Prompto still had a hard time believing he had obtained his freedom as well as all of his rights as a Lucian citizen. Noctis had made sure the newscaster told the truth about their gunslinger, and Prompto was now being praised as a hero.
It was overwhelming to be recognized wherever he went, as people gave him large smiles or patted him on the shoulders.
With the Empire finally dismantled, the kingdom could now know peace and prosper. And he, Prompto Argentum, whose name had finally been cleared, was to be thanked as well as the King of Light and his Kingsglaives.
He was a lot more popular among girls too, who would suddenly stop him to ask for a picture together, or boldly plaster a kiss on his cheek when he least expected it before running off. Prompto enjoyed his moment of glory in the start, but had to admit it could be extremely tiresome. All his life he had tried to prove himself worthy, and now that he had, he wished nothing more than to go back to being the invisible photographer he once was.
And yet, despite having few moments of privacy, he was happy. He returned to the Citadel dressed as a Kingsglaive to serve his King and best friend. However, with the menace of war finally over, they all had a lot more spare time. Prompto used his to dedicate himself to his hobby: photography. He would occasionally work part-time for the local newspaper, as well as a few websites where he would provide them with some shots he had taken, and soon enough had saved enough money to buy his very first apartment. It wasn't big or fancy, but enough for him. And it was close to both his parents and the Citadel, so he could visit his family and friends whenever he wanted.
The thought struck him one afternoon, while he was hanging the last picture on the living-room wall. The picture of some iris flowers he had taken ten years before, when he and the others were on their way to the Disc of Cauthess.
He had been so busy moving into his new place that he had almost forgotten all the things Iris had done for him. She had come to him when the whole city had been standing against him, she had believed in him and comforted him and he had never had the chance to thank her. After all, he did owe her a better date.
Prompto left the picture hanging crookedly on the wall as he jumped off the sofa and grabbed his phone.
Iris felt her phone buzzing in her pocket, but didn't check the message straight away. Well, she couldn't since she was technically at work, fulfilling her duty as Kingsglaive. She had totally forgotten about the insignificant episode until she got her break. As she sipped her coffee in a leather armchair, she extracted her phone to check the time. It was then she remembered someone had tried to contact her. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name of the sender: Prompto.
"You at work? :D"
Even at thirty, Prompto still chatted like a teenager and that made Iris smile.
"Yes, finished in a couple of hours!"
It took less than forty seconds to receive a new message from him, which now read: "we're both free tomorrow! ^v^ Wanna go for a walk when you're done?"
Iris pondered it for a second, thinking that she would be quite tired after the end of her long shift, but she had to admit she was craving some quality time with the blonde.
"Sure! I'm done at 10 PM. If you're still awake by then!"
"If I'm still awake? At 10 PM? Gurl, I'm 29 not 90! ;D"
Iris chuckled at his reply before almost choking on her coffee. Her eyes had automatically fallen on the time displayed on her screen, and she quickly typed a "Gotta go, see you later!" before sprinting back to work, feeling much lighter knowing she would be seeing Prompto soon.
The rest of her shift went by uneventfully and, when the clock on the wall chimed 10, she happily ran to the locker room to change into her civilian clothes. She didn't have anything fancy to wear given the short notice, but she didn't mind and was sure Prompto didn't care either.
As she ran down the long hallway which led to the elevators, she bumped into her brother, who had just arrived to take over and start his night shift.
"In a hurry, ain't we? Where you off to this time?" he asked with a grin.
"Date. I think" she answered panting heavily.
"With whom?" Gladio asked frowning.
"Prompto!" she exclaimed jovially, waving a hand at him before he could start his usual spiel.
"Well, tell him I said that this time the King won't be there to save his ass if he fucks up again!" Gladio shouted after her, but he was secretly smiling.
Prompto grinned widely when he finally saw her emerging from the tall building. He stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against to walk towards her.
"Hey there" he greeted "Had a weary day?"
"Ah, yes! Glad it's over" Iris replied, mirroring his contagious smile. "So, where are we going?"
"No idea" he shrugged his shoulders "Didn't plan anything".
Iris frowned and sent him a mocking smile "Sooo…?"
"So we walk, let's see where our legs take us" he said simply.
Iris wasn't sure whether to appreciate his spontaneity or curse him for making her walk after nine long hours at work, where she mostly stood. However, she was with him and she wasn't going to complain.
"I saw we're working together on Wednesday" Prompto said casually as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his dark grey sweater. "Gotta ask Noct to make it happen more often".
"Isn't it Cor who plans our shifts?" Iris asked, and Prompto pouted.
"Might as well give up on that hope, then" he joked.
They kept chatting about trivial things as they walked, and soon they had reached the city's outskirts, where people were much fewer as well as the bustling sounds of the city life. Prompto guided her across a bridge and the two found themselves on the opposite side of the main district. The deserted place mainly consisted of some office skyscrapers and factories, so Iris wasn't entirely sure why he had taken her there. The streets were feebly illuminated by old lamp posts and a single, tall skyscraper: the only one which was lit among the dark ones.
"What is this place?" Iris asked as she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself. She definitely didn't miss the darkness she had been living in for ten long years.
"Trust me" Prompto said soothingly, as he took her hand and guided her toward the lit skyscraper in front of them. However, he didn't walk through the entrance doors but circumnavigated the building until they reached a backdoor, barely visible in the dark if it wasn't for an electronic panel blinking a red light. To her surprise, Prompto extracted an ID card from his pocket and swiped it in the panel before punching in a code. The red light turned green and he opened the door, gesturing for her to go in first.
"Wha-? How?" she asked surprised as he chuckled.
"My dad works here" he explained as he locked the door once again "I ehm… borrow his card, sometimes. Whenever I need a quiet place where to think, I come here".
"And he lets you use his card?" she asked again "What if someone finds out? There must be surveillance cameras around here, no?"
"Well, yeah. But I know where they're located and how to avoid them" he answered with a bold smirk "And no, he doesn't really lend me his card. Let's just say I borrow it when he's not looking… and then I return it before he wakes up in the morning".
He grinned widely at her again as he rushed her to a lift at the end of a corridor.
"Can't believe I'm doing this" Iris giggled "And the fact that we're two High Commanders of the Kingsglaive guards makes it even more compromising".
"…Or more exciting" Prompto corrected her with a wink.
They rode the lift all the way to the last floor. As soon as the doors opened, Prompto grabbed her wrist and dragged her into a dark aisle, pinning her against the wall.
"Prompto, what the…?" she asked as her heart began hammering, but he placed a hand over her mouth.
"Shhh" he hushed her and pointed at a surveillance camera above them.
"When I count to three, you run, ok?" he whispered into her ear.
"One"
Iris was completely aware of their proximity, his body pressed against hers...
"Two"
She could smell his fresh scent, which had never changed after ten long years...
"Three"
She felt his warm hand run down from her shoulder, to her arm and eventually found her own hand, as his touch sent pleasant shivers down her spine. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the aisle, running as silently as possible before the camera could turn to face them.
They turned around a corner and stopped to catch their breath. He was grinning as he panted and, suddenly, they both burst into a silent fit of laughter due to the adrenaline.
"That was fun" he said, once he had gathered enough energies to speak "We can do it again on our way back".
"How often do you come here?" she asked him as she followed him further ahead.
"Often" he said "Since I was nine or something. I used to come here after dark when I wanted to be alone".
Iris processed his words as he led her up a flight of stairs. He opened a rusty door and a sudden, cool breeze caressed her face.
"Here we are" he said as they stepped onto the large rooftop that overlooked the whole city. Iris's jaws dropped as she stepped closer to the edge to have a better look at the breathtaking view of Insomnia. She could see the lights from the city, the people –who looked so tiny from where they were standing- the shops, the apartment buildings, the Citadel…
She doubted she had ever seen a better view of the Crown City, even from the Citadel itself.
"Do you like it?" Prompto asked a bit nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Wow, Prompto… it's beautiful!" she answered truthfully, and he smiled contentedly.
"I'm glad you like it. I… wasn't sure you would" he said.
"Why wouldn't I?" she inquired, unable to divert her eyes from the scenery. "I bet you brought lots of girls up here anyway" she joked.
"Actually…" he said a bit awkwardly "You're… the first one".
His words finally made Iris tear her gaze from the view as she stared at the blonde.
"I mean" he continued after clearing his throat "As I said, I used to come here whenever I needed to think. Which was more often than you can imagine. Especially when I was a kid, as you know… I didn't have any friends, and my parents were always away. I was alone all the time and so I came here when my dad fell asleep, and I would take pictures. And daydream. A lot".
Iris noticed he was doing it again: his habit of rubbing his right wrist, now completely exposed as he didn't have the need to conceal the bar code printed into his skin.
"What did you daydream about?" she asked, her interest piqued as she rested one arm on the metal balustrade.
"Uh? Ehm, well…" he stuttered embarrassed "About… the life I wanted to have. I wanted to be able to go out without feeling ashamed to be what I was. I wanted to have friends, real friends. And going on an incredible adventure all together!"
"But Prompto" Iris smiled tenderly "Your dreams all came true! You met Noct and the others, embarked on an epic adventure and even saved Lucis from the Empire, ultimately clearing your name and officially becoming a Lucian".
"I know" he grinned proudly "I still can't believe that".
They remained silent for a few minutes as they peacefully stared at the bustling city below.
"That's not all, though" he said suddenly, making Iris turn towards him again and give him a questioning look.
"I mean, that was not all I daydreamt about. I've been coming here often lately, too" he confessed as he blushed furiously. His voice was shaking slightly.
She didn't say anything, though, fearing she would make him even more nervous if she did. She simply waited until he was ready to tell her.
"I have been thinking… about you" he finally muttered. Iris was taken off guard by this sudden revelation and she snapped her head to the side to glance at him.
"Actually" he continued, a bit more confidently now "I never stopped thinking about you. All these years, you were always with me. You never left my side as I fought for my life. You were my light in the dark".
Iris's heart was beating so fast she was sure all the people in Insomnia could hear its rhythmic sound.
"Prompto…" she whispered. Prompto smiled at her as he grabbed his camera and started browsing the countless pictures he had taken, until he found the one he was looking for: the very first picture he had taken of her at the Wiz Chocobo Post. Iris smiled nostalgically as she stared at a much younger version of herself, with short hair and a large grin. Her eyes were innocent and unproven, and they didn't yet hold ten long years of fighting.
"I kept them all" he continued as he tapped on the "Next" button, showing her the many memories they had shared together. She giggled at some pictures that had immortalized them in ridiculous positions or expressions, before sighing loudly.
"Jeez, we've been through a lot, haven't we?"
"Yeah" he nodded "Could write a book".
"Or make a movie" she suggested chuckling.
Her smile slowly faded as he approached her, his eyes scanning her face with an unreadable expression. He was no longer smiling, and he kept glancing from her eyes to her lips. He was now standing inches away from her.
"I want you to know" he whispered as he gently caressed her cheek with the side of his hand "That, despite everything, you've always been the only one. The only one I ever gave my heart to".
Iris hadn't even realized she had started crying silently until he wiped one tear away with his thumb, a tender smile growing on his face. She lifted one arm and rested her hand on his.
"I can't say the same about you" she said, and Prompto frowned in confusion.
"I gave my heart to Noctis long time ago" she continued "Unlike you, I ceased it to someone else before you came and changed it all. I won it back only to lose it again to you. And despite all the sufferings and insecurities, that was by far the only defeat I cherish and never regretted".
Prompto, who had been listening to her with a worried expression, broke into a joyous smile as he cupped her face and leaned forward to press his lips against hers. She kissed him back, fully aware that her heart was going to burst with happiness and longing. She had been waiting ten long years for that kiss, and now it was finally happening.
Their bodies pressed against one another as he deepened the kiss, smiling contentedly as his brain registered all the new emotions he was feeling, emotions he had never experienced with any other girl before.
It was in that moment, as they kissed under the stars, hundreds of feet above street level and with the city lights as the only source of lighting, that Prompto understood she was the one. The one for him, the one who had been patiently waiting for ten years, the one who had gone against everything and everyone for him. The one that had stayed. Against all odds.
So this is it. The end. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :D I would like to thank each and everyone of you for reading and taking the time to let me know your opinions about the story itself. Words can't describe how grateful I am whenever I see someone has actually been reading, reviewing, following, etc. etc. You're awesome :D
Love y'all, and see you in the next fic! ^w^