Prompto sits up with a jerk. She takes a deep breath. That was a nightmare. Frantic for a second, she looks around to remember and figure out where she is. It takes a second for her memories to come flooding in.
After it was all done, and they didn't need her anymore she is told to leave, Ignis drives them to Noct. Gladio and Ignis help her get her and Astrums things to Noct apartment. Gladio carrying most of their things. Ignis carries the rest while Prom carries a sleeping Astrum, his diaper bag and her messenger bag. When they actually get inside they find Noct has already gone to bed. Ignis helps Prom get settled in, showing her the room she will be using, getting her some extra pillows to use as a blockade for Astrum. So he doesn't roll off the bed. Before he leaves Ignis gives Prom a midnight snack. Gladio included. She waves them goodbye, locking the door behind them. She cleans herself up and makes sure everything is turned off before going to bed.
She lays bad down, still tired after last night. The blonde reaches over a still sleeping Astrum for her phone checking the time. It is still early. She doesn't have to get ready just yet. She closes her eyes wanting to go to sleep, rest her eyes a little longer but she can't she's awake and will be until it's bedtime. She sits up again. Rubbing her eyes, her ears picking up talking. Someone is outside of her room. She sits there for a second not use to waking up to people being around her as soon as she wakes. The blonde is use to waking up to silence. Prom reminds herself that it must be Noct and Ignis, maybe even Gladio. Indigo blue eyes go to Astrum who is still sleeping.
It's an easy decision, to walk out and join the others. Quickly she rummages through her things to grab the two way baby monitor, she puts one end on the night stand close to her baby boy, the other she takes. She walks out still in her pajamas, out the hallway the rooms are in, to not find Noct at all but instead his father and shield, the doctor who checked on her and Astrum and of course Ignis.
"He-good morning." she smiles at everyone. When she gets close she realize that she was using her working smile. She finds she uses that smile when she uncomfortable.
"Good morning. Are you hungry?" Ignis asks, a genuine smile on his face.
"Yes please," she answers unsure about what's going on. She sits at the table, eyes on the others sitting there. Hopefully she isn't getting in the way of what they are talking about, whatever that was.
Regis clears his throat, everyone at the table looks at him, including Prompto. "Mrs. Argentum," he starts, Proms eyes go wide, he's talking to her and looking at her, the worst part is him using her last name. So formal, something she's really not familiar with. "We are going to need blood. Your blood and... the baby's." he continues. She stares at him. Right, he doesn't believe her, which hurts, slightly, but stranger danger and all that. She understands.
"For a paternity test?" she wonders. He nods. "Do I have to stay for the results?" she asks.
"No we just need your blood." he answers. Prompto smiles with nod.
"Okay. I was just wondering." she smiles turning to Ignis who came from the kitchen with a plate, "I have to take Astrum to the pediatrician for his check up this month." she tells the advisor. He nods as he sets on the plate in front of her. "Thank you." she smiles brightly at him. She starts eating her breakfast.
"Mrs. Argentum," Prompto pauses in her eating to look at Regis, "how did you meet Noctis?" he wonders. He would have asked Noctis but knows the boy won't answer. He's more than sure that his son is still in his rebellious phase. They don't talk as much as they should.
The young blonde mother gave him a sad smile. Her emotions showing in her eyes. "It's just Prompto, no last name, it's..." she just shakes her head, not wanting to cry in front of the king himself. She takes a deep breath, wanting to continue, "we met in middle school but didn't talk much. In high school we fully started to talk and hang out with each other."
"Did you talk to him first?" He wonders but Prompto is starting to see this as an interrogation.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Her sad smile comes back. She keeps quiet about half of the truth, how she saved Tiny and Lunafreya asked her to become his friend. What Luna said to her never made her want to become friends with Noct, but it did push her to. She's glad she got that push. "Noct always seemed sad and annoyed, he always looked like he needed a real friend. It's not like I had any either." she smiles. Regis and Ignis seemed shocked about the revelation.
On the baby monitor they hear Astrum begin to whine. She gives them all a smile, getting up to check on him. As she leaves the doctor starts taking things out of her bag. When the blonde comes out of the hallway she pauses to see the rather very large looking needles. She looks over to the doctor who is looking back at her with a smile.
"Shall we begin?" she asks. Prom swallows the lump in her throat. She lets out a shaky breath then walks forward.
"Y-yeah." she answers sitting back in her seat.
"Who will go first?" She wonders getting her rubber gloves. She looks down at Astrum who stare around curiously. This isn't home.
"I-I will." she strains a smile and they all can see it.
"Are you sure?" Ignis wonders, knowing her fear of needles. She nods. Yeah, it's fine. She doesn't know if Astrum is afraid of needles but as a baby needles must be scary looking, so even if she stalls the needle for her baby for a minute or two she'll do it.
The doctor grabs her arm. With a sanitizing wipe she wipes around the bend of the elbow. When she pulls out the needle Prompto lets out a small gasp. When it gets close to her arm she turns away. She takes deep breaths to try to calm down, to calm her heart. She looks down again at Astrum, she gives him a smile. She distracts herself, rubbing her baby's tummy, thinking about finishing her food or how about the fact she actually talked to the king. Holy shit, she talked to the king without messing up or making a fool of herself. She's sure she's making a fool of herself now.
"Done." The doctor says. Prompto looks at the doctor then her arm, seeing the bright green sticky bandage. "It's Astrums turn." the doctor smiles at him, he lets out a giggle, showing off his toothless smile. As she carefully grabs his a arm to wipe it clean she takes a peek at Prompto. "You seem to be better now. Eating more are we?" she asks with a grin.
"Yeah, even if it's just a snack." the blonde answers.
"That's good." she smiles. Prompto rubs Astrums stomach as he start to whimper. "Just a little more." she tells them. The blonde tries to soothe him but he starts crying. Maybe he should have gone first. Was it more cruel to hold off on him getting his blood?
"What's going on?" They all turn to the side, Noct standing at the entrance of the hallway. He takes in everyone, his father, his father's shield, Ignis isn't a shock but the Citadel's main doctor being in his apartment is. He looks at Prom, his eyes going to the green bandage on her arm. The doctor wrapping a bandage around Astrum who is crying. "What are you doing?" he asks his father, eyes narrowing.
"Getting blood." Regis answers.
"Here's some pain medicine for Astrum." the doctor hands over some medicine for Astrum. She helps Astrum take the medicine. Him squirming made it hard but she got it in him. "It'll also help for later." the doc says. Prom turns Astrum around resting his head on her shoulder. She look over to Noct.
"Why do you need their blood?" He wonders but his father stays silent. Noct knows why. The silence is almost hurtful. Specially for Prom who has never seen parent and child at odds.
"I thinks it's time to go." Regis says standing up. The doctor quickly gathers her things and follows.
When the quests are gone Noct slumps into a chair at the table. He crosses his arms as he frowns. To Prompto it look like a pout. She ate her food as Noct sat unhappy. When she finish Ignis came, setting down a plate for Noct then grabbing Proms empty plate.
They continue to look at each other in silence. Then Prom looks around to see a digital clock, it's getting late. "I should get ready. We have to get to the doctors." Prom says standing up, in the corner of her eyes she can see Noct almost angrily eating. Ignis nods. Prom goes back to her temporary room.
This is going to be her life now. Their life.
