A/N: We're almost done guys! Thank you for reading, adding to your favorites and reviewing, you're the best! *sprinkles some more Promptis fluff on you readers*
So, will our boys get their alone time or will they keep being cockblocked by schedules? Before we get to that, let's meet our girls again.
More thanks to voxiferous and hyperstorms, you guys are awesome^^
Chapter 9 - Loving can mend your soul
Lestallum hadn't been destroyed, so their stop there was mainly about meeting people. Although most of those who were able to hunt or do manual work had left to help at the outposts and in Insomnia, the city was still filled with people. The power plant was working at full power now to ensure that electricity would reach all the newly reopened places in Lucis.
Prompto had seen Noctis grow more and more uncomfortable as they approached the city, not too thrilled about the idea of dealing with a larger crowd. But Prompto wasn't worried; there was no reason that people wouldn't be thrilled about their visit.
After the official speech, they stayed a long time in the big square by the lookout, chatting with everyone. There were food stands, and live music, and Prompto almost couldn't believe how similar it felt from the Lestallum from before the dark years. People weren't living in fear anymore.
It was only hours after the sun had set that they followed Iris to the apartment Prompto had stayed in for the first years. Cor and the others had gone back to Insomnia from the start to help, but Iris had become attached to Lestallum and had decided to stay, helping Ignis coordinate the return of the refugees to Insomnia. She had spoken to Noctis on the phone after Gladio had told her that he had really come back, but she was still overjoyed to be able to spend some time with him and Prompto.
"Thanks for coming here Noct, it meant a lot to everyone," Iris said as they stepped inside the small living-room.
"No problem, I'm glad," Noctis replied, letting himself fall onto the couch. Prompto plopped down beside him with a tired sigh, making Noctis laugh. "And here I thought I was the one who's always tired."
Prompto groaned and closed his eyes as he let his head rest on the cushions. "Hey, you weren't the one who played with all those kids."
"Can't help that I look more grown-up than you."
"Shut up, I'm a very decent adult."
They were interrupted by the sound of Iris laughing, and realized she was staring at them from across the room.
"What's so funny?" Prompto asked her.
"Nothing. I'm happy for you," she replied with a smile.
"What- No, there's-" Prompto tried, but Iris raised her hand to stop him.
"Prompto, I think we've established years ago that I'm not an idiot? Also you guys might want to spend a little less time staring at each other if you want to be subtle."
Both men exchanged a quick look and Noctis chuckled quietly.
"What, you too?" Prompto asked.
"Oh come on, it's Iris. It's not like she's going to start some scandalous gossip," Noctis said.
"I could, but I'm a nice girl, so I won't," Iris said with a wink.
Prompto sighed. "Well, I guess it's nice to be able to relax around our friends at least," he said, leaning a bit closer to Noctis so that their arms would brush.
"Yeah well, don't relax too much either, I don't want to see you two making out everywhere in the apartment."
Noctis pretended to be appalled. "Come on Iris, we're gentlemen."
Iris and Prompto both chuckled at this.
"Oh and by the way," Noctis continued, "since you're so smart, maybe you could tell me who Gladio's dating? Because Prompto has been no help with that."
"Hmm, sorry Noct, I'm afraid this remains one of the greatest mysteries in Lestallum."
They kept talking like this for a while, until Prompto felt like he needed some air and excused himself to go up on the roof. The city at night had sort of always looked the same, the same lights in the streets, the same warmth. Except now he could hear people enjoying a drink outside or simply hanging out instead of the usual uneasy agitation he had witnessed during the past ten years. Settling his hands on the railing, he raised his head to look at the sky. The stars were back as well, just like they used to be before everything went dark.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He wasn't sure what had triggered it but he had suddenly felt nauseous while talking with Iris and Noctis. He hadn't gone back to Lestallum in the past year, and the place still held the memories of the first years after Noctis' disappearance. And now to be there with Noctis… It felt kind of bittersweet, in a weird way.
Prompto heard someone climb up on the roof and didn't have to turn around to know that it was Noctis. He smiled, thinking about how they had gone from the awkwardness of meeting again to barely being able to keep their hands off of each other now that their relationship was growing more intimate. Sometimes he just couldn't comprehend how his life could have gotten so great in the span of a few days, it just seemed so unreal compared to what he had lived, and to what he had been expecting his future to be.
"Hey, are you ok?" Noctis asked, coming to stand beside Prompto against the railing.
"Yeah, I just… I hadn't come back here in a while," Prompto replied.
Noctis simply hummed, looking away in the distance. Prompto knew he was just waiting for him to be ready to talk. He took a deep breath and lowered his head.
"I remember… the night we came back from Accordo, when the guys told me about you, about… I came up here, I was so angry, I wanted to scream or something, but I couldn't even do that. I just sat there crying like a loser."
Noctis clicked his tongue at the word 'loser' but said nothing. He simply moved one hand to grab Prompto's closest one and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"It just…" Prompto continued. "It was hard, being in Lestallum with everyone. It just was so obvious that you weren't there. That's why I moved out eventually and didn't come back much."
"I'm here now," Noctis said, rubbing his thumb on the back of Prompto's hand.
"I know. I'm just so scared, still… That I'm going to lose you again. Or that this is all a dream. It's like… I'm just too happy for it to be real, you know?" Prompto's voice caught in his throat and he stopped talking.
"Stop, just- stop. Prom, look at me," Noctis said, turning sideways to look at Prompto as he hesitantly raised his head. "You're the best person I know, you deserve all the happiness, alright?"
Prompto gave him a weak smile, but the tears in his eyes couldn't be missed. "You say that, but…"
Before he could finish, he was pulled into an embrace. Noctis' arms held him tightly in place, and he buried his face in his friend's neck, grabbing fistfuls of Noctis' shirt.
"I love you, Prom," Noctis said against Prompto's hair, and Prompto's breath hitched a little upon hearing the words. "You're not gonna lose me, not if I have anything to say about it."
Prompto did not answer, too busy crying silent tears against Noctis' shirt. Noctis pulled him even closer, softly whispering "it's ok" and "I got you" until Prompto's breathing finally settled down.
Prompto took one deep breath and leaned back in Noctis' arms to look him in the eyes. "Thanks, Noct," he said, and his smile was more sincere than before.
Noctis smiled back and reached out with one hand to brush away the wetness on Prompto's cheeks before leaning in to kiss his lips gently. Prompto's arms moved to settle around Noctis' neck as he kissed him back with all the love he felt for him.
Maybe Prompto didn't think he deserved to feel this happy and loved, but he would be damned if Noctis didn't deserve it, and he would do anything he could to make sure the new light he could see in his friend's eyes would never fade.
They were awoken by sudden blinding light and Iris' chipper voice. "Morning sleepyheads!"
Both men groaned, and Prompto covered his eyes with his hand while Noctis just pulled the covers over his head.
"I'm almost surprised to find you in separate beds," Iris chuckled.
"First of all, these things are way too small," Prompto said, glaring at her from behind his fingers. "Secondly, we're not teenagers."
"We're gentlemen," Noctis' voice came out from underneath the covers.
If Prompto was being perfectly honest, he had missed Noctis' arms around him quite a lot that night. Funny how quickly you could get used to small things like that.
Iris kept laughing as she nudged the heap of covers that was Noctis. "Well, gentlemen, I don't mean to throw you out but if you want to make it to Alstor before lunch you should really get ready."
"Why is everyone so obsessed with the schedule?" Noctis whined, his head popping out from under the covers.
"Because Ignis keeps harassing us if you don't keep it? Come on, get moving. I've made breakfast!" Iris said before stepping out of the room.
Noctis just groaned, and Prompto couldn't help but laugh as well. "Come on, you know the man is just too happy to be able to boss you around again, give him a break."
"This is not what I've come back for," Noctis said, throwing one arm over his face.
"Having regrets?" Prompto asked.
This actually made Noctis react and he turned on his side, supporting himself on one arm. "You know I don't," he said, looking directly at Prompto.
"I was joking," Prompto said, not being entirely honest.
"Come here," Noctis said, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Prompto obliged, and Noctis guided him so that he was straddling his thighs. One of Noctis' arms settled loosely around Prompto's waist and he lifted his other hand to cup Prompto's cheek, bringing their foreheads together.
"I meant what I said last night," Noctis whispered.
Prompto just hummed in response, his hands busy playing with Noctis' hair.
"So…" Noctis said after a moment of silence, his nose gently poking Prompto's.
"So…?"
"We'll be back in Insomnia tonight…"
"And?"
"And… I don't know, we might have some time…" Noctis said, his lips now brushing Prompto's.
"Hmm, maybe, if you're not too tired when we get back from Hammerhead," Prompto replied, his fingers teasing the base of Noctis' neck.
"Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna care much," Noctis said, and Prompto chuckled as he leaned in to kiss him.
"We'll see, then," Prompto whispered against Noctis' lips, his tongue deliberately teasing his friend's lower lip for a moment until Noctis groaned and captured his lips again.
"Guys come on!" Iris' voice came screaming from the kitchen, and they both pulled apart, laughing.
"So you guys have been everywhere?" Cindy asked.
They were sitting in the Hammerhead diner, enjoying their dessert with Cindy. Cid had gone to sleep early, the weight of the years making him more tired. That didn't stop him from berating Noctis for taking his sweet damn time to come back, though.
"Everywhere that had reopened. Some areas are still abandoned," Prompto replied.
"Y'all should take another trip when they reopen then," Cindy said.
"Why not, we'll see how things evolve," Noctis replied.
They ate in comfortable silence until Prompto almost choked on his last piece of cake.
"Are you ok?" Cindy asked, slapping his back.
"Yes, I- I'm fine," Prompto replied, coughing a little before glaring at Noctis who was staring back at him with fake, innocent concern on his face.
Prompto knew that Noctis was very well aware of the reason why he had choked, because Noctis' foot didn't start moving up his leg and pressing dangerously high against his inner thigh by accident.
To be fair, there had been a lot of teasing going on that day… but nothing that damn obvious.
"You guys must be tired," Cindy said once Prompto had regained his composure. "Y'all sure ya don't want to stay here? Paw-paw's back in his old room but the camper's still available."
"Thank you Cindy, but Insomnia isn't that far anyway, we'll just go back there," Noctis replied, standing up and stretching his arms.
"He just doesn't want to have to get up early to drive there in the morning," Prompto added, making Cindy laugh as she stood up as well.
"You should show more respect to your King," Noctis said teasingly, raising an eyebrow at Prompto.
Making sure that Cindy was not looking, Prompto leaned closer to Noctis as he stood up. "Oh I'll show you alright," he whispered in Noctis' ear, unable to repress a smirk as he saw Noctis' body stiffen for a second.
The three of them stepped out of the diner and Noctis went to get the car ready while Prompto followed Cindy in the garage to get some stuff he had forgotten in his former room.
"So, you haven't been texting me all panicky this past week, does it mean you ain't freaking out anymore?" Cindy asked him.
"It's… Yeah, no, it's fine now," Prompto trailed off, unable to hide his smile.
"Oh really?" Cindy said, grinning.
"Yeah, well, just… Please just keep it to yourself for now?"
"Of course, Princess," she said with a wink. "I must say I'm happy for ya. You deserve it after all you've been through."
Prompto gave her a warm smile. "Thanks, Cin. And I don't mean just for tonight, and the car… For everything."
"No sweat," she said, bumping his shoulder. "Now go, your King seemed eager to leave."
"Please don't-," he whined, cringing a little, and she just laughed.
"Don't be a stranger!" Cindy yelled as he stepped out of the garage.
"Promise!" Prompto replied, turning around to wink at her before joining Noctis in the car.
Noctis wasted no time pinning Prompto against the door as soon as they stepped into the room - they had already been a bit more touchy than discretion would normally allow, taking advantage of the fact that the Citadel was rather silent at this late hour. Their hands were now fumbling with their shirts, eager to remove the barrier of fabric between them, while their lips were sealed in a heated kiss.
Moans echoed in their mouths as bare chests collided, and Prompto started leading Noctis backwards slowly, never breaking the kiss, until they stumbled side by side onto the bed. Noctis moved to straddle Prompto's legs and began kissing the side of his neck.
"Impatient?" Noctis whispered in Prompto's ear.
"Figured it'd be more comfortable," Prompto replied, trying to sound nonchalant but not quite managing to, especially not when Noctis was nibbling on his earlobe like that.
Noctis didn't answer, his mouth busy on Prompto's neck and collarbone. They were taking things slow enough despite their eagerness, exploring each other's upper bodies with their hands and mouths, trying to figure out the spots that made each other's breath hitch.
"You're gorgeous," Prompto heard Noctis whisper against his stomach, and he could have cried if this wasn't the worst timing ever, because this wasn't a word he ever associated with himself. Really, he didn't know what he had done to deserve someone like Noctis calling him that - or just someone like Noctis, period.
Seriously, the man had literally come back from the dead to be with him.
A broken sob escaped his throat against his will, and Noctis raised his head to look at Prompto with worry. Prompto just smiled, looking at Noctis through watery eyes.
"I'm fine," Prompto said. "Just…" and he didn't bother finishing, sitting up so that he could kiss Noctis once more.
Their kisses and touches became more desperate, and soon their pants had joined their shirts on the floor, the thin barrier of underwear not doing much to conceal how much they wanted each other as they were grinding their hips together. Prompto had one hand buried in Noctis' hair, and the other one on his friend's lower back, keeping him close as they breathed heavily into each other's mouths.
Their rhythm was growing faster, more frantic, and Prompto was overwhelmed by how amazing their bodies felt pressed against each other. He vaguely thought that maybe this was heating up way too fast - they were still in their underwear after all - but really, right now, he couldn't bring himself to care. He just wanted to pull Noctis closer, to taste him again, and to keep listening to those amazing sounds that were escaping his best friend's throat.
Suddenly though, he felt Noctis' hand grip his hip firmly and hold him in place.
"Wait… Wait," Noctis panted, lifting his head a little to look at Prompto, and Prompto whimpered as he desperately tried to move his hips again because - damnit - Noctis looking at him like that was more than he could take.
"Is… Is it ok?" Prompto managed to ask, a hint of worry popping up at the back of his mind.
"Yeah, it's- it's great," Noctis said, giving Prompto's lips a soft kiss. "I just… I want to…" Noctis stopped and swallowed, visibly embarrassed, then let his forehead fall onto the mattress, next to Prompto's head. "I want you," he breathed out in a hurry.
Prompto felt a rush of heat course through his veins, his heart beating even faster than before. "Oh, um, right," he simply said, wrapping his legs around Noctis' waist and pulling him down against him.
Noctis groaned but stopped him from moving again, his head still buried in the mattress. "No. You. The other way," he managed.
Prompto thought his head was going to explode because in all the times he had dreamt about this - and, in spite of himself, there had been a lot - this had never been how he envisioned their first time.
"B-but, you… I- why?" Prompto stammered, and Noctis chuckled against Prompto's ear.
"We can talk about this now," Noctis said, lifting his head so he could plant soft kisses on Prompto's cheeks, "or save the discussion for later," he continued, his lips curling into a devilish grin as his hands moved down to tug at the waistband of Prompto's boxers.
"Yeah, okay," Prompto managed to say, his breath catching in his throat as he spoke, and he followed as Noctis switched their positions, discarding both their underwear in the process.
Things started slow again, hands and mouths back to exploring the previously covered skin until neither of them could take it anymore, and Noctis caught Prompto's mouth in a frenzied kiss, breathing "Prom" and "Now" against his lips, which might have made Prompto laugh if he wasn't just as desperate.
Moments later, Prompto wondered fleetingly if there was a more perfect sight than the one of Noctis coming undone underneath him - head thrown back against the pillows, hair in disarray, blue eyes half hidden behind dark lashes, his skin flushed red and slightly glistening with sweat. He didn't get to linger on this thought for too long though, as Prompto soon felt the heat in his lower belly reach its breaking point and he buried himself even deeper inside Noctis, hiding his face in the crook of his best friend's neck as a low groan escaped his throat.
There was a moment of silence; both of them still holding on tightly to each other as they caught their breaths. Then Prompto rolled over to the side, quickly reaching out for the tissue box on the nightstand so that they could clean themselves up, before snuggling up against Noctis' body.
They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the closeness, fingers lazily drawing patterns on each other's skin as they were trying to fight off sleep just a little longer.
"So…" Prompto said, eventually breaking the silence. "You said you'd tell me why…?"
Noctis laughed sleepily. "Does it really matter?"
"Well, no, I just… I don't know, I always thought… I don't know," Prompto started babbling.
"Prom," Noctis said, his hand cupping Prompto's face so that he would look at him, "Pretty much everyone used to only see me as a Prince - and now a King - someone who should always be in control, who makes decisions… You're the only one who lets me relax, surrender. Just be me. So, I guess, in a way…" Prompto could see Noctis grow uncomfortable, his face becoming red again, and he had to fight the urge to kiss him while he let him go on. "I kinda… I wanted you in control?" Noctis managed, looking away from Prompto's eyes as he finished talking.
Prompto chuckled and gently kissed the corner of Noctis lips. "Well, thanks. Although… You did still make the decision," he teased, poking at his friend's chest.
"Ok, are you really complaining now?" Noctis asked with a smirk.
"Nah, it was fine," Prompto said, and when Noctis gave him his most unimpressed look he rolled his eyes and smiled. "Ok, it was more than fine. A lot more." Noctis smiled again and pulled Prompto closer, burying his face into the blonde hair.
"We can switch next time, if you want," Prompto mumbled against Noctis' chest.
"Yeah," Noctis simply whispered.
Neither of them spoke again and soon Prompto noticed how Noctis was now breathing more regularly, having fallen asleep in the span of a few minutes. Prompto let himself relax even more in Noctis' embrace, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes, his lips curled in a small, happy smile.
While Prompto couldn't deny that what they had just shared was pretty great, it was the little things that still made his heart soar. Little things like this moment, falling asleep with Noctis' arms around him, knowing that when he woke up Noctis would still be there and that none of this would have been a dream.
A/N: Just like Prompto, I'm a very decent adult. (ahem)
And, yes, Prompto deserves all the happiness - DO YOU HEAR ME SQUARE ENIX?
I hope you liked this chapter! I always feel super self-conscious when writing smut (which is why most of my fics have smut, because I'm a very logical person). It's like... I want it to happen, but to be more about their feelings for each other than anything else? Which is why it never gets too explicit. Hope you guys didn't mind.
