Do Me Damage

by Pandansca

Life is hard when you're never comfortable in your own skin. It's even harder when you're constantly being bullied, with parents who work too much to be a shoulder to cry on. It only gets harder when you're in love with your best friend. But with all of Insomnia in ruins, and no future to look forward to, maybe Prompto can finally finally find his happiness...

4. Chapter 4

"Why is Ignis here?" Prompto loaded his gun be fore flicking the safety off, readying himself for his training.

Ignis was removing his jacket and gloves, folding the articles of clothing and setting them out of the way carefully. Once he was done, he began rolling his sleeves up his arms. The blonde stared, confused, but the shield merely smirked knowingly and called his greatsword to his hand. "Like I said. Today you're going to practice with moving targets. Iggy is going to be your target today."

Prompto balked. "What?! B-But- I can't shoot Iggy! What if I hurt him?! What if-"

"Don't worry about Ignis.", Gladiolus growled. At that time, the advisor took a deep, focusing breath before using his magic to call a magical barrier forth, shielding him in a sheet of translucent, stained-glass-esque magic. It was the same barrier he had made to shield Prompto while Gladiolus and Noctis tore apart the MTs weeks ago. "He'll be alright. He can keep that shield up for as long as he needs to. We have plenty of elixirs. He'll be keeping track of how many times your bullets pierce his barrier."

Prompto swallowed, wiping the sweat that was already accumulating along his forehead before nodding. "Okay… So then what are you going be doing, Gladio?"

Gladiolus smirked, raising his sword to rest atop a muscular shoulder. "While you're going to try and shoot at Ignis, I'm going to be trying to kill you." Again, Prompto's eyes widened and he clutched his gun a little more firmly. The shield outright laughed at his reaction. "What? You thought this would be simply a matter of hitting your target? Hell no." Gladiolus sobered up, getting into an intimidating battle-ready stance. "In a real battle, you won't get the luxury of standing completely still and hitting your marks at your leisure. You're going to need to hit the moving targets as you move as well. It's going to be hard. But don't hold back." There was a beat of silence before the shield added an afterthought. "I certainly won't."

"Neither will I, mind you." Ignis called out from his spot a few feet away, his seafoam green eyes alight with mischief behind his glasses. Very rarely did Ignis join in on training sessions, but when he did, it was always blaringly obvious how much joy he took in helping to better the other members of their group. It was a nice break from being the mother hen.

"On your word, Iggy! You ready?", Gladiolus called.

The advisor stretched a bit where he stood, rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, then nodded. He looked like he was looking forward to it, his body itching to make a move. "Ready!"

"Ok... GO!"

It all happened so fast. Prompto immediately raised and aimed his gun towards Ignis, but before he could even pull the trigger, the advisor was already sprinting out of the way on light feet. As Prompto clicked his tongue squinted his eyes in frustration, he suddenly noticed movement out of the corner of his vision, to his right, and when he looked, there was Gladiolus, the blade of his greatsword coming down on him swiftly.

Prompto barely managed to hold back a yelp as he rushed last-minute to jump out of the way of the shield's downward swing, tucking and rolling as he landed on the ground. He could feel the tremor of the ground behind him as the blade impacted the desert floor as he pushed himself to his feet and began running, trying to put distance between himself and the tattooed man. His eyes trained once more on the advisor, watching the man run in random patterns to make him harder to hit. Prompto raised his gun, trying to get Ignis in his sights, and when he pulled the trigger, he missed. The bullet buried itself in the ground by Ignis' foot. "Fuck!", the gunner cried frustratedly. Ignis looked to the ground where the impact was made and made a face of slight surprise before smirking at the blonde and flipping to another location.

"Don't get discouraged! Try again!" Gladiolus roared, coming in hot behind the blonde. The shield wound the blade up for another swing, this time a horizontal one that Prompto had to jump to dodge again. This time, he didn't fall as gracefully. His body hit the ground hard, pulling the breath out of him, and when he rolled onto his back, he tried again to get a shot in before the shield was swinging at him once more.

Prompto trained his gun onto Ignis once more before pulling the trigger. This time the bullet barely scraped the edge of the magical shield around the advisor, shooting past the man to land inside of a rock some ways behind him. Prompto grimaced but then was startled as the greatsword was coming down on him from above. He pulled his gun close to his chest and rolled out of the way of another attack before pushing himself up once more.

"That one almost got me!" Ignis called, his mouth in a lopsided smile as he continued to dart in every direction around the two other men, his perfectly styled hair drooping to fall into his face a bit. Gladiolus pulled his sword from the ground with a low grunt before going for the blonde once more.

This process repeated for what seemed like half an hour or longer. They were all sweaty, exposed skin glistening under the heat of the sun. Prompto's entire body ached from the exhaustion and exertion of continuously running, jumping, and rolling to dodge Gladiolus' swings. His hands shoot, causing all of his shots to not quite hit where he was trying to aim. Not that it mattered too much, because no matter where he shot, Ignis always seemed to dodge the bullets easily. He had only grazed the edge of the magic barrier a handful or times.

"Prompto! Try aiming where you think Ignis is going to go, not where he actually is!", the shield bellowed out, trying to offer some form of advice that would help the blonde along on this never-ending cycle of trying and failing.

The gunner breathed heavily as he chased after Ignis. He allowed his empty clip to fall from his hand, moving to gather another one from his vest pocket and sliding it in place with a soft 'click!'. His lungs burned, his heart felt like it was going to explode. He barely ate anything at lunch earlier, but what he had ingested felt dangerously close to coming back up. His body was aching for a break, but he knew that he wouldn't receive one. Not until he made progress, or they ran out of bullets of elixirs to keep this all up. "Okay!", Prompto responded breathlessly.

He blinked the sweat out of his eyes and twirled around Gladiolus' large frame as the tanned man came in for a swift punch. The blade had made him almost too slow compared to Prompto's swift movements and had banished it to the Armiger not too long ago, changing tactics and making it even harder for the blonde to escape him. As Prompto twirled around to Gladiolus' backside, he jumped and kicked at the man's back, sending him sprawling towards the ground. It took the shield by slight surprise, and his large body hit the ground heavily.

Prompto didn't waste time running. If Gladiolus was down, it was probably the only change he'd receive for a while before he was back at it again. He needed to use this small window of time to shoot. He whipped his body in the direction of Ignis, slinging his gun up and aiming as best he could. "Aim for where I think he'll go…", the gunner whispered desperately to himself as the sight of his pistol followed Ignis with trembling, jerky actions. Ignis shifted direction once more, flipping in the air, and Prompto jerked his hands to aim for where he suspected the bespectacled man would land. He pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The bullet marked true, impacting the very middle of Ignis' magical shield just as the advisor's feet made contact with the dusty ground. The bullet deflected, landing into the earth a ways away, but it startled Ignis enough to cause him to stumble, the shield shattering to the ground like broken glass. Prompto lowered his gun and grinned wide, triumphantly, at the way Ignis looked to him with a shocked, impressed expression.

"You forgettin' something, Prom?!", the blonde heard Gladiolus ask from his place on the ground, and before Prompto could wonder about it his feet were kicked out from underneath him, causing him to fall onto his back upon the ground with a cry. Gladiolus lifted himself off the floor and placed a heavy foot atop Prompto's chest, holding him down in place. Prompto squirmed and grasped at the shoe, trying to lift it off of him, but to no avail. "You shot Ignis. That's good. That's progress. But in your excitement, you forgot all about the other enemy. That left you open for an attack." When Prompto stopped struggling to just lay there and catch his breath, Gladiolus removed his boot and stared down at him, hands on his hips and breaths coming out fast and sharp. "Take a water break and them we'll go again. We're not going to stop until you've hit Ignis five more times."

Prompto groaned, letting his gun disappear in a shimmer of blue magic. He closed his eyes, shielding them from the harsh sun as he tried to calm his racing heart. Through the darkness, he could hear soft footsteps approaching him. "I'm impressed, Prompto. Good job." Ignis' voice sounded out, and he felt a cold bottle of water touch his forehead.

The gunner smiled, cracking his eyes open to look up at the man fondly. "Thanks, Iggy."

They were at it for three more hours until Prompto was able to hit Ignis with almost half of the shots he took.

…

It was early in the morning when Noctis' phone rang. The air was dense with moisture as the seemingly endless and dark clouds roamed overhead; no doubt barely containing the beginnings of a rain shower. It was a good thing. It hadn't rained in Leide since the day after Insomnia fell, and the more buckets they left out at camp during their hunts to collect it, the less they had to go out and waste gil on buying bottled water. Prompto had just placed their last bucket upon the flat surface of the haven as Noctis' cellphone's ringtone sounded out. After these hunts, they were going to make their way to Lestallum. They had searched high and low for more of the royal tombs and their contained powers, but always came back with nothing but low spirits and empty potion bags. After a while, it was evident that they had to move on and put Hammerhead behind them. Prompto just hoped no one would take their buckets while they were gone before they could come back and collect them.

"Who is it, Noct?" Ignis asked as he finished putting away the now clean dishes from their breakfast.

Everyone was loading up, preparing for their journey. The car had just been filled with gas the night before to ensure no stops were needed. Gladiolus had gone entirely too long without seeing how Iris was doing. Usually, the shield was very good at shoving down his personal needs and feelings in favor of doing what was best. In this case, what was best was finding the Royal Arms and training with his king in order to prepare for this unavoidable war. Lately, it had even entailed training Prompto a little more than usual as well, to try and get him as close to their level as possible. But every day he knew his sister was alive and was unable to go to her, the more weary and grumpy he was becoming. Until his brow was always creased, and his jaw was always clenched. Until every time Noctis or Prompto didn't quite succeed in their sparring he could barely stop himself from lashing out.

Frankly, Prompto was glad they were leaving the unbearable heat and dryness of Leide. He was ready for a change in scenery and things to look at. Taking pictures of rocks and cacti were only appealing for so long, and that length of time passed after the first few days of their journey. He was glad that Gladiolus had something to be excited about and look forward to again, even if it made Noctis noticeably upset and uncomfortable- though the king would never dare voice it. Noctis hadn't said as much, but Prompto could tell he was jealous. And, naturally, Prompto supposed he had the right to be. Lots of people Gladiolus knew were crawling to the surface out of the woodwork while the king's loved ones were still dead inside their coffins, deep underground.

If they received a proper burial at all.

He shook the heavy thought from his head just as Noctis pulled the phone from his pocket. "It's Cor. Hold up, guys. I gotta take this."

"Naturally."

"Make it quick.", Gladiolus called as he worked on shoving their quickly dismantled tent and chairs into the trunk of the regalia. He was a ball of energy, unable to sit still ever since he woke up that morning, eager to make his way. "I want to see Iris." Noctis simply frowned and waved the man off silently, shooting a look that said, 'I know!', before answering the call.

"…Yeah?" Prompto slung his camera bag over his shoulder and walked a little closer. Noctis shrugged at whatever Cor had just asked him. "…Just building my arsenal. I have three so far... Thanks. Yeah… We were about to head out towards Lestallum and meet up with Iris for a few days before looking for more…" There were a few moments of silence before Noctis grimaced, shifting his weight on his feet uneasily. "…Damn… Seriously?... Okay… Okay, yeah. We'll meet her… Yeah… Thanks… See ya." Noctis hung up the call and shoved his phone back into his pocket with a huff of annoyance, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Noct, what is it? Something bad?", Prompto offered, leaning over to try and peer at his friend's face through the wall of thick bangs. Ignis and Gladiolus approached their king as well, everyone circling him with interest.

"Yeah…" He sighed. "Cor said that The Empire has conveniently decided to begin construction of a new base, along the road to Duscae… We're going to have to put it out of commission before heading to Lestallum. No way around otherwise."

Gladiolus growled angrily in distaste. "Of course there isn't… Great. Just when I finally get the chance to see my sister, this shit comes up…Fucking perfect." Prompto worried his lip and placed a hesitant hand upon the shield's bicep. Gladiolus looked at him and tried to put on a convincing half smile. It ultimately didn't fool the blonde, but he felt like he had somehow helped things, if only a little.

"Not to mention we won't be able to locate any more tombs like this…", Ignis added, pushing his glasses up his slender nose in contemplation. "How does the Marshal suggest we go about it?"

Noctis shrugged, levelling his advisor with a heavy look. "Not sure… He said there's a woman we're supposed to meet. Her name's Monica. He said she'll have a plan drawn up for us when we get to the coordinates Cor is texting me."

"Ah. Yeah, I remember Monica. Saw her a lot when I was a kid." Gladiolus crossed his arms over his chest, cocking his head to the side in thought. "It's been a long time since I've seen her… Heard she was outside the city doing some undercover excursions a while back. Didn't know she was still out here, all this time…"

"It certainly would explain how she made it out of the city safely. Hard to get caught in a place you aren't."

"Who's this Monica person?" The blonde asked, perking up at the name. The Marshal had been mentioned every now and again after high school, but never a woman's name.

"A member of the Crownsguard, much like Gladiolus and myself.", Ignis replied coolly. "Although she worked for King Regis instead of how we look after Noct. We didn't exactly run in the same social circles all these years, so sightings of her had been rare." Prompto nodded in understanding.

Gladiolus smiled fondly at the memory of her. "She's one of my father's best. Along with Dustin, of course. But he's guarding my sister." His smile faltered a bit as he looked away. "I'm glad she's in good hands…"

Noctis sighed, his hands moving to his pockets. "It's good to know we still have people we can count on outside the city."

"It isn't going to be easy taking out a whole Stronghold…" Prompto worried aloud, drawing the attention of the group and clutching the strap of his camera bag tightly in his hands. Just yesterday he was finally practicing with moving targets. The last time he fought an actual enemy, he ended up on the brink of death. How was he supposed to face an entire stronghold head-on? Goblins were one thing, but soldiers were another. Soldiers had guns and weapons, same as them. And as good as Prompto had gotten at running away and dodging, there was no way he'd be able to dodge a bullet. "…Can we really do this?" He said 'we', but of course the only logical question, the real question, hidden underneath was, 'Could he really do this?'. Everyone else was thinking as much also, if the indiscreet looks they were giving each other told him anything.

Ignis placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I can't say anything for certain… But the marshal believes we can, or else he wouldn't have asked us."

Prompto nodded, but the swirling black pit of anxiety and doubt in his stomach didn't subside. He just slid into his seat of the regalia without another word and when Ignis started the car, the rain began to fall.

…

The rain was coming down steadily, almost heavily, by the time they reached their destination. Ignis parked the car on the side of the road, a safe enough distance from the Stronghold so as to not rouse attention from the soldiers, and they began taking inventory of their curatives. It wasn't a lot. Not nearly enough to take out an entire military base, probably.

"What about bullets? How many of those do we have?" Prompto asked.

Gladiolus called the bullets from the Armiger, and when the blue magic dissipated, Prompto's stomach flipped at the sight of only two clips. "Shit.", the shield cursed, taking the words right out of the gunner's mouth.

Prompto took them out of the man's hand and placed them snugly in his vest pocket before anyone could object. "I-It's okay, Big Guy. I'll be alright." He did his best to smirk confidently, but he could feel the muscles in his mouth switch. He wouldn't be alright. But he'd be damned if he was left out of anything anymore. He wasn't going to sit on the sidelines, no matter how dangerous the situations got. He'd be there for Noctis.

Ignis nodded, his mouth a thin line. "So… One Phoenix Down, three potions, two hi-potions, five Elixirs, and two clips for Prompto. That's…" The group could see the cogs of the advisor's mind turning, trying to find an upside to their lack of battle-readiness, but, ultimately, he gave up with a heavy sigh. "…Not the best.", he concluded, solemnly.

"You can say that again…", came Noctis' mutter from the back seat. His sight was trained out of the regalia, at the rain as it beat down against his window. His head rested against his hand as he leaned against the door, biting the inside of his cheek with a mixture of emotions.

Gladiolus shifted in his seat, still eager to get everything over with and cross the border. "If we stay together, we should be okay. We can all watch each other's backs."

"And what if we can't stay together?!", Noctis shot back, voice surprisingly bordering on a yell, snapping his head to look at the larger man heatedly. "It didn't exactly work out that way last time, did it?!"

Prompto frowned, almost succeeding in not outwardly flinching at the unintended admonishment. He knew exactly what the king was referencing, even if he wasn't explicitly detailing it. Biting his lip, he shifted in his seat, hand fidgeting with one of his bracelets as he watched the two men in the back seat. Swallowing, he tried, "I- I'll do better this time, guys, I promise. I-"

Perhaps the men in the car couldn't hear his dry, unsure whisper of a voice over their heated discussion, but the blonde ultimately went unnoticed. "You got any better plans, Highness?", Gladiolus replied, voice laced with no small amount of annoyance. He leaned toward Noctis in the back seat, his large form intimidating and his amber eyes scorching.

Ignis cleared his throat loudly, hoping to dissipate the growing tension between the two. "Realistically, we have no idea what to expect when we get in there. We cannot adequately prepare. All we can do is see what Monica and Cor have planned for us. Once we figure that out, we go from there." The advisor's voice was a much-practiced level of calm, and he gave Prompto a look of reassurance as their eyes met.

"…Fine."

"Okay."

Prompto nodded his agreement mutely, loading his gun with one of the clips with trembling hands.

…

Monica was hidden by the large cliffs that separated Leide from Duscae, her body half- blocked from view by a large bush and standing just ahead of a small break in the rocks. The passageway was just big enough for them to slide through and it no-doubt led into the base discreetly. Prompto drew a small breath of relief at that. Monica was nothing like the gunner had imagined. She looked almost like a civilian, but the way she seemed to carry herself made it obvious that she wasn't just any average person.

She smiled at them warmly, though her casually-dressed body stood tall and hard, like a practiced soldier. Her eyes accessed them all through swooping grey bangs as they approached. "Prince Noctis.", she greeted with a bow, and when she straightened she gave a small nod to the rest of them. "Ignis. Gladiolus. It's so good to see you all again." A small smile lit up her face, just for a moment, and then her eyes landed on Prompto. "Prompto Argentum." She stared at him a long moment. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I've heard much about you. It's good to see how far you've come." Prompto furrowed his brows a bit and opened his mouth to question exactly how she knew of him and his abilities (or lack thereof) since they hadn't even met until now, but Noctis was already beginning to talk, cutting the blonde off.

"So. What's the plan?"

Monica's eyes met with Noctis' and her face became even and serious. "From here, we will split into two groups. Prince Noctis, you will join the Marshal up ahead." Wait. They were going to split up? Not even two three minutes ago they were just talking about staying together! Prompto's eyes widened and he looked at the other members of the group, hoping that one of them would also be concerned about this plan, but they weren't paying him any attention. They stood tall and firm, pointedly keeping their eyes trained ahead at Monica, but he could see the way Ignis' jaw clenched, and Gladiolus' hands formed fists at his sides, his eyes squinting a bit. They were just as worried as he was, but Monica and Cor were miles above them in rank and so they kept quiet, choosing to make the best of their new fate. When Prompto noticed Monica's eyes stray to him momentarily, he quickly straightened himself back up, biting his lips as he shifted his weight between his feet. "The rest of you will assist me in the diversionary effort." Fuck. The last time he was a diversion, he wasn't even trying to be, and it cost him a gashed ankle.

Noctis placed his hands on his hips. "So… It's me and Cor then…", he muttered.

Monica nodded. "Correct. Are you ready to proceed?"

Noctis looked behind him to his three friends, eyes catching and lingering on Prompto's worried expression just a second longer than what was probably wise. His brows furrowed with worry, but then his face evened out and his neutral stoic expression was masking him once more. "…Yeah. I'm ready."

"Hold on, Highness." Ignis walked up to his king, a few glass bottles containing various colored liquids in hand; some curatives. "Here. You'll take half and we'll take the rest."

Noctis frowned. They already didn't have many curatives. Cutting that inventory in half and having three people share it would be incredibly difficult. For a second, the king looked like he would outright reject the offer, but then he steeled himself once more. "…Are you sure?"

Gladiolus tried for a confident smirk, attempting to hide their doubts and act every bit the hardened soldier he was bred to be. "Positive. We'll be alright. Just go in there and give 'em hell, Kid. We'll do the same on our end."

Noctis hesitated but reached out and took the potions and elixirs from Ignis, placing them in his pockets. "…Okay… Be safe out there, you guys…"

Prompto swallowed thickly before plastering an imitation of a smile to his face. He could feel his legs beginning to shake. "Don't worry, buddy. We're gonna distract them so good, they won't even know you're in there! Just…" The smile faded a bit. "…don't get hurt out there… Okay?"

Noctis gave him a smile that didn't quite reach his deep blue eyes. The gunner wanted to pull him in for a tight hug and a deep kiss, but he didn't. "I could say the same for you guys… Stay safe."

Ignis huffed a small laugh, pushing his glasses up his nose and averted his eyes, the sun catching the lenses of his glasses and obscuring the emotion in his eyes. "Naturally."

Monica stepped aside, giving the king better access to the crack in the rocks. "Go ahead." And, without another word, Noctis was gone. Prompto watched him slide through the walls until he disappeared, leaving them all alone, standing cold and wet. Monica turned to them all, her hands clasped behind her back. "Cor and Prince Noctis will be sneaking inside, taking out any remaining soldiers and MTs that we don't successfully draw the attention from. Let's do well and create as little as work as possible for them. The more we succeed, the more they will as well."

Prompto's entire body stiffened at the mention of the MTs. His wrist began to feel like it was burning once more, just like back in high school, and he had to physically clasp his hand around his tattooed wrist to keep from instinctively clawing and scratching at it. He swayed a little, stumbling along the muddy grass beneath his feet as suddenly he began to feel dizzy and disoriented. Long-gone was the small hope that he would never have to get close to the one thing he was supposed to turn into again. The one thing in this world that forced him to face the reality that everything he was doing up until now was some fantasy world; some shift in reality that never should have been granted to him. "C-Cool… No problem."

They made their way back around the cliffs, clinging towards the safety of the rocks and out of the line of sight from the enemies until the rocks turned into tall walls of white brick; the structure of the Stronghold. There were guards and MTs guarding the entrance, guns at the ready and the mass of them shuffling back and forth, patrolling the immediate area along the road.

"What's the plan from here on?" Ignis asked, calling his daggers from the Armiger and grasping them tightly, body wound and tense, readying him for a strike at the drop of an order.

Monica let out a steady breath, eyes focused on the soldiers ahead. There must have been twenty, easy. "Take out as many as we can until Prince Noctis and the Marshal make their way through the stronghold and open the gates from the other side. Once open, all civilians will have access to Duscae and Cleigne once more."

Gladiolus grunted, calling forth his weapon as well. "Doesn't sound too hard. We do this one time, and we're good to come and go as we please. Piece of cake."

Prompto cocked the safety of his gun off as he stared at the soldiers through the heavy rainfall. This was all-too familiar. All-too much like that time Noctis and Gladiolus had torn through any Empire soldiers that got in their way as he scrambled just to catch up on the day Insomnia fell. He could still smell the thick sent of the MTs' blood, like garbage, the liquid black and thick along the muddy ground. He felt sick.

"Are you ready, men?", Monica asked.

"A moment, if you will." The woman nodded as Ignis made his way to the center of the group. "Here." He placed a gloved hand on each of his friends' forearms and they resonated with a blue-white glow before a thin, translucent shield of magic formed around them all. Prompto poked and prodded the icy barrier, testing its firmness. Ignis stepped back and did the same to himself and Monica. "This is the best I can do for us, with Noctis having most of our elixirs… We probably have a little more than a minute before I run out of magic and the barriers disappear… Use that time wisely." Prompto's heart began to beat heavily in his chest at the look of heavy intent on Ignis' face, brows furrowed in concentration. Gladiolus nodded, and Prompto swallowed.

That wasn't a very long time at all.

Monica stepped around them and began running towards the soldiers. "Let's go, men!"

Prompto rushed out behind the others as they bolted into action, feet hitting the muggy ground and barely getting any traction as the soles of his boots slipped along the tacky surface, causing him to stumble. His chest heaved with every rapid breath and the rain pelted against his exposed skin, stinging like shards of ice from the impact. Because of his unintended stumbling and sliding, a few feet of space grew between him and the others. He cursed.

Monica made the first move. As soon as her feet hit the asphalt of the road she pulled two guns from the inside of her dark blue blazer, raising them in the air and firing off alternating shots into the closest soldier. The bullets hit their mark flawlessly; one in a leg, another just below a shoulder, and the third landing a headshot. The Empire soldier fell to his knees before falling over limply, blood covering the immediate ground around him. With that, the other soldiers were alerted of the groups' presence, all armored faces turning to face them, guns being brought up at the ready with the clinging of chainmail beneath white cloth.

As soon As Prompto's feet hit the asphalt behind the others his ears were assaulted with the loud blare of a siren, signaling that intruders were about. It was all he could hear, the loudness of it overtaking the sound of gunfire and the battle cries of his group.

Ignis leapt into the air, twirling gracefully before landing behind one of the soldiers, slitting his neck open in an 'X' formation with his daggers. The blood spewed forth from the soldier's neck as he gurgled helplessly, arms falling limp and releasing his gun, bathing the ground around him in red before falling to the ground. Other soldiers near the advisor began to notice Ignis' presence, turning to face him, weapons firing.

Gladiolus ran towards a group, Ignis' icy shield of magic protecting him from the bullets that attempted to pierce him. With a powerful cry, he slung his greatsword, the weapon flying, spinning quickly through the air before impacting and knocking over a whole line of soldiers and MTs. Some of them suffered injuries from the blade, the sword cutting cleanly through bone. There were missing limbs, deep gashes, all of them writhing on the ground in agony before the shield ran over and stomped heavily on their heads to end their misery. Once their bodies went limp, Gladiolus picked up his weapon and charged for another enemy.

Prompto watched everyone fight for a few seconds with wide eyes, taking in the carnage and attempting to will his legs into keeping strong and not turning to jelly at the sight of all the blood along the ground steadily being washed out by the rain. That disgusting death-like scent filled the air and his stomach flipped uneasily as his body brought him closer and closer to a group of MTs. Their heads snapped to look in his direction, glowing red eyes peering out from within their armored masks, designed to look like human faces. He swallowed thickly, bringing his gun up to point at them. For a split second, he wondered what was behind the masks. Did they look inhuman? Did they actually look like people? There was no way of knowing unless he ripped one of the masks off, and he had no intention of getting that close to any of them.

Their bodies began to jerk, turning section by section to face him in an inhuman, unsettling manor. As they turned to face him completely, they raised their right arms, and Prompto was horrified to see sections in their armor open up to reveal not the skin of their arms but bone, wires, and machine guns. Bullets obscured his vision as they fired at him, the magical shield in front of him glowing and resonating with each reverberating impact. Prompto couldn't help from flinching instinctively, tripping up in his pace as his body was preparing him to be shot, though he never did. But when he finally collected himself, he cried out and began shooting.

He fired off round after round, each bullet hitting its mark in some form or another, but each shot was ultimately a failure as the body armor of the MagiTech infantry deflected each bullet effortlessly, much like Prompto's magic was doing to theirs. Only small dents were left behind.

With a loud curse, he emptied the clip out of his gun and loaded the next. At this point he was so close that if they were to reach out, they just might be able to grab him. But he stopped just short of that, taking a deep breath and aiming his gun at the one point that he knew their armor wouldn't defend. With a bang, he fired off a shot that landed directly in the center of one of the MT's glowing red eyes. The creature howled a shrill, demonic scream before falling and dissipating on the ground, startling the others for only a moment.

The two remaining MagiTech soldiers lowered their right arms before raising the left, and this time Prompto's eyes widened as those arms mechanically morphed into battleaxes, raising over their heads to deliver deadly blows. Prompto blinked away rain as he attempted to shoot them in the same location, but then in an instant the magical barrier Ignis had given him cracked and fell to the ground in jagged shards before dissolving in a blue shimmer. "Fuck!"

He jumped backwards out of the way as their weaponized limbs impacted the ground with loud clangs. Prompto's heart leapt in his throat as he felt entirely too unprepared for this fight now. He was suddenly vulnerable to anything and everything; those daemonic, soulless, red eyes staring deeply into his own terrified blue ones. Changing tactics, he began using his training to help him decide his next move, sprinting along the asphalt towards enemies that wouldn't need such precise hits with his bullets to take down.

As he ran, he could hear the mechanical whirring of the MTs returning to their guns, shooting at him. The shots were loud in his ears, causing them to ring, the blasts of the bullets hitting the asphalt just behind the heels of his feet mingling with the blaring sirens all around him. His heart was pounding in his chest, the corners od his eyes burning as he struggled to run as fast as he could, hoping the bullets wouldn't catch up and make impact with his body. As he ran from them, he searched frantically for a different target, and when a regular soldier entered his vision, he didn't think twice about raising his gun and shooting the man, the bullets successfully landing between his ribs, piercing a lung.

He didn't attempt to see if the man fell and died like the others. Prompto saw a large crate and jumped behind it for coverage instead, landing on the hard ground roughly. He could hear the barrage of bullets impact the crate, leaving him unharmed. He struggled to sit up into a crouching position, huddling closely to the side of the crate before chancing a quick look around the corner.

He could see Ignis, alternating between using his spear and his daggers on an MT, twirling and slicing and stabbing, disorienting it before laying fatal blows, cutting the thing deeply wherever its armor lacked protection; the bends of the elbows and knees, causing the creature to tumble to the ground. Once it was down, Ignis swiftly brought the end of his spear down into an eye hole, stabbing it in its head. The advisor took a moment to catch his breath before the body disappeared and a soldier began shooting towards him, causing him to jump and flip somewhere else.

Gladiolus had his actual shield out now, coming up to that soldier from the side with it and bashing him, causing the man to fly a few feet away and directly into the thick stronghold wall before slumping to the floor, a red smear in his wake along the bricked surface. His gun had skid away in the process. The shield yelled out before finishing the man off with a strong downward swing of his blade.

Monica was right up on another, kicking and punching him powerfully with her honed karate moves, roundhouse kicking the gun from his hands before pulling one of her own out of her blazer and shooting him three times right in his heart.

It was all Prompto could notice before more bullets were flying his way, causing him to hide once more behind the large crate. He waited patiently for the rounds to stop and once they did, he stood up, using the top of the crate to brace himself and get better shots, shooting at the two MTs that were still relentlessly pursuing him. They were much closer now than when he had left him, the metal-clad imitations of humans shuffling slowly towards him with jerky, terrifying motions. He fired off his gun until there were no more bullets left, his finger pulling on the trigger uselessly once the clip emptied. Each bullet missed their targeted mark, impacting their armor in various places, leaving dents in the otherwise smooth surfaces.

"Shit!" Prompto turned around, his back to the crate, and slid down quickly as the MTs recovered, firing more rounds. He looked around frantically, breaths coming out rapidly in his panic. His limbs were trembling uncontrollably with his fear as the sound of mechanical steps upon the pavement grew louder; they were about to round the corner of the crates. No clear answer came, even as they appeared over his shoulder, staring down at him with their piercing gaze. Prompto was frozen in fear, his heart stammering in his chest and skipping a few beats, the world seeming to stop, until those machine gun arms jerked unnaturally and raised towards him once more.

Prompto blinked and the vision of MTs morphed and distorted, until all at once he was gazing into Noctis' warm, impossibly deep, blue eyes. That gorgeous smile dusting his pale face as he looked away bashfully, running his fingers through his dark hair. The rain was gone, replaced by a warm summer breeze and the light of the sunrise bathed them in a soft light. Noctis seemed to glow ethereally, leaning to touch shoulders with Prompto as they sat along the rooftop of a motel. He glowed brighter and brighter as his hands came to cup Prompto's face and pull him in for a soft kiss. But before their lips could meet, Noctis was shining so brightly that the vision of him melted completely into whiteness, an indistinct ringing sounding off in the blonde's ears. The next time Prompto blinked, he was back at the stronghold, that ringing fading out to become the loud stronghold sirens once more. The warmth of the sun left his body, leaving him aching and freezing in the heavy rain, his fingertips numb and shaking as he gripped the asphalt beneath him, awaiting his end.

No.

He couldn't die here. He wouldn't die here.

Noctis was on the other side of that wall, with Cor, fighting his way through the same as they were, waiting for him. Waiting for all of them. Even if he was terrified, even if he was greatly outnumbered and overpowered, he wouldn't give up.

At the very last second, Prompto's body lurched into ungraceful movement, pushing himself off the ground to run away again, turning the corner of the crate to escape as a seemingly endless barrage of bullets impacted the ground where he was just sitting. He moved with new purpose; new vigor. His eyes scanned the area begore him sharply until he noticed an abandoned machine gun on the ground a little way away. Before the MTs could turn the corner and aim for him once more, he slid and scooped it up, turning onto his knees and awaiting them to appear from behind the crate.

As soon as they appeared, Prompto shot at them, bracing his weight on his elbows as he peered through the sight and kept them in focus. He screamed out with everything he had until the magazine was emptied. He aimed nowhere but their armored faces, and when the assault ended, they were barely recognizable, the metal over their faces warped and dented. Black, gooey blood trickled from beneath their masks, pouring down the rest of their armor and to the wet ground. At least a few of his bullets must have hit their marks, because a few seconds later, they were crumpling to the ground and disappearing. Even from his distance, the putrid stench of their motor oiled daemon blood met his nose, and he grimaced.

"Prompto!" Gladiolus shouted from across the road, where he was just finishing tearing off the arm of an MT; jagged, broken bone jutting out and wires flailing, sparking wildly. "Remember what I told you!" The man had a vibrant praise shining in his amber eyes, his scowl giving the slightest hint of a smirk as the MT disappeared.

Prompto swallowed. "Don't forget about the other enemies.", he reminded himself quietly. He bolted to his feet, throwing the emptied gun carelessly aside. A soldier was approaching him from the right.

"Argentum!" He looked to where Monica was standing atop the wall, kicking an MT off the edge to land with a sickening clang and crack, impacting the ground beneath with its neck, severing its spine and dissipating. She took one of her guns and threw it at him, and he caught it swiftly before giving her an appreciative nod and shooting the incoming soldier in the leg with it. The man fell to the ground, crying out in agony, hands letting his gun fall so he could grasp the wound.

Ignis ran up out of nowhere, spearing the soldier Prompto just shot through the heart from behind before kicking the man's lifeless body off of his weapon and to the cold ground. "Keep it up, Prompto! You're doing wonderfully!"

Prompto smiled. He was doing good. He was actually doing good. He wasn't being a bother or a hinderance.

As he continued shooting the last remaining soldiers and MTs, the smile stayed on his face, and after another long while, they were all demolished. The group came together afterwards, faces bright but tired with their victory. The sirens died down, leaving only the sound of their ragged breathing and the rain pelting the floor beneath them. A buzzing noise sounded, and then the solid steel doors to the stronghold were sliding open, revealing Noctis and Cor on the other side, looking just as tired and wore-out.

"Noct!" Prompto couldn't help but call out happily, eyes lighting up at the sight of his king and the knowledge that he was safe and sound. He wanted with everything he was to dash out, to meet his friend, to pull him into a tight embrace, to kiss him firmly and deeply until they were both dizzy from the lack of oxygen. But he didn't. He stayed with the others.

Noctis sauntered up to them, body language aloof as if what they had experienced on the other side was a cake walk, but there was a slight limp to his gait, a light speckling of bruises along his exposed skin, giving away that he didn't walk away entirely uninjured. Whatever the injury was though must not have been fatal because the smile that the man offered his group as he crossed the threshold of the stronghold made Prompto feel like he could melt, right then and there. "Hey, guys.", the king greeted, "How was it?"

Gladiolus grinned wide, a large hand moving to surprisingly ruffle damp blonde locks. "Prompto really pulled his own weight today. He did amazing." Prompto looked down at the ground and flushed at such an unexpected compliment.

"T-Thanks, Gladio…"

"Indeed.", Ignis added, laying a gloved hand along his freckled shoulder. "We're all rather proud of him."

Prompto flushed harder, a goofy smile splitting his face. "Thanks, Iggy…"

Monica crossed her arms over her chest as she walked around the group towards Cor. "He has a long way to go... But, for what it's worth, I'm glad he's by your side, Prince Noctis." Prompto's head snapped up to look at the woman, his face belying shock. He didn't expect a compliment from Monica. He tried to come up with an appropriate response, but he couldn't seem to form words. The woman merely offered him a soft smile and a nod.

Noctis smiled wide. "Thanks for all your help, guys.", he offered to his friends, receiving fond looks of appreciation. He turned to Cor and Monica. "Thanks to you both as well. We wouldn't have been able to get to Duscae without your help and guidance."

Cor nodded, his face hard and stoic, but the corners of his mouth upturning into the smallest hint of a smile. "I appreciate the praise, your Highness. But from here on out, it's just the four of you… Take care in your travels." Cor and Monica bowed low to Noctis, and after a short while, they were on their way back to their outpost.

Ignis spoke up next, clearing his throat. "Well… Let's get back to camp and gather the water we've collected before hitting the road, shall we? Perhaps we can reach Lestallum before nightfall."

Gladiolus let out a breath of relief, body relaxing as they made their trek to the regalia. "We're coming, Iris…"

…

Duscae was, indeed, every bit of the wetlands that Ignis foretold it would be. There was nothing but green everywhere you looked; sprawling fields of grass, large forests, plenty of lakes, and the air about the region seemed thick and dense with moisture, despite the rain that was already continuing to fall steadily from earlier, slowly easing up with every mile they travelled. There were large rock formations, long tendrils of them arching over various parts of the land, making the entire region seem like something from a dream. And off in the distance, they could see the meteor, deep in the very center of Duscae. The creatures of this region were vastly as different as well; not thin and scraggly like the creatures of Leide, but larger, with fur. Even better, they all seemed to be harmless, peaceful creatures for the most part.

Prompto was itching to take pictures of the region, but the roof was up, and they would look awful being taken through a tinted window, so he sat in his seat patiently, his wet clothes clinging to his skin uncomfortably. It had still been raining when they poured the full buckets of water from the haven into empty jugs, so there was no reason to change into their dry spares just yet. The heat in the regalia was set to full blast to try and counteract the chill in their bones, but Prompto still trembled lightly as they all sat in relative silence, taking in the sights. Eventually they happened upon an outpost, one including a shop and a quaint little restaurant by the name of "Crow's Nest Diner", tucked away snugly between the road and an outcropping of tall pine trees. It seemed like a peaceful area.

"Perhaps it would be wise to stop here and buy more curatives? After that little bout we barely have enough for the next hunt.", Ignis offered softly, turning his head to glance at Noctis behind him, testing his king's approval of the idea.

"I wouldn't mind changing out of these wet clothes either.", Gladiolus added, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Normally he'd be reading one of his novels, but the threat of accidentally getting the pages wet had stopped him.

Noctis nodded, staring longingly at the restaurant. "Only if we can get something to eat. I'm starving."

Ignis clicked his tongue in mild disapproval as he turned in to the parking lot. "I doubt the food at one of these establishments could be better suited for you than something of my own invention, but… as you will."

Prompto smiled. "Maybe if the rain lets up after we eat, I can take a few shots!", he said, holding his camera bag in his lap.

"If you do, make it quick. Iris is waiting." Gladiolus reminded him a little more sternly than what was probably intended, and the blonde nodded in silent agreement.

"Of course, Big Guy. I know how much you want to see your sister."

…

Prompto's fingers tightened around Noctis' from their position against the bathroom door as his king's knee settled itself between his own, his tongue darting into the blonde's mouth. He let out a breathy moan, angling his head to allow his friend to explore deeper, to have that sinful tongue brush against his however he desired.

They probably shouldn't be doing this here. They really shouldn't, actually.

Gladiolus and Ignis were already changed into their spare clothes, waiting patiently at the bar of the diner for them to be doing the exact same thing. But that plan had been thrown out the proverbial window when Prompto had the sudden impulse to feel Noctis' warmth through their wet clothes, to touch his damp skin and run his fingers through his messy hair.

As Noctis had begun to enter the single bathroom, turning to close the door behind him with his change of clothes clutched against his chest, all it took was an impulsive foot between the door and the door frame, accompanied by eyes full of desire and need, and it was all over. Noctis understood what Prompto was thinking of in an instant, those deep blue eyes darkening impossibly further and cheeks heating up with the realization of Prompto's intent before his king was clutching almost desperately at the blonde's tank top and all but yanking him inside the bathroom, closing and securely locking the door behind them.

It wasn't the best place for a make-out session. It looked exactly like what you would expect a diner restroom to look like, especially since the only employee at the location seemed to be the older man tending to the open kitchen. It was a one man show, as it were, with business at the diner being as slow as it was all the way out in the middle of nowhere, so it wasn't as if there was someone to tidy the room up every time the littlest thing was out of order. The room was small; one toilet and one sink with a mirror resting on the wall above it. There was one of those fancy air-blowing hand dryers on the adjacent wall, the ones that never quite did the job as intended, leaving you to wipe your half-dry hands on your jeans afterwards. The floor was checkered, some cracks in the tiles here and there, a couple mystery stains that seemed to be impossible to get out at this point. The walls were a pale, off-white color of thin wallpaper. Some of it had been torn off, leaving a glimmer of drywall exposed behind it. A bright, fluorescent light above their heads lit the space up, but barely, the bulb flickering in and out of operation on occasion.

Prompto didn't even want to think about how the actual toilet and sink looked or how germy the door he was currently being pressed up against could be. He was quite happy doing what he was doing, staying blissfully unaware, and if Noctis' hums and muffled moans were any indication, so was he king.

The leg Noctis used to part Prompto's thighs pressed into him further, causing a wonderful but frustratingly teasing friction along the gunner's now throbbing erection, causing the blonde to moan, head falling back to rest against the door as he arched his back and carefully rolled his hips up to meet it, prolonging the sensation as long as he could. Noctis' breath hitched in his throat at the sound, his hands that were keeping Prompto's pinned to the door flying down to grasp his friend's face, pulling him into another string of needy kisses. Prompto didn't mind the change, choosing to occupy his hands by grasping desperately at Noctis' hips, dragging his body back in for another slow, sensual grind.

He didn't know what came over him; not really. Perhaps it was the elation of being alive and well after a terrifying and difficult battle. Perhaps he was just too wound up after not being able to have the opportunity to kiss or touch Noctis in days. But whatever it was, he was rolling with it, and he was pleased beyond compare to feel that Noctis was just as desperate for the affection as he was, the king's clothed bulge prominent and hot against Prompto's hip.

Noctis' mouth suddenly parted from Prompto's to trail hot, open-mouthed kisses along the blonde's freckled throat and Prompto bit his lip, hard, trying to contain the loud moan that wanted to spill out. He clutched Noctis' hips tighter as they began grinding into him of their own volition now; a little rougher, a little more firm and insistent. "Ah-!" Prompto gasped loudly as his king's teeth scraped along his shoulder.

It felt good. Almost too good. But not enough to give him any significant relief, any reprieve from the incessant pulsing and twitching cock between his legs. He licked his lips before carefully releasing Noctis' hip with his left hand, allowing it to ghost over his king's clothed abdomen before sidling down between his jean-clad thighs, cupping his erection.

The grinding halted, Noctis going tense. With a surprised mixture of a yelp and a moan, Noctis pulled away from Prompto slightly, his forehead resting heavily on a freckled shoulder as he breathed deeply, collecting himself. Prompto's heart beat wildly in his chest and his stomach felt tight with dread as Noctis made no move to further their exploration, to continue their assault on one another's bodies. He swallowed, retracting his hand. Noctis had stopped him once he did that at the motel, too. Was he doing it wrong? Did Noctis not like it? Did he not want to go further?

"Prom, I…" Noctis paused, his hands leaving Prompto's body to brace himself on either side of the blonde's head. He raised his head up to look Prompto in the eyes, taking in everything he saw there before biting his lips. "I…"

"…You don't want it?" It was a statement more so than it was an actual question, his voice trying to hide his disappointment. Prompto averted his eyes, brows furrowing and body going slack against the door, creating more unwanted space between them as he worried his lips with his teeth.

Despite the cold wetness of his clothes clinging to him, he felt entirely too hot, like he was in a furnace. Every cell in his body ached to be close to Noctis; to touch Noctis, to be touched by Noctis, to do anything Noctis desired of him, but he had forgotten that sex was a two-way street- a give and take. He knew where he was at with his sexuality. He knew what he wanted with all of his soul, but Noctis still didn't, probably. Perhaps he had overstepped a boundary. Noctis was still trying to figure out what he liked and disliked, after all. Maybe kissing was something he did and groping below the belt was something he didn't. If so, Prompto would take it in stride. But the threat that Noctis could change his mind and decide he didn't want this anymore could come at any moment and knock him off his feet.

He hoped, desperately, that this wasn't the case.

Noctis was quick to respond, eyes widening a bit. "No! No, Prom, it's- it's not… that."

Prompto turned to look at him once more, eyes flitting all over his king's pale features. He felt a small hope growing, fluttering in his chest, and he tried not to let it take him over before hearing the explanation first. "…Then what…?"

Noctis let out a deep breath, eyes flitting somewhere else as his cheeks heated up once more. "I… I've never had anyone…" He fumbled on his words, embarrassment clearly showing at what he was about to say, and Prompto held Noctis' face gently, coaxing the man to look at him once more. "No one has ever- touched me- like that before. I… I honestly don't know what to do, how to act…"

Prompto nodded, understanding. "If it makes you feel any better…", Prompto started, face flushing to match Noctis', "I-I've never done anything like this either…" He quirked his head under Noctis' gaze, letting out a breathy laugh that didn't quite meet his eyes. "…No surprise there, right…?"

Noctis frowned. "Prom-"

"But…" Prompto licked his lips, and his king's eyes followed the movement, his face inching closer unconsciously in response. "But I want to try it- with you. I-if you'll let me. I… I want to make you feel good, Noct." Prompto continued to stare lovingly at his friend, even as his hands glided to Noctis' waistband, tugging gently, his body asking for permission just as softly as his voice had.

Noctis rested his head against Prompto's, closing his eyes and stepping closer, allowing Prompto easier access. When Prompto popped the button out of place he let out a ragged breath and licked his lips, nodding almost feverently. "O-Okay. I'll try it. Just-" He looked down, to where Prompto's trembling fingers were unzipping and tugging at his jeans carefully. "Just- I don't know… Don't make fun of me if I-" He hissed a breath through his teeth, his erection springing free from the confines of his pants and boxers. "If I don't last long. It's… It's been a while."

Prompto nodded. "S-Sure." After all, it wasn't as if any of them could just jack off ever since leaving Insomnia. A tent didn't exactly muffle noises, and the fact that there was always someone around was more than a reason not to even try. It would be entirely too awkward f any of them were caught doing the act, so that special alone time was usually reserved for the rare occasion they ended up in a motel for a night to be allowed the chance to shower and clean their grimy bodies. The sound of rushing water did wonders to muffle any gasps or groans, and with how infrequently they usually got a motel the chance of lasting long was slim to nonexistent. Prompto didn't mind, really, how long Noctis did or didn't last. He was just ecstatic to be doing this with the person he loved and cherished more than anything in the whole world. "I-it's probably a good thing if we make this short, anyways.", the blonde mumbled, "Iggy and Gladdy are still waiting on us. W-we've probably been in here too long as it is…"

"Y-yeah… Probably…"

Prompto's eyes drifted down to where Noctis was now exposed before him and he bit down on his lip to suppress a gasp, exhaling deeply through his nose with anticipation. Noctis' cock was gorgeous; cut, pale like the rest of him, with the tip flushed a deep pink. The length of him was glistening with smeared precum, the slit leaking a small drop onto the floor between them. Seeing the result of their secret rendezvous, and probably any they had had beforehand, was heady. It had been a while since either of them bathed, and the mucky smell filled Prompto's nose, overloading his senses. The sight and smell alone made Prompto feel almost lightheaded, his heart thudding rapidly in his chest.

When he reached out to grasp it, the shaft was slick and tacky, and Noctis groaned against Prompto's ear, cock jumping a bit in his gloved hand. He pumped his king's cock, slow, firm strokes, and when his hand reached the tip he rubbed a thumb over the slit, smearing the clear mess of precum even more, and Noctis' entire body shuddered with a desperate whine, his breaths growing ragged and harsh against Prompto's cheek as they both watched where his hand was working intently.

"Y-you okay…?", the blonde asked, voice deep and wavering between the edge of sanity and lust that he was currently trying to stay along. Noctis felt hot beneath his fingers, the member pulsing with life beneath his touch, and his own neglected cock twitched inside his pants.

Noctis swallowed hard. Prompto's hand was still moving along his shaft, slow and steady, as he tried to gather his racing thoughts. An obscene amount of precum was beginning to fall, forming a tiny puddle between them. "Y-yeah.", he breathed, and when Prompto closed his hand a little more firmly around the king's member he whimpered. He couldn't stop his hips from thrusting shallowly into his friend's hand and his face flushed with equal parts arousal and embarrassment at how entirely turned on and desperate he was for this. "Just- fuck, Prom! I- I can't, I-I'm gonna-"

Prompto's heart stuttered in his chest and his entire body lit up with a rekindled desire when Noctis began to move along with him, hips snapping forward to meet every downward thrust of his freckled hand. He couldn't take his pale blue eyes off of the scene, off of how he was undoing his king, how he was making him moan and whimper, the hot puffs of his breath causing the blonde to shiver as it tickled across his skin. The words barely registered in his head as Noctis tried to warn Prompto of his oncoming release, the man's body trembling before going rigid, his muscles of his abdomen tightening.

Prompto watched in fascination and desire as Noctis came, painting his already tacky hand white, the seed spilling over his fingers and onto the floor. Noctis had to bite down on Prompto's shoulder, hard, to muffle the moan that tore through his throat as he came, but the blonde barely even registered that it was happening. He felt the hot rush of cum cling to his skin, drenching his hand, and he was enraptured by it; by the way Noctis twitched in his grasp, the way the pink flush of his tip turned an angry red before it's release, the strong scent of Noctis' cum filling the air around him. Prompto worked him through it, soft and gentle, pumping and squeezing every drop he could out and onto the tiled floor.

When finally Noctis was spent, he released his bite on Prompto's skin, lifting his head up to gaze into Prompto's eyes, his own hooded and glossed over. Prompto looked up and caught his gaze, his own face feeling incredibly hot as he was sure he was probably as red as a tomato. But it didn't matter because the next thing he knew Noctis' lips were on his once more; firm, gentle, lazy kisses taking his breath away. When the kiss broke, Noctis pulled away, stumbling back a bit in his lightheadedness.

The king looked down at himself and grimaced. "G-Guess I should… go ahead and change clothes… These are kinda…"

Prompto chuckled, breathlessly, mind still in a daze. "Ruined? Yeah… I'll put them in my camera bag and wash them later, so Iggy doesn't find out…"

Noctis nodded. "Thanks, Prom." He made quick work of taking all of the clothe except his boxers off, kicking the articles of clothing to the side before gathering his clean ones and sliding them on. When he was done, he shuffled on his feet, eyes darting over Prompto's body. "D-did you want me… to…?" He tried to form words, but they weren't coming, so instead he nodded in the general direction of Prompto's crotch, the tent in the blonde's jeans still ever-present and damp with precum.

Prompto just stood there, trying to calm his racing heart as Noctis got dressed. His cum-covered hand rested limply at his side, the other bracing himself against the door so as not to collapse. It was strange. His legs felt like jelly and he hadn't even been the one getting touched. But when Noctis pointed out his neglected member, he straightened up, swallowing. "Did you… Did you want to…?", he retorted.

Noctis swallowed again, eyes casting off somewhere else, and the king brought a hand up to rub at the back of his neck anxiously. "I-I… I don't know… I-"

Prompto nodded, relieving the man of having to give a proper response. It was evident that Noctis wasn't ready for that yet. It was one thing to have someone touch you, but it was an entirely different comfort zone to touch someone else. He understood. Noctis still needed more time, and that was okay. "It's okay, Noct. Don't sweat it." Noctis et his eyes once more and the guilt he saw swimming there was enough to tug painfully at his heart. He offered a small smile. "I can finish myself up. Just tell Iggy and Gladdy that I'm no feeling well and I'll be another minute."

Noctis stood there, shifting his weight anxiously on his feet. "A-are you sure…?"

Prompto nodded, stepping aside and opening the door a crack. "Yeah... Go on. I won't be long." He'd clean up the bathroom afterwards, too. It was the least he could do for that poor diner employee (Owner? He didn't know.).

Noctis walked out of the bathroom slowly, still hesitant to actually leave his friend in the state he was in. "I'm sorry, Prom… Maybe- maybe next time…? I could- I could try…"

"Yeah! Whatever you want, Noct... I'm not trying to force you into anything you're uncomfortable with… Okay?"

Noctis nodded, somewhat solemnly and regretfully, before giving the gunner a final, chaste kiss goodbye. Prompto closed the door behind his king and locked it once more before moving to the toilet on shaky legs, to sit. With Noctis gone the aching need between his legs was glaringly present, and he scrambled to undo his jeans and slide them down his freckled thighs. His own erection sprung free; uncut and slightly smaller than Noctis', but just as hard and slick and damp with precum as his king's had been before he touched him.

He grasped his cock with the hand he used to jerk Noctis off, the tacky cum already cooled, but the slick friction it created as he pumped himself fast and hard was divine, and the knowledge that he was doing this with Noctis' semen filled him with arousal like never before. He felt dirty, like some sort of closet pervert, but he could barely care, shoving the feeling to the back of his mind and allowing the pleasure to replace it, quickly building hot and heavy in his lower abdomen.

He shivered and twitched as he jerked himself, panting heavily and whispering Noctis' name like a prayer, head falling back to rest against the wall behind him, and when he finally came, he had to cover his mouth with his other hand so the entire diner wouldn't hear him as he released all over his hand, his thick ropes of cum falling over his fingers to mix with Noctis'.

He sat there a while longer, body trembling with aftershocks as his head came down from the clouds after what was most likely his fastest orgasm yet. When his breath finally evened out and the pink drained from his cheeks, he kicked out of his pants and shoes before going to the sink and washing his hands and gloves off. Then he took off his shirt and put on his new change of clothes. He cleaned the floor with a wettened tissue before throwing the evidence away and shoving all their clothes in his camera bag. After one last look-over of the bathroom, he exited.

…

Gladiolus looked over to Prompto from where he sat at the diner, brows furrowed as he munched around a mouthful of grilled salmon smothered in white sauce. "Noct told us you aren't feeling well… What's up?"

Prompto tensed as he felt all eyes upon him now, but he tried to relax. He was laying down on the surface of the counter, his head resting on one arm as the other was sprawled out. The salmon smelt divine, and he hadn't had anything to eat that day yet, causing his stomach to ache and growl, but he couldn't eat it. He had to play the part, or else the older men of their group would grow suspicious. He closed his eyes so that he wouldn't have to gaze into Gladiolus' worried amber ones, praying to the Gods that his face wasn't turning pink and that if it was, that they'd mistake it for a fever. "I'm just feeling a little pukey, Big Guy… I think it's the nerves from fighting like that earlier… I've never fought with real people until today…"

Ignis hummed. "I'll pick up some stomach medicine in the shop next to the diner before we set off. You'd best drink some water, at least… It isn't good to go so long without something in your stomach…"

Prompto nodded, his eyes still shut. "I'll try…" He sighed at the pain in his belly. It wasn't something he wasn't used to. It felt like an old friend, somehow. But damn, if he wasn't aching for just one bite of that delicious-smelling food… Perhaps they'd go somewhere in Lestallum for dinner and he could pretend to be better by then.

"Maybe you should sleep next to Iggy tonight… Just in case it gets worse.", Noctis spoke up, a surprisingly convincing indifference in his tone. Prompto frowned but nodded. He wanted to share a room with Noctis. But, it was all for the sake of keeping up appearances, so he'd settle.

Ignis nodded. "Excellent idea, Noctis. I think that would be wise."

Gladio placed another large forkful of salmon in his mouth, munching it and washing it down with his bottle of soda. "Just try not to puke in the car, okay?"

He smiled, laughing quietly. "Haha. No problem."

Noctis' phone went off, vibrating and ringing atop the counter next to his half-eaten plate, and Prompto opened his eyes as the king went to answer it. "Now, who could this me…?", he muttered, the number an unknown one. He swiped to answer it, bringing it to his ear. "…Hello?" All three men looked at their friend curiously as he strained to hear the small voice on the other end. "Iris?" Gladiolus straightened and set his fork down on his plate, abandoned. He leaned a little closer, hoping to hear his sister's voice. "…Yeah. We're actually on our way now… Should be there before the end of the day, actually…" Noctis smiled and Gladiolus looked annoyed. "Yeah. Okay. See you." He hung up, placing the phone back atop the counter before going for his food once again.

Gladiolus grumbled. "That was Iris, huh? Psh… Can't even call her own brother…"

Noctis ignored his shield's attitude. It wasn't as if it was his fault she called him and not her brother. "Yeah… She wanted to know when we'd be there, so I told her… She'll be waiting for us at The Leville."

Ignis nodded. "Ah, yes, the Leville. Quite the pleasant accommodations. I have no doubt we'll all catch a good rest there."

"Do we have the fund for that, Iggy?", Prompto questioned, sitting up a bit and finally going for a sip of his own drink.

"We'll manage…"

Noctis hummed. "You gonna eat that, Prom?"

Prompto couldn't help but smile at his friend, despite how he was supposed to act. "Nah… Go for it, buddy."

…

The sun was setting as they finally made it through the long tunnel's threshold and into Lestallum, coloring the sky in a vibrant orange. The city was big, bigger than Prompto thought it would be, but it was no Insomnia. The road along the city was cracked, potholes covering the surface randomly, and Ignis had to drive carefully around then so as to not hurt the car before they parked. The buildings weren't modern. They looked old, the paint along their brick faded and parts of the buildings seemed to be crumbling at the edges. Nevertheless, the city was bustling with life. There was plenty to do, from stalls to peruse, to foods to try, and even a large powerplant to view. Women seemed to be the breadwinners of this place, most of them working in the plant to provide power from the meteor to provide Lestallum with electricity and drive the daemons away. It was just about time for work to be letting out, and many of the women were walking about in not much more than sports tops and baggy work pants, held up by yellow suspenders.

The group exited the car and Prompto gasped at the view, running up to the edge of the parking lot to snap a few photos of the valley beyond the deep, jagged gorge that seemed to split Duscae and Cleigne.

"Come along, Prompto!" Ignis called. His hands were placed upon his hips, smiling at the blonde and waiting patiently despite his stern tone, but Gladiolus was all frowns and frustration, geared up to meet see his sister after so long.

"You got five seconds or I'm gonna leave your ass here!", the shield called afterwards. Prompto could barely blame him.

"T-there in a jiffy!" He snapped one last photo, a selfie, before putting away the camera and darting after his friends, lacing through groups of people.

It was a short trip to the hotel, The Leville. A three-leveled building built into the back-left corner of the town, far enough away from the bustling life of the market to be almost pleasantly tranquil. The top floors were wrapped with a long balcony, allowing guests to sit and enjoy the view. Ivy was creeping it's way along some of the walls, giving it a dash of color and life compared to the faded shades of brick. Stairs led up to the small patio and front entrance, flags holding the hotel's name fluttering lightly in the summer breeze. It was certainly far nicer than a motel, that much was evident from just the outside alone. But when they entered the building, it was far nicer than anything he was used to seeing on their travels so far.

Decorative brown and white tiles lined the expanse of the lobby, extending to bright blue walls and windows stretching to the ceiling, dark wood blinds covering them and allowing the sunlight to fall in through thin slats. Large potted plants adorned the walls, sitting on small tables to throw in that dash of color and accentuate the black leather sitting chairs. The counter where you check-in was a dark wood topped with white granite, the wall behind it decorated with vibrantly decorated blue tiles. A large, curved staircase led to the higher floors, and Prompto could only imagine how nice the rest of the place must look.

They waited patiently in the lounge of the hotel, flipping through magazines and looking around at all the details as Ignis reserved them a room, one with two full-sized beds, big enough for two to sleep on comfortably and without having to stick too close to each other. Just as the advisor joined the rest of the group, Iris made her way down the staircase. Before the even made it the entire way down, her eyes met Gladiolus and her face lit up.

"Gladdy!", she called, bouncing on her feet and clutching the railing as she waved at him, as though he was a mile away instead of in the same room. Her face was beaming, smiling as wide as her face could possibly handle, but her eyes immediately began tearing up at the sight of her brother.

Gladio let the magazine he was holding fall carelessly to the floor as his sister caught his attention. His eyes widened, mouth hanging slack as she waved at him, but once he noticed the unshed tears in her eyes his own quickly became the same. "Iris!" He sprinted across the room to meet her, scooping her up into the tightest embrace Prompto had ever seen and spinning her around and around, until she was laughing and crying at the same time.

After a long time of laughing, sobbing, and hugging, they finally let each other go. "Look at you guys!" She praised, wiping the tears from her shimmering eyes and looking the four of them over. "You really held your own out there, didn't you?!" Prompto's heart soared at the genuine affection and love the two Amicitias shown one another. For a brief moment his heart ached, wishing he could have had something resembling that as he had grown up, but he shoved it aside and plastered a genuine smile to his face. "All things considered, you guys are staying here, right?"

"That's the plan, at least for today.", Ignis replied, adjusting his glasses and smiling down at the young girl. "We only have enough funds for one night, but if we take on plenty of hunts perhaps we could stay longer, allowing the two of you to get reacquainted."

Gladiolus smiled warmly, reaching out to ruffle his sister's dark brown hair. "Yeah, that sounds great. We have a lot of catching up to you, don't we?"

Iris giggled. "Sure do! Oh! Um. You guys can get settled in first. I'll be back in a bit with Talcott and Jared! They'd love to see you all too!"

Prompto perked up, quirking his head. "Talcott? Jared? Who are they?"

Noctis smiled. "Think of them kinda like… butlers? Their family has served Gladiolus' family for generations, just like the Amicitias have served my family."

"Ah. Gotcha."

Ignis sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Well, let's go up, shall we? I think it would do us all goo to get a hot bath before seeing the others."

Noctis snatched the room key from his adviser and immediately began walking up the stairs. "I call dibs on the first one!"

Gladiolus laughed and slung an arm around Iris' shoulder, making his way not far behind him. "Hey! Wait for us!"

…

Once all of them had showered and were clean and fresh, a knock came to their door, soft and quick. "You guys decent?", Iris giggled from the other side.

"Gladiolus smirked, setting his novel on the coffee table. "Yup." He made his way to the door, allowing their guests entry.

Along with Gladiolus' sister, two more people filed inside of the spacious room; and old man and a boy that couldn't have been more than ten years old. Noctis rose from where he was resting on one of the beds and walked closer to the door, eager to greet them. "Jared. Talcott. It's good to see you."

Talcott saluted his king, his fist covering his heart as he stood tall and confident. "Prince Noctis! Iris is safe with me!"

Jared smiled softly, bowing to them all. "Excuse me grandson… He has yet to learn his manners…"

Noctis chuckled lightly, giving a half shrug and smiling brightly down at the young boy. "I like it.", he answered honestly, and the boy grinned widely, bouncing on his feet at the unexpected praise.

Jared nodded. "Your Highness is very kind, but we shan't intrude…" The older man placed a gentle hand on the young boy's shoulder, and Talcott frowned. "It's Talcott's bed time."

"Aww, Gramps… Do I have to?"

"Yes… You can see King Noctis tomorrow, bright and early."

Gladiolus stifled a laugh. "Good luck getting him up…"

Talcott smiled at that, even as Noctis elbowed his shield in the ribs, pouting at the quip. "A very good night to you, Your Highness!" He bowed low and saluted once more before taking his leave, his grandfather in tow.

Iris waved the two goodbye before closing the door behind them. "Well. Let's all sit down and catch up, shall we?" Ignis offered. They all made their way to the sitting area. Noctis and Iris took seats around the coffee table and Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto sat along the edge of the bed.

For a long moment they all sat there in silence, not knowing what to start off saying at first. Noctis leaned forward in his chair, his hands clasping together. After a while he looked at Iris, their eyes meeting. "So… Iris… What was it like in Insomnia…?"

Prompto couldn't help himself but to lean a little further as well, arms resting atop his legs as he focused all his attention on the brunette girl. Up until this point, they had only seen Insomnia from far away, had only seen the smoke and the fire and the crumbled buildings. They hadn't heard first-hand about what it had been like during the actual invasion. He watched as the girl's expression became solemn, her deep brown eyed gliding to the floor as she fiddled with the end of her plait skirt.

"Not good…" She took a deep breath as the memories came flooding back to her, causing her eyes to water, but she did her best to hold the tears back. "…The Citadel took a beating… but… a lot of outlying neighborhoods made it through in one piece, I think…"

Ignis nodded, eyes sharp behind his glasses as his mind worked. "The Empire had tactical targets in mind…"

Iris shifted in her chair, scooting a little more towards Noctis and placing a hand on her heart. "You know, if there's anything else, you can ask me… Our family made it to the border as soon as the first signs of trouble appeared… As soon as…" She blinked rapidly once more, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling, silently. "As soon as Dad…" Gladiolus was by her side in an instant, rubbing her back as the wiped her face and tried to collect herself with deep, ragged breaths. "…Anyways… We didn't see too much beyond the chaos and destruction, but… I'll gladly give you any information I can…"

Noctis was quiet for a long time, brows furrowed, and eyes trained at the floor. He swallowed and licked his lips, and the next time he spoke his voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper. "So… What about… Lunafreya…" Prompto froze, his blood turning to ice in his veins at the mention of her name. He trained his eyes on Noctis, watching as the man sat stoically. If he looked closely, he could see the way the king's body trembled with sadness for his lost bride-to-be and with fear for how he would find out the method of which she met her end. Prompto's hands gripped painfully at his thighs as he willed himself to keep still. "…I keep hearing that she was in Insomnia when- when all of that went down… We… We heard on the radio that she'd died…"

Noctis' lifted his head, looking Iris in the eyes, and Prompto's chest throbbed painfully at the sorrow he saw there. Feelings buried deep since that day were floating to the surface of Noctis' heart. It was obvious that if his king were to sit down and think about the woman for too long, that he would still cry for her to this day. Prompto screwed his eyes shut, forcing himself to look away for a moment.

It was okay. Everything was okay. He was here, now. He'd be Noctis' shoulder to cry on, and he'd help him through the pain of the loss a second time if he had to. For as many times as her memory resurfaced and became too much. He'd be there to pick up the pieces, glue them together, and then, when Noctis is ready, he'd sweep his king off his feet and shower him with so much love and adoration he wouldn't know what to do with it all.

Iris' face contorted into confusion, quirking her head and looking Noctis up and down. "Wait… you mean… you haven't heard…?" Her voice was soft, gentle, as she spoke to him, seeing how much the mention of his once-betrothed crushed him. But it made no sense. How could he not have heard?

Noctis furrowed his brows, forcing himself to straighten up. "Heard what?"

Prompto's eyes snapped open, and he looked to the young Amicitia girl. His heart began to hammer in his chest as she looked around the room, noticing that all of them were in much the same confused state. His gut began doing uneasy flips and he clutched at it, trying to will it away, but something didn't feel right. Something was off.

"Apparently, Lunafreya left right away. The news announcers didn't know this at first, so, the original news report was incorrect. You know, much like how they mentioned that you are dead right now too. I don't know where she is right now, but… at least that means she's okay… right?"

Gladiolus and Ignis looked to each other and to Noctis in shock, but Prompto didn't so much as move an inch, choosing only to glance at him with his pale eyes.

She was lying. She had to be lying.

Lunafreya was dead. She was gone.

…Right?

Noctis was frozen for a long time, eyes wide in a similar state of shock, tears spilling out of his them and over his pale cheeks. And then, slowly, his lips turned upwards into a smile, and then he was laughing. Softly at first, but the louder, until his chest was shaking from it, kicking his tense body back into motion. He stood up, wiping the wetness from his eyes, before pulling Iris into a hug. "T-That's… so… so good to hear… Thanks…", he cried, "I don't know how the news didn't get to us sooner, b-but… she's alive, and… and… Just… Thank you… So much…"

Prompto couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He could hardly breath at all. After seeing how Noctis had reacted, he felt frozen. His stomach twisted in his gut violently and his chest felt so tight he was sure he was going to die, right there.

But he didn't die.

He vomited.