Noctis has always been a lonely child.

Growing up he has never really had friends. He's always been rather shy and would always keep to himself. And the few moments he had tried opening up to other kids had never gone well: he had soon realized that those boys and girls had never cared about who he was but rather the things he could get them. It had been painful and it had only helped him to become much more shy and reserved. He ended up hating talking to others, feeling rather anxious whenever he had to.

He really wanted to be like those kids: carefree and happy. He didn't love his life and he certainly didn't care about the limitless amount of toys he could get. His father was never around and he had no one who truly loved him. All the maids, Glaives and cooks treated him kindly but that was never enough, not when he could always hear them talking behind his back.

"He's just a brat." He had a heard a Glaive say once "I don't know how he'll manage to become a king."

"He's too spoiled." A cook had once complained in pure frustration when Noctis had refused to eat the vegetables on his plate "And he's supposed to be the prince?"

Hating his life style ended up meaning hating himself.

Ignis and Gladio were two constants in his life that he was grateful for. They were good to him, nice and most definitely treated him like Noctis rather than the prince. Specially Gladio.

Then came Prompto and for the first time in a very long while he finally felt happy again. The freckled boy quickly became his best friend, it was as if they had known each other their whole lives and knew everything about the other.

But he never really stopped hating himself or his life. He just learned to deal with it. Until one terrible day he heard a conversation that spiked new thoughts and insecurities in both his mind and heart.

"Hey, Iggy." Gladio called the other man one day just as Noctis was rounding the corner, as he texted Prompto, to go train. Both men never noticed the teenager stepping closer "I don't see the money in my account, it's usually there by now." At that, Noctis stopped walking and looked up. A knot was already forming in his stomach.

"It's happened the same to me." Ignis said as he took his glasses off to dry the sweat on his face after he had trained himself "I've already asked and they said that it is a technical issue. It will be solved in a couple of hours." He said.

"Oh, that's good." Gladio nodded right before he started getting changed so he could wait for Noctis "It would be bad if we didn't get paid to look after the brat." He joked yet in the prince's mind it sounded wrong.

Ignis chuckled a bit at the comment though "We deserve a raise." He continued with the teasing "We have quite the charge in our hands."

Charge. Was that what he had always been to them? Just a charge? Of course he's always known both Gladio and Ignis got paid for being his advisor and shield, but he had always tried to keep himself from thinking about that too much or else he would truly end up ending his life.

"Speaking of which, where the hell is our princess?" Gladio arched an eyebrow and looked around, but he hadn't seen Noctis since the boy was hiding behind a wall, clutching his phone tightly in his hand against his chest. It kept vibrating with new messages coming from his best friend.

"You know how he is. I'm sure he must be chatting away with Prompto." Ignis replied as he started gathering his things to go back and take a well deserved bath "Those two are attached to the hip."

"Yeah, those kids are unbelievable." Gladio spoke kindly, lovingly even, but Noctis failed to listen to that sweet tone and rather focused on the things said beforehand.

"Prompto has been really excited about joining the crownsguard." Ignis commented and the prince felt like throwing up right there and then.

If Prompto became crownsguard then he would start getting paid to be by Noctis' side. And then...Would that mean that his best friend had been around him all this time just to get a job out of it? A very well paid job that would secure him a lifetime income?

"Yeah, he was even more excited about Cor himself training him." He snorted "Kid's his fan boy."

"The marshal was rather pleased. He does like the attention after all. Besides, who could say no to Prompto?"

"You got me there."

Noctis didn't care anymore about what they were saying and instead he walked away to lock himself in his room. He didn't feel like training and he didn't feel like facing anyone. Specially not his so called friends. They grew up together yet it felt as if they had never loved him for who he was but rather saw him as nothing else than a job, something they were obligated to do.

And wasn't that right?

He threw himself on his bed and buried his face against his pillow to try and conceal his pain, because it was right. Both Gladio and Ignis were paid well to be by his side, they had a duty. They had been born to accept their duty and live their lives sacrificing everything they were and had for just a brat. How could he be so blind? They never chose to be by his side, it was something they were made to do, something they couldn't really escape from that easily. And how could that be okay?

Noctis complained about his own life a lot, he always hated the things he was obligated to do, but what about those around him? He certainly thought that today it just proved the doubts that had always been at the back of his head but had never dared dwell on them. And this was the reason.

Right now he felt as if he couldn't breath. He didn't understand the need to even be alive if the two men that have been such a constant in his life turned out to be that they've never loved him. Maybe he was exaggerating, maybe he was reading too in between the lines, or maybe it was just the truth and he couldn't hide it under the mat any longer.

His phone started ringing and Noctis turned his head to pick it up. It was Prompto, of course. He answered it and pressed it against his ear.

"Oh, so the prince is alive aft-"

"Why do you want to join the crownsguard?" Noctis suddenly asked, his voice not as sharp as he had wanted it to be.

"Uh…" Prompto's voice only showed the surprise he felt at that moment "How did you know?" He then sighed deeply "It was supposed to be a surprise…"

"Why do you want to join the crownsguard?" He repeated, narrowing his eyes some "Why do you want that, Prom?"

"Okay, you're clearly not fine with this." Prompto answered, feeling rather nervous "I just thought you'd like it. I mean, if I'm crownsguard I can spend more time with you, right?"

'No, if you're a crownsguard you can get paid for spending more time with me.' He thought bitterly but didn't care voice his sorrow.

"We spend a lot of time together already." Noctis said, he did like the idea of spending even more time with him, but if his best friend started getting paid to be by his side then it would just be the same as Ignis and Gladio "Look, I gotta go now. Meetings and stuff." Of course he lied, it was one of the scarce days in which his only responsibilities consisted in studying and training, and he most definitely wouldn't go face his shield "I'll see you around." He said and without really waiting for the other to reply, he hung up the phone and threw it under his pillow.

It kept on going off during a couple of hours and Noctis had to admit he admired his friend's tenacity. Yet it was just annoying him at the moment so he opened his balcony door and went to sit there to look out in the city.

He was feeling confused and hurt and he wished he had never heard those words. He was much better off believing that his friends actually loved him rather than knowing they pretended to love him to get paid.

Maybe he was going too far with that but he couldn't think of anything else at the moment. There were no other possibilities in his mind.

At some point during the day, Noctis had gone back to his bed and fallen asleep there. He never really needed a reason to get some sleep, but he felt as if he truly didn't have the energy to do anything else other than that. His heart felt heavy and his mind was clouded.

A knock on his door woke him up but once he remembered just how angry he was, he laid back down on the bed and ignored it.

"Your Highness?" Ignis' voice spoke behind the sturdy door "I know you are in there, a maid saw you coming in here and a Glaive has assured me you didn't leave the room." He waited a moment but since Noctis didn't reply he sighed "We are worried, Noct." His tone changed completely "You didn't attend training and you've been in your room all day long." Noctis closed his eyes tightly, hoping he would end up falling asleep again so he wouldn't have to deal with this "And the Marshal has informed us that Prompto has quit on becoming a crownsguard, he did not say why but he was pretty upset about it."

"The Hell did you say to the kid?" Gladio's voice resonated through the whole room and Noctis had to keep himself from rolling his eyes.

"Quiet." Ignis scolded the older man before softly knocking on the door again "We assume you heard us speaking about it and that later on you let Prompto know of your thoughts on the matter." There was a small pause "Though we would like to know why you think so strongly on it. We would like to come inside and talk to you. Prompto as well."

"Iggy…" The freckled boy whined as if he hadn't wanted to let Noctis know he was right there.

"Go away!" Noctis decided he didn't want to deal with this, he preferred to dwell on his depression.

"Noct?" Prompto's voice sounded off "Please let us come inside."

"No. Go away." He repeated "I wanna be alone." He grabbed the pillow and held it tightly against his chest. He then noticed his phone and grabbed it.

"C'mon, kid! Just let us in. You didn't go to practice and you don't want Prompto to join crownsguard. What's up with you?" Gladio wasn't trying to be nice, it was hard for him to do so.

Noctis didn't reply and just turned his phone back on. He had more than fifty lost calls from Prompto, more than forty from Ignis and a very good amount from Gladio. He had many text messages as well.

'What was that about?'

'why won't you just pick up, Noct?'

'what's wrong? you're worrying me, dude'

'Noct?

'Noct please…'

'I'm not joining crownsguard'

'So you can talk to me again, right?'

'Noct'

'Noct'

'Noctis'

The prince continued reading the messages and tears filled his eyes. He didn't even understand his own emotions anymore. He thought Prompto was truly the sweetest for sending him these messages and not going through with something Noctis clearly didn't want him to be doing. Yet he also felt really guilty.

Isn't this just what he always did? Making everyone give up on their hopes and dreams for him? Just because he was being spoiled?

"Hope you're away from the door 'cause I'm about to knock it down, princess." He barely heard Gladio announcing when he decided to speak up.

"Am I just a charge you have to deal with?" He spoke quietly as he kept his eyes on the phone. The movement from outside stopped and it was as if time itself had stopped.

"You certainly heard more than I had first thought." Ignis sighed "In that case, I must insist you let us in to clear this up."

"Go away." Noctis said before he chuckled bitterly, his eyes completely dump by now "Go do whatever the Hell you want." He added "Don't let this brat stop you."

Again silence, and Noctis actually wondered if they had heard him.

"Noct, open up." Prompto spoke as he tried turning the knob.

"No." He insisted "Go away. It's an order."

"I don't work for you. I don't have to listen, dude." Prompto knocked again on the door as he chuckled nervously "So just open the door, okay?" He was close to begging right now.

"Shut up!" Noctis went to lay back down on the bed.

Outside, Ignis sighed deeply and he checked in his breast pocket. He pulled out a key and then went to open the door. Gladio folded his arms across his chest and Prompto gasped.

"Iggy! That's not nice. Aren't we like...not respecting his privacy?"

"We are but right now I am highly concerned so I believe it will be best if we get inside."

"Since when do you even have a key to his room?" Prompto wondered and Gladio chuckled.

"Since always. I have one too. Always on me. No one else has a copy. Only the two of us, and the King himself, of course." He answered and the teenager seemed impressed.

"We are going in, Your Highness." Ignis announced out loud and before Noctis has any time to complain, the large double doors opened revealing his shield, his advisor and his best friend. The prince quickly sat up on the bed and looked at them before huffing, crossing his legs and turning his head away. Prompto quickly made his way over to him and sat down.

"What's wrong, Noct?" The blond asked and the black haired man ignored him "Please...Talk to me. I already said I wasn't joining the crownsguard."

"But you wanted to."

"Yeah...And I want to know why it bothers you so much."

Both Gladio and Ignis stood close by, they didn't want to interrupt the conversation. They understood that if anyone could get something out of Noctis that would be Prompto.

"Because…" Noctis bit his bottom lip before huffing again. He turned to look at his friend "You are my only friend."

"Agree to disagree." Prompto said as Gladio frowned. Ignis put a hand on his arm to keep him from saying anything else "But why would that be bad?"

"You don't get paid to be by my side!" He then suddenly snapped, making Prompto flinched out of surprise rather than fear "You like me for who I am! Not because being with me just means you get a nice income in your account!"

"Oh Noct…" Prompto whispered.

"Is that what this is about?" Ignis wondered quietly and Gladio took a step closer.

"Why didn't you just fucking say it?" He growled.

"Why would I say it?! So that you could hate me more?!" He stood up to face the bigger man, holding his gaze "I know how hard it is for you to have to deal with a damn brat like me! You tell me all the time!"

"You're a brat, that's the fucking truth." Gladio spat out and Ignis quickly went to grab his arm.

"Stop it, Gladio."

"You are a damn brat who doesn't listen to anything he's told. You're also a spoiled bastard who thinks he has any right to make people follow his childish whims!" The man roared some more and Prompto felt really nervous, his own eyes filled up with tears.

"Gladiolus!" Ignis exclaimed with a deep frown, yet the man didn't pay attention to him.

"You're also our prince and I fucking love you more than anything." He admitted, his voice now lowered. Everyone's eyes widened, specially Noctis' "Do you want me to give up on my income for being your shield? I accept. I won't get paid anymore for it if that's what's been bothering you. But I will never leave your side, I will follow you until the end of this damn sick world." His voice only grew more tender and sweeter. Prompto slowly sat back down, not realizing when he had stood up.

Ignis' hand slowly lowered and he used it to accommodate his glasses on the bridge of his nose "I see…" He whispered before looking at Noctis "The same goes for me, Noct. I will present to the King my wish to stop getting paid for being your advisor, but I will remain by your side until my very last breath."

"Was that really it?" Prompto asked softly before standing back up to walk over to Noctis, he truly couldn't stay still for long "Noct...Why didn't you tell me?" The blond asked softly "I just thought that I...I wanted to be able to protect you, Noct. I know your life is in constant danger and I wanted to help them protect it." He pointed at Gladio and Ignis "'Cause you're so precious to me, dude. I don't care about the money, really. You know I've never grown with tons of it, I never minded. I just want to prove that I can become strong enough to stand proudly by your side."

Noctis look at the three of them and suddenly he felt like an idiot "But I...I heard you…"

"I assure you, Noct. We were only joking around. You've no reason to worry."

"Yeah, just be sure to feed us regularly if we're not gonna get paid." Gladio smirked and Noctis' mouth opened some in surprise at that.

"Are you guys really...Going to go through with that?"

"If that's what you want." Ignis nodded.

"You are a damn brat but I can't say no to you."

"If it really makes you this upset...I'm not joining the crownsguard." Prompto smiled some.

Noctis looked at them again and he could finally see the truth in their eyes. They were smiling, Gladio was more like smirking but he was used to it by now, they definitely didn't seem like they were lying to him. And for a moment he felt like a complete idiot for ever doubting them. Or maybe they just had a way with words.

"I...I really am an idiot, right?" Noctis sighed, finally relaxing. Prompto nodded.

"Totally. Pretty dumb for royalty if you ask me." He teased as he slapped his friend's butt, like he was used to.

"You just need better guidance and to actually speak up about what's troubling you rather than sulking about it." Ignis said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose again.

"The biggest idiot. But I will shape you up just right." Gladio said and Noctis dared smiled some before looking troubled again.

"You should join, Prom. If it's want you really want. And you two...You deserve to get paid for dealing with such a brat." He was now joking, his tone of voice teasing and much lighter than before.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Seems like someone just grew up a bit." Gladio wrapped an arm around Noctis' shoulders making him groan "Princess?" He then spoke softer "My tattoo means pain, endurance, love and loyalty. And I got it for you. Never forget that."

Noctis looked up at him and couldn't help but smile some "I won't, big guy."