A/N: Hey, all! So, this one is a little different for me. I remember seeing this soulmate prompt somewhere on tumblr, but sadly, I can't find the original post. (I'd be happy to credit if anyone knows where I might have found it). Regardless, I did the prompt justice for these sweet boys :)

Summary: When one soulmate dies, the other follows, but maybe that's not as tragic as it sounds.
(Soulmate AU, Major Character Deaths, Sad with a Happy Ending)

The rain came down in buckets over the Citadel's courtyard, each wet slap of the giant drops filling the three Crownsguard with a little more of that penetrating cold that had set in when Noctis had entered the building alone. The last few corpses of Iron Giants went up in waves of purple smoke, and Gladio made his way over to reconvene with the group—Ignis to his right, and Prompto somewhere behind him.

"Well, I think that's the last of 'em," he said with a heavy sigh, for he figured the end of the emerging monsters was a sign that their king had fulfilled his tragic destiny. "Iggy, you hear anything?" he asked, and Ignis stepped in a little closer to his side, listening hard.

"Nothing," he replied, voice bittersweet. There was no rumbling of the earth, no creaking like there was when the giants normally emerged. There were no sounds of claws on the pavement, nor flapping wings above. The fight was over. The battle was done.

Prompto had finished off his last enemy near the Citadel steps, and he continued to stand there as the first jab of pain hit him. He made a small sound and closed his eyes tightly, feeling a hot, burning sensation just below his ribs, along his side. He brushed a hand over the spot and tried to ignore it, but next came a piercing cold pull in his veins, and he felt like his arms had turned to ice.

Somehow he knew that that sensation was Noctis' magics dying inside him. He had become so used to those magics, so accustomed to having the king's power be a part of him; being suddenly cut apart from their warmth made him feel like he was dying, too. Perhaps he was. Finally, when a searing pain ripped through his heart, he let out an agonized cry and dropped to his knees.

"Prompto!" Gladio and Ignis called, rushing to his side.

It was a miracle Gladio made it in time to catch him before he collapsed backwards onto the steps. Now, he lay in the Shield's arms, his back against Gladio's knees, and his legs sprawled uselessly out on the concrete. His head lolled limply in against the crook of Gladio's elbow as he held him.

"Prompto, are you okay?! Where did they hurt you?!" Gladio yelled, scanning his body quickly for any blood soaking through his Kingsglaive coat. Surely, any injuries made by an Iron Giant should have been easily visible, but he couldn't see anything, at least not in the darkness of the night.

Prompto breathed hard as he tried to answer, and despite how hard he tried, he couldn't push past the pain enough to open his eyes.

"They didn't," he whispered. Ignis tapped his cane against the ground to find a clear space, then he knelt down and rested it by his side before reaching for Prompto's shoulder.

"Where does it hurt?" the advisor inquired, calmly and soothingly for Prompto's sake, despite how much the sound of Prompto's scream had shaken him.

"M-my side," Prompto whimpered. Gladio moved to adjust the man in his arms, but it only made Prompto give another pained squeak. Gladio backed off, and Ignis moved his hands to the front of Prompto's coat, finding the buttons without trouble.

"I will handle this part, Gladio. You focus on keeping him still and comfortable," Ignis said.

He quickly undid the coat's many buttons and pulled it open, leaving him room to find the hem of his undershirt and shimmy it up to reveal his side. Prompto let out a sharp hiss as the fabric brushed over the most painful spot, and Ignis turned his blind eyes toward Gladio in question.

"Huh? There's no cut," Gladio frowned, analyzing the bare skin beneath Prompto's rib where six grey letters were etched, each indented like pencil marks pressed hard into thick paper. "But... Noct's name..."

"Noctis' name is there?"

"And it ain't a tattoo," Gladio added.

"The mark of a soulmate, perhaps?" Ignis asked, quickly and urgently. Prompto made another weak noise and pushed his head down into a nod.

"Prompto, you knew?" Gladio frowned. "You knew Noct was your soulmate? For how long?"

"Always," Prompto whispered. "M-mark was always there."

Gladio turned his worried gaze to Ignis, whose lips were pressed hard together, his expression equally distraught. They all knew the legend, had all grown up with the stories. It was said that those few blessed with the mark of their soulmate would grow up knowing the person with whom they were meant to share their life, and would be spared the trouble of trying to find that person in the sea of millions, but if one mate died... Well, it wouldn't be long before the other followed.

So, that meant that somewhere in the Citadel, Noct had died, and in just a few minutes, Gladio and Ignis would be faced with the loss of another dear friend. How could this be? How could their group be reduced to half in a single night? How could they handle the feeling of not one lost limb, but two? With Noctis, they had been prepared, but with Prompto... He was being torn from them far too early.

"Did you ever tell Noct about this?" Ignis asked, gently. The pain in Prompto's heart and side lessened slightly as he let out a soft breath of laughter, and shook his head.

"Was never brave enough," he admitted, but he realized now that it had probably been a mistake.

Noctis had accepted him when he'd been overweight, had accepted him for his barcode and for his Niff origins. Now it seemed so foolish to him to have hidden such a thing as a soulmate mark. Wouldn't Noct have been flattered to know he was such an important figure in his best friend's life? Wasn't there a chance that he had missed out on actually being with Noct? Of loving him? Of being loved by him? Wasn't the embarrassment worth the risk? Now, he would never know.

He would never know if he could have known the feel of Noct's kiss while they were alive and breathing, if he could have shared his heart, body, and soul with him. He would never know if he could have held his hand and have it mean something more than friendship, or if he could have been the love of the prince's life before he had to sacrifice himself all too soon for the sake of the world. He wondered if he could have fought Ardyn alongside him, if it would have somehow changed his fate, if somehow he could have saved Noctis.

The thoughts made his body want to let go, and he felt himself getting lightheaded. His eyes drifted open slightly, but they were dozy and unfocused.

"Okay, just hold on, buddy. You're gonna be fine," Gladio vowed, barely keeping his voice from breaking.

With the arm that wasn't supporting Prompto's neck, he reached out for the young man's hand, only to feel Ignis' on top of his a moment later. It was comforting, Prompto thought, to feel his friends' hands clinging to his own and each other's like that—and they were, not just Noctis', but his friends.

"We're here, Prompto," Ignis softly promised. "We're here for as long as you need us."

Prompto slipped away quickly and peacefully without much further warning, and Gladio fought back a sniffle as he pulled his cold body in closer to his chest. Knowing from the sound of Prompto's last breath that it was over, Ignis pressed his head in against Gladio's as they silently cried together, tears mixing with rain as they slid down their cheeks.

"We must take comfort in the fact that he is with Noct now," Ignis murmured, as the first glimpse of sunlight appeared on the horizon.

What? What is this place?

Prompto glanced down at his hands, which glowed very faintly with white light, as did everything in this strange world. He eyed the red carpet beneath his feet, and his gaze followed it down the line of flowers and decorative loops of fabric hanging from small white posts. The carpet continued on to a set of steps, which wound around on each side until they reached a throne.

Is this the inside of the Citadel? How did I get here? How come this place isn't in ruin anymore?

Prompto glanced up at the small pieces of sparkly, coloured confetti that drifted down from the ceiling and in through the open window, where bright white sunlight shone in. He continued to hold his hands out in front of him, allowing confetti to land in his palms and sift through his fingers.

"Is this a wedding?" he asked, aloud, unintentionally making the great hall echo around him.

"Prompto!"

The sound of that familiar voice made Prompto spin around, and his breath caught when he set his eyes upon the sight of Noctis, all clean-shaven and in an elegant new suit. Prompto smiled weakly at him, overcome with emotion to see this man that he never thought he would have the privilege of seeing again, but Noctis didn't smile. Instead, he appeared worried as he rushed towards him, his hands reaching out for Prompto's shoulders as he looked him over.

"Are you okay? The battle— Did you... Did you not survive?" Noct asked, his frightened blue eyes locking with Prompto's.

Prompto continued to stare at him, stunned and somewhat confused, but then, he'd hardly been here long enough to organize his thoughts. He tried to recall what had happened before he'd arrived here, and it was then that he remembered the end of the monsters, the burning in his side, the searing pain, the tear of his breaking heart. If Noctis was here, and if he—Prompto—was here after he had given into that pain, it could only mean... that he had died as well.

"No, the battle was no problem," Prompto said, quietly, but there was a solemn hesitance to his voice, and he lowered his gaze, making Noctis worry more. The king took a step closer, leaving barely any distance between them as he squeezed Prompto's shoulders a little tighter.

"Prompto, what happened?"

"Noct, I need to tell you something. My fate? It's..." he trailed off, and let out a sigh before dragging in another breath. "It's tied to yours," Prompto shrugged, and he turned his gaze toward his coat, which still hung open from where Ignis had undone it. He reached for his shirt and tugged it up to reveal the skin that bore Noctis' name.

Noctis stared at it, his lips parting slightly in surprise, his fingers drifting down to lightly graze over it. He felt the letters under his fingertips, each pressed into Prompto's skin like an engraving. Time slowed—Prompto's eyes locked on Noctis', Noct's gaze locked on his marred skin, the king's gentle fingers feeling more like a source of torture than any actual relief. Prompto couldn't take the suspense; he just wanted Noct to react.

"You never told me," Noctis whispered. Prompto wasn't sure what was coming next, whether Noctis would be angry or disturbed, disgusted or disappointed. He let his shirt fall down to prevent Noctis from staring any longer, but it didn't stop his thumb from lingering its caress over the mark.

"Yeah, well, it's not exactly an easy thing to say," he sighed again, before lifting a hand to the side of his mouth. He cupped it around to create an echo. "Like, 'Hey, bestie, the Astrals think I'm supposed to be in love with you. You wanna... go out some time?'"

He lowered his hand and gave a laugh as he finished, but Noctis could hear the sadness in it, the strain in his voice as he forced it out.

"Nah, I wasn't going to do that to you, especially when I found out about your engagement," Prompto finished with a shrug.

"The engagement wasn't my idea," Noctis reminded him, brows still furrowed as his eyes travelled back to meet Prompto's.

"I know, but I wasn't about to stand in the way. Lady Lunafreya was a much better match for you," Prompto said, scuffing his foot across the floor and flashing a timid smile at Noct—Noct who could have scoffed at his statement.

Sure, Luna was the Oracle, was the beautiful figure everyone expected a prince to marry, but besides the fact that they had made some memories together as children, there was no connection between them. How could there be when they hadn't seen each other in all those years? When Noctis had only been eight years old when they had parted?

Luna hadn't known Noct. It had been Prompto who had figured out his little quirks, his sense of humour, his taste in movies and games and food. Prompto had been his confidant when he'd needed to vent about his royal duties, and his support when he'd grieved over his father's declining health, and when he'd mourned his death. Prompto had cheered him up with quips and jokes when he wanted a laugh, and had been his arcade buddy when he simply needed an escape. It was only in an alternate universe that Luna could have been a better match for him, and that universe wasn't even here in the afterlife.

"So, you died because I was your soulmate and I died?" Noct queried, his voice quavering slightly now.

"Well... that's how the stories go, anyway," Prompto nodded, lowering his head.

Noctis' hand finally retreated from his side, and instead reached for the back of his neck, pulling him into an embrace. Prompto tensed like a coeurl in water at first, but relaxed when he felt Noct's warmth against him, and hands fell in against shoulders and spines.

"It's my fault you're here," Noctis whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I'm just glad I finally got up the nerve to tell you, even if I was too late," Prompto murmured back. He stole a second to tilt his nose in against Noctis' collar, to breathe him in and revel in the comfort of being so close to him, for this was probably the first and last time.

"Who said you were too late?" Noctis asked, regretting it when the question made Prompto let go of him, bringing the peaceful moment to an end.

"Well, you know. This is your wedding, isn't it?" Prompto asked, holding his hands out again to catch confetti as he gazed all around the room.

Noctis stuffed his hands in his pockets, his posture stiff and awkward. People had never given Prompto enough credit for his smarts; he was techy enough to navigate his way around the most complicated machines and cameras, and was both intelligent and observant enough to deduct what was going on here.

"My dad's idea. He thought we'd want this," Noctis said, and Prompto's heart lurched, wishing, hoping, dreaming that that 'we' included him.

"We?" he had to ask.

"Prompto?" came a delicate female voice, the Tenebraen accent giving away the identity of its owner without question. Prompto swallowed hard and looked beyond Noctis to see a head of blonde hair poking out from behind the mahogany doorway. The way she was keeping herself hidden made him think she was hiding her wedding dress from her groom. Noctis stepped aside to allow Prompto to meet gazes with the girl.

"Y-your Highness," he stuttered out, somehow remembering to bow. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Milady."

"The pleasure is all mine, most dear and courageous Prompto. But..." She trailed off, her smile faltering as it registered with her why Prompto must be here. Abandoning tradition, she stepped out from behind the double-doors, and proceeded forward, surprising both men when she reached out for Prompto's hands.

"For you to be here... It must mean you suffered a terrible fate," she murmured, her thumbs tracing over the lines in Prompto's palms, as if reading them and collecting evidences of his past. Prompto debated her words and decided that being separated from Noctis for good would have been a fate far worse.

"It wasn't so bad," he smiled, mustering a small chuckle, and Luna eyed him with a look of soft surprise before she continued her work on his hands.

Eventually, she paused over a deep line in Prompto's palm between his thumb and fingers, and her gaze flickered meaningfully to his side before she met Prompto's eyes in silent question. Prompto ceased to breathe, his eyes wide and scared, worried that somehow she had figured out the secret mark. After a moment, she simply smiled and slipped her hands under Prompto's, patting the backs of them softly before letting them go.

"You and Noctis should have some time alone," she said, giving Prompto a smile and nod that made him certain that she knew something.

"Wait, what about the wedding?" Noctis frowned, as he watched Luna head back towards the doors, the puffy skirt of her white dress bouncing lightly as she strolled along.

"The wedding can wait," she said, before pulling the doors closed behind her with an echoing click. As the echo died, Noctis let out a sigh to calm himself.

"Just as well. I didn't want her to have to find out on the night of our wedding. Would have been a real mood killer," he said, with a shaky laugh.

"What do you mean?" Prompto asked, brows lifting in question.

Noctis turned around to meet his eyes, his gaze lingering as he tried to determine whether Prompto would be able to handle the news he was about to give him. With a deep breath he reached for the gold buttons of his coat and undid them before doing the same to his white dress shirt underneath. The green-grey sash that was draped over his shoulder was pulled over his head and tossed to the floor. When he pulled the clothing to the side to reveal his bare torso, Prompto was stunned to see seven grey letters inscribed on Noct's side, in the same position as his own soulmate mark.

"I was scared to tell you, too," Noctis said, with a small smile. Prompto's eyes and mouth widened in disbelief for several seconds before that look of surprise transformed into the most joyous expression. He urged his feet to carry him towards Noctis, and he reached out to trace his fingers over his own name.

"Prompto. That's me, huh?" he chuckled, softly, and Noctis snorted a laugh.

"Never met another Prompto in my life, so yeah, it's you, you dork."

Prompto chuckled again and looked up to meet Noctis' gaze. Noct was looking at him differently now; he was seeking something, hoping for something, and Prompto knew exactly what to give, what he wanted to give. He reached for the back of the king's neck and pulled him in to meet his lips, his free hand gripping the side of his stubbled face. Noctis reached for Prompto's face as well, and cupped it between his two hands, guiding their lips as they gave and exchanged kisses—kisses that were quick and inexperienced and should have been shared back in their highschool days, but they were perfect.

Noctis brushed his thumbs over Prompto's cheeks as they parted, and they reflected smiles back at one another, but Prompto didn't feel he could allow the joy to last. There was too much uncertainty about this situation—too many complications with Noct's father, and the Astrals, and Luna. This reunion could only be short-lived, right?

"So, what happens now?" he dared to ask, a quiet fear in his voice that he couldn't hide from Noctis.

"We tell the people that matter. We stay together," Noct said, ducking his head a little and keeping his eyes locked with Prompto's.

It made sense. The people who loved him would support him. His father and Luna, they would understand; he believed in his heart that they would. If his father had known about his feelings for Prompto, he probably never would have had this wedding waiting for him when he arrived here.

"But—" Prompto started, but he glanced down at his hands, remembering the way Luna had sought some sort of answer of his arrival here, merely by analyzing the lines in his palms. She had known. She had sensed his soulmate mark. She had immediately given them time alone thereafter. She had already accepted that he had a tie to Noctis, and perhaps she knew, too, of Noctis' tie to him.

"Do you think... you'd be happy here? If we stayed together?" Noctis asked, looking seriously worried now, like he thought the answer might actually be no. Prompto could have laughed at that. If Noctis was with him, he would always be okay; he had always been okay.

"Uh-huh. Of course. But, is that what you want, Noct? Would you be happy?" It was Prompto's turn to look worried, but Noctis leaned in immediately, and pressed a kiss to Prompto's forehead, allowing his lips to linger there before he whispered his promise.

"Completely."

A/N: Just wanted to add, too, that chapters have been slower to update lately because I've been mainly working on my other huge Promptis story "Borrowed Time". It's kind of got a sad overtone (with a happy ending) and it's rated Mature, but if you're okay with that and want to check it out, please do! I always appreciate the support! Thanks for being patient with my slowness as of late, and thank you so, so much for reading. I hope you're all continuing to enjoy this fic :)