*Trigger warning - There are brief mentions of depression and miscarriage in this chapter, so please skim over if you need to. Thanks!

Chapter 21

"So, this is the place, huh? We're sure this is it?" Prompto asked. His voice was low and uncertain, his brows twisted up anxiously as he stared at the quaint little home. From the outside, it closely resembled that of the one Prompto and his parents used to live in, being roughly the same colour and size.

"Yeah, this is where Iris said," Noct confirmed, double-checking the address on his phone just to be sure.

"Alright then. Let's do this," Prompto announced, taking a determined stride forward. Noctis caught his arm before he could get very far.

"Prom, if this is something you'd rather do alone..."

"No. I'd prefer it if you tagged along," Prompto assured him, gaze still fixed on the house. His voice contained hints of unease that made Noctis aware of how nervous he was. Noct gave his arm a gentle squeeze.

"Then I'm with you all the way," he promised, letting go only when Prompto was ready to continue on.

They made their way up the cobblestone path to the small house, and Prompto led the way to the door. Finding his confidence somewhere deep within him, he knocked three times, hearing footsteps approach seconds later. He realized he was holding his breath, and yet, he couldn't force himself to exhale—not until he saw his parents. Not until he knew whether they were going to invite him in or chase him to the curb. He was glad Noctis was with him; he would undoubtedly make things easier, no matter how this turned out.

It seemed like an eternity before the door opened to reveal an aged woman, whose black hair—sprinkled with grey—was tied up into a loose bun. She wore an apron dirtied with a smattering of flour and paste, though Prompto couldn't remember the last time she had cooked him a meal herself.

"Prompto?" she squinted, holding the heavy door open as she stared dumbfounded at the man before her. Prompto shrugged sheepishly.

"It's me, Mom. I'm really here."

The woman's gaze softened as she took in his older features, which to this day held no hostility towards her, despite what she might have deserved. She glanced back inside the house, probably searching for Prompto's father, but wasn't near enough to catch his attention.

"How did you find us?" the woman asked, turning back to her guests, reluctantly accepting that she wouldn't have backup at the moment. The question had come out sounding a little accusing, but Prompto tried not to let it bother him, as that had always been his parents' way: cold and very abrupt.

"A friend looked into it for me. I just… really wanted to see you, and make sure you were okay after Insomnia fell," Prompto explained, but the woman's eyes had wandered away from him during that last sentence, focusing on Noctis instead; Prompto wished they hadn't. He'd wanted her to react to the fact that he cared for her and her husband.

"Is this the friend?"

"Oh, uh, no, but I'm partly to blame. I'm Noctis." The king stepped forward and offered the woman a hand and a smile. She accepted the handshake, remaining stoic, her features maybe even showing a little fear now.

"Prince Noctis?" she quizzed

"Well, he's King Noctis now, but yeah," Prompto responded with a bob of his head.

"Right, of course. Please, come in, you two. It seems we have much to discuss."

She held the door open as Prompto entered with a quiet thank you, Noctis close behind him. She disappeared down the hall a moment later, and Prompto and Noctis began taking off their boots.

"Pax! We have visitors," they heard the woman call out from within another room.

"Who is it?"

"Prompto."

"Wha?"

"Prompto!"

Prompto tried not to cringe at the way she said his name. Back when he had lived with these people, he had never noticed just how void of sentiment their tones had been when they spoke to him, or even talked about him. After having spent so much time with Noctis, however, he realized what had been missing all that time. Love. It was no wonder he'd been so lonely during the early part of his life.

He must have been wearing some sort of disgruntled expression, for he felt Noct's hand on his back as he undid his laces.

"You can do this," Noctis encouraged, and Prompto managed a glance up at him, his gentle eyes and tiny smile giving thanks. Prompto's mother appeared before them again from an open doorway on the right, and gave them a wave to follow.

"This way."

They were led into a large kitchen with high-end stainless steel appliances and granite counter-tops that must have cost a fortune. The tiling behind the counters was black and glossy, the walls painted a dark grey. Prompto wondered if this was why his parents had worked away so much while he was growing up; maybe they had been saving up to build a place like this. He promised himself they hadn't been avoiding him simply because they didn't want him—not that any of it mattered anymore, right?

The kitchen was modern and stylish, but its drab colours made the place feel more cold than homey. Prompto's mother waved the men towards the dark, wooden table, but even the warmth of the velour-covered chairs didn't fight off the chill.

"Thank you for inviting us into your home. Your place is lovely," Noctis commented when Prompto seemed incapable of words. He was glancing around nervously, looking unsettled and sad.

"Nothing like the Citadel, I'm sure. Pax!" the woman called again, voice harsh.

"I'm on my way, Clara!" the distant voice of a man retorted in the same tone. A balding grey-haired man entered the kitchen, his face scrunching up when he set his eyes on Prompto.

"Hey, Dad. It's… good to see you," Prompto said, pushing forth a smile that he was sure still appeared nervous.

Noctis carefully watched the interaction unfold, as Pax's expression went from scowling to stoic. His lips pressed hard together as he came toward the table, his lips curling up at the corners ever so slightly. Noctis wondered if that was as close to a smile as he ever got; it was a far cry from Prompto's wide and crooked grin. Pax patted his son on the shoulder before taking a seat in one of the chairs across from Prompto and Noctis.

"I'll put on some tea," Clara announced, hurrying over to the counter to prepare the water. Pax folded his hands atop the table, his scrutinizing eyes travelling from Noctis to Prompto.

"What brings you here?"

"W-well… Like I told Mom, I wanted to find you guys. I didn't even know for sure if you two had survived the fall of Insomnia. I wanted to see for myself that you were okay," Prompto explained. His hands rested in a position similar to his father's, but he rubbed his own a bit more anxiously. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

"How did you survive the fall?" Pax inquired.

"Remember I told you I was invited to be part of the royal retinue? To accompany Noctis on his journey to Altissia? Well, we'd already left Insomnia by that point. We were in Galdin when the attack happened," Prompto explained. He could feel Noctis' gentle eyes on him as he spoke, reminding him he wasn't alone, and giving him the strength to keep going.

"Oh right. I forgot about that," Clara mused from her position at the counter a few feet away.

"Clara, you didn't even believe him when he said he'd been invited," Pax frowned, and Prompto lowered his head. He'd figured as much. She had always given his stories about Noctis very little attention, as if they were untrue or simply unimportant.

Looking back now, he wondered why he'd fought so hard to earn their support. It seemed like so difficult a task. These people clearly didn't place the same value on family as Prompto did, but it only took him a moment's reflection to understood why he had fought. Like Noctis had implied the night before, he was probably here now for the exact same reason: validation.

For some reason, it was almost instinctual for people to seek validation from their parents. No, Pax and Clara weren't his own flesh and blood—he didn't even want to think about his real flesh and blood, as that was an even worse scenario—but they were his family. He loved them, and simply wanted the comfort of knowing that they loved him, too.

"Of course, I believed him," the woman defended herself. Pax rolled his eyes and shook his head. With that almost-smile of his, he turned his attention back to Prompto.

"We were scared you didn't make it out alive. We tried to call you that day, but didn't get an answer," the man explained.

"What? Really?" Prompto blinked. "I wonder how I missed…" Then it occurred to him.

He remembered it clearly—standing atop the cliff overlooking Insomnia, drenched from the pouring rain. He remembered how he'd turned his phone on to listen to the reports and had clumsily dropped it. He remembered his abashment as Ignis had knelt down to pick the device up for him and had handed it over with annoyance. He could remember the gravelly timbre of Noct's voice as he'd hollered, the look of utmost grief on his face.

He could also remember checking his phone hours later and realizing he'd knocked his phone battery loose when he'd dropped it. His parents had probably called during that time—if they were to be believed, that is. Any parent who really cared for their child wouldn't have given up so quickly; they would have kept calling for days in hopes that he was alive.

"Actually, my phone was dead for a while that day. I'm really sorry I missed your call," Prompto said, though he wasn't sure whether that call would have made things better or not. His mind had been muddled enough as it was that day. Besides, part of him would have felt guilty knowing his parents had survived while Noctis' father hadn't.

"It's all in the past now," Pax shrugged.

"So, I guess this doesn't really matter now since it's all in the past, too, but…" Prompto trailed off, his fingers brushing over the mark on his wrist, exposed for the world to see.

"About my barcode. You guys knew everything, didn't you?" he asked softly, making sure his tone was more inquisitive than accusatory. His parents exchanged a wary glance, but his mother turned back toward the kettle, leaving his father to continue with the talking.

"We knew. When the Crown asked us to take you in, they explained everything. That you were from Niflheim, that you were part of those inhumane experiments, that you were cut from the same cloth as those magitek troopers."

"Whose idea was it for me to hide this?" Prompto inquired, eyes flickering down to the black ink on his arm.

"The Crown believed it would keep you safe. From ridicule as well as from those familiar with the goings-on in Niflheim. There were those who would have tried to harm you. We agreed with those thoughts."

"And… maybe I have no right to ask this, but… Was this why you two were away so much? Were you afraid of me? Or ashamed of me?" Prompto tried, and Noctis could hear the sudden feebleness of his voice. He reached for his knee under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze, letting him know he was there.

Pax's eyes shifted nervously back and forth. Clara's wary gaze wandered toward the visitors at the table.

"When you started getting close to Prince Noctis," Pax started, with a glance at the dark-haired man. They hadn't been introduced thus far, but he was keen enough to know that the king of Lucis was sitting in his kitchen. "We started to worry."

"Why?" Prompto pressed, brows tugging downward in fear, but also in a need to know.

He could tell his father was getting more antsy and tight-lipped by the second, but that only made him yearn more for these answers—answers that he hadn't realized he'd wanted so badly until now. His father gave a heavy sigh, his frown deepening. He didn't particularly want to say these things, but Prompto was asking for them. He wanted the truth.

"Your mother and I were worried we would get into trouble if you got too involved with the prince. You were created to be an enemy of Lucis, and we were concerned about what might happen if your friendship with Noctis was to become public knowledge. When the rumours emerged of your rapport with him being something even more, we panicked."

"So, you fled? You… didn't want anything to do with me?" Prompto's voice was so solemn, it made Noctis' heart flare with rage for these insensitive lowlifes. Prompto could feel Noctis' tension rising, especially when it seemed his father had no more to say. He saw the king open his mouth to speak, but he quickly put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Noct, it's okay," Prompto murmured, and Noctis forced himself to take a calming breath.

There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but if Prompto didn't want or need defending, then he should probably keep quiet, even though every fibre of his being wanted to tell these people off. He wanted to yell at them, wanted to tell them all that they had missed out on by not getting to know the amazing person that was Prompto.

"What about before that? You and Mom were taking trips long before that. Was there really that much work out there that you couldn't get in Lucis? And why not just take me with you?"

Prompto honestly hadn't meant for this visit to become an interrogation, but now that he was here, he could feel all the hurt pouring back into him. He knew in his heart he wouldn't be coming back here. This was his last chance for answers, and he wanted them regardless of how much they hurt. He didn't want to die with any regrets, with any questions left unanswered. He could take the pain if it meant he didn't have to wonder anymore.

"We failed you, okay, Prompto? Is that what you want to hear?" Clara demanded, drawing all eyes to her. Prompto raised his hands in surrender.

"No! That's not… I just want to understand," he pleaded.

"Fine," she huffed. Deep frown lines appeared between her brows—probably from years of wearing such a stern expression. "We were scared. We were scared of your origins, of what sorts of trouble your history might cause. We were hiding a Niff, and we didn't want to find out what sorts of repercussions might come from that."

Clara's tone was harsh, but her words were harsher, and Prompto swallowed hard. He told himself he had asked for this. He had to accept it.

"Alright," Prompto said, simply, giving the woman a small nod. "That's all I wanted to know." He calmly stood up from the table, Noctis watching him intently, wide-eyed. "Maybe I shouldn't have come."

"Hold on," Noctis insisted, standing up alongside his companion. He lowered his voice as he turned his head toward him. "You didn't come all this way just for this, did you?"

Blue eyes met violet ones in a long stare, lingering until the tremoring violet appeared calm.

"You're right," Prompto breathed, settling himself enough to sit down again. He and Noct both knew how much the truth could hurt, but they also knew how important it was to keep fighting, to stay strong, and so he would.

"When Noct and I talked of coming here, I said I wanted to thank you both for taking me in, and that remains true. Maybe even more so after what you just told me. I understand the risks you took to accept me into your home, and even if our relationship wasn't ideal, I'm still grateful," Prompto vowed, placing a hand over his heart, and Noctis bowed his head in a long nod, supporting what he had to say with gently closed eyes.

Pax and Clara locked gazes, expressions wrinkled with a mix of confusion and disbelief at first, then those expressions softened. Pax reached across the table, his fingers clasping over the back of Prompto's hand. Prompto looked up and met his father's eyes, their yellow-green depths gentler than he'd ever seen them. His mouth was curved up into a small but unmistakable smile this time, and Prompto's lips parted in surprise.

"Thank you," Pax murmured. "You've truly grown into a kind and honorable man."

"Thank you, sir," Prompto nodded, and Pax's heart twinged at the idea that he might have lost the privilege of being called 'Dad'.

Pax turned his gaze to the king, looking like he was silently pleading for Noctis to help out. Noctis wet his lips, feeling unsure of whether he should contribute to the conversation. He didn't want to say anything to make Prompto uncomfortable, anything to make him feel worse than he already did. His best bet here was probably to praise Prompto up, right?

"You should know that Prompto saved a lot of lives while the world was in darkness. He saved a lot of lives while he was part of my entourage as well. You should be very proud of your son," Noct smiled, gently. Pax reciprocated the smile, but Clara hurried out of the room, clasping a hand over her mouth.

"Mom!" Prompto instinctively called out. He'd always hated seeing her upset. It had been a common occurrence with her, though. He used to try to comfort her when he was a child, but eventually realized there was little he could do besides give her hugs that she didn't seem to want. The older Prompto had gotten, the more he'd suspected she suffered from some sort of depression.

"You'll have to excuse Clara. Seeing you again is probably very hard on her," Pax explained. With a small, apologetic smile he got up from his seat and went to fetch the tea, which he figured had probably steeped enough by now.

Prompto and Noctis reached for a couple of the coloured mugs that were arranged upside down in a small circle on the table. They flipped them over and waited patiently for the man to pour some of the hot liquid into their cups. Pax poured a cup for himself before returning the teapot to the stove. He took a wooden tray out from one of the cupboards and got out a small milk pitcher and sugar dish, setting them down on the tray with a couple of spoons before returning to the table.

"Want me to pour?" Noct tenderly asked Prompto, tilting his head towards him, eyes gentle. Prompto nodded, watching as Noct poured a little milk from the pitcher into both of their cups.

"Pax?" he asked.

"No milk for me, Your Majesty. Thanks."

Noctis set the pitcher down, and reached for a spoon, scooping in a good five or six lumps of sugar, making Prompto release a small hum of laughter; he'd needed that bit of relief. Pax watched the king in what looked like slight amusement.

"So, what did you mean when you said it was probably hard on Clara to see Prompto again?" Noct tried, knowing Prompto probably wanted to ask, but felt it would be out of line to do so. Pax averted his gaze, staring into his cup of black tea.

"She's struggled over the years, feeling guilty because she lacked a maternal instinct. It's not her fault. It's just something not quite right in her mind," Pax explained, and Prompto nodded, not completely surprised by the information.

"We thought you had died in the fall of Insomnia, and we were filled with regret. We were never there for you, Prompto. We hid from you. We were afraid to officially adopt you as our own. We failed you your entire life, and when we thought you had died in that city because we had left you behind… It shattered us both."

"So, Clara regrets not being a proper mother to Prompto?" Noct quizzed, and Prompto cringed a little at the abruptness of the question. Pax swallowed a mouthful of tea that went down painfully hard.

"I suppose you should know the whole truth. Clara had a miscarriage only a year before we took you in. She was devastated by the loss. We were planning to name our little boy Prompto, and when you came into our lives, we gave you his name. Perhaps we shouldn't have, as it was a reminder of what could have been, and… I'm afraid Clara became resentful of that. I think that's why she couldn't bring herself to properly care for you."

"How painful for her," Prompto softly acknowledged, never having realized what his parents had gone through before he'd arrived.

"She didn't know how to deal with the grief back then, and now she regrets that she didn't find the help she needed to cope. Doing so would have perhaps allowed her to open up more to the kindhearted little boy we took in," he said, with a tender look at Prompto.

"And what about yourself? Couldn't you have opened up a little more, too?" Noct went on.

Although he wanted to accuse this man of every wrong he'd done Prompto, he tried not to let himself become fierce. He could feel Prompto's eyes on him, his head low and wary. Prompto did desperately want these answers, however, and if he didn't feel like he was in a position to ask them, why not let Noct do the talking for him? It was now or never.

"I, too, carry much regret. Clara was so unwell back then, and being at home—frightened of the consequences of our position with Prompto—made her as uncomfortable as it did me. So, it seemed the logical thing to do was to continue working away from Insomnia. It lessened the tension for both of us. I hate to admit it, but I was nothing short of a coward," Pax announced, lowering his own head. Noct released a scoff that he didn't mean to let slip, and he felt Prompto's hand on his arm a second later, settling him.

"Noct, don't. It's okay," he yet again assured him.

Noct was fighting hard to keep his cool, when all he really wanted to do was tell this man how much his actions had damaged Prompto's self esteem. He wanted to tell him that yes, he was a coward, and that anyone who wanted to call themselves a parent had to also be there for their kid, whenever they needed them.

But no. No one had ever been there for Prompto. Not a single soul—not until Pryna, the little injured puppy that he'd nursed back to health; not until that letter came from Luna, thanking him for what he'd done for Pryna. And then, thanks to Luna, there had been Noctis. He was the one who had changed everything. He was the one who'd helped Prompto see his worth, the first person to have the benefit of knowing him, of loving him.

Noctis wanted to dish out all of these thoughts, hollering with harsh words and defending Prompto until he was hoarse, but Pax already looked defeated. Perhaps he already knew he'd missed out on an opportunity to know an incredible person.

"We were paid to take care of you, Prompto, but if anyone had been checking in, they probably would have deemed us unfit parents. Both of us were suffering from the grief of losing our own child, and we both struggled to connect with you for that reason as well as your origins. You shouldn't have been given to us, son. I'm sorry."

"I'm not here to place blame, Dad. Really, I never intended our meeting to end up like this," Prompto spoke up, thankfully settling Noct again for the time being. "I'm grateful to understand the situation a lot better now. Besides, I still loved you guys, even if things weren't ideal. And honestly, when Noct and I came here today, it was really just to check in and see how you were doing, because I… I probably won't be coming back here," Prompto announced, his voice gaining a remorseful tone, making his father frown in concern.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I don't know how much you learned about the magitek troopers, but they weren't made to live very long lives. Just long enough to fulfill their role in battle, and not much beyond that. Sadly, it looks like that's the same case for me," Prompto explained, and his father's eyes widened, his features stiffening with what appeared to be genuine worry.

"You don't mean…"

"Yeah. My body wasn't made to hold up as long as yours or Noct's. That's actually why Noct and I are on this trip right now. We're kind of just… crossing things off the ol' bucket list," Prompto said in a sing-song little voice, giving a playful swing of his fist. His father remained in shock, while Noct took a sip of his tea, hoping it might prevent him from dwelling on Prompto's words—words that still made him ache, no matter how many times he heard them.

"I'm not really sure how much time I've got left. Maybe eight years, give or take a few? But we probably won't be doing much travelling once we get back to Insomnia, because we're both gonna have a lot of duties, and—" Prompto continued on, waving his hand casually as he spoke. The tiny, sparkling diamonds on Prompto's finger caught his father's attention, and Pax found himself putting two and two together.

"What duties? Is that—? Are you engaged?" Pax inquired, tilting his head sideways to get a better view of the ring. Prompto stopped his hand in mid-motion, his eyes travelling directly to the piece of jewelry that his father had so keenly observed.

"Um, yeah," Prompto smiled, nervously, and offered his hand to his father to take a closer look at the silver, jewel-encrusted band. Prompto cast a glance at Noctis, who turned his head to beam proudly at him.

"This little boy is getting to marry his prince," Prompto announced, and his father gently grasped his hand, analyzing the beautiful ring. It was of Lucian make; Pax could tell from its shimmer that it was made of the finest white gold. After a moment, his eyes flickered upward, and he glanced between the men.

"You two are getting married?" Pax questioned, and with his expression still indicating nothing but surprise, Prompto wasn't quite sure how to read him. Noctis reached for Prompto's free hand atop the table, and squeezed it gently, confirming Pax's suspicions. Prompto turned to Noct with a smile before his gaze returned to his father.

"I'm really happy, Dad," Prompto beamed softly, hoping it would put at least one of his troubled parents at ease. Of course, maybe that was a juvenile dream. Hadn't his parents' concerns grown when they'd heard those rumours about him and Noct being more than just friends?

He could remember them asking some in-depth questions about Noctis once, and Prompto had known at the time that they were suspicious. They had asked if he and Noct were very close, and why Prompto often chose to stay the night at Noct's apartment instead of coming home. He'd known they were closing in on his secret, but he'd denied all the implications, and had played off every question in a casual manner—like, of course he and Noct were close because they were best friends, and it made more sense to stay at his apartment than walking home alone at night. Besides, his parents were distant enough as it was. The last thing they would want was a boy who liked other boys—his crush being a prince, at that. Or, that's what he'd believed about them anyway.

Pax clasped his other hand on top of Prompto's ringed finger, patting his hand gently before letting go. Back when those rumours of Noctis' relationship with Prompto had been in the media, he and Clara had been scared of what kind of trouble might arise from it, but those days had passed. The world was a different place now. Nations weren't at war. Noctis was a king, not a mere prince. The two boys before him were adults, and could make their own decisions. Pax's eyes met Prompto's, and once again, they transformed from stern to gentle.

"You deserve happiness, Prompto," Pax promised him. It wasn't much, but it was acceptance nonetheless. Prompto released a breath of relief. He turned to his partner with slight surprise, and Noct gave him an encouraging smile.

"Thanks, Dad," Prompto beamed. "That means a lot."

The next half hour passed quickly, with Pax showing quite an interest in what sorts of tasks Prompto would be expected to take on as consort, and what plans Noctis had for the restoration of Lucis. They also talked a bit about the roadtrip and Prompto's time as a hunter. Before they knew it, they had drained their teacups, and the silences between conversation grew longer.

"Listen, it's been really great visiting with you. It's a big load off my mind to have been able to do this," Prompto said, standing up from the table with a smile. He gathered all the mugs and spoons the three of them had used, and set them down on the tray, hoping to be of at least a little assistance in the cleanup before he left.

"It's a relief for me as well, to see you alive and so happy," his father replied, honestly. He hoped that now, all those nightmares of watching a younger version of his son being crushed by crumbling, burning buildings or shot down by imperial soldiers would vanish forever. His guilt might never leave, but maybe it was no longer necessary for those painful reminders of his past mistakes to linger.

Prompto met his father's eyes, and granted him a gentle smile.

"I am happy," he promised him, and felt Noct beaming at him as he carried the tray to the counter. Pax and Noctis followed Prompto's lead and got up from their seats. Pax then escorted them down the hall and back out to the porch where they'd entered.

"I know you said you wouldn't be back, but just know that if you were to travel in this direction again, you would be welcome. Both of you," Pax announced, and Prompto looked up from his boots with a smile.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Where are you off to next?"

"Well, we talked about hitting up the Gralean market after this. See what sorts of cool trinkets they have for sale," Prompto said, finishing with his boot laces a second before Noctis did.

"In that case, remember to bundle up. It gets chilly out there."

"Will do!" Prompto grinned.

"Thanks again for your hospitality, Pax," Noctis smiled. "It was nice to meet you." He outstretched a hand and Pax took it, giving it a firm and appreciative shake.

"Oh! And before I forget…" Prompto reached into the inside pocket of his coat, retrieving a small stack of photos. He pressed his hands against the edges, neatening up the stack before handing it over to his father.

"These are just a few pictures I took from my journey with Noct and the guys. I thought you might like to see some of the cool places we went. If you don't like 'em, you can just toss 'em when you're done," Prompto shrugged, though he maintained his smile.

Of course, his parents had never shown a great interest in his photography, but now that the tensions caused by raising him were no longer an issue, maybe they would truly be able to appreciate the photos, and see the proof of his journey in a different light. If nothing else, they might enjoy the background scenery.

"Thank you, my boy. I'll make sure your mother gets to see these as well."

"Thanks," Prompto smiled, then placed his hands on his hips. "Well, I guess we're off."

"Take care. Both of you. I'll be watching for your wedding on the news," Pax said, with that small smile of his.

"Thanks. You and Mom take care, too. Bye, Dad." Prompto waved as he exited, and Noctis moved to follow, but Pax outstretched a hand. Noctis accepted it, expecting another friendly handshake. To his surprise, Pax pulled him in close enough to whisper something in his ear.

"Your Majesty, if it's true that he's not going to make it… M-maybe I don't have the right to ask this of you, but please, ensure that he's not alone through it all," Pax quietly begged, and Noctis knew it was coming from a place of worry and guilt—even love. He and Clara had left Prompto alone for far too much of his life, and he didn't want to see his son leave this life as lonely as he had entered into it. Noctis squeezed the man's hand.

"I promise you, Pax, I will be beside him every step of the way."

"You have my thanks, Your Majesty."

"Noct?" Prompto called from outside, peeking his head back in the doorway when he realized he was no longer being followed. Noctis pulled back and gave Pax one last smile before heading for the door.

"What was that about?" Prompto asked suspiciously, as Pax quietly closed the door behind them. Noctis simply laced his hand with Prompto's as they headed back into the city.

"He really does care about you," Noct smiled, and Prompto was too mentally exhausted to be anything but satisfied with that answer.

Prompto was quiet as they walked through the snowy street, weaving through rows of vendor tables. Every once in a while he would point and comment at something on display, but Noctis wasn't sure he was really taking everything in—not that he could blame him after the events of the afternoon. Eventually, as they stood in line to see one of the booths, Noctis' hand wandered to the small of Prompto's back, the warmth of it settling against his spine and calming him.

"Are you okay with how things went at your parents' place?" Noct asked, standing close behind his companion. Prompto turned to meet his worried eyes, his small smile glowing with just enough contentment to put Noctis at ease.

"Yeah. I think I am. Leading up to this, I wouldn't let myself imagine how it might go, because I didn't want it to fall short of what I was picturing. But, honestly? I think it went better than I expected," Prompto divulged, feeling a little lightheaded as the adrenaline from talking about his parents rushed back into his veins.

He used to get so nervous talking about them. The way they had mistreated him was so very personal, he'd actually felt ashamed by it. That nervousness had never completely faded, but over time, he had become more and more comfortable sharing those experiences with Noctis.

"Even though your mom...?" Noctis trailed off, and Prompto nodded, understanding the rest of his sentence without him saying anything more.

"It's fine. I'm sure Dad will pass along anything he feels she should know. Anything he feels she can handle," Prompto shrugged.

Noctis took a moment to drink in his partner's confident expression. So, Prompto was okay with never making amends with his mother? He was fine not knowing if she ever found out about his condition?

"Patching things up with even one of my parents is more than I ever hoped for. I'm good. Promise," Prompto smiled. Once Noctis was confident that Prompto was truly okay, he allowed himself to smile in return.

"I'm proud of what you did today."

Prompto met his eyes, slightly surprised by his earnest tone. Their gazes locked and lingered, and after a long minute of drinking in Noctis' words and genuine expression, Prompto's fingers extended to graze the underside of Noct's chin. Delicately, he guided their lips together, kissing Noctis over his shoulder. It wasn't merely a show of thanks, but rather a gesture of the deepest gratitude—for what Noct had said, for Noct sticking by him today and always, and for settling his weary mind like he always did.

Noctis could sense that this contact was different than usual, could feel how careful Prompto was being with him, like he was scared to break the serenity of the moment. They were deaf to the noise of the surrounding crowd, the two of them feeling like they were encased in glass, away from the world, blessed with this moment alone.

Wanting to end the kiss before the moment shattered like the imaginary glass, Prompto pulled away slowly, eyes drifting open to see that Noctis' were still peacefully closed. He moved his hand up to brush over Noct's stubbly cheek, smiling tenderly to himself. When Noctis opened his eyes, he reciprocated the smile.

"I'm proud of us," Prompto said, and Noctis patted his back before he turned to face the front of the lineup again.

"Excuse me, sir?" came a female voice from beside them. A hand tapped on Prompto's shoulder, and he jumped and flushed, knowing he and Noct had probably just been caught in the act. He hoped they weren't about to get in trouble for their shameless PDA.

"I was told to give you a message. She says thank you for the pictures, and congratulations on your engagement," the young girl announced, a grey toque pulled over her long, straight, brown hair. Prompto couldn't say he recognized her.

"Um, okay, thanks. Who did you say told you to talk to me?" Prompto asked, giving her a confused little grin. She turned behind her and pointed to the brick wall of one of the alleyways.

"That woman over there," she explained. Prompto's stomach wrenched as he spotted Clara by the wall, bundled up in a long coat and scarf.

"Th-thank you," Prompto managed to stutter out, though his gaze didn't leave his mother who stood across the way.

"No problem," the girl smiled before sauntering away. Noct moved in a little closer to Prompto, his arm weaving tighter around him as he stood beside him now.

"Is that...?"

"Yeah," Prompto smiled, voice weak with emotion and disbelief.

Bravely, he raised a hand and gave a wave, hoping to catch his mother's attention. Clara had been watching all the while with her head tilted downward, her mouth nestled into the warmth and safety of her scarf. She waved back, her eyebrows relaxing in a way that let Prompto know she was smiling, too, and then she walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

"Wow. Didn't expect that," Noct commented, eyes still fixed on the spot in the crowd where he'd lost sight of her.

"Definitely not," Prompto breathed.

"You still okay?"

"Yeah, but maybe we should take a break. I'm kind of drained."

"No problem. What do you say we get a couple of snow cones and sit for a while?" Noctis suggested, craning his neck to peer over the crowd and locate the booth where he'd been drooling over the sugary treats earlier.

"You know? I think that's exactly what I need," Prompto grinned in relief.

Noctis offered to stand in line and wait for the snow cones so Prompto could relax on a nearby bench. The bench was situated on an outlook, where Prompto could gaze out over another section of Gralea below. The homes and buildings looked like something out of a fairytale, with their rooves covered in a few inches of snow, making them look like gingerbread houses. Everything was so white and beautiful, snow glistening with tiny spectrums everywhere Prompto looked.

Maybe Noct had been right about bringing him here. He had never hated Niflheim, but he realized that part of him had always been scared of where he'd come from. He'd been afraid that he'd come from a place full of violence, full of fire and hate, but it wasn't like that at all. Prompto actually felt at ease here, like he would have been okay to call this home. After all, he'd always loved the snow.

Noctis returned before long, carrying two blueberry-flavoured snow cones. He offered Prompto's to him with a smile, and sat down beside him as they both began to munch on the flavourful chunks of ice.

"You know, it's weird. I used to imagine what it would be like to come home. Back when I was a kid, I always wondered if coming here might make me remember something about my real parents. I thought it might trigger my memories," Prompto said, softly, gazing out over the city. Noctis watched him carefully, wondering if he was disappointed that that fantasy had never come true, for he'd never even had the 'real' parents he had once dreamed of.

"Coming here now, it all feels a little empty in that way, but I do have a story here. And maybe it's not the one I'd once hoped for, but it's also not the one I dreaded either. I really am a child of two nations, and maybe that's an even more important story to tell than the one of the little boy who found his real parents," he finished.

"So, you're okay?"

"Yeah. The way I was born… it doesn't make me a bad person."

"Definitely not," Noctis promised him, smiling softly in assurance.

Prompto breathed in and let out a relaxed sigh, leaning in slightly against Noctis' side. There was comfort in the closeness, and in the knowledge that his origins were one thing that wouldn't ever affect how Noctis felt about him. And if that was the case, then maybe the rest of the world wouldn't mind so much either.

"This trip has been pretty perfect, Noct. I kind of don't want to go home."

"Hey, who said anything about going home? The fun's just beginning."

"Well, I know you told everyone we'd be gone for a few weeks, but we kind of already visited the places I mentioned on my list," Prompto shrugged, looking almost apologetic, like he regretted dragging the king away from his work. Noct gave him a glance, indicating he should have known better.

"Yeah, but there's no reason to rush home. We've still got the hotel here booked for a few more nights. And if you don't mind, I have a few ideas of my own to add to your list."

"Really?" Prompto quizzed, lifting a brow as he stared with innocent curiosity at Noctis. "Like what?"

"Like, you'll have to wait and see," Noctis smirked, touching the end of his snow cone to the tip of Prompto's nose, making him give a squeak.

Prompto rubbed his nose clean with his mitten before grinning wildly at his wonderfully spontaneous fiancé. Noctis lowered his head slightly, staring at Prompto with alluring eyes, which drew him in like magic. They kissed under the softly falling snow, ready to treasure every moment of this adventure.

A/N: Sorry this chapter was so delayed! It's been quite a busy summer. I brought home a new puppy just over a month ago, so my life has kind of been revolving around him lately. He is adorable, though, so I say it's all worth it! Unfortunately, with college starting up again in a few days, I doubt things will get any less busy for me. The next few chapters still need some beefing up (and even require some completely new material that I'm very excited to write), so I know they will take a bit of work.

That being said, I still fully intend to keep updating, but I think I should move to a monthly basis (the wait time may be a bit more or less depending on how much time I get to write and edit). I wish there were more hours in a day so I could keep up my regular pace, but I just don't think it's possible at this time. And I don't want to face burnout with this story. My goal is still to see this fic to completion!

So, I just want to thank everyone for being so patient, and for giving your support with your kudos/comments/etc. It means so much that people are still enjoying this story, and I hope that continues to be the case as we continue through the coming months! Thank you so much for reading! Stay safe and take care everyone 3