STOP! If you're just now joining us, and you flipped directly to this chapter, you may have skipped the one posted like five minutes ago. Just don't want you to miss out :) enjoy the story!

Noctis, fresh from the shower, sat in the waiting room outside his father's office. He had to logic his anger away when Ignis had made him leave Prompto's room. He figured by now his friend (boyfriend? dammit they needed to talk) would be on his way to the therapy session. The prince wanted nothing more than to be back in the room, waiting for the blond to return.

The weird ache in his chest was a bit too hard to bear. It had always been there when they were apart before, but now it had a name. Love. And it hurt so much more.

But, here he was. Waiting to speak to his father. As usual.

Lapis Etiam regarded him suspiciously over her wire frames. She always regarded him suspiciously. It was annoying. Just because he once put her car keys in his armiger when he was five and couldn't get them out again—

Or maybe it was the time he knocked her over with the practice sword that was twice his size—

Maybe she had her reasons.

She made him sit there for what seemed an unreasonable amount of time before buzzing him into his father's office. He knew there was no reason behind it other than spite, as no one had come out first, and the lights on her phone had not been lit, indicating he was on a call. If anything, his father looked as if he'd been doing nothing but waiting for him. He sat behind his large desk, hands folded atop it, regarding Noctis with his cool gaze.

Refusing to feel intimidated, Noctis mustered a smile and sat across from his father, careful to not break eye contact. "Ignis says you wanted to speak with me."

Regis offered a tight smile of his own. "Yes, I do believe it is high time we had a chat."

Noctis nodded, keeping himself from pursing his lips. He opted to instead mirror his father's visage, at which Regis seemed vaguely surprised. "Go on, then."

The king gave no hesitation. "I would like to discuss your ..friend."

"My boyfriend?" Noctis returned, not missing a beat.

Regis merely nodded. "Apologies, I was unaware it was official."

Noctis almost told him that it maybe was not one hundred percent official, but he was pretty sure that was what was happening, so he was hopeful; but he also noted he seemed to have the upper hand, so he rightly chose to remain silent on that particular tangent. "What do you want to know?"

Regis sat back, and Noctis again mirrored the action, both Caellum's steepling their fingers beneath their chins. "Well, son, I am curious to find out exactly how much you actually know about the boy."

Noctis narrowed his midnight eyes, regarding his father thoughtfully; almost suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

Regis huffed out a sigh, gesturing vaguely with his hand. "Son, you've known the boy for less than two years and already you are professing to love him. You've killed for him…"

He would have said more, but the screeching of wooden chair legs against cold stone stopped any further utterance. Though still much shorter than his father, Noctis' visage seethed with rage and when he drew up to his full height, he was more than a little intimidating. "I'd do it again. I would have done it if it had been Ignis in there, or Gladiolus—" he bit his lip and closed his eyes, turning his head away from his father as he gathered his thoughts and attempted to hold back the turbulent emotions raging through his body. "—what happened to him was…was fucked up, Dad. Do you get that? They took him and they did terrible, inhuman things to him. Those men deserved to die."

Regis stood to meet the rising anger of his son, though he kept his expression and countenance neutral. "Noctis—"

"Look, I know what you're going to say: we're young and we're dumb and we don't know what love is and all that stupid stuff. I get that. I know that one day you'll probably marry me off to some boring socialite. I get that as Prince, I have duties and responsibilities and that I'm less a person and more a commodity. I get it. I'm fine with it.

"But, with Prom…with Prom it's different. He wants to be around me. Not my title, not my stuff; me. And I want to be around him. It's all I can think about sometimes, but I didn't really figure it out till I almost lost him. And I won't let him go without a fight." Noctis nearly hissed the last words, his eyes daring his father to speak against him.

Regis glanced down at the desk between them, a thousand thoughts and memories playing through his head. "I'm just concerned for you, Noct. What if the boy—"

"Prompto."

Regis successfully kept from rolling his eyes. "Prompto, then. What if he isn't all he seems?"

"Prompto is the sweetest, most genuine person I've ever met. If he's anything different than what he seems, then he's in the dark about it. He's loyal to a fault; for fucking six' sake, Dad! They raped him, beat him, tortured him! And the most they got out of him was the password to his phone that he meticulously wipes daily, and Ignis' middle fucking name!"

"I'm not questioning Prompto's motives or loyalty. I just want you to be sure, Noctis. I need you to understand that not everyone is everything they seem."

Noctis gave him an almost disgusted once over. "I've already learned that lesson, Dad."

"That is enough Noctis!" Regis was done being diplomatic, now. He'd wanted a simple conversation with his son; how had things escalated so quickly?

"Yeah, Dad, it is enough. I'm going back to see Prom. He needs someone to be there for him after all the shit he's been through."

"Noctis!" Regis yelled as his office door opened, a startled Lapis looking back in at them. He tried to call for the boy again, but went ignored as Noctis let the door swing gently shut behind him.

Reghis rapped his cane angrily against the floor. Well, that didn't go as planned.