Hack 16

Prompto's relationship with Noctis was a tenuous thing. At least, he always felt that way.

Not in the sense that they weren't easy friends, or that they flaked on each other or betrayed each other, or any such thing that normal relationships would consider tenuous. No, their personalities fit and clicked together like the perfectly formed pieces of a puzzle. They found the same things amusing, the same things sad, they cared for each other equally and always found enjoyment in the other's presence. Noctis was like a prong that filled a gaping hole in Prompto's life, filled in the edges of himself and made him whole, took his partial image and helped to bring him into the completed work of art.

Prompto wasn't the most poetic of dudes, but if he was going to swing with this weird puzzle analogy, then he was an edge piece, flat on the side, always chosen first to make the frame for the other, more important pieces and then forgotten immediately for the intriguing center. The image painted on him was only the blurred edges of the photo, the empty space of color that even if he wasn't there, wouldn't ruin the picture. A means to an end.

If he was the edge piece, then Noctis was the focal point, pronged on all sides without which the entire artwork would fall apart. He was the Prince of Lucius, the one man in all of the world most important to their lives, the one man destined to be their protector, leader, King.

For some inexplicable, unlikely reason, Noctis chose to connect with him. This meaningless piece without a fleck of distinction, a nobody with blurred edges that couldn't hope to complement Noctis' kaleidoscope in his wildest dreams. And in doing so, connected him to others of equal splendor that further filled Prompto's life with meaning, until he almost didn't feel so empty anymore.

He liked to think that he brought some form of completion to Noctis' life as well, to all of their lives when he made them smile. When he made them forget about the pressures of their lives for just a little while, the only way he knew how to be of any use. But there was always that sinking feeling in his gut that it wasn't the case. Because, well...he was nothing. Noctis could go on without him. Easily. They all could.

Sometimes, when he was reminded of the truth–whether by words or unwanted memories, the cold looks of those above his station in the halls of the Citadel or those dark moments when he found himself alone in an empty house that had never really been home–he felt like it was all a sham.

None of them sought a connection with him, not really. Prompto basically pushed himself into their fold. He knew at a young age that he was worthless, unattractive, unwanted. Probably would have gone his whole life in obscurity, just that ungainly kid in the background growing into an unassuming man with no prospects or ambitions, no connections to anyone or thing outside of his viewfinder. Forgotten even by Cor, just a charity case, his good deed of the year.

Invisible.

Until he met Noctis for the first time.

It was just a passing, fleeting thing. One that affected the raven prince not in the slightest, but change Prompto's life irrevocably.

He wanted to be his friend. He wanted to make that cold, distant stare light up, wanted to make him smile. But he couldn't. Not as he was.

If it hadn't been for an injured puppy and the sylleblossom scented folds of a beautifully crafted letter, he never would have even looked Noctis in the eye. And it's funny to him now, as an adult, how Lady Lunafreya probably didn't even mean anything by it, probably didn't even remember her baseless assumption that changed his life forever.

So, with the courage afforded to him by another, he waited and watched, changed himself to fit the mold and pushed himself into place, a facade of one with worth.

It worked. He became Noctis' friend, gained the chance to make him smile over and over again, gained connections to Ignis and Gladio through him, bringing himself into the fold of the most extraordinary friendships way beyond what a man like him could ever hope to expect.

And in those friendships he experienced love for the first time. Not just in the romantic sense, though it had certainly developed into that as he got older. How could it not when, when Noctis turned his eyes on him, he felt like the single most important person in the entire world? How could it not when the people he spent all his waking moments with haunted his sleeping ones as well, in ways that made his ears turn red when he inevitably saw them the next day? But more than that. For the first time in his life, his phone–a crappy, outdated thing he had barely considered worth the cost–suddenly lit up with texts asking after his health, did he want to hang out, did he see this funny post, and hey man, I just wanted to chat, you busy? That when he didn't reply it was noticed, he was missed, something that had never happened before.

And just to put into perspective how truly amazing that in itself was, he once went an entire month without leaving his house. No one noticed. His parents never came home. His school never called, wondering where he was. And when he returned, it was like he never left, the rest of the people in the world going about their lives as if he never existed in the first place.

So this. This was something special. He was something special.

Noctis wasn't just Prompto's best friend. He was the center of his entire world, the sun of his solar system, the singular most important piece of his puzzle. Even as Prompto easily expanded his love to encompass others, acknowledged that there were others in his life that brought him fulfillment and joy, Noctis would always be the first.

To be reminded that he was indeed worthless by his best friend's own admission. It was like a slap of reality to the face, because no matter how he tried to hide how he truly was, that bitter, unhappy kid on the inside hissing insults and hard truths in the dark recesses of his mind haunted him always. For some silly reason Prompto had never expected to hear the words from Noctis, which only made it all the more painful when the inevitable finally happened.

He should have known that no matter how he forced himself to change, no matter how he forced himself to be more than he was he would never be worthy of Noctis' love. Or anyone's.

But that would never stop Prompto from going after his prince when he saw those flashing lights, didn't lessen the panic he felt at the thought that Noctis was in danger, didn't even allow for hesitation as he threw himself into the maelstrom to protect his dearest friend.

Because even if Prompto was worthless to Noctis, he would always love him.

-o0o-

It was dark. And quiet.

Only the sound of Prompto's labored breathing could be heard over the shifting of dust, the scattering of pebbles as it cleared from the air.

Heart pounding painfully hard in a tumultuous rush, it was some time before Prompto could separate his terrified mind from the stinging adrenaline in his blood and the primal instincts that had him curled in on himself like a wounded animal. His arms clenched around his head so tightly that they ached, the rest of him a trembling mess. But it was the lack of air that forced him to uncurl from himself, coughing harshly and expelling debris and dust from his abraded throat.

It was only after several moments of this, when he registered that he was indeed alive beyond reasonable doubt–everything wouldn't ache so much if he were dead–that he began to understand what happened.

"Oh geez, oh geez," he wheezed, hands groping blindly in the dark and reaching nothing but empty air. He scrambled to his knees on shaking limbs, groaning loudly as he shifted rocks and rubble from his person and his scrapes and bruises made themselves known. It was only after several seconds of frantic fumbling that he managed to turn on his penlight, illuminating the chamber he found himself in. "Noc–" he coughed violently before trying again. "N-Noctis! Noct!"

No answer.

Oh please don't be dead, don't be dead, don't be–

He scanned the small alcove, not able to see all that much on account of the dust in the air, but visibility was good enough to just make out a pile of disheveled sacks and a rusted metal door encased in solid rock. Prompto's eyes flickered nervously to the ceiling as the rock above him shifted, but it looked solid enough. He really didn't want to stake his life on it though. A cursory glance from where he came determined that he would not be going back that way, that was for certain. Jagged edges of rock and rubble blocked the entrance mere inches from where he had thrown himself through, and it was only by some miracle that the blonde had only bruises to show for it. A few more inches to the left and...he shuddered, clutching his arms in close. He hoped the others were alright, but right now he could only spare them a passing thought because Noctis wasn't answering his call.

"Noct!" His raspy voice echoed back to him emptily, too loud in the darkness and still unanswered as the seconds ticked agonizingly by, and Prompto's stomach sank with dread. No. This was no time to panic. With unsteady hands, he lifted himself from the floor, swaying dangerously before catching his balance and stumbling forward. Noctis had been at least a minute ahead of him, and it looked like the tunnels beyond were still intact. He couldn't have been in the entrance when it collapsed.

It was just when he was about to try to call out again that movement caught his ear. He froze, shifting his weight imperceptibly from foot to foot. It could have been Noctis, sure, but something in the tingling of his hands had him pause. There was a reason no one dared enter the darkest places of the world without protection, the places no sunlight could reach to repel the daemons. And with all the violence recently, Prompto felt wary of everything.

But it was with a blustering sigh of relief that Prompto saw Noctis stumble from the dark tunnel beyond the door, squinting into the glow of Prompto's flashlight owlishly.

"Prom?" He slurred, and Prompto didn't think, just threw himself at his prince–alive, his best friend was alive–and slung his arms around his shoulders, burying his face into Noctis' neck. "Ugh," Noctis grunted, but his arms surrounded the blonde easily enough. Prompto's shoulders shook as he just breathed in Noctis' familiar scent–that spice of the obnoxious cologne he favored so much, the dust and sweat that coated his body, that electric spark of magic that permeated him always, just Noctis–happy beyond belief that he was safe, warm, alive.

The hands that encircled his back, though familiar, felt unsure, weak, and Prompto pulled back, happiness sliding from his face instantly. He was alarmed to see a steady stream of blood obscuring one of Noctis' eyes, the other blurred and unfocused, the smokey blue engulfed in the black of his pupil though the bright light should have had it shrunk into a pinprick.

"Prom," Noct rasped, "I–" But whatever he was going to say was interrupted by a loud crack from above. Prompto jumped badly, looking up in horror before grabbing Noctis by his shoulders and shoving him hard.

Noctis flew back through the door with a startled shout, the blonde throwing himself after him just as the remainder of the ceiling in the entrance came down in a deafening din of cracking stone and squealing steel, the only thing saving the two from being crushed the frame of the doorway. Prompto didn't stop, grabbing Noctis by the arm and sprinting into the darkness, dragging the punch drunk prince along behind him. The collapse only lasted a few seconds, and thankfully was contained to only that chamber. By the time it settled, Prompto and Noctis were down the tunnels a good ways.

It was only when Noctis tripped badly with a weak groan that Prompto finally allowed himself to stop his mad dash, pulling Noctis against himself and lowering him to the ground.

"Okay, buddy, you're gunna be alright," Prompto gasped, shaking hands smoothing Noctis' hair back from his face to inspect the damage while also trying to keep an eye on their surroundings. That was a little hard to do though, when his pinlight could only illuminate the area in front of him and effectively blinded him from the rest of the tunnel. He tried to turn on Noctis' as well, but it wasn't responding to his touch. With an internal curse, he decided it would just have to do for now.

Prompto was no Iggy, but he had gone through the basic first aid course, albeit with much moaning and complaining. Mostly because Noctis was right there with him and both had rather been doing anything else at the time than listen to a boring lecture, especially after they just graduated high school. But now he was fervently grateful that Ignis had insisted, because he might not have known what to do otherwise.

Healing potions could only do so much. They could mend bones, flesh and organs alike, but they could not replace limbs or remove shrapnel from the body. Head wounds were an especially tricky business, because if a piece of bone or rock got lodged within the brain it would get trapped beneath the healed skull and cause irreparable damage. Ignis' voice came back to him, calming in the face of his panic, and he followed the steps the man had tried to impress upon him all those months ago. As steady as he could manage, he pushed his fingers into the prince's gritty hair, following the trail of slick blood to prod at the wound gently.

Noctis hissed, clutching at Prompto's arm weakly, but the blonde would not be deterred. "Sorry, sorry! I gotta do this, buddy, you'll feel better in a sec, I-I promise!"

Noctis looked up at him through the blood and the pain in his narrowed eyes, face pale as death against the red and Prompto's heart clenched uncomfortably tight. He hated seeing him like this, hated it. A small red wound against the prince's lip, a dried line of blood running down his chin and neck, burned him with guilt but he brushed it off and tore his eyes away, finishing his inspection of the wound until he was absolutely sure that his skull was intact and nothing would impede the healing. With a shuddering breath, he summoned one of their dwindling stock of potions and pressed it against his prince's chest, shattering it.

Noctis tensed with a moan beneath Prompto's fingers as the magic did its work, his breath easing out in relaxation a second later. Before the blonde's relieved eyes, Noctis' skin became unblemished once more, color flushing his cheeks until he looked like a living being again.

Prompto could have cried when those blues squinted open, blinking rapidly and clear once more.

"Prompto?" Noctis sat up, looking around himself with confusion and wiping the congealing blood from his face. "What happened?" His eyes locked onto the blonde and sharpened. "Are you alright? Where are the others?"

Prompto shook himself, forcing himself to refocus and not throw himself on Noctis again. "I'm okay, I think?" He didn't sound so sure, even to himself, as he kind of felt numb for the most part. Noctis' brows furrowed in concern, but Prompto didn't give him the time to comment, stuttering loudly, "The cave exploded, dude! You walked in, then there was this flashing light and then bam! I thought–I thought–" He couldn't finish, breath quickening and sending him into another coughing fit. Noctis was at his side in an instant, warm hand running up and down his back soothingly until he could breathe again. It was a familiar thing, a comforting gesture Noctis did for him often when he got himself worked up. Prompto let himself take comfort in it now, despite the fact that his relief at seeing Noctis alive was disappearing swiftly, emotions dropping back into the dark pit they had been in before the explosion. He pursed his lips, hating himself for leaning into the touch, not sure he was even allowed this anymore but needing it like the air that he was struggling to breathe.

"Okay." Noctis said, looking around. "Okay. What about the exit?" Prompto shook his head and the raven cursed. "Okay. Gladio and Ignis should be able to get to us eventually. In the meantime, we should look for another way out. Can you stand?"

Prompto nodded dully, pushing himself back to his feet. He hissed as his entire body tensed and released in rapid succession, wounds protesting movement. But he forced himself through it. Now was not the time to be complaining about a few aches.

His discomfort did not go unnoticed though, and Noctis paused in his attempt to get his penlight working. He frowned. "You're hurt. Here."

Noctis summoned a familiar bottle in a bright flash of light, it's sparkle flashing against his now thankfully clear gaze. Prompto made to take it, smiling gratefully out of habit, but paused. The smile fell slowly from his face, memories of the moments before the explosion–of Noctis' face and voice, oh gods it was filled with such hatred and hurt–coming back to him full force, and aching knot tying up his stomach painfully.

Noctis' true feelings.

Worthless. Unwanted.

His hand dropped, and Noctis frowned in confusion. But Prompto couldn't see him anymore, eyes sliding to the floor. How? How could he have been so blind? He had thought they were best friends, but...maybe that wasn't the case? So what, he was just an amusement to Noctis? A way to pass the time, maybe? After all, what would the Prince of Lucius want with a worthless commoner?

A miasma of anger and hurt swirled within him until it felt like his chest was on fire. He pulled his hand back to clutch at his burning heart instead, refusing to look Noctis in the eye and wishing he could hold back his dumb, traitorous tears.

He didn't want to show weakness. It would only prove Noctis right. So he wouldn't.

Prompto shook his head, forcing his lips to pull up in a sad imitation of his usual cheer, though he didn't know if he actually succeeded. Kind of felt like his cheeks were made of lead. "No, dude, I'm fine. Just a few bumps. Besides, we only have a couple left, and you need them more than I do." After all, his health was hardly important.

Noctis' eyes darkened, and he opened his mouth to say something but Prompto didn't want to hear it. He spun on his heel and looked around. "We should get moving," he said, and winced as his voice sounded more flat than he intended. But he didn't want to hear more about what a failure he was. Not from Noctis. Not him.

He began walking down the tunnel quickly, ignoring the sound of protest behind him. "Prompto, wait! You're limping, you can't just–"

But Prompto wasn't listening. He looked around nervously as he walked, fear trickling through him in waves beyond his tangled feelings. He really did hate dark places, and every shift of rock and drip of water had his nerves frayed. He wasn't going to show weakness now though. He had to get his prince to safety and the last thing he wanted to do was further prove his worthlessness by failing at his job. So he ignored his fear. He ignored his injuries. There were more important things.

It seemed like Noctis would not be deterred, however, because the next second he was spun around by a rough hand. He looked up at Noctis, face devoid as he could make it, and whatever Noctis might have been about to say seemed caught in his throat. Noctis snatched his hand back as if burned, taking a step back.

"Prom, I...I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. Please, just take the potion. It's dangerous down here…"

Prompto watched his lips move, heard the words on some level, but they couldn't quite reach past the poisonous cloud roiling in his chest. "It's okay, your Highness, you should save the potions for yourself." he said, and barely registered the flinch Noctis gave at his title, something Prompto had never used with him before. "What you said was true. I'm just a commoner. I didn't lose anything in Insonmia's fall." It wasn't like he could really understand Noctis' pain, after all. Because everything he cared for had been with him, was right here, and on the other side of that impenetrable wall. Noctis paled, but Prompto continued on, voice flat. "Come on, I see some light bulbs on the walls. Maybe we can find the switch."

He began to follow the black cord on the ground, mission forefront in his mind. Had to get out. Had to get Noctis to safety. Then...well, then he would figure out what to do with himself afterwards, he guessed. He would stay out of Noctis' way, if that's what he wanted.

"Prompto, wait," this time Noctis ran around him, stopping him in his tracks. Prompto stared at him impassively, impatient to get going and just wanting to be out of here so this awful numbness could just go away. But Noctis would not be denied, so he steeled himself to let the prince say his piece, no matter how much it hurt to hear. "Just take the damn potion! We could be attacked at any moment and you're in no condition to fight!"

"Is that an order, my Prince?" Prompto intoned coldly.

"What?" Noctis whispered, stricken. "No. No, of course not."

"Then I don't need it. I'll be able to protect you as I am." Prompto shouldered past Noctis once more. He didn't see the way Noctis' face crumpled, the dismay he wore morphing into something far uglier, angier, too intent on getting away and shutting himself down before he could be hurt any further. If he had, he might not have been so surprised about what Noctis said next.

"You won't take it because you think that black haired bastard needs it more, is that it?"

The venom in his tone, and the seeming randomness of that statement had Prompto pause, lips pinching in confusion. "What? What does Jase have to do with anything?"

"Jase?" Noctis hissed, stepping forward aggressively. "Jase? What, so now you're on nickname basis with the guy?"

"What is your problem!?" Prompto shouted, at the end of his rope and hopelessly confused. "Jason hasn't done anything to you, has actually helped you, like, three times and you've done nothing but dog on him this whole time!"

"He's a thieving, lying, traitor!"

"What the fuck! No, he's not!" Prompto threw his hands in the air. "He didn't have anything to do with what happened in Insomnia, yet you keep blaming him for it! And yeah, he made a couple mistakes, but he's doing his best to make up for it!"

"Oh," Noctis scoffed, "Of course, my mistake. Jason's just so perfect and fucking selfless, he can do no wrong in Prompto's eyes! Even Gladio and Ignis can't find any fault!"

Prompto just stared, completely bewildered. What was even going on? Noctis looked beside himself, breaths short and scowl fierce, and Prompto for the life of him couldn't figure out where this animosity even came from. It was the worst Prince Tantrum he'd ever witnessed from the usually quiet man in the years that he'd known him, and he thought he'd seen the worst when Regis betrothed him to Luna. That didn't hold a candle to this though. Sure, Noctis had been behaving oddly for a while now, and it wasn't exactly hard to see why. He'd been through a lot the past few days. Prompto got it. But why did he seem to hate Jason so much? The guy hadn't even done anything, at least not on purpose. Was Noctis just using him as a scapegoat for everything bad happening in his life right now?

But it seemed like there was something more to this, something obvious that Prompto just wasn't getting, something that got Noctis lashing out at not just Jason, but Ignis, Prompto and Gladio as well. Noctis was talking again, but Prompto paid him no mind, cutting him off sharply.

"Noct. What's really bothering you?"

Noctis' eyes opened wide, a little wild as he laughed sarcastically. "What's bothering me? What's bothering me? I don't know Prompto, maybe it's the fact that my dad is dead. Maybe it's the fact that I lost my entire country overnight and the one person who could have told me about it didn't say a damn word–"

"You sound like a broken record!" Prompto exclaimed. "I get it! All that stuff sucks, but that's not what this is about and you know it! So just man up and tell me–"

"I don't want to lose you!"

Noctis' shout echoed against the tunnels, excruciatingly loud in the sudden silence. Prompto gaped in shock at the panting prince, Noctis clearly overwhelmed with emotions, hands fisted at his sides and shoulders tense around his heaving chest. To his surprise, Noctis' eyes welled up with tears before the prince forcibly shook them off, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I don't want to lose you," he whispered again, voice trembling. "You, Gladiolus and Ignis are all I have left, and I can't stand the thought that some stranger could come along and take you guys from me."

"Noct…"

Noctis shook his head, eyes shimmering earnestly. "I didn't mean what I said, Prompto, you have to believe me. You're not worthless. If you hadn't talked to me that day in high school, I honestly can't say I would even be the same person, if I would even be–tch! You are the only one who saw me for me, the only one who wanted to be my friend not because I'm a prince," he spat the word with disdain, "but because...because…"

"Because I just liked you," Prompto finished for him. Prompto couldn't move, couldn't think, heart skipping in his chest, the tension from before unwinding to tie itself into a whole new tangle of emotions. He had no idea Noctis felt this way, couldn't reconcile it with what he thought he knew to be true. A small smile tugged at his cheek, disbelief coloring his expression. Maybe. Maybe all this time, he'd been wrong. Maybe he was more loved than he thought. "Noct. Buddy. You're my best friend. I'm not going anywhere."

"You like him." He dropped his hand, looking at Prompto accusingly through his lashes.

Prompto shook his head, feeling a little whiplashed. This again? "So what? I have crushes on a lot of people. Like Gladio. And Ignis!" Like you, he thought, but didn't dare say it aloud. "You've never had a problem with it before."

"That's different!"

"Wha–how is that different?"

"Because I also–" Noctis cut himself off by biting his lip harshly, and Prompto's jaw dropped. No way. "Because...Look, it just is okay!"

Prompto was reeling. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Just to test out a little theory that was running through the back of his mind, he tried asking something he never thought of before. "Soooo, Noct. What if I told you I liked Cindy?" Noctis grimaced tellingly, and Prompto's heart did a little happy dance in his throat. "Um. Okay. Cor?" At this, his expression seemed to shift between disgust and petulance, and Prompto bit back a laugh, clearing his throat once. Okay, okay, one more. "Lady Lunafreya."

"What!?" Noctis exclaimed. "You haven't even met her!" And that thunderous expression was definitely interesting considering Noctis was the one actually engaged to marry her.

He was jealous. Noctis was jealous. And not of Prompto, which would be ridiculous in itself, but everyone he liked. Well, except for Gladio and Ignis apparently, but he would have to think about that another time. Extensively. There was one more very, very important question to ask, though, one that Prompto was both terrified to voice and rather thought he knew the answer to. He tilted his head to the side coyly, smirk playing at the edges of his lips, and took a cautious step forward. Noctis seemed to sense his shift in mood, because suddenly he was fidgeting uncomfortably, expression sinking into that of one who realized he'd played his hand too early and was sure he would lose it all.

Prompto watched as he tried to pull himself together, tried to bring up the mask of indifference he liked to hide himself behind so often, but it was useless. Prompto was one of the people who knew him best, and it had been years since he'd been able to fool him with the aloof act. Especially when a heated flush started creeping up his neck and cheekbones, not able to be shielded even by his ridiculous emo hair. It was kind of adorable, and that was far from the first time Prompto had thought that.

"Noctis." Noctis shoved his hands into the pockets of his fatigues, looking sharply away.

"What," he mumbled defensively, voice cracking ever so slightly and refusing to look Prompto in the face.

"What if I were to tell you," Prompto sidled a little farther forward, trying to catch the prince's eye, but to no avail. Well. If he couldn't do it with his eyes, he would get his attention another way. "Thaaaat I like you?"

That did it. Noctis' head jerked up in shock, blue eyes widening and lips parting in a quiet gasp. A millisecond later, he seemed to realize just how close Prompto was standing to him. He jumped, and Prompto cheered internally. But it was Noctis' pupils dilating tellingly, blue being eaten up by a hungry black, that had Prompto catching his breath, inhaling sharply in surprise and glee.

Prompto's heart pounded loudly in his ears, adrenaline making him dizzy. If he hadn't been sure before, he definitely was now. This was unbelievable. Noctis. Liked him. Noctis liked him. How long had this been the case? How long had they both felt this way and never done anything about it? Why in the hell didn't he say anything? It wasn't like Prompto had been keeping his crush a secret!

Or. Um. Clearly Noctis didn't know about or this wouldn't be happening. He guessed they'd both been blind.

It's not like they could have done anything about it even if they had confessed to each other, he supposed. With Noctis' station, or more recently, his engagement, it had always seemed like some impossible dream. And to be fair, all of Prompto's crushes felt like an impossible dream–some more meaningful than others to be sure, but still impossible–but Noctis moreso. The most-so. Mostest? Whatever. What was even normal anymore, anyways? With all the craziness that was happening, he figured all bets were off at this point.

More importantly, Prompto was standing very, very close to the object of his desire, close enough to feel the body heat radiating from his skin, to see the perspiration on his brow and the heat and uncertainty in his eyes. Prompto licked his lips, practically tasting the charged air, and Noctis' now black gaze locked onto the movement with a startling hunger that took Prompto's breath away.

Prompto's lips curled upwards as Noctis seemed to unconsciously move in closer, eyes locked on his mouth. Oh, he could let this happen. He would even enjoy it. Tremendously.

And he would. Eventually. But right now…

"Apology accepted!" he crowed, exuberance and cheer back in his voice, right where it belonged. He flicked Noctis in the forehead, startling the prince out of his daze so badly his expression froze in shock for several seconds, lips parted and head still tilted slightly in ruined anticipation as Prompto took a step back and laughed uproariously at the silly image it made.

"What the–Prom!" Noctis' face scrunched up in consternation, but he couldn't help the grin that spread through him like wildfire at the happiness on Prompto's face. "Get back here!"

"Nu-uh! You've been a jerk!" Prompto danced out of his prince's reach–his prince, Oh-em-gee, could Noctis really be his?–and shook his finger teasingly. "I'm not the only one you've got to apologize to!"

Noctis lunged forward, but Prompto would not be swayed, the raven giving chase until they were both out of breath and giggling–in the manliest of ways of course.

"Okay! Fine! I'll tell Iggy and Gladio I'm sorry!" Noctis didn't look all that put out about it, but he made sure to inject as much whining into his voice as he could through his wide smile.

Prompto spun around, jabbing his friend's chest sharply, suddenly serious. "AND Jason."

Noctis' grin dropped, lower lip slipping dangerously into pout territory. Prompto kind of wanted to bite it.

BeCAUSE HE Was annoyed! Yeah!

...Also because it was adorable.

But none of that until this got resolved. They could not keep going on this way, especially to a dude who didn't deserve it in the slightest. And Noctis COULD NOT keep treating Gladio and Ignis that way either. Prompto would make sure his family was getting along like they should, even if it meant he would have to deny himself what he wanted.

Noctis still wasn't answering, gaze narrowing in thought. Prompto rolled his eyes. "Come ON, Noct! Jason's a cool guy! I think you'd actually like him if you just gave him a chance."

Shoulders dropping dramatically, Noctis let out a blustery sigh, looking up at the ceiling as if in a bid for sanity. "Fine! I'll apologize!"

"Aaaand?"

"And...give him a chance."

"Woohooo!" Prompto fist pumped the air. "Now this roadtrip can really get started! Whoops!" He danced out of the way as Noctis made for him yet again. "No can do, buddy. Not till you actually apologize." He wiggled his brows, laughing outright at Noctis' put out look.

"Fine, but here," he pressed the curative into Prompto's hand firmly. "Take this. We haven't run into anything yet, but I don't want to chance it with that limp you've got." He walked past the blonde, smirking slyly over his shoulder as he took the lead into the tunnel beyond.

Prompto looked down at the bottle in his hand, heart warming and melting all the ice he'd been made to endure before. And when he looked up, he could see the lines of happiness back in Noctis' shoulders, once bowed with grief and anger now back to their usual proud sway.

There he was. Prompto hadn't known just how much he'd missed his friend until that moment, but damn, it was good to see him back.

Pressing the bottle to his lips briefly–it would just have to do until he got to taste the real thing–he sighed happily before crushing it in his palm, allowing the soothing cold to heal his wounds before falling into step beside his best friend. Time to get out of here.

-o0o-

AN:

Idk why, but it feels like nothing happened in this chapter. I think it's because I've never tried to write a romance before. Like, I don't consider romance to be 'plot' I guess? Because a lot did happen: Prompto confessed, Noct sort of did, he got him to agree to stop being a butt, and we got all the feeeeeels. Anyway, it still kind of bothers me, but oh well. I COULD go on and on about all the goblin fighting and shiz they do in the caves, but I was like, why? You guys know what happens!

Next Chapter: What have Gladio, Ignis and Jason been up to? Wouldn't you like to know.

Let me know what you guys think!