Disclaimer: not mine

Edited

Chapter 10

Regis glanced at his phone when it beeped, surprised to find that Noctis' calendar had been cleared for the day by Ignis, surprise becoming concern though he kept it from his face as the Council filed in. Noctis had been attending this session for years, what could have made him withdraw at the last minute? He glanced at Cor who approached, showing him the message and his friend nodded, slipping from the room.

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Cor walked down the hall, giving the appearance of being unhurried. Should he move fast, too many would take notice and they didn't need that, not when he didn't know why young Ignis had cleared Noctis' schedule.

And then he did.

He found the Prince in a side hall leading to the Royal Wing, pressing a slightly taller figure against the wall, and it was obvious what they were doing. For a second he thought the worst but then he spotted the bright blond hair, tinting red as the sunlight from a nearby window hit it. Looked like Prompto had hit a final growth spurt while away. He coughed and Noctis pulled back, looking around before blushing slightly as he saw Cor.

"Welcome back Prompto," he offered and the blond grinned, hair mussed, lips red.

"Thank you Marshal," Prompto responded even as Noctis buried his head against his shoulder.

"How long have you been back?" Cor ignored the embarrassed royal.

"Got in late last night," Prompto answered as he got Noctis moving. "I was promised some of Ignis' marvellous cooking this morning."

"Enjoy your day boys, Ignis has already cleared your schedule. Prompto, you'll need to come down in the next day or two and update your file. Congratulations on putting on some extra height," Cor smirked and Noctis grumbled, arms crossed even as Prompto laughed. They waved, moving towards Noctis' rooms, and he headed back to let Regis know.

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Ignis smiled as the two younger men entered the Prince's quarters and blinked in surprise as he took in Prompto after a year. He'd grown taller, perhaps an inch or two taller than Noctis now, his shoulders were a little broader and he'd filled out, so he wasn't so lanky. The red was a little more obvious in his hair than it used to be, and it was longer too, no longer carefully styled, then again, who would bother styling it when living on the road?

"It's good to see you again Prompto," he walked over, offering his hand, only to be pulled into a hug.

"It's good to be back," Prompto stepped back and then grinned when he saw the table settings. "Thanks Iggy, I've really missed your cooking."

"Eat up and I'll see you both later," Ignis promised before leaving, they deserved the day to reconnect.

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Prompto put his dishes in the sink and then grinned at Noctis. "Sooo…we have all day, whatever shall we do?"

Noctis grinned, pulling him in to kiss him again, and Prompto wrapped his arms around him, letting himself get tugged along to the bedroom where Noctis pulled away far enough to yank Prompto's shirt off and he returned the favour, both kicking their shoes off before collapsing on the bed.

"How's your back been?" he asked in concern, and Noctis shivered as he traced runes over the skin.

"Not as bad as it used to be," he assured him, curling close, and Prompto wrapped his arm around him.

"Good, I was worried it'd get worse without continual treatment."

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to Tenebrae?" Noctis asked.

"It wasn't part of the original plan," Prompto shrugged slightly. "Enjoying being able to talk with Lady Lunafreya? I like her, she isn't the delicate pretty thing the Empire would want her to be. She even threatened us with her Trident since we appeared outta nowhere."

"It's been great, beats the notebooks we've been using. Thanks."

"No problem," Prompto grinned.

"Well it was on the way to Niflheim," he leant up on his elbow to look down at Prompto. "Another unscheduled stop?"

"The lab Dad found me in, it'd been rebuilt and was in use again," he whispered and Noctis winced, running his fingers through Prompto's hair.

"I'm sorry. You had the Council in a tizzy though, no one could work out how the bases were suddenly blowing up since it wasn't any of our agents." That made him grin and Prompto grinned back.

"Great family bonding expedition," he snickered and Noctis laughed.

"Sounds like it. So what else did you do?" they spent hours talking quietly about the last year.

They got up for some lunch and then returned to the bed, stripping off fully, spending time gently relearning each other's body, something they hadn't had time, or in Noctis' case the ability, to do last night. They both had new scars although not too many, due to Prompto's healing and the fact that Noctis' were from training slipups and one foiled assassination attempt which meant fast access to potions.

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Ignis opened the door, Gladio following him into Noctis' rooms. There was no sign of the boys in the main room, but the master bedroom's door was firmly shut. Ignis went over and knocked. "Dinner is in an hour," he called.

"Thanks!" Prompto called back before yelping and laughing.

Ignis shook his head, he didn't want to know. He went into the kitchen and went to work, preparing a welcome home feast.

When a knock came, Gladio went to get it and quickly stepped aside, letting the King in. "Your Majesty," Gladio bowed and looked towards where Ignis had frozen, startled by the King's presence.

Ignis bowed and moved to the bedroom door, knocking firmly. "Your Father is here Noctis," he called and the heard the scramble of movement. Ignis returned to the kitchen after greeting the King. "Will you be joining us for the meal Your Majesty?"

"Is there enough?" The King asked and Ignis nodded.

"Of course," Ignis smiled and got out another place setting which Gladio put out as the bedroom door opened and the two emerged, looking a bit dishevelled but fully dressed minus shoes.

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Regis smiled at the two as they emerged and Prompto immediately bowed to him. "Welcome back Prompto."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. It's good to be back."

"Did you enjoy your time with your Father?"

"I did," Prompto moved to help move the dinner dishes to the table. "It was nice to be back on the road for a while though I don't think I could do it full time anymore."

Regis nodded, that was good. He was happy that their relationship had lasted through their separation, many teenage romances wouldn't. Though, both boys were very mature for their ages. He would wait a few months, let Prompto get settled again, before enacting his plan. He would not let the Council attempt to separate them because it was assumed that Noctis and Lunafreya would one day marry, uniting the lines of Kings and Oracles for the first time in centuries. A ruling King and Oracle had never wed before and the Empire would never allow her to slip through their grasp by marrying Noctis. An heir would need to be provided for, but the boys were young yet, there was time.

They settled around the table, thankful there was an actual small dining room rather than the tiny table there had been in his apartment. Conversation was light, mainly questions about where Prompto had gone and what he'd seen, the various hunts they'd taken.

When Regis left he was content with how things were, and he made no comment on the fact that Prompto showed no sign of leaving. Once in his own rooms he messaged Cor and Security to increase Prompto's security clearance, to ensure no one would try to remove Prompto from the Wing if they came across him. Technically they shouldn't be living in the same rooms until everything was official, but there was an empty suite right next to Noctis' that he could move into easily enough.

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Harry lay on the hilltop, observing the Imperial base below. They hadn't gotten to this one before Prompto returned to the city and now that he was looking at it, he could sense something within…something different. He gently pulled at his magic, wrapping it around himself, vanishing from all sight even as he dropped form the hill to land a few feet from the base wall, leaping to the top of the wall easily. He moved silently through the base, seeing the numbers of MT's and feeling a twinge of guilt, everyone one of them had once been a child like Prompto, a child he couldn't save.

He slipped into the main offices and began scouring them for information. He sensed a flare of power…magic almost like Noctis' but twisted, darkness. He followed it and stood on a walkway, looking down to see a man in flashy uniform speaking with a rather eccentrically dressed male. His clothing covered every inch of skin, a hat shading his face, but he recognised the hair. Chancellor Ardyn Izunia…Ardyn Lucis Caelum. Now why was he in Lucis? He followed him and then he vanished, and Harry grimaced but went back to dealing with the base, leaving just before it went up in flames.

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Prompto looked around his new room, still a bit shocked that the King had offered it to him. He was living in the Citadel and right next door to Noct! It was for appearances; they weren't technically allowed to live together until after they were joined legally. There was nothing saying he couldn't stay over occasionally but they couldn't live in the same set of rooms. It was very convenient for his training and to spend time with Noctis.

Ignis and Gladio had stepped up with the training they had offered before he left. His Dad had given him some while on the road, knowing he would need etiquette lessons so as not to embarrass Noctis in public. He'd gotten the basics down but there was a lot that he needed to know that was specific to Lucis and Insomnia and his Dad had learnt back when the Citadel was a school called Hogwarts within the United Kingdom. Things had changed quite a bit since then.

Training with Gladio was tough, he had to be careful not to use his vampiric gifts or magic. He could fight hand to hand and with a blade, but guns would always be his preferred method. For a human, Gladio was strong which meant Prompto had to fight smart when they sparred. The year back on the road had improved his skills and Gladio had been impressed. He reckoned Prompto could pass the physical side of the Crownsguard exams already.

The biggest worry was his unlisted Mother, but Harry had promised to get some evidence of someone suitable, from Lucis, to ensure his ties to Niflheim were kept secret. He figured Dad was going to get the name of a woman who had died around Prompto's birthdate, was blond, and had no living relatives to contest the story. Another Hunter maybe? Or someone from one of the destroyed farms or outposts? He knew that whatever his Dad did, it would stand up to scrutiny.

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Cor watched as Prompto easily hit the bullseye of every target, without any hesitation. He was the best shot Cor had ever seen, better than any that had served the Crown. Firearms were not favoured in Lucis, or at least not in Insomnia among those who served the Crown. Prompto used his own guns, purchased over the years as a Hunter, and they were superior to those found within the city.

Niflheim made better firearms, it was a fact, and it made sense since so many of their forces used the weapons. They were generally favoured by Hunters as well since they were fast and reliable as well as relatively easy to get a hold of. Maybe they should ask Hunters to train their men in firearms.

Prompto could easily pass the entrance exam for Crownsguard training, he could test out of training on his specialised weapon as well with what Cor was seeing. Gladio had good things to say about the rest of his training as well. They were worried about how the other Crownsguard would treat Prompto, he was Lucian but not from Insomnia and they tended to be rather xenophobic. Then there was his closeness to Noctis and the fact he would obviously join his Retainers, Cor was pretty sure Noctis had already given him access to the Armiger, though he hid it well. They could only protect him from so much, but he was a Hunter, he was used to a rough life, even after several years in the city. Cor was sure Prompto could handle the pressure.

He stopped shooting and glanced at Cor who nodded.

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Noctis lay with his head on Prompto's bare chest, listening to the slow beat of his heart as his own gradually slowed, his breathing steadying. As much as he loved having Prompto feed from him, it was nice being in control of all of his faculties when they had sex as well. He felt gentle fingers comb through his hair, and he smiled, shifting even closer if that was possible, tangling their legs together beneath the sheet.

They were in Prompto's room for a change, while nowhere near as grand as his own, it was still a suite in the Royal Wing and far more luxurious than anywhere Prompto had lived before, but he had still managed to make it his own. Noctis was looking forward to the day Prompto could move into his suite, he knew his Dad had something planned but not what.

"Excited or nervous?" he asked after a while and Prompto laughed, chest moving beneath Noctis' head.

"Both?" Prompto offered.

"I've seen you training, you'll fly through the exam," Noctis assured him. "Iggy says you're doing great in his lessons too."

"Wonders of a vampires' memory," Prompto answered and Noctis sat up to look down at him.

"No, it's just you. Not everything amazing you manage is because of that," he told him sternly and Prompto smiled softly, tugging him down into a kiss.

"Okay," he agreed and Noctis lay down again. "Now get some sleep, we both have a big day tomorrow."

TBC…