Chapter 25

Prompto awoke feeling refreshed, the sweet smell of chocobos filling his nose and the early morning chirps of songbirds sounding in the distance. He drew in a deep breath and let it out, chest still feeling heavy from sleep, but in a good way—like he'd just awoken from the most deep and peaceful sleep of his life. He was almost disappointed to look beside him and find Noct already awake, appearing not nearly as well rested as he was. The skin beneath his eyes was baggy and grey, his smile forced and tired.

"Hey," Prompto whispered, head resting lazily against the pillow. "You sleep okay?"

"Mm, I've had better sleeps," Noct admitted, yawning. He rested his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling a moment before letting his eyes fall closed, as if he'd been unable to let his guard down enough to rest until Prompto was awake beside him.

"Uh-oh. Dreaming again?"

"N-no, just... Couldn't sleep."

Prompto frowned, knowing by the awkward twinge of Noct's mouth that he was dodging something. His smile was gone, lips now stiffly pressed together.

"Don't tell me... You were up all night worrying, weren't you?"

"What?" Noct gaped back at him, but Prompto's eyes continued to drill him. There was no point in trying to lie to Prompto. They'd already established that they knew each other like the back of their hands.

"W-well, not the whole night," Noct shrugged.

"Seriously?" Prompto sighed, shaking his head.

His own gaze wandered to the ceiling, that feeling of refreshment fading away and filling his chest instead with the weight of anxiety and dread. The intimate moments they had shared the night before... had they really caused Noctis this much distress?

"Noct... What did you even think was going to happen?" Prompto asked in a whisper, trying at the very least to understand.

"I dunno," Noctis sighed, eyes opening as he shoved a hand through his messy bed-hair. "That you might just stop breathing?"

There was a hint of laughter in those words, like he knew himself how ridiculous they might sound, how Prompto might tease him for being such a worry-wart, or chastise him for being too overbearing. Much to his relief, Prompto simply pushed forth a smile, and rolled onto his side to face him.

"I'm fine, Noct. Really and truly, I'm fine," he promised, making Noct's worries fade just a little—enough to manage a weak smile. "But I also get how terrifying this is for you."

"Absolutely terrifying," Noct confirmed , in a weak croak.

"I know."

Noctis reached out, hand pressing out flat against Prompto's chest, allowing himself to feel that heart beating beneath his fingertips. It was the most precious feeling, the most reassuring thing to ever prove to him that things were going to be okay. But it was so delicate.

Prompto saw the tears in Noctis' eyes, but he didn't dare mention them. Noct was probably far too tired to fight them off.

"I know what it's like to worry," Prompto assured him, his own hand reaching out for Noctis' skin. It travelled down his toned body and found the remains of the injury from Accalia. His suture work from the Vesperpool was still holding strong, keeping the wound well mended.

"I'm fine, too, you know?" Noct spoke up, relieved to get the attention off of his own worries for the time being.

"Yeah. It's not so much the injury I'm worried about."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm still concerned about the Relicta. What they did to you... it could have been so much worse. And it's great that we haven't run into them on this trip, but aren't you a little curious as to why? They had no problem tracking you down before when they wanted to," Prompto reminded him, brows twisted with fear.

"Well, yeah. It has crossed my mind. I guess part of me has been hoping the Relicta kind of died off. If the word has been getting out there that you and I have been working together to help out and rebuild—you know, with places like Galdin and Galahd and Lucis itself—maybe that's part of the reason why they haven't been attacking. Maybe we're doing a good enough job that they no longer hold those old grudges," Noct explained.

"Hmm, that's certainly a comforting idea," Prompto mused.

"Or maybe I'm just being too optimistic," Noct frowned, lowering his head a little.

"N-no. Hey, no one here said optimism is a bad thing!"

"Says the king of optimism himself," Noct smirked.

He was about to lean in and kiss his partner when the sound of a bell rang in the distance, signalling feeding time for the chocobos. Prompto quickly sat up and leaned as far as he could over the side of the bed to get a peek out the window, wanting to catch sight of the eager, hungry birds.

"Ugh, too early for this," Noct groaned, pulling the pillow over his head.

"Well, maybe you should have gotten some sleep last night," Prompto teased, giving him a hard poke in the side.

"Yeah, why was I worried about you, again?" Noct monotonously retorted, rubbing the abused spot. Prompto chuckled before reaching for the t-shirt he'd discarded beside him the night before. He pulled it on over his head and gave a glance back at Noctis, whose arms still held the pillow in place over his face.

"You should get a bit more sleep, buddy. You mind if I go watch the chocobos, though? Maybe I could even lend Wiz a hand."

Finally, Noct lowered the pillow, his eyes glinting with apology now.

"You want me to go with you? I can drag myself out of bed." Prompto shook his head and smiled, pressing a kiss to the king's forehead.

"That's okay. You get some rest."

Prompto had a blast helping out with the chocobos. Wiz was tremendously grateful for Prompto's muscle as he carried the feedbags over his shoulder, as if they hardly weighed anything at all. They made quick work of the feeding process, Prompto pouring the grains into buckets, and Wiz carrying them to each of the corrals.

When Prompto was still left wanting more work, Wiz offered him the 'not-so-nice' job of cleaning the stalls, to which Prompto eagerly agreed and started shovelling. Once he'd dumped the manure into the pile in the back of the farm, he returned to the corrals to scatter hay and bedding.

With a job well done, and Noctis still apparently asnooze in the caravan, Prompto headed for the shopping kiosk. He indulged in a few free samples of the newest Gysahl chip flavours, and was in the process of picking out a flavour for the road when Noctis finally appeared behind him.

"Hey, what've they got? Oh, that looks cool," Noct smiled, pointing at a ranch-flavoured bag of chips.

"They're really good," Prompto agreed.

"Would you like to try a sample, sir?" the man behind the counter asked, offering Noctis a plate full of tiny chip morsels.

"Sure. Thanks."

Noctis popped the chip into his mouth and crunched, the delicious, tangy flavour satisfying his taste buds.

"Mmm."

"Good, right?" Prompto grinned, before turning his attention back to the cashier. "I'll take a big bag of the ranch, please?"

"Of course, sir."

Prompto exchanged some gil for the bag of chips, and Noctis pinned him with a look as they walked away from the kiosk.

"Hope you're planning on sharing those," he smirked.

"Of course! We're gonna need something to munch on on the road, right?"

"Absolutely. I also think we should start the day off with a good ol' Chocobo Post breakfast. What do you say?"

"Sounds perfect," Prompto agreed.

They made their way to one of the plastic tables outside and sat down, glancing over the menu before giving their orders to Wiz. They were left in a peaceful silence after that as they watched the chocobos graze and preen.

"Did you manage to get a few more hours of shut-eye?" Prompto asked.

"Yeah, thankfully I did."

"I almost expected you to sleep longer."

"Well, I probably would have except I got a call from the Citadel," Noct said, and immediately noticed the look of concern that washed over Prompto's face. "It's nothing bad, don't worry. Actually, they received those documents I requested from Ignis. You know, the ones we talked about in Gralea?"

"You mean, the ones from the magitek facility," Prompto stated, using the words he figured Noctis was avoiding for his sake.

"Yeah," Noct breathed. Prompto hesitated a moment before forcing a smile.

"Well, that's good, I guess? Right?"

"Hopefully," Noct shrugged. "I mean, with any luck, they might tell us if we can... you know." Prompto tried not to laugh at Noct's awkward attempt to play footsies under the table, boots clunking together with very little grace.

"So, does this mean we'll be heading home?"

"Only if you want to. This trip is for you, remember? I want you to call the shots," Noctis said, face tinged with some bittersweet expression.

"Well, we have been away for a while now. We should probably start heading in that direction. Besides, I'm kind of curious about what those documents say."

"Curious?"

"Alright, more like worried," Prompto admitted, lowering his gaze to stare at the plastic table.

"Me too," Noct solemnly agreed. He reached for Prompto's hand and pulled it over to rest on his knee, patting it gently, letting him know he wasn't alone.

"But putting it off isn't going to change anything. We might as well find out the truth instead of worrying ourselves sick," Prompto announced.

"Yeah. Guess so," Noct whispered, wondering if that feeling of being worried sick would ever leave him, no matter what they found in those documents.

Once they'd finished their hearty breakfast, they got back on the highway. Prompto hooked up his phone to the car stereo, and they blasted tunes from their high school years, singing and banging their heads to the music like they were sixteen again. It was so freeing, so beautifully familiar, and for a while—short as it might have been—they were able to forget the weight of the world.

Eventually, Noctis pulled the car up along the side of the road, the area stirring up memories of when they had ventured this land on chocobo-back with Iris and the guys—just southwest of Tollhends Stronghold, if Prompto remembered correctly.

"What are we doing here?" Prompto asked.

"Thought we could stretch our legs for a bit. Want to?"

"Sure, sounds good."

Noctis got out, stuffed the keys in his pocket, and led Prompto down the grassy slope. At the bottom was a stretch of small pebbles leading to the river—a familiar location where they'd taken down a group of mightyshears on a hunt once.

"Ah, I always loved this spot," Prompto hummed.

"Yeah. Peaceful," Noct agreed. They stood side-by-side for a moment, taking in the sight of the turquoise-blue water and the soft bubbling sounds of the current. The sun was warm, the blue sky sparsely dotted with clouds.

"You wanna try it out?"

"What, the water?"

"Yeah," Noct grinned, pulling a foot up and tugging his boot off. "Race you in."

"Okay, but just so we're clear, I draw the line at skinny dipping."

"Didn't bother you in Galdin that time, but okay," Noct smirked. They stripped down to their boxers and hurried down to the water's edge. Prompto gave a shrill squeal as the water wrapped around his ankles, and he awkwardly hopped back a few steps.

"Yikes! Colder than a frozen chocobo turd!" Noctis snorted out a laugh.

"You get that line from Cid?"

"Yeah, probably," Prompto chuckled in response. Noctis met his eyes and reached for his hands, leading him toward the river.

"C'mon, wimp," he teased.

Noctis backed up towards the water, fighting the temptations to shout and curse as the cool temperature froze him from his toes to his knees. Prompto followed with a good amount of whining. Noctis laughed along with his protests, both of them completely giddy as Noct waded in to his waist. Prompto moved closer and closer until he clung to him like a lifeline. His arms were locked tight around Noct's neck, his legs woven around his middle. Noctis held him close, one arm around his back and the other under his legs.

"You'd better be careful clinging to me like that. I might just..." Noctis dipped down, and Prompto squawked as his toes hit the cold water.

"Noooct!" Noct stood straight again, and Prompto scrambled to hoist himself up a bit higher, away from the water.

"What? Didn't we come in for a dip?" Noct teased, ducking down a little further, and Prompto squealed again, both of them laughing. Prompto kicked his legs rapidly, hoping to shake off the chilling water droplets that clung to his skin.

"You're evil!" Prompto groaned, burying his face in against Noctis' neck. Noct turned his head slightly to nuzzle against his shivering partner.

"If I was really evil, I would toss you right in."

"Don't even think about it," Prompto warned, emphasizing each word through his chattering teeth. Noctis chuckled out a response and decided he would grant Prompto the kindness of not throwing him in—at least for now. Carefully, he continued to wade forward, slowly and gradually over the rocks underfoot.

"That's a good boy," Prompto praised.

"Well, wouldn't want you wimping out on me so soon."

"I'm no wimp. Remember what a badass I was at the Vesperpool, keepin' those sahagins in line?" Prompto playfully boasted. They were in deep enough now that he could have swish his feet around in the water, but he refused to fully submerge them just yet. Maybe once he was numb enough from the cold, he could swim for a minute or two.

"True, but I'm thinking if those sahagins had been blocks of ice, you wouldn't have been so brave," Noct teased.

"'Course I would. Blocks of ice don't try to eat you, dummy."

"No, but they're damn cold. Kind of like this!" Noct ducked into the water again, and Prompto shrieked, teeth chattering harder now. This time, Noct stayed down, forcing Prompto to get used to the chilling temperature. Prompto's arms trembled as they remained looped around Noct's neck.

"You're a jerk," Prompto growled.

"Wrong. I make your life fun," Noct smirked, seeming quite confident about that statement.

"You can make life fun and still be a jerk."

"Careful now. You're gonna hurt my feelings," Noct pouted.

"It's fine, man. I can be a jerk, too," Prompto impishly grinned, hand darting into the river and quickly forcing the water up, splashing Noct in the face. Noct gasped and shook his head, water flying from his hair in all directions.

"Oh, that's how you wanna play, is it? Okay then!" Noct smiled, pulling Prompto free of his death grip and tossing him into the river. Noct laughed as he watched Prompto surface, the once perfect swoop of his hair now flat against the side of his face.

"You're so gonna regret that!" Prompto grinned, leaping towards Noctis and pushing him into the water.

They fell together, both laughing and flailing as they scrambled back to the surface, desperate for air. A full-out play-fight broke out, with both of them splashing and pushing and falling, the ravine filled for several minutes with the sounds of shrieks and laughter.

"I'm gonna get you, you devillish fiend!" Prompto yelled as he hauled himself onto Noctis' back. Noctis laughed as he found himself piggybacking Prompto through the water.

"What the hell? Seems I'm more like your chocobo than some fiend!"

"Then giddyup, chocobo! I've got places to be!" Prompto grinned.

"Yeah, how 'bout solid land? I'm chilled to the bone," Noct said, with a glance back at Prompto. Prompto rested his chin on Noct's shoulder with a proud smirk.

"Who's the wimp now?"

"Shut up," Noct rolled his eyes. He continued to carry Prompto out of the water, and let him hop safely back down on the ground.

"Why don't you stay put, buddy? I'll grab some blankets and towels from the car," Prompto offered.

"Okay. Thanks," Noct shivered, clearly the colder of the two of them now, arms wrapped around himself for warmth. Prompto grabbed Noctis' pants off the ground and fished the keys out of his pocket.

"Be right back."

Noctis watched as Prompto trotted off to the car, returning moments later with a blanket and two towels from the trunk. Prompto's first priority was getting his fiancé warm as he wrapped one of the towels around his shoulders.

"Thanks, Prompto," Noct murmured, clutching the towel tightly.

"No worries."

Prompto spread the blanket out on the ground, and pulled his own towel around him before coaxing Noct to sit. They situated themselves on the blanket, letting themselves air-dry for a few minutes before they eventually flopped back to stare at the sky. They lay hand-in-hand on the shore, letting the sun continue to dry them.

"Hey, Noct? You ever think about what the future might have been like?" Prompto spoke up.

Noctis blinked, heart twinging. He turned his head to meet Prompto's eyes, facing him with a weak smile. In that look, Noct knew Prompto wasn't referring to some hypothetical future like the one Noct had conjured up at the chocobo post; he meant the future they were supposed to live out together at the Citadel, the future Prompto might never see.

"Sometimes," Noct admitted, eyes crinkled and sad. "You?"

"Sometimes," Prompto nodded, fingers lacing a little tighter with Noct's. He let out a sigh. "It's weird, you know, to think about us getting older. Ten years ago, I couldn't even imagine what we might look like now."

"Yeah. Just imagine us forty years from now, all grey haired and white-bearded."

"I'll bet you'll be the spitting image of your dad when you reach his age," Prompto fondly mused.

"Maybe," Noct murmured. "And I'll bet you'll still be the most handsome king's consort that ever there was."

Prompto chuckled.

"Maybe," he said, wishing with all his heart that he might get to see his seventieth birthday along with his beloved king.

"You ever think about kids?" Noct carefully queried.

"Well, I was never really sure. We were always such kids ourselves. It used to be hard to picture ourselves as dads," Prompto hummed, the thought more appealing now than it ever had been. Even to think of him and Noct being called 'Dad'... It was a beautiful little thought.

"Yeah, but you managed to keep Fae alive, right?" Noct winked.

"She was eleven. Not like she was a defenceless baby. I told you about my pet goldfish, right?"

"Yeah, you were ten years old, and the fish was dead within two days, right? I remember," Noctis chuckled. "It's not like we'd be raising our kids alone, though. The two of us, plus our attendants. As much as I always hated how busy my dad was, I realize now why he needed the help in raising me. Life as a king is... demanding."

"Ah, so you've thought about kids, huh? How many?" Prompto playfully quizzed, his curious eyes meeting Noct's.

"Two or three. They say that monarchs should always have an heir and a spare. Plus, then the kids will always have a playmate. Someone to grow up with, you know?"

"'An heir and a spare', huh? Sounds a little...gloomy," Prompto frowned.

"Yeah. And unfortunately, my mom passed away before I had any siblings."

"I'm sorry," Prompto murmured, frown twisting into an even sadder expression. Noct shook his head.

"It's okay. If I hadn't been an only child, things might not have turned out the way they did. I might not have moved out on my own. Might not have had the opportunity to get close to you."

"And that would have been a real shame, huh?" Prompto grinned.

"It would have," Noct softly smiled.

"Alright, so tell me about these kids. Two boys and a girl?" Prompto asked, propping himself up on his elbow, his interest clearly piqued.

"Well, I was thinking we'd stop at two kids if we ended up with two boys right off the bat. But part of me would kind of like to raise a girl, too. So, if we ended up with our little princess somewhere along the way, yeah, I'd be pretty happy with that."

"It's kind of adorable that you've thought about all this," Prompto admitted, cheeks flushing slightly.

"Well, after I survived the prophecy, I just... I felt like I really needed to start living, you know? So, I had to start thinking about my future. Couldn't waste any opportunities," Noct explained.

"Yeah. I know what you mean," Prompto breathed out, solemnly. Noct shivered, and Prompto was almost certain it wasn't from the cold.

"What do you say we hit the road again? Think I'm dry enough to pull my clothes back on," Noctis suggested.

"Alrightie. I guess I'd better not risk turning into a Prompt-sicle," Prompto grinned, revelling in the sound of Noct's warm laughter.

Prompto was quiet as they returned to the city of Insomnia. He rested an elbow against the window, staring out solemnly at the lights and buildings in the darkness of the evening. It wasn't that he wouldn't enjoy being back in his and Noct's own bed, or that he wasn't looking forward to telling everyone about their upcoming wedding; he was simply saddened by the fact that this had probably been his and Noct's last roadtrip together, and that he had let it end, probably sooner than he had to.

He couldn't help but feel the sting of regret as he imagined the things he and Noct could have done if they'd stayed on the road just a little longer. Maybe hit up the Crow's Nest or gone fishing at the Slough. His time was getting shorter. His time to do things was disappearing.

Before he could fall any further into his thoughts of despair, he felt Noctis' hand on his own, patting it gently atop his thigh. Prompto turned to look at him, and Noctis gave him a smile.

"Don't look so sad. We've got one more very important stop."

"Huh? Here in the city?"

"Yup." Noctis pulled swiftly into a parking space along the side of the road, and turned to his partner expectantly. Prompto simply continued to sit there in confusion.

"Where are we going, Noct?"

Noctis leaned forward slightly past Prompto, and pointed out his window.

"Right there."

Prompto turned to look at the Arcade sign, flashing in red and yellow letters above the entryway. Through the glass doors, he could already see the inviting flashes of greens and purples from the air hockey machine, and the flickering screens of arcade games already in motion. He was sure that if he opened his window, he would hear the nostalgic sounds of coins dropping into machines, of screams and laughter. He would smell the delicious scents of pizza and fries. To him and Noctis, this place felt as much like home as the Citadel.

"Really?!" Prompto asked, with reserved excitement in his eyes, not wanting to get his hopes up.

"Yes, really," Noctis grinned, playfully sticking his nose up in the air. "Kings can visit arcades if they want to."

Prompto stared at Noctis with a small and incredulous smile before sitting back in his seat. He couldn't believe the lengths Noctis would go to to make him happy. Pretending they were kids again, revisiting the place where they'd spent hours upon hours as teenagers—it was all worth the risk of looking a little silly.

"Besides, it would feel wrong to have our old hangout rebuilt and never even step inside. Now, are you ready to rumble?" Noct asked, with a challenging tone in his voice, like he was ready to start kicking Prompto's ass at every game in the house.

"Are you ready to rumble, Noct?" Prompto taunted right back. They met each other with a playful glare.

"Race you inside," Noct grinned.

Both jumped out of the car, slamming the doors behind them, and racing for the entrance. Prompto had the advantage by being parked on the right side of the road, but Noctis was right behind him, using a glimmer of his warping magic to get him to the entrance faster. Both of them were crunched up against the door, laughing as they both tried to reach for the door handle through tangled limbs.

"Noct! You cheater!" Prompto laughed.

"I'm not cheating. I'm just winning," Noctis laughed back, rather breathlessly, as he continued to pin Prompto against the door, while reaching across his chest for the handle. Prompto reached out to tickle Noct's side, knowing his weak spot. Noct pulled back with a yelp, giving Prompto the chance to dart inside. Noctis quickly followed after him, chuckling in disbelief as Prompto turned back to look at him triumphantly.

"Cheater," Noct mumbled, swatting the back of Prompto's head.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet. Er, wait. I didn't mean— I'm not gonna cheat," Prompto tried to backtrack, but Noct just laughed again, shaking his head.

They looked around the arcade, surprised and mildly relieved that their little struggle outside had gone unnoticed by the other customers. The place was scattered with teenagers, and some parents with smaller kids who were starting to look a bit tired at this hour. Give it a little time, and they might have the place to themselves.

"What first?" Prompto asked.

"Your pick."

Prompto looked at Noctis schemingly.

"And that's your first mistake," he grinned, pulling a coin out of his pocket and heading for the arcade machine with the plastic guns. Noctis should have known Prompto would choose something in his line of expertise.

Prompto put the coin in the machine, and grabbed the first player gun from its slot, leaving Noct to pick up the second one, which he did with utmost speed. He grinned crookedly at Prompto, who flashed him a gleaming smile of his own before pointing the gun at the start screen and beginning the game.

The game screen flashed before a black line slid down the centre, separating the two player interfaces, and both were faced with the same gorilla-like monster, all clad in armour. Both shot as quickly as their fingers could manage, repeatedly pulling the trigger to send bullets flying at the monsters before them. Of course, Prompto was faster, and he let out a triumphant cheer of 'hah-hah' as his screen pronounced him the winner of the first round. They played seven rounds—five of which Prompto won—before their coin ran out, and Noctis turned to Prompto in question.

"Keep playing?"

"Nah, it's alright. We can find something you're a little better at," Prompto winked. Noctis smirked and gave him a little shove, earning him a laugh.

An hour quickly flew by while they tried out games they had never played before, as well as a couple that they had played years ago, though the original machines had been replaced after the fall of Insomnia. It was weird knowing that despite how much they had been here during their younger years, they hadn't been able to leave their mark—their hands had never touched these buttons, their initials were no longer on the games' leaderboards. It was a harsh reminder of how nothing was ephemeral, and while part of Noctis wished that Prompto would break a high score and leave his initials for his fellow Insomnians to see, it would only make it more painful when someone surpassed his record, and it was all washed away.

Noctis quickly pushed his solemn thoughts aside, and forced himself to focus on the now, the present moment, the only thing he was certain that they had. They took a break from gaming and ordered a plate of fries to share, which they gobbled down while looking over some of the photos Prompto had taken on their trip. Somehow, they did manage to make it feel like old times—like nothing had changed, like nothing had happened since their last trip to the arcade, and it was absolutely, extraordinarily wonderful.

By the time they had finished eating, all the small children and their parents had filtered out, and only the teenagers and young college students remained. It was funny, Noctis thought, the strange looks they were getting as they sat there eating their fries at the bar counter.

"Dude, what are you looking at?" Prompto asked, looking up from the back of his camera when he realized he was losing Noctis' interest. Noctis smirked as he gazed around at the younger crowd.

"They think we're old," Noctis observed in a low, but rather amused, voice.

Prompto frowned and looked up, daring a glance at the teenage boys sitting at one of the booths. They were sending glances Prompto and Noctis' way, lips curling inward to hide smiles, the boys huddling in together in laughter. Prompto's stomach did an uncomfortable flip, as he remembered those snobbish looks all too well from his school days.

"Y-you sure they're not laughing because we're... together?" Prompto asked, nervously, the pain of the idea a little more than he could handle.

"Nope. They think we're too old and uncool to be here," Noctis said, sounding like he was quite confident in his analysis. He gulped down the last swig of his milkshake, and wiped the back of his mouth with his forearm. "Heh, we'll show them."

With a playfully arrogant air about him, Noctis strolled over to the Justice Monsters Five machine and dropped in a coin. Wide-eyed, Prompto shoved the last two fries on their platter into his mouth, and tucked his camera away before swiftly following Noctis over to the machine. Prompto peered over his shoulder at the snickering boys behind them, then quickly back to the machine, his eyes darting to Noctis.

"They're totally watching," Prompto muttered.

"That's kind of the point," Noctis smirked, and Prompto watched as his partner wracked up the points. The sounds of the machine clearly let everyone in the arcade know that Noctis was winning, and when he finished the first round, he stepped back and waved his arm out to the side, welcoming Prompto to take his spot.

"Your turn," he said, and Prompto raised a brow. "What? You're just as good at this as I am," Noct reminded him. Prompto stared at Noctis' grin that he just couldn't turn down, and with a smile of his own, he stepped in toward the machine to play the next round.

Within the hour, the boys behind them had only grown more disgruntled as a clique of girls began to hover close behind Prompto and Noctis' machine, watching with awe and intrigue as the men wiped several of the previous high scores off the board. The two continued to take turns, each winning their rounds with ease. Ten o'clock soon turned to eleven, leaving them only an hour until the arcade closed; they didn't need it. Noctis made it to level 99 before then, and Prompto bounced with excitement as he watched Noctis beat the pinball around.

"Come on, Noct! Come on!" Prompto cheered, fists clenched tightly in front of him as he stared down at the plexiglass.

The girls had pretty much encircled them by this point, and the boys were muttering something like, 'Dude, they beat your high score long ago. Can we go now?' And 'No, I'm waiting to see them cry when they lose at level 99.'

"Yes!" Prompto and Noctis both hollered, as the final of the four orange circles lit up in the centre of the game, granting them their bonus.

"Now, get 'em!" Prompto cheered as Noctis shot at the boss. With a few more shots, the boss went down, and the place erupted into a bout of shouts and laughter. Even the guy working at the counter grinned at the excitement of the men's success. The leader of the teenage boys gave a huff, and stormed out of the booth, his posse following behind him with irritated looks.

"Noct, you're my hero!" Prompto beamed, latching onto Noctis like a child, but kissing him like an idiot in love. Noctis blinked in surprise as Prompto grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in against his lips. The squeals of the girls died in a wave of quiet 'aw's' and soft noises of shock and admiration.

Never could Noctis remember Prompto being so free like this—so excited that his fears of showing their affection in public faded to nothing—but he loved it. Being allowed to show their feelings and not have to hide anymore was so liberating. There were none of his father's men following him around anymore, telling him who he could and couldn't date. There were no reporters hiding in corners, just waiting for the young prince to do something scandalous. It was just them—just two guys, Noctis and Prompto. Prompto deserved to feel that kind of freedom, for once in his life.

Prompto pulled back, cheeks flushing as he realized what he'd done, but he couldn't move far, as Noctis' hands had found their way to his lower back, holding him there.

"I'm still your hero? After all these years?" Noct murmured, smile weak, eyes uncertain, like he thought he'd lost the privilege of that title somewhere along the way.

"You're always my hero," Prompto murmured back, and they leaned in for another quick peck before pulling away and abashedly facing the girls who looked like they were about to die of cuteness overload. Some had hands folded up to their chests, others had pink cheeks, others dreamy eyes. Noctis reached for Prompto's hand and grabbed the huge line of red tickets that their machine had printed for them before heading for the counter, giving the girls a nod and a smile on the way, nearly making them collapse.

"That's quite the win you two had," the young man at the counter acknowledged, chuckling softly as he tried to fold up the ten-foot-long thread of tickets that Noctis handed over. "You sure made my night more interesting."

"Ours, too," Prompto laughed.

The worker finished counting the tickets, and nodded in approval when he confirmed there were in fact ninety-nine to be found, then gave a wave toward the poster on the back wall, displaying their choice of prizes.

"So, you can either take the Wind-Up Lord Vexxos or the Celestriad," the man said. "Just so you know, though, the Wind-Up Lord Vexxos can be sold for quite a pretty penny these days."

"How much are we talking?" Noctis queried. "I know they used to be worth a lot."

"Five hundred thousand gil. No joke."

Prompto and Noctis exchanged an elated grin.

"Really? It still goes for that much?" Prompto gaped.

"What can I say? Die hard fans sure love their collectibles," the young attendant shrugged.

"Well, that's an easy decision, then. I guess we'll be taking Lord Vexxos," Noctis announced. The man nodded and grabbed the mechanical toy from under the counter, placing it on top for the men to see. Noctis reached for it, eyeing it skeptically.

"This little thing? I was picturing something the size of a statue, knowing its value."

"Justice Monsters fans go crazy for this stuff. I promise, what you have there is a one of a kind item," the worker informed them with a smile.

"Awesome," Prompto marvelled, taking in the miniature's tiny features.

"Thank you," Noctis smiled, and he and Prompto departed hand-in-hand. Noctis drew his gaze to Prompto when he felt the man's fingers slip between his own.

"Noct, do you realize what a difference that money could make for us?"

"Yeah. It could cover our wedding expenses, and still leave us some to put back into the kingdom. We oughta hit up the arcade more often. We could be making a mint," Noctis grinned. He stumbled when he felt Prompto tug him backwards, and he spun to face him, smiling curiously as Prompto lured him in with those eyes that sparkled like Lucis' finest gems in the moonlight.

"Thank you, Noct. For such an amazing night," he murmured, as he leaned in to kiss him again. Noctis simply closed his eyes and enjoyed this nostalgic moment, showered in love under the arcade's flashing lights.