Summary: Noctis seeks comfort in Prompto during their stay in Altissia.
(Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Established Relationship)

Prompto bolted awake at the sound of the motel door creaking open, and his stomach flipped as he realized he'd forgotten to lock the door when he'd gone to bed. Thankfully, the moon lit the room well enough that he could see the intruder—well, he could hardly call him an intruder, since Prompto would have welcomed him at any time. Noctis stepped into the room, the distinct shape of his flyaway hair visible even in the darkness.

"Sorry to wake you," Noct whispered, closing the door softly behind him. Prompto sat up against the cushioned headboard, which was indented here and there with diamonds. This was without a doubt the most luxurious hotel they'd been to on the journey so far, and Prompto had to admit he'd been enjoying his sleep in the comfortable bed, with the downy duvet covers keeping him warm, but when it came to Noct, sleep came second on his list of priorities.

"That's okay. What's up?" Prompto asked, rubbing his eyes and tilting his head to the side slightly as he took in the sight of his friend. Noctis chuckled.

"Surprised you could sleep through the noise."

"Huh? What noise?" Prompto's nose crinkled in confusion, but Noctis held up a finger, indicating that he should be quiet. The silence made way for the loud popping sounds outside, like explosions, but Prompto knew that if that had been the case, his friend would have been far more concerned.

"Fireworks," Noctis announced, when Prompto still appeared confused.

"Oh," came the quiet reply. Noctis stepped further into the room. The window behind the bed lit Noct a little better with each step he took, and soon he was close enough that Prompto could see the moonlight reflecting in his blue eyes.

"Come watch them with me?" Noctis asked, with a gentle smile. Prompto's brain rushed through a million eager replies, but he calmed himself enough to give a simple response.

"You bet."

The balcony outside Prompto's room wasn't that big—only big enough that they could have fit Ignis and Gladio out there with them if they'd wanted to. It was cozy even with just the two of them, arms brushing together as they leaned on the railing, overlooking the breathtaking cityscape. They stared mostly at the sky, watching as streaks of light rose from the centre of the city and erupted, sending circles of color rippling through the blackness. Now and then, they watched the lights' flawless reflections in the water below, water that was perfectly still except when a gondola would pass through and send ripples skidding over the surface.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Prompto awed, gazing at the sights before him.

"Yeah, it is," came Noctis' simple agreement—not that Prompto was expecting much more from him.

"So... tomorrow's gonna be pretty hectic, huh?" the prince went on, and Prompto turned to him, eyeing the serious expression on his face. So this was what he'd wanted to talk about when he'd come to his door. It wasn't like Noct to want to talk about his feelings, but Prompto was honoured that he'd chosen him to listen.

"Probably so. It's all pretty surreal." Even though Prompto had been trying all evening not to think about the situation they were in, it was hard to avoid completely. Luna, the Hydrean, Ardyn... All of those would tie into the events of tomorrow, one way or another. He couldn't imagine how Noct was feeling, the things that must have been going through his head, the pressure that was on him. Even seeing Luna's wedding dress in the store window earlier that day... In a way, it must have killed him to know he might never see her wear it.

"Prompto?" Noctis asked, and he couldn't help but notice the way Prompto's head swung around to face him, his expression so curious and innocent; the prince knew in that moment that this young man would do anything to ease his pain, even if it was only in some small way.

"Yeah-huh?"

"Earlier today, you said... that the wedding could still happen. Do you really believe that?" Noctis queried.

"Well, anything could happen, you know? Just tryin' to stay positive," Prompto smiled, eyes darting back to the sky as another blast of color exploded. He made a quiet 'aww' as vibrant dots spread out and fell back to the earth.

"Okay, well, let me ask you this. Would you even want the wedding to happen?" Noctis' eyes were fixed on his best friend now, and Prompto could feel them. He fidgeted uncomfortably. It didn't sound like a personal question, but because it was directed at him, he knew Noct had intended it that way. Ignis or Gladio could have replied with the most respectable responses, like 'yes, for the sake of two uniting nations,' or 'it would bring hope and peace to the citizens.' For Prompto, however, that question was a knife to the gut, one that kept twisting until his throat was able to cough out an answer.

"You're a prince. You deserve a princess. And above all else, you're my best friend. I want to see you happy," Prompto sighed, eyes meeting Noct's for only a moment, but even in that short time, he could see they contained a certain amount of hurt.

"Me? Happy?" Noctis laughed in a way that sounded almost bitter, and the blond turned to question his tone before a hand fell on his own. Prompto looked away again, face reddening at the feel of soft skin grazing the backs of his fingers. It wasn't like it had never happened before; they had just never held hands in public, with the rest of the city watching from street benches and balconies just like theirs. Despite how proud he was to be the apple of the prince's eye at this moment, Prompto couldn't help but mentally run through a list of people he hoped were not taking a midnight walk right now. Ignis and Gladio, for sure, because they'd both disapprove. Ardyn, because that could only mean danger for them. Luna... That one didn't need an explanation.

Prompto sucked in an uncomfortable breath, and turned to Noct again with a nervous smile. Noctis picked up on his discomfort easily, and released his hand, dropping his arm to his side and dragging his gaze far from Prompto's. He looked in the extreme opposite direction instead. Prompto shook his head, feeling immediately cold from the lack of contact, and he reached for Noctis' hand again, pulling it into his own. He saw the corner of Noctis' mouth lift into a smile.

"I don't know if 'happy' is in a prince's job description," Noctis admitted, as Prompto brought their linked hands back up to rest on the railing.

"Huh. Coulda' fooled the kids back in high school," Prompto grinned, but there was a definite solemness to his voice.

"I know. They thought having money and servants was all there was to it."

"At one point, I would have thought that, too. But I understand a lot better now," Prompto promised him, and it took a load off Noct's mind to know that he did. Eyes met again, two shades of blue glimmering in the moonlight, dotted every few seconds with an extra ring of color from the fireworks' reflection.

Their locked gaze seemed to instinctively pull them closer, and they turned to face each other fully, both hands lacing together and coming to rest in the space left between their bodies.

"Princes have to put the happiness of others before their own happiness," Prompto concluded his explanation, and although Noctis hated the truth behind those words, he was relieved to know his friend really did understand the pressure he was under.

"And to be honest, sometimes it really sucks," Noctis nodded, smirking. Prompto's head fell as he let out a chuckle. Noctis smiled at the sound of his laughter, glad that he'd been able to bring a real smile to his face.

"Hey, Prompto?"

"Yeah?" Prompto's head perked up again.

"We've still got tonight, right? We should make the most of it," Noctis smiled. The curve of his lips was so gentle, it made Prompto's heart lurch in the most beautiful way. Noctis gave Prompto's hands a tender squeeze, and just as he was hoping, it coaxed the young man toward him. Prompto's gaze flickered one last time toward Noctis' to make sure he was reading his signs right, but Noctis closed his eyes peacefully, and Prompto did the same. Heads tilted slightly so lips could meet, noses brushed softly, and fireworks exploded in the background. They parted slowly, eyes drifting open, and Noctis was disheartened to find tears glistening under Prompto's eyes.

Prompto choked back a sound that probably would have turned into a sob had he let it out, and Noctis' expression softened. He actually looked pained to see his companion like that, and he leaned in to kiss away the tears. That only made more emerge, and it took all of Prompto's strength to force a chuckle.

"Dude, you're making it worse," he said, tearfully. Noctis pulled away slowly, and stared upon those troubled eyes and tear-stained, freckled cheeks.

"We've still got tonight," Noctis repeated. He let one of Prompto's hands go, while he kept the other safe within his grasp. "Come on," he whispered, tugging him gently back inside the hotel room. With one last glance at the rainbow-splattered sky, Prompto followed his prince inside. He hoped the memories from tonight would be enough to get him through tomorrow.

A/N: Thanks so much for all the support/kudos/bookmarks/comments on this story! I appreciate it so much :D Sorry for the delay in updating. Between being sick and working on a new story, I've been having a hard time getting back to this one. You should be happy to know, however, that this new story I'm working on is a 10-chapter Promptis story, and I just finished Chapter 9 today. I don't want to give anything away, but hopefully I can start editing that one soon and share it with you all :) Until next time!