Prompto gets Astrum into the baby sling, then goes to wash her hands to start cooking. Just as she's about to start her phone starts ringing. Quickly she goes to grab it.
"Hello?" She asks. "Yes this is Prompto." Noct and Ignis look at each other worried. "Yes of course." Prompto says smiling. "I understand. I'll be there." Prompto says hopping on her toes, then stopping when a sleepy Astrum whines against her. "Thank you." She says then closes her flip phone. "Yes!" She shouts. "I got the job!" She shouts at them, she bounces to hug Noct and Ignis.
"Congratulation." Ignis says patting her back.
"Now I really need to cook. To celebrate." She says to them with a bright smile. Now she doesn't have a lot to worry about. Before anyone can say anything her phone rings again but this time she knows who it is. "Gladio?" She answers. "Yeah, I am at Noct's place." She answers looking at Noct. "Oh, you heard about what happened." She moves to the kitchen so when she finishes the call she can officially start dinner, unless someone else decides to call her. "Sure, I'm cooking dinner though." she says kissing Astrums head. "Then I guess I'll see you soon. Goodbye." Prompto ends the call. She pockets her phone, giving Noct and Ignis a smile. "Gladio is coming over with Iris." she informs them. She washes her hands again.
"What happened to your old phone?" Noct wonders. She has such an old flip phone, he doesn't even know where she might have found it. Prompt looks at Ignis then back at Noct when the smart man understood why she would have an old flip phone and a new phone number. Ignis isn't surprised with what comes out her mouth.
"I lost it. So I got something cheap and a new number." Prom avoids the princes eyes as she carefully cook with Astrum strapped to her chest. Noct know her losing her phone is a bunch of bullshit but also knows the blonde enough to know she won't tell him. It hurts that sometimes she doesn't trust him enough to tell him what's going on, or how she feels. He also knows trying to force an answer out of her will make her mad at him and won't give him answers. The prince looks over Ignis who stood pushing his already in place glasses in place. There is something here she's not telling him but Ignis knows and also won't tell him. It's almost starting to feel like they, Ignis and Gladio, are Prompto's and not his. They are just being good friends he just wish Prom would talk to him.
It's quiet as Prompto cook, Noct sits at the table just watching her move around the kitchen, it's nice to see her back but she's changed, and sure having a baby changes her physically but also emotionally. She doesn't seem anxious anymore. Well not as much as before. Ignis got Noct some water then watched as Prompto message some salt, pepper and some other spices onto the chicken breast. When that's done she chop some vegetables, putting it all in the same bowl with the chicken. Then she starts adding some more salt and pepper, but just a little. Mixing it together. Then she adds some seasoning and sauce. Mixing it together again then letting it marinate. Carefully she bends down, trying not to disturb Astrum to much, to grab a pan to cook the marinating chicken and veggies. But Prom only set it on the stove, moving to make something else.
Curious Ignis finally decides to ask what she's making, "what are you making?" he looks up from the blondes hands to her face. She gives him a smile.
"Spicy chicken fajitas." she looks down as she makes some home made guacamole.
"Fajitas?" Ignis says himself.
"Yup, Mrs. Cruz taught me when I was staying with her and her family." Prom answers smiling as she work.
"Your neighbor?" Ignis clarifies, he wasn't sure that was their name. He's not even sure what they look like.
"Why were you staying with your neighbor?" Noct questions, he didn't misunderstand that? He's still young to be having bad hearing. Prom looks at Ignis for guidance. She already blurted out what she said so she can't take that back but maybe she can warp the truth. Before Ignis can tell her anything the doorbell rings.
Noct gets up to answer the door. It's no surprise to see Iris there. The prince turns his head to the side, Gladio walking towards them. "Where is she?" Iris asks. Noct moves to the side, Iris just runs in shouting Prompto's name. Gladio shakes his head as he grin.
"I told her to wait for me but she jumped out my jeep as I was finding a parking space." he explains walking in himself.
"It's fine, Proms making spicy chicken fajitas." Noct closes the door.
"Sounds good." Gladio grins.
"YOU HAVE A BABY!" Iris shouts. Then there is crying. Gladio glares, stomping his way to the kitchen to find Prompto and Ignis comforting Astrum. Iris stood next to the blonde, her hands covering her mouth as she look guilty. "Sorry." she whisper, eyes on her brother. She covers her mouth again.
"It's fine he's just shocked being woken up from his nap." Prom smiles at Iris as she rub Astrums back and bouncing, trying to get him back to sleep.
"It is a shock." Ignis defends Iris. Gladio calms down. He nods, yeah, it's shocking, and they have all seen all sort of different reactions so far.
Now that that is over Noct asks again, "Prom, why were you staying with your neighbor?" he can guess why, some things weren't making sense and now that he thought about it he should have been questioning it. Like, what was she doing in an apartment when she should still be with her parents? Why was Ignis babysitting and not her parents? He knows they adopted her but she is still their daughter. Then there's her phone, how she "lost it" and needed to get a new number for some reason. Which now answers why she didn't answer any of their texts, or messages he sent her on Kings Knight. Iris looks at Prom then Noct. Gladio looks down at his lap, still mad about what her parents did to her. Ignis looks at Prompto, as Noct answer the door he gave her his thoughts, he's sorry that happen to her.
"Noct, don't be mad but..." she knows that's a lot to ask, he has a lot of things to be angry at her for but she doesn't want him to be mad about this, "my adopted parents kicked me out when I told them about Astrum. I left most of my things there. Mrs. Cruz helped me get some of my documents but that's it. I left most of my clothes, phone, camera, and some other important things. Sorry." she looks into Noct's eyes, she felt like she hasn't looked at them in so long. Did they get brighter? She can see him look sad for her, and she knows the other three in the room also do and she's thankful they feel sorry for her, sad for her because she couldn't, not when she needed to quickly grow up. More so than she already did. Then he looks mad, but he doesn't let it control him. He takes a deep breath, walking into the living room to pace back and forth.
Iris steps up, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "They just... kicked you out?" Noct asks taking a break in his pacing to look at her. How could they? And why is she apologizing?
"After... yeah." she nods.
"You told Iggy and I that they shouted at you, what did they say?" Gladio asks now that they are talking about it but the way Prompto's face broke told them it wasn't good.
"Just the usual teen pregnancy stuff, I'm irresponsible, I'm... st-stupid for letting it happen, they are-are disappointed in me..." They all went to the blonde, seeing her start to shake as she bit her lip trying not to cry, it hurt but she didn't have to deal with it then, she wouldn't have been able to alone especially when they told her "they regret adopting me." Noct pulls her into a hug. Not crushing her when Astrum is in between them. Iris comes to hug her from behind. Gladio and Ignis hug her from the side. How can they say that to her? She made one mistake, and it wasn't all of her fault. She cries into Nocts chest, arms wrapping around his waist, clutching onto the back of his shirt.
The moment rounded by a stomach growl. Prompto moves her head onto the princes shoulders, still stuck in the penguin hug. She starts laughing. Ignis lets go first. "You were in the middle of cooking."
"That was my stomach." Prompto says as Gladio lets go next, grinning down at her. "I was doing a lot of walking today." she says as Iris lets her go after.
"Do you have anything you want to get back?" Ignis asks her as she lets go of Noctis, who almost seemed to not want to let her go. She looks up at him with a grin. That helped. Then at Ignis.
"A box of important letters, my camera, and a chocobo plushie I had before they adopted me. I'd like to get those back." Ignis just nods.
"So about those chicken fajitas." Gladio says.
"They were having a moment Gladdy." Iris pinches his side but it doesn't bother him.
"I know but I'm sort of hungry myself." he pats his stomach. Prompto beams at him.
"Coming right up!" she throws her fist up.
"Can I hold the baby?" Iris asks. Prompto looks down then at Iris.
"Sure. His name is Astrum." Carefully Prompto undoes the baby carrier, when it's off she grabs Astrum and hands him over to her.
"Carefully." Gladio warns her.
"I know." She gives him a quick frown, gently she takes Astrum. She smiles down at him. "Hello, I'm Iris," she introduces herself. Astrum gives her a head tilt then a drool filled grin. "He's so cute." she smiles at them. Prompto watches for a second, then turns around to finish cooking.
"Come sit down with him." Gladio tells her.
"I won't drop him." Iris tells her brother but still does it. As she's looking down at the baby she realize that she was so surprised and mind full of the fact that the blonde has a baby she didn't ask a rather important question: "who's the father?" she looks at the three men. Gladio cough into his fist, Ignis fixes the cuffs of his shirt and Noct looks away as he rub the back of his neck. Iris just stares at them. Are they kidding? Are they not telling her because she's younger than them? That's stupid. "Are you serious? I know about sex and all that? I know how it works. Stop treating me like a kid."
"That's not why." Gladio shakes his head and covers his ears. He groans, closing his eyes and pinching his nose. "Well princess it's up to you." Gladio looks at Noct. He stare at Astrum, that same black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin all together with the same grin Prompto has. He looks at Prom as she cook in the kitchen finally cooking that chicken. He knows what he wants, he's always wanted her and now he's allowed to have her. Sure, he doesn't know if his father would approve but he doesn't care. He looks back at Astrum, their boy. Their baby. It's not in the right order but that's not going to change their future together.
"He's mine. I'm his father." Noct admits.
