fox wasn't facing him, it was clear to Prompto that the fox was furious, and the anger seemed to be flowing off of him in waves.
"Uh-um…Noctis…?" the smaller male said nervously.
Slowly, Noctis turned his head toward Prompto, but it seemed to take forever before he faced him properly…
"Good morning, Prompto," the fox said pleasantly, a small smile playing on his face. The blonde watched him, confused by the sudden mood change. "Your bedroom was not very appealing, so I took the liberty to rearrange it while you were sleeping," Noctis said, not seeming to notice the blonde's surprise. "I also prepared everything I assume you may need daily." Prompto continued to stare at the raven, unsure. "…I'm still reluctant," Noctis admitted then, smile falling for a moment, before it returned as he continued, "But, starting today, I'm your familiar. As long as you give me an order, I shall obey it without hesitation, regardless what it is. So from now, if there's anything you find to be inconvenient, please, don't hesitate to tell me."
"I'm surprised," Prompto admitted, kneeling in front of the fox with a small smile. "I thought you'd be more pissed about being turned into a familiar."
"Oh, is that so?" Noctis asked with a small tilt of his head.
"But I'm glad you don't seem angry at all," the blonde smiled a little wider.
"'Angry', you say…" Noctis murmured softly. "Ah, but I'm afraid that's not even enough to describe it…"
"Wha?"
"I'M BESIDE MYSELF WITH RAGE!"
Prompto could only listen and watch in horror as Noctis vented furiously, feeling the blood drain from his face as he fell back.
"Someone like me, a famous familiar even among the GODS…having to serve a powerless little BRAT like you!" Noctis nearly screamed. "Do you have ANY idea what kind of humiliation this is for me!?" And even then, Prompto couldn't bring himself to speak. All that escaped him was a quiet whimper.
"It's so pathetic…!" Noctis snarled as he leapt up and turned away, rubbing at his temples furiously. "I've not slept a wink all night…"
The blonde lowered his gaze submissively, unable to stop himself.
"…Whatever…" the fox suddenly said with a heavy sigh. "It can't be helped…"
Prompto sighed shakily, still shaken up by Noctis's outburst.
As he turned back to the blonde, Noctis said solemnly, "I suppose the only thing we can do now is train you to become a living god suitable for someone of my caliber."
This caused Prompto to blink, before he repeated, "Worthy?"
Noctis didn't respond to that as he waved absently with one hand. "Get dressed. We'll start your training after breakfast."
"O-okay…" the smaller male stammered, before standing so he could get dressed. Noctis snorted as he turned and left the room silently. Prompto then looked at Zidane and Mikoto, who hadn't left yet. "Mind giving me some privacy, guys?" he asked, looking away with a faint blush. The twins blinked before looking at each other. Then, as one, they shrugged, and went away in puffs of smoke.
Once they were gone, the new land god reflected on his kiss with Noctis, thinking about the fox's soft lips on his own, and realized he liked it. Yeah, he knew he was gay, but he couldn't seriously consider being with the yokai. The raven hated his guts as it was, so he wouldn't stand a chance with him, anyway…
Sighing heavily as he shook his head to clear his mind of those thoughts, and nervous as to what exactly his 'training' entailed, Prompto got dressed, pulling on a pair of slightly baggy gray pants and a red tank top. Something simple for now, at least, he figured as he slipped his belt through the belt loops of his pants. Once dressed, he could smell the enticing aroma of food, so, giving a pleasant hum, he followed it to the kitchen, where Noctis was finishing making breakfast.
"Smells good," he murmured. Though Noctis's ear gave a definite twitch at the words, the fox didn't actually bother to look up as he finished what he was doing. The blonde pouted briefly, before going over to the raven. "Whatcha making?"
"…Koji salmon with gome-ae green beans and miso soup," Noctis said simply as he poured the soup into a bowl.
"Smells and sounds much better than anything I've had to eat recently," Prompto mumbled, a brief flash of bitterness towards his adoptive father running through his mind.
Suddenly Noctis hit him on the head with the ladle. "Then get to the dining room, idiot," he grumbled. The whack drew a startled yip from Prompto, but he complied regardless, going to the dining room. Once Prompto had taken his seat, Noctis solemnly walked into the room as well, carrying the tray of breakfast. He didn't say anything as he crouched down and set the tray down in front of the blonde, keeping his head bowed 'respectfully'.
"Thank you," the smaller male said kindly, and then smiled slightly. "Hey, Noctis?"
"…What?"
"No need to be so formal with me. I won't be strict with you or anything, ya know," the blonde chuckled before beginning to eat. Noctis didn't respond to those words, before he snorted and stood up, striding out of the room. Prompto sighed once he was gone. He was only trying to lighten things between them a bit… Shaking his head slightly, he returned to eating.
After breakfast, Prompto left the dining room to seek out Noctis. "Noctis?" he called. After a little bit of walking around, he finally found Noctis, who was in the middle of filling a small tub of water. "Whatcha doing?" the blonde asked, curious.
Noctis wordlessly set down the jug he'd used to feel the tub. "This is for your training," he said simply.
"Um, okay?" Prompto said, quirking a brow in confusion.
"Let's begin then…" the fox sighed out. "Before that, though…the power of a god is what we call 'Divine Power'. Your divine power will increase as you use it. However; in order for your divine power level to increase, you need to finish listening to and granting people's prayers."
Prompto nodded his understanding. 'He doesn't like me, but he's still explaining everything to me anyway,' he thought to himself.
"For example," Noctis continued, not seeming to notice the shift in attention, "Luna is a marriage god. She's granted numerous marriage wishes over the years, and her divine power to bind the fates of people is extraordinarily strong."
'So this is a shrine for marriage, huh? Nice,' Prompto thought warmly.
"Right…let's see how strong your divine power is…" Noctis said, before he gestured for the tub of water. "Change this water into sake," he instructed. "I don't mind if you use a white charm."
"This thing from last night, right?" Prompto guessed, holding one of the talismans in his hand. 'All right, I'll show him!' he thought determinedly, and then wrote down 'sake' on the talisman, setting it in the water. "How about that?"
Noctis didn't respond immediately, before he said, "Zidane?"
"Yeah, yeah, got it," Zidane said as he appeared (out of nowhere) with a cup. The blonde scooped up some of the water and he took a sip quietly. Prompto felt nervous as he watched, hoping it worked.
As Zidane swallowed, the blonde tilted his head curiously. "Wow!" he exclaimed after a moment. "I feel like the water's gotten more delicious! It's almost like spring water!"
Prompto lowered his gaze, disappointed. "Dammit…"
"…? Where are you going, Noctis?" Mikoto (where had she come from?) suddenly asked, as the fox walked away solemnly.
"I'm going home."
"That's not fair!" Zidane shouted immediately, as he and Mikoto grabbed his kimono and dragged him back. "You're just gonna leave us here to run away again!"
"Let go of me!"
Prompto sighed heavily, watching the scene unfold. Obviously Noctis had expected some kind of positive result, and so had the blonde himself, to be fair. But he didn't exactly appreciate the negative response.
Picking up his talismans and the brush, he headed out to the garden to try and practice. He sat in front of one of the cherry trees, writing "bloom" on a talisman, and sticking it on the tree, murmuring the word. Unfortunately, there was no reaction from the tree at all. Not to be deterred, though, the blonde continued to try, over and over again. Since he was so busy with that, though, he almost missed Noctis as the fox silently worked on the garden.
The smaller male perked up when he noticed, however, and for a little bit, merely watched him. As he did, he thought about both himself and Noctis. He could see why the yokai wasn't impressed with him. The blonde wasn't much to look at, and had never been much of a physical fighter. He tended to avoid them at all costs if possible, and was often bullied growing up, coming home from school with bruises on him more often than not. The school staff had merely said that boys will be boys, but Prompto scoffed at that. He hated that phrase since it was completely irrelevant.
Noctis, however…he was another story. Obviously powerful, every move he made was graceful, even in anger. He had those dark blue eyes, almost like the ocean, and was attractive in every sense of the word. Prompto exhaled quietly, looking back at the tree with an almost defeated expression. Noctis didn't seem to notice Prompto staring, too focused on removing the weeds from amidst the grass.
The smaller male's shoulders slumped a bit as he tried and failed once again, wishing he had at least gotten a hint of success by now. Maybe…he should go find a good place to take some pictures for a bit. That usually cheered him up during his depressing moments. His mind made up, Prompto got to his feet before heading inside to retrieve his camera.
As Prompto got his camera again, a familiar voice quipped, "What's that for, man?"
"Oh, it's my camera. Whenever I feel down, I like to go take pictures as a kind of…pick-me-up, I guess you could call it," Prompto told Zidane.
"Oh?" the shorter blond asked with a tilt of his head, dropping down from the ceiling where he'd been hanging from his tail. "You feeling okay, dude?"
"Kinda hard to be positive when I'm not doing good with this training," Prompto sighed.
"Well it's not like you're gonna be the best at it right of the bat, right?"
"True, but I'm not seeing any results yet…"
"Just give it some time," Zidane said, patting Prompto's arm (he was too short for his shoulder). "Time and practice. That's all you need."
"Try telling Noctis that…" the taller blonde muttered bitterly.
"Ah, Noct's just being picky, as usual," Zidane laughed. "Don't worry; he'll come around, I'm sure."
"I certainly hope so," Prompto said quietly. He fingered his camera a bit, before lifting it and snapping a picture of one of the cherry trees outside. "I'll take another once I can get it to bloom."
Zidane chuckled. "Sounds like a plan," he quipped.
"Seriously, though. Any tips you can give me?"
"Hm?" Zidane cocked his head. "Hmm…not sure…aside from training, I dunno if there's anything else that can help." Prompto sighed.
"Let's just hope I can catch on quick…" he mumbled, heading back outside with his camera hanging from his neck this time.
"I'm sure you'll manage," Zidane said with a smile.
"We'll see," Prompto said. He then took his place from before in front of the tree, and began to try again. It was several hours later that Noctis walked by where Prompto had been practicing, and he hummed as he saw the that the blonde had passed out, white charms scattered around him.
"…I forgot to tell you…" he mumbled as he walked over, undoing the top layer of his kimono as he stepped up, "that white charms suck away the power of the user." With a sigh, he dropped his kimono over the blonde's shoulders. "You'll collapse if you use too many white charms…"
"…warm…" Prompto breathed in his unconscious state. Noctis watched him for a moment longer, before he snorted and walked away again. He still had work to do, after all.
"…of-sama…land god-sama!"
"Hm…?" Prompto hummed, before he started to wake up. As he did, he became aware of a pigeon that fluttered down to land by his hands. "Wha?"
"I'm the familiar of my lord," the pigeon chirped. "I came to deliver a message. This evening, the prince of the swamp will come to greet the new land god."
"Prince of the swamp?" Prompto repeated, confused. The pigeon didn't bother to elaborate, though; it just took off again after it'd given its message. "Hey, Noctis?" the blonde called out almost hesitantly. He didn't want to ask the fox, but didn't quite have a choice.
At the call, Noctis appeared almost immediately. "Yes?"
"Who's the prince of the swamp?" Prompto asked.
"Hm?" Noctis frowned in question. "Why do you ask?"
"A…pigeon came and said the prince of the swamp would be by tonight to greet me," the smaller male answered.
"…" Noctis didn't respond immediately to that news, before he gave a heavy sigh. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised…"
"Seriously, though, who is he?"
"He's the master of the Tatara swamp," Noctis said solemnly, "originally, he was just the incarnation of a catfish. Tatara swamp is a part of the land that Luna protects. After hearing that a new land came has arrived, it's only natural for him to come to meet you."
"Really? I'll need to be ready for him, then, I guess," Prompto remarked, getting up.
"…" Noctis merely watched him go quietly, before he snorted softly. "That won't be necessary."
"Hm? Why not?"
"If they figure out that the land god is a powerless little boy, they'll never keep quiet about it," the fox said coldly. "Even if you were to show up, you'll only be a nuisance."
"Hey!" the blonde huffed in protest, but couldn't help be feel the truth in Noctis's words.
"Listen up, Prompto," Noctis said, ignoring the outcry. "Stay in your room and do NOT leave until our guests have gone."
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
That evening, Prompto found himself stuck in his room, moping while Zidane and Mikoto kept him company.
"This is so not fair…" he grumbled.
"C'mon, dude…cheer up," Zidane said as he patted the man's back. "Noct's just worried 'bout ya, that's all."
"I highly doubt that," the new land god scoffed.
"What Zidane says is correct," Mikoto offered. "Noctis is just not very good in saying things the way they need be said."
"If that's the case, then there's gonna be a lot of miscommunication between us," the taller blonde muttered bitterly.
"…although…" Zidane murmured turning to Mikoto. "Think he's going to be alright? I mean…we ARE talking about Cloud, after all…"
"…you have a point…" Mikoto murmured. "Noctis does always have some trouble when it comes to him…"
Prompto listened, before deciding to see how things were going on his own. Getting to his feet, he slipped out without alerting Zidane and Mikoto, and quietly made his way to where Noctis and their guests were.
As Prompto approached the area where he knew Noctis was meeting with their guests, he got there just in time to hear a woman speaking up. "Strife-sama came here specifically to see the land god, familiar," she said fiercely. "You realize that not even showing his face is an insult to the prince, correct?"
"I apologize, but I fear there's little I can do to affect his health," Noctis said, perfectly calm and collected. "I assure you, once he's recovered his energy properly we will come to meet with you."
'Uh-oh…' Prompto thought nervously, remaining where he was to continue listening.
"Oh is that so?" the woman's voice called out. "We caught rumors of the new land god being a human boy… The reason he can't come out to see Strife-sama…could it be that he's shaking with fear?"
"Certainly not," Noctis chuckled out. "He's been appointed by the previous land god, Lunafreya. He may be human, yes, but that by means is an indication of inferiority to us."
"Oh? But according to what I've heard…" the woman said, and her voice became almost deadly, "he was attacked by beast only recently…and he sought to get away in quite a hurry."
Shockingly there was no response from Noctis, aside from the sound of a quiet sip.
"It's not even funny…" the woman laughed out, "to appoint a HUMAN as a land god…this shrine will surely fall down." Prompto tensed, mentally preparing himself to go into the room.
"I'm afraid you're getting ahead of yourself, there," Noctis said suddenly, startling Prompto and stopping him in his tracks. "Prompto-sama may seem that way…but he's a very strong-willed man." He paused briefly, before he added, "And someday, he'll definitely be able to make the flowers bloom at will." Blinking in surprise, Prompto looked out to the garden, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the flowers on the cherry blossom tree he'd been practicing on during the day.
"Oh, I see," the woman's voice laughed out mockingly, "so you're a cowardly fox who gets pushed around by a little boy. Is that it?"
Noctis allowed a small chuckle of his own. "Well now…aren't you being too harsh now?" he questioned. "Saying that…isn't any different from saying that your master, who came all this way to greet said little boy…is inferior to our god."
"Enough of your cheekiness!" the woman suddenly growled. "I'm telling you to bring the boy out here…or I'll send your head flying, you fox!"
Noctis didn't reply, but Prompto could just imagine him smirking. "My…you're so hot-blooded…" he sighed. "Guess there's no helping it, then…"
Finally, Prompto mustered up all of his courage, before sliding open the door to the room swiftly, easily making his presence known. As expected, the people in the room immediately turned to him in surprise, and the brief, stunned silence let Prompto get a good glimpse of their guests. There was a woman standing off to his right, with long black hair and large gills in the spot her ears should've been. The makeup along her face made her seem slightly more like an actual fish, but she was still human enough to seem normal. Noctis was to his left, halfway to getting up from his crouch, clearly startled.
And across from him, there sat a blonde man, dressed in traditional ceremonial robes, a pair of gills arching along his head, and faint traces of ceremonial makeup was painted across his half-shut eyes, which merely watched the whole with something akin to disinterest.
"Sorry for being late," he apologized. "My stomach was suddenly hurting, so I asked Tomoe to keep you company while I waited out the pain. I'm Prompto Argentum, the land god." He caught the stunned looks of the woman and Noctis, before bowing his head slightly. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting." Kneeling on the floor to join them, he gave the woman a polite yet stern look and said, "Please, sit." Bowing his head so they couldn't see his face, he thought in a panic, 'I-I came out here without thinking… Even though I was told not to…' Opening his eyes and narrowing them in determination, he added to himself, 'Noctis was being threatened, and I couldn't just stand by. But right now…I'm most afraid of Noctis…' Even as he thought this, he felt the intimidating aura practically oozing off the raven.
"…Prompto."
Said smaller male looked at the fox fully, a wave of nerves washing over him.
"You idiot…" the fox murmured softly as he settled next to the blonde and took hold of his wrist lightly. "Why'd you come out here?" Prompto was quiet, looking at Noctis cautiously. "Whatever happened…it would've been just me having to endure it…" he said coldly, but as he did, his thumb lightly moved across the inside of the blonde's wrist. "But now that you've come out…I've no choice but to protect you." The blonde lowered his gaze slightly to the gentle grip on his wrist, and despite the fox's cold tone, he felt a certain…kindness…in the movement along the underside of his wrist.
"So," the woman suddenly said, drawing his attention, "you're the land god?" Prompto nearly stiffened at the almost harsh tone from the woman.
"Pff…just like the rumors go…what a frail little boy," she said, raising her hands and cracking her knuckles threateningly. "I'll make you pay with your flesh and blood…for all those insults to Strife-sama."
"Oh, sorry, but even if my master is right behind me," Noctis said with a small smirk on his face, "I won't go easy on you." And then, his smirk turned into a vicious grin as he raised a hand. "Please don't hate me…even if I kill you."
"That should be MY line!" the woman snarled out.
"H-hey, don't fight!" Prompto stammered, becoming nervous.
"You're in the way," Noctis said as he pushed Prompto backwards, just as the woman screamed and rushed toward the fox. However, Noctis easily ducked under her punch, chuckling softly. "I've decided…" he said suddenly, holding a few small leaves between his fingers. "I'll make fried fish."
And no sooner had he said that, or the woman screamed—right before she was engulfed in a burst of smoke. Prompto gawked when the smoke cleared an he saw that the woman had been reduced to a simple, regular fish.
"Moderate fire for five minutes," Noctis said as he snagged up the fish by its tail, grinning devilishly as it wriggled around frantically, "and you have the perfect side dish for breakfast." Chuckling he said, "So…how's it feel to be burnt alive by fox fire, hm? Ah…what was your name again…? Ah whatever; I'll take your stinking bowels out before I fry you and—"
"LET GO OF HIM!" Prompto shouted, startling the fox. It did the trick though; as Noctis instantly released the fish, and even held up his hands, with a look of pure shock on his face. "That's complete overkill, man! Since the fight is over, sit down and make up with her!" he growled, watching the obedient actions from his familiar.
As Prompto watched, he couldn't help but be surprised as Noctis did, in fact, sit down, and shook the little fish's fin to "make up" with her.
"You're being awfully obedient…" Prompto commented.
"…heh…I see…" came a solemn voice from behind him, suddenly. This drew the land god's attention to their guest with a curious noise.
During the time he'd not been paying attention, the blonde man had stood up, revealing that he was a good deal taller than Prompto, though it was difficult to tell anything about his physique. "So that's the 'word power bind' spell used for familiars, huh…?" he said with a slow, almost uninterested drawl. "…so you truly are the land god."
'He finally spoke?' Prompto thought, before repeating the taller blonde's words. "Word power bind?"
"Oy, Prom," Zidane hissed out, appearing behind the blonde suddenly. "An order that's given by the god becomes words with power that bind the familiar," he explained. "The more powerful the order, the stronger the force behind it becomes. Familiars are restricted by the power of those words. It's part of the contract between a god and a familiar."
"Damn you, Zidane!" Noctis hissed under his breath. "I told you not to tell him about that!"
'That's…good to know…' Prompto thought to himself with a faint smile.
"See?! That's why I didn't want him to know…!" Noctis almost whined pathetically.
"Familiar to the land god…" the prince suddenly spoke again. "This poor Tifa is still inexperienced…so I request you to please forgive her…and I apologize for her brashness…" he said, neither his expression nor his tone shifting at all. "I did not come here to quarrel… Rather, I came here with a request…"
"A request? What would that be?" Prompto inquired, curious.
"I came here…to ask the land god to grant my bond-tying prayer."
"Bond-tying? So…a love story?" the shorter blonde guessed, rubbing the back of his neck.
The prince merely nodded his head once, and Noctis hummed curiously. "Alright…tell us about it. Once they had all seated themselves again, the man spoke.
"I only met him once…ten years ago at Tatara swamp…" the prince murmured, sounding almost thoughtful. "I…fell in love with a human boy… His name is Zack Faire…from the new residential area…" He paused here, and a small, almost fond smile played over his face. "I do not know what it was about him…but even though he was only an eight-year-old child…I felt drawn to him…more than I should…" Prompto listened intently, leaning forward a bit.
"Since then... .it's been ten years…heh…" The prince paused to chuckle softly. "He must have grown into a fine young man by now…" At this point, though, he expression returned to the uninterested one it had been upon Prompto's entry. "However…I cannot met him in this form…" At this point, he looked up to look at Prompto solemnly. "I want to tie the interrupted bond between him and I once again. Prompto-dono…would you please grant my wish?"
"He won't."
The declining words made Prompto's gaze switch to a surprised glare at the source, Noctis.
"Lord Cloud, you know that love between a spirit and human is forbidden," Noctis said firmly. "You, of all people should know this."
"I do…" the prince admitted, lowering his head. "I do know…" As the taller blonde spoke, however, Prompto could truly see the longing in Lord Cloud's blue eyes. Making a decision, he nodded.
"I understand," he said. "There may not be much I can do, but I'll do my best!"
"What?!" Noctis nearly shouted, but Cloud merely smiled softly.
"Thank you," he said with a polite inclination of his head.
Prompto smiled kindly back, thinking to himself, 'I'm sure it's a love that won't be fulfilled, but that's exactly why he came to ask a god. No matter if it's a human or a spirit, we all have this man's feelings…'
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
"Good morning Zidane, Mikoto," Prompto greeted the twins the next morning in his search for Noctis.
"Ah…good morning…" Zidane mumbled from where he and Mikoto were standing around a hatch in the floor.
"Where's Noctis? Have you guys seen him?" the taller blonde inquired, idly wondering what they were doing.
Mikoto sighed softly as she looked at the hatch. "It seems Noctis is in quite a bad mood…" she admitted. "He's locked himself in his room after the prince went back…"
"Yeah," Zidane mumbled, pointing to the hatch. "He's down there."
"In any case, Zidane, let's go prepare breakfast."
"Huh…? Oh, yeah, let's go."
Prompto sighed quietly once they were gone, knowing it was about his choice. 'Noctis stopped me, but I didn't listen… I still appeared before Cloud… I even promised him…'
"Are you mad…about yesterday?" he asked quietly, toeing the middle of the hatch. "I'm…really glad you covered for me last night…" Remembering the fox's words to their guests from the night before, he smiled slightly. "I'll…do my best…"
"What are you talking to yourself for?"
Prompto jolted with a sharp gasp, not having expected anyone to be there, and looked behind him to see Noctis standing in the doorway, and he huffed. "Where were you?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest.
"On the roof," Noctis said simply. "The moon was really beautiful, so I was just watching it and, I guess, I just fell asleep there…"
"Were you listening to me?" the smaller male asked softly, unfolding his arms and lowering his gaze.
"If it's about Cloud, don't bother. I won't listen anyway."
"I'll apologize to him later," Prompto said, frowning at the raven's reply.
"Oh, right…" Noctis said before he could leave entirely, and he turned to look back at him, "don't get involved in that case anymore. Humans and spirits can't be bound together." After a brief pause, though, he added, "And besides, what can you do?"
"I won't know that if I don't try!" the blonde snapped, his eye twitching in irritation.
"I'm pretty certain of you not being able to, even if you don't try," Noctis pointed out.
"Even humans and spirits can love each other, too!" Prompto argued, getting in Noctis's face.
"That category is based solely on human's standards," the fox said, barely affected by the proximity.
"That's enough. I'll go by myself," he growled, beginning to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going into town. I'll try searching for this Zack on my own," Prompto replied coolly. Noctis watched as Prompto moved to walk through the door, but the words he'd spoken made him tense sharply. He remembered Lunafreya speaking similar words about going to town, asking him to take care of the shrine until she came back…and then she never came back.
"…wait." Before Prompto could leave, Noctis grabbed hold of the blonde's shoulder. "I'm going too."
"Fine, but you're not gonna go out with in those loose clothes," Prompto muttered, gesturing to the raven's kimono.
"Wha…?!"
"You heard me. I didn't stutter," the smaller male snorted, a faint smirk curving his lips.
"…ch!"
Eventually, Noctis managed to get dressed in something more appropriate for their venture out, and Prompto smiled contently as he went a few feet ahead of his familiar.
"Ah, haven't been out in town for a while," he sighed happily to himself. "Haven't been able to, but it's nice to get back out again." Fingering his camera around his neck a bit, he asked, "Has it been a while since you've been in town, Noctis?" He then looked back at the yokai.
"Yeah, it has," Noctis said solemnly…not seeming to notice that everyone was either staring or pointing him. Or, more specifically, his ears and tail. Immediately, Prompto paled, before snatching the raven's hand in his and racing off to where they wouldn't be gawked at.
'Dammit! I forgot about his ears and tail!' Prompto panicked to himself.
"…better?" Noctis asked after he'd used a leaf to get rid of his ears and tail. The blonde looked, and was pleasantly surprised by the raven's human appearance. Sure, it was minor, but somehow, Prompto found himself missing the yokai's usual look.
"Y…yeah," he nodded, before pulling out a map from his jacket pocket. "Let's see if we can find this Zack Fair guy…" As they headed back into town, Prompto happened to see a frequent client of his that enjoyed his photography. Becoming nervous, as he didn't want to be spotted, he looked at Noctis. "Hey, Noctis? Let's go get some ice cream," he said, trying to keep himself in check.
Noctis frowned suspiciously at that. "What's with you suddenly?"
"I'll explain in a sec," Prompto muttered, before leading the raven to his favorite ice cream place. Besides, it was the only place to get his all time favorite flavor, and it would be a nice distraction for a bit. Once they were seated, the blonde took a small bite of the teal-colored ice cream, wanting to savor the taste.
Noctis didn't seem overly interested in the ice cream, even though he ate it quietly. After a while, though, he looked up. "So?"
"Ah, right…" Prompto sighed, setting down his spoon. "I saw a frequent client of mine back there. Every time he sees me, he always finds some kind of photographing job for me, and I didn't want to get dragged into it right now. Granted, he pays well, but it's not a good time while we're trying to find this Zack guy."
"…and how does eating ice cream here help?" Noctis asked dryly.
"It was a quick way out, and besides, when I first started photographing for people, I always came here as a reward when I got paid," Prompto explained, before a familiar voice to the blonde called out to him.
"Yo, Argentum!"
"Eh? Reno?!" Prompto yelped, startled by the redhead's presence.
"Where've you been? And you got a guy with you?" Reno smirked.
"I-it's not like that! Get out of here!" Prompto snapped.
"Hey, is it true you got evicted from your place?" the redhead continued, ignoring the smaller male. He then gave a taunting grin. "Lots of rumors going around now that your old man ran off 'cause of his debts. Or that your house got confiscated and you're living in the parks, ya know?"
"That's not it! He got a job transfer!" Prompto huffed, panicking on the inside.
Noctis, meanwhile, was watching the 'argument' silently, but there was a definite glare forming on his face as he continued to watch. The scene, to Noctis, seemed less like an argument and more like a teasing squabble…which annoyed him to no end. Snarling, he stood up and grabbed Prompto by his arm, dragging him up.
"Let's go," he said firmly.
"Hm? What's wrong with you?" Reno sneered as he turned his gaze to Noctis. Prompto stiffened in the raven's hold, hoping Reno hadn't rubbed Noctis the wrong way too much. The redhead tended to grate on people's nerves, yeah, but he was a good guy when it came down to it. Unfortunately, this was not one of those moments.
Before Reno could get anywhere near them, though, Noctis firmly put his finger up to the redhead's forehead, nail first, and he hissed, "Don't touch him so casually...you damn brat."
"STOP IT! Prompto shouted in Noctis's ear, before turning to a stunned Reno. "You okay? Reno?" He then glared at the raven. "What are you thinking, starting a fight like that?!"
"Don't shout so close to my ear like that!" Noctis immediately yelled back. "And none of this would've happened if you'd just focused on your damn job!"
"I am focusing on my job!" Prompto snapped, noticing a raven-haired guy wearing employee clothes from the ice cream shop checking over Reno.
"You okay, man?" he asked, concerned. Reno seemed a bit too shocked still, though. The employee then looked at Prompto and Noctis, attempting to calm down their fight. "Guys, no need to fight!"
"No you're not," Noctis snarled angrily. "You've way too many attachments to this world! So eventually you'll just come back here!" This seemed to fizzle out the blonde for a moment, and he almost felt the faint, familiar burn of tears behind his eyes.
"If you say you're here to do your job, then you have remember WHY we came here!"
"I came to find Zack!" the smaller male growled irritably, and then the employee near Reno perked up.
"Wait, you guys are looking for me?" the raven asked, quirking a brow. This immediately gained the pair's attention, and he grinned, saying, "Name's Zack Fair!" At those words, the pair regarded the employee for a moment in surprise, before they looked at each other.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
It was dark out by the time Prompto managed to meet with Zack again, hopefully to set up the meeting with Cloud. He headed into the park at a hurried pace, and soon met with the raven, who looked like he was playing a game on his phone.
"Hey Zack," Prompto greeted with a grin. "Thanks for waiting. Sorry for asking you out here so suddenly…"
"Oh, it's fine. I can handle myself this late, anyway," Zack chuckled.
"And I'm sorry for that fight we had in the shop earlier," the blonde apologized, lowering his gaze apologetically.
"Hey, no need to worry about that!" the raven grinned, comforting Prompto. "Anyway, you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Yeah," the smaller male nodded. "Do you remember the guy you met at Tatara Swamp ten years ago?"
"Ten years ago…" Zack suddenly murmured, seeming to think as he looked at the ground. "…Sorry, I don't remember anything… And after going through a lot of trouble to find me, by the sound of it…"
"It's okay, don't worry about it!" Prompto assured him with a wave and a smile. He then noticed the game pulled up on Zack's phone, and he asked, "Is that King's Knight?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah!" the taller male grinned, perking up. "I don't have too much going for me, but when I play games, even on my phone, it keeps me going." He began tapping on the screen again, a content smile in place. Prompto felt his smile falter, before he spoke up again.
"My friend has had a crush on you all this time," he said, the words making Zack's hands slow then still. "His name is Cloud Strife. Would you mind…meeting him once?"
Finally, Prompto got Zack to agree, and as he was leaving the park, he was surprised by who greeted him at the entrance.
"I think that went pretty well!" Zidane chirped.
"Certainly seems like it…" his sister murmured.
"You guys came here?" Prompto asked, tilting his head slightly in confusion.
"Yeah, Noct asked us to come pick you up here," the shorter blonde boy quipped.
"Where is Noctis?" the taller blonde inquired.
"He went to pick up the coach."
"Coach?"
"Behind you," a familiar voice called out calmly. Prompto looked behind him, and sure enough, Noctis was there, standing in a coach with dark mist swirling around the bottom.
"Whoa! What is this?" Prompto asked, a thrill running through him as he went over to the fox.
"This was Luna's favorite coach. It's called the night fog coach," Noctis said solemnly, before he shrugged. "Since it weaves through the darkness, it can only move at night, though. Anyway, if you're done talking to Zack, let's go back to the shrine." Prompto then began to try and climb in, but found it was a bit too high for him.
Zidane and Mikoto easily hopped up, and Noctis silently walked to the back. "You should hurry up, as well. I'm about to start it up."
"H-hey! Wait up!" Prompto yelped, beginning to panic.
"…If you don't want to go back, you can just stay here," Noctis said solemnly, not even bothering to look back.
"Ah!" Prompto gasped, still struggling to climb in.
Finally, Noctis cast a glance over his shoulder. "…That's what you want, right?" he asked. "To stay in the human world…"
Glaring, Prompto yanked his camera's case (which had backup batteries and memory cars in it) over his head from his neck and chucked it at Noctis's head. "Don't be stupid and help me in, dammit!" he spat. "Do you seriously plan on leaving me here?"
"Gah!" Growling angrily, Noctis glared at the blonde, before he sighed and walked over. "You really are so slow…" he mumbled, grabbing the blonde's arm and pulling him up.
'As always, he has a bad attitude, but…I don't hate those hands,' Prompto thought as Noctis helped him up. As Prompto settled himself, the coach started off.
"Seriously…" Noctis mumbled from where he sat. "Can't weed the yard…can't get on the coach…ch…" Prompto rolled his eyes at the fox's grumbling, but then spoke up again.
"By the way, about Cloud. There's a favor I want to ask of you, Noctis," he said.
"Huh…?"
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
"YOU BASTARD! WHERE IS STRIFE-SAMA!?"
"You're too loud…" Noctis sighed out as the pissed of servant of the swamp prince stomped in, screaming her head off.
"HE WAS CALLED OUT BY THE LAND GOD AND HE STILL HASN'T COME BACK!" she shouted furiously. "Don't tell me you turned him into a fish and ate him!"
"You're the only one stupid enough to be turned into a fish," Noctis said simply.
"…You're too loud, Tifa…"
This gained both of their attention, and Prompto grinned as he presented Cloud to them. "He looks good, right? I let him use an outfit I had that was too big for me. Thought I'd fit into it at some point, but hey. It works out!" the blonde told them proudly, then looked at Cloud. The taller blonde was wearing a high-collared sleeveless indigo shirt, black pants and boots, with black cloth covering his left leg and arm. "What do you think?"
"My prince…!?" Tifa cried out in shock, paling as she realized that not only was Cloud dressed as a human, he also looked human.
Noctis hummed as he stepped up, one hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Right…like this, he won't suspect you to be a spirit," he said with a small nod.
"Ah…" Cloud murmured, his expression barely changing. "So…it's okay to meet him like this…?"
"However, I must warn you," Noctis pointed out, tapping the prince's forehead. "It's hard for my transforming magic to hold onto a human form. The moment you use any of your magic, you'll go back to your spirit form."
"…Right," the prince said solemnly with a small nod.
"Come on, Cloud, let's go meet with Zack," Prompto grinned, beginning to lead the taller male to the meeting place.
"Ah…right…" Cloud murmured, quietly following after. "…Prompto-sama?"
"Hm?"
"…Thank you," the prince said softly with a small smile on his face.
"Of course," Prompto smiled back.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
Meanwhile, at the park, Zack was sitting on the same bench as before, tapping nervously on his phone as he fidgeted a bit.
"He's late… Was I made fun of?" he wondered quietly. "There's no way there's a guy who says he likes me…"
"…ah…is that you, Zack…?"
"Huh?" the raven uttered, perking up, and seeing a blonde man approaching him. He blinked, surprised by the almost…powerful, yet alluring aura the man radiated off. 'This must be him…'
The blonde man didn't say anything else initially, and his face didn't give anything away, either. In fact, it was almost as if he didn't have any emotion whatsoever when looking at him like that. Zack started to get nervous, squirming a little under the intense gaze, before he finally managed to speak.
"You're Cloud, right? S-sorry, I almost thought you weren't gonna make it," he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He then quickly tucked his phone into his pocket. "I wasn't bored or anything, I swear!" he babbled, embarrassed.
The blonde just watched him as he continued to babble on, his expression remaining completely impassive, still. However, before Zack could start to get even more nervous, the man's lips curled up into a smile. "…it is you…" he said softly. "…you…still ramble on and on…"
Zack stopped speaking, his eyes widening, and then something seemed to click for him, and he recognized the man, the memory of ten years ago hitting him, and he smiled, gesturing for Cloud to sit by him.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
As the pair sat together, Prompto was hidden a ways away behind a tree, Noctis nearby him.
"That's awesome. Reunited for the first time in ten years," the blonde smiled warmly.
"Pfft…" Noctis snorted. "It's just a transient rendezvous between a human and a spirit…"
"Don't say that!" Prompto huffed. "At least, not for today."
"I'll say whatever I must…" Noctis said, even as he kept his gaze on the pair sitting on the bench, snorting softly as Cloud scooted closer and actually leaned up against Zack. Zack's eyes widened at the closeness, and he almost seemed alarmed.
"W…why are you getting so close?" he asked softly.
"I missed you…" Cloud admitted shamelessly.
"How can you say that, though? We met briefly, like, ten years ago…" Zack replied quietly.
Cloud cocked his head momentarily, seemingly in confusion (even if his expression didn't change), before he said, "But I love you…"
The raven blushed brightly, before looking away slightly. "Suddenly telling me you love me, even though it's been ten years… I'm kinda at a loss…" His hands twitching for his phone, he murmured, "I see… I don't know why a guy like you would love me, but…you're gonna be disappointed right away…" And unable to help himself, he retrieved the device from his pocket, delving into a game with a heavier blush.
"…?" Cloud watched curiously as Zack booted up King's Knight, tapping the screen almost nervously. "…what is that?"
"It's King's Knight. It's a game. You haven't heard of it?" the raven asked, relaxing as he looked at Cloud again.
Cloud shook his head "no", moving over so he could look at the screen a little better. "…how does it work…?"
"You have to tap on your character, and then tap on the enemy you want to target," Zack explained, smiling as he became a bit more at ease. "The stronger your character, the more damage you do. And the faster you take 'em out, the more points you get." As he spoke, he gave a triumphant noise as he beat a group of enemies.
"…ah…they're already gone…?" Cloud asked curiously. "…that's amazing…"
The compliment drew a shy blush to Zack's cheeks, before he smiled at Cloud. "Wanna try? I'll get us some drinks while you try it out."
"…ah? Is…that okay…?"
"Of course! Wait here, I'll be right back," the raven grinned, handing Cloud his phone before heading off to get them each a drink. As he ran, Zack couldn't help the silly grin on his face at the thought of actually being with Cloud.
Cloud, of course, didn't catch the grin, as he was too focused on playing King's Knight. He'd never known humans had such odd devices to play games.
Prompto watched in excitement, happy for the two when he saw Zack's grin.
"Yes! Score one for the good guys!" Zidane cheered.
"Impressive…to finish your first job so fast," Mikoto said, a small smile on her face, as well.
"Thanks, guys," Prompto smiled at them, before Noctis spoke, catching his attention.
"You might want to stop celebrating…your job isn't finished, yet."
"Huh?" Prompto uttered, before noticing some wannabe punks that had gathered around Cloud, obviously wanting to pick a fight. Unfortunately, with Cloud not being able to use any of his own magic or anything, he was pretty vulnerable at the moment.
"Seems like you think you're tough," one of the punks smirked.
Cloud looked up briefly for a moment, regarding the men for a few moments, before he snorted softly and turned back to the phone. "…not interested."
"What, you're gonna be a bitch and not fight?" the other guy taunted, before the first one snatched Zack's phone from Cloud.
"Shit…!" Prompto hissed as he watched, unable to do anything at the moment.
"…ah…!" Cloud stood up and reached for the phone. "Give that back…"
"And why the hell should I?" the first punk smirked, and Prompto panicked.
"We gotta do something!" he growled.
"No, we don't," Noctis said firmly. "That's not your job. Humans have to move forward on their own."
Prompto watched helplessly as Zack returned, the raven watching nervously.
"They can move, if they have even a little power. And your job is simply to push that back."
'W-what do I do? Those guys are gonna beat him to a pulp!' Zack thought worriedly. 'I want to—no, need to help, but I can't move!' Suddenly, he felt an encouraging push to his back, and he ran forward, determination on his face.
As Zack chased off the so-called punks, Prompto looked at the talisman that he'd written Zack's name on that he'd stuck to a tree. "I wonder if my push reached him… Hey, Noctis!"
Noctis was holding his head in one hand, groaning heavily. "You actually pushed his back…you're so simple-minded…"
"But… It looks like those two have moved forward," the blonde argued softly, watching as Zack handed Cloud his drink, smiling softly.
"…I suppose so…" Noctis murmured…before he actually allowed a smirk. "Well…good job…for now." Prompto pouted, before rolling his eyes, simply taking the compliment.