Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 8

"Hey Iggy!"

Ignis turned at the sound of his name and smiled as the blonde jogged towards him, he was moving much better now the weather was warming up. "Good morning Prompto," he greeted in return as the younger man fell into step beside him, walking close due to all of the foot traffic. "How are you feeling about your exams?"

"The hard ones are done, I like maths and science," he shrugged.

"Unlike Noctis," Ignis chuckled and Prompto grinned.

"He'll do fine. Not heading for the Citadel?"

"I have some shopping to do. On your way to work?"

"Just finished, turned around when I spotted you."

That explained the slight weariness he had detected. "Are you coming over this weekend?"

"Noct asked me to," Prompto glanced at him and Ignis nodded.

"An end of exams party I believe, food and video games," Ignis smiled at him.

"Why have an exam party when we both know he'll want a graduation one?" they both laughed at that.

"Have you chosen a university yet?" there were three within the city after all and he watched Prompto's good mood plummet. So they'd been right, it was the upcoming graduation that had been affecting his mood before Cor had started up the shooting practices.

"I uh…haven't applied."

"Why not?" he pressed and Prompto shrugged awkwardly. "I have seen your grades Prompto, you are more than good enough to get in."

"And pay for it how?" he finally asked, not looking at him. "I….I can't afford to live here Iggy, not after graduation."

Ignis' eyes went wide in shock. How had they not even considered that? No…Cor likely had, and he hoped the Marshal had a plan. "Well…why haven't you said anything?"

"Because I wanted to enjoy finally having friends for as long as I could," Prompto snapped, hands balled into fists.

Ignis took his arm, pulling him down a side street, away from the crowds, towards one of the canals where he knew there was a secluded coffee stall and tables with some privacy. He sat Prompto down and got two coffees before sitting down with him. "This is why you were so withdrawn. Surely you know we would help?"

"No!" Prompto shook his head. "I can't ask that. I won't use our friendship like that." he wrapped his hands around the warm cup but didn't drink.

"Well you aren't asking, I am offering. You are stuck with us Prompto and we will help you find a way to keep living here. You are the first friend Noctis has ever made, we were assigned to him and then became friends. We all care about you."

Prompto looked away, hands shaking slightly. "My first friends too," he muttered.

Ignis smiled softly at the admission and reached out to gently clasp his hands, stilling them. "We won't let you be forced out of the city," he swore. "Even if you end up in my spare room."

That got a laugh out of Prompto and he reached for his coffee to sip it. "We'd kill each other within a month."

"Perhaps," Ignis smirked. Room could likely be found among where the Glaives lived but they were mostly from Galahad and he wasn't sure the others in that sector would accept Prompto's presence. No, he wanted him closer to the Citadel, somewhere easily accessible so that Noctis could keep up his excursions out of the buildings, though they'd no longer have a private yard. Between the three of them they could easily afford a place for Prompto, if he would accept it. Noctis alone could afford to rent or buy a place for him. "Just worry about graduation, something will be arranged, even if you do end up on someone's couch for a week or two."

Prompto stared at him with wide eyes before slowly nodding.

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Gladio grinned and straightened Prompto's tie for him as the poor kid nearly vibrated through the floor. Ignis was dealing with Noctis across the room, several Crownsguard standing around. Thanks to the influx of people into the school for the ceremony, as well as the King's attendance, security was very tight. Prompto wasn't the only one fidgeting, Noctis couldn't sit still and it was obviously frustrating Ignis. "Alright, you're good to go, just don't mess up my hard work," he warned and Prompto grinned nervously.

"No problem."

Gladio went over and took control of getting Noctis ready so Ignis walked over to where Prompto was waiting.

"Excited?" he asked and Prompto shrugged.

"Sorta? Who likes high school? But…"

"It's a big change," Ignis finished and he nodded. "You will be fine, there's no rush in working out what comes next." Hearing the bell he smiled at Prompto and squeezed his shoulder before he and Gladio left them.

"Time to go," Noctis grinned and Prompto nodded. They left the side room to line up with the rest of the students, Prompto only three back from the front while Noctis was near the back. They filed onto the stage to listen to the speeches and then finally accept their diplomas. It felt like it took all night but finally a cheer went up and it was done. They had graduated!

"Good work kid," Cor ruffled the carefully styled blonde locks and Prompto dodged, trying to defend his hair as Noctis laughed.

"Dad," Noctis smiled as the King appeared even as the others quickly bowed.

Regis knelt down and hugged his son who hugged him back. "I am so proud of you," he murmured and Noctis' cheeks went red.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"Now, I believe we have a dinner to get to?" The King asked and they were soon in the cars, heading back to the Citadel where a sumptuous feast awaited in celebration.

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Prompto looked around the room he'd grown up in, feeling lost as he took in the bags and boxes. Considering he'd lived there all his life, there wasn't a lot there. Iggy was packing up the food in the kitchen since it was his and leaving it to spoil even if it had been bought with money from his parents would be a waste.

"Okay?" Gladio asked as he walked into the doorway and Prompto looked over at him, unsure. He walked into the room and looked around, all of Prompto's photos and posters were gone from the walls, the desk bare, the closet open and empty, it wasn't a lot for a decade of living there. Lack of feeling like a real home maybe? It'd probably taken the kid a while to feel like he could collect things as well. "Let's start loading up, okay?" he waited for blondie to nod before picking up the heaviest looking box.

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Prompto dove into the cool water, surfacing quickly and shoving his hair back off his face, looking around. He knew better than to rely on sight though, he didn't have the finely tuned senses they did but he could still pick up some stuff, most people never tried and that was why they trained him to feel changes in the water. He yelped and barely got his mouth shut before he was yanked under, glaring at a grinning Gladio before he was let go to surface and breath.

"You're getting better," Noctis called as he joined them in the pool and Prompto groaned, two on one just wasn't fair when didn't have fins!

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Noctis wheeled himself into the apartment, looking around and seeing the work that had been done to it. It was fully accessible so he could get around on bad days but also so Prompto could manage easily in winter if he had one, despite the excellent heating in the building. The best things? It was only five minutes from the Citadel and most of the other tenants were Crownsguard, ensuring Prompto's safety. He looked back as Prompto followed Gladio inside, watching blue eyes widen even further. "Well? What do you think?"

"It's…..guys…" Prompto dropped the bag he was carrying.

"The building is secure and many of the other tenants are Crownsguard. The apartment has been set up to make things easy for both you and Noctis. The lease is in your name, but the rent is being covered co-operatively," Ignis explained as he began unpacking the kitchenware he had decided were the 'basics' Prompto needed.

"By?" Prompto asked and Gladio smirked.

"Us, Cor, and…the King," he answered and Prompto's jaw dropped.

"What?" his voice jumped at least an octave.

"Dad likes you and he could help. He wanted to buy the place outright for you, but Cor talked him down."

"Oh," he whispered as Gladio shut the door and Noctis stood up to help him unpack.

Frames had been bought for the photos that had been pinned and taped to the walls of his childhood bedroom, so Noctis began unpacking them and putting some on various shelves. They'd told Prompto the place had come furnished and technically for him it was, they'd just supplied the furniture. Prompto hauled the bags into his bedroom while Gladio began unpacking the rest in the main room. Hopefully, he would fill the apartment over the next few months, maybe a year, make it a real home for himself.

It didn't take them too long to unpack and then it was time for pizza and videogames.

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Cor watched as Prompto calmly took out every target, making some incredible shots to do so. He was dealing fine with shooting now, no longer needing the music or anything else to help him remember where he was. Whether or not that would last if was in an actual fight, Cor didn't know. Next session, Ignis would be joining them, then Gladio and finally Noctis. There would be no rushing or pushing like that first time.

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Prompto walked towards home, smiling to himself. The first day of class had gone really well and he'd enjoyed it. He was doing some mechanical classes, some math and some photography. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do once he was finished but he had time to decide. As long as it kept him close to Noct and the others, he'd be happy.

Noctis was really busy now, taking on more duties, but not as busy as he would be if he could control his transformations and actually walk all the time. all of the time Prompto spent at the Citadel these days meant he'd heard the whispers, people concerned about Noct taking the Crown and not being able to hold the Wall. It was silly, he knew Noctis could do it, people just needed to learn to look past the chair.

They still met up at least every second day, even when Noct wasn't there, Gladio would be, to keep training him in the water or in the gym. He was trying to teach him to use a sword but Prompto didn't think it was going to well. He definitely preferred being at a distance and guns gave him that but it also put him at a disadvantage and he knew it which was why he kept turning up for the lessons. He used to be good at fighting, he knew Cor kind of blamed himself and the counsellors for his attack, that they had done too good a job of turning him into a normal person, but he didn't blame them. by partway through therapy that had been all he wanted, to be like the children he saw from a distance out the window and in the movies and books Cor brought him. He had buried everything he could of his old life, scared of it, and he'd done such a good job he'd never seen them coming. Maybe it had been the right thing to do back then but now it was safe to begin un-burying it all. He knew who he was, combat abilities couldn't change that. He had people to protect now as well and he needed the skills to do so. He no longer spaced out or had headaches which they all took as a good sign and the nightmares were infrequent and easier to wake up from.

He liked his apartment, even if he had been rather overwhelmed by it at first, he should have expected it when Iggy had told him to let them deal with things. He could never have afforded it, even if he worked ten jobs. He knew why they'd picked it, they wanted him to be safe and it was close to his new University, which was covered by a scholarship. It made getting to the Citadel a lot easier, he could walk there now.

He hadn't heard from his parents once since moving out, but he'd gone by the house and seen the for sale sign a few weeks after. It looked like they either weren't coming back at all or would stay elsewhere when they did. It made sense; they were so infrequently in the city that a house made no sense. It was weird but…it did hurt that they hadn't called even once, not even as congratulations for graduating or to tell him to leave or anything.

He waved to a member of the Crownsguard who was leaving as he walked into the building and the woman smiled, waving back.

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Noctis woke up and smiled, cuddling closer. He loved the nights when all four of them shared his bed, it felt right. He could feel Specs at his back, an arm slung around his waist. Prompto had shifted during the night, now sprawled on his stomach, his head on Noct's stomach, legs over Gladio who had been at the blondes back till he moved. He lifted a hand to run his fingers through wild hair, grinning when it bounced back slightly. His hair was just as chaotic as Prompto could be. He glanced at the clock and groaned, why was he awake so early? Oh…yeah, he had that breakfast thing today. That meant he needed to get up soon, but not just yet, the alarm hadn't gone off yet.

He'd shared a bed with Specs and Gladio for years, but it had never felt as right as it did now. How did his Dad deal with having had this once but not anymore? He'd seen one picture of his Dad, Clarus, Cor and two other men whose names he didn't know, and his Dad never mentioned. They had to have died before he was born or when he was little because there was no way they could have left.

Noct felt Ignis' arm tighten around his waist as he began to stir, hitting the alarm before it could go off and then he grinned at the surprised look on his face. "Morning Specs."

"Good morning Noctis, how long have you been awake?"

"A few minutes," he whispered and Ignis glanced over, smiling at the way Prompto was sleeping. "Not sure how to wiggle out without waking him."

"His classes are wearing him out," Ignis admitted as he sat up and then shifted to lift Prompto enough to let Noctis get out from under him. they crept out of the bedroom to get ready for the day, leaving the other two to sleep since they had nothing to do except some pool training together.

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Prompto picked up his pace slightly, he was being followed and there was no one around. He'd been stupid, too complacent and now he might be in trouble. He needed a job in a better part of town, so he didn't have to spend so long on getting home. He'd taken a short cut and was close to one of the canals, but he had only just gotten into the better areas, surprisingly he hadn't picked up his followers till then which was a little confusing. Hearing the footsteps increase in speed he grabbed the railing with one hand, flinging himself up and over, dropping down onto the concrete sidewalk along the canal before breaking into a run. It meant he was isolated but gave him a clear run into the heart of the city and close to the Citadel.

It took a bit, but he heard the thuds of others joining him and he swore under his breath, not taking the time to look back as he focused on running. He hissed as something slammed into the back of his leg, stumbling, throwing his hands out to turn the fall into a roll, pushing back up but now limping. Whoever they were, they meant business. He heard laughter and glanced at the water, considering. The canals were kept clean so that the various mers could use them, but the water was cold and deep, and he was now bleeding. He finally glanced back and saw five guys about his own age, he could deal with five untrained guys, right? There wasn't really any other option, so he turned, prepared to stand his ground, seeing the obviously expensive clothing they were wearing, so not likely to want his wallet or camera.

"Dirty Niff," one of the guys sneered and Prompto mentally rolled his eyes. Great, just what he needed.

"What do you want?" He asked, keeping his voice calm, trying not to escalate things.

"All of you out of this city or better yet, dead," a second stated and Prompto shifted his stance slightly, those words made this really serious.

"I don't want any trouble."

"I've seen you! In the paper…with the Prince," the third gasped, now looking wary, so at least one of them had some sense. "Guys…"

"With the Prince? What's a dirty Niff like you think he's doing with the Prince?" the first cut in again.

"He's my friend and I'm a citizen on Insomnia. I can't help where I was born." He ducked as thug one swung at him, grabbing his arm to push him further away. With the first swing the others closed in and he was forced on the defensive, he wasn't used to multiple attackers at once anymore and he tried to drag up the memories of childhood training. He cried out as a strong hit his upper spine, right over the old injury. He struggled as arms wrapped around him, pinning his arms down, slamming his head back, hearing a nose break. He swung the injured leg back, trying to hook it behind his opponents knee to pull him off balance. He choked as a fist landed in his stomach, fighting back the urge to throw up. He screamed as something cracked and then he was let go, falling to the concrete where he forced himself to remain limp, eyes closed, breathing as shallowly as he could.

"What the hell? I think you killed him!" Thug three, the one with some sense yelped.

"Dump him in the canal, he'll wash out to sea with the rest of the trash," number four or five finally spoke up and Prompto mentally swore.

He'd been hoping they'd just leave him. He was trying to gather the strength to do something when he was suddenly being shoved, and then there was nothing beneath him and he took several deep breaths, fighting the reflex to gasp as he slammed into cold water, forcing himself to hold the breath but he couldn't swim, neither leg kicking enough to take him to the surface. He was going to drown after all that work with the guys! He tried to use his arms but the blow to the spine had weakened him and he was sinking….the need to breath growing and then he felt something hit his head and everything went black as he gasped in water.

TBC…