"You didn't…you shouldn't have done that, Noct," Prompto fretted, nibbling upon his thumbnail as they wandered out across the sun-baked tarmac, in the direction of the diner.

"Why not? I want to do things for you. You deserve it."

"It's just kinda…over the top," Prompto shrugged. "What're Iggy and Gladio gonna say?"

"Don't tell me you've suddenly started caring what they think," Noctis groused.

"No, I…but it's really a bad idea to start, you know…showing off the fact that we're sort of together."

"You keep saying that. I don't understand you."

"You're getting married to a woman, Noct! The Oracle, no less! You can't be…photographed or whatever, messing about with some random guy!"

"I've told you, it's not a real marriage. It's a political arrangement. Everybody has worked that out already."

"You're still expected to, I don't know…pretend to be happily married. You don't need me to tell you that."

Noctis' pout was now superlative, and his arms were crossed tight over his chest as they argued in the middle of the diner's car park. "So what do you want?"

"I love you to bits, Noct. But we don't have to be…obvious about it."

Stubbornly, Noct stared at him, gnawing on the inside of his cheek. "I'm not talking about…press and media and stuff. I want…normal people to know that you're taken. That you're mine."

"Normal people don't give a crap about me," Prompto laughed in disbelief. "You got no worries there, dude."

"They're not exactly swarming after me wanting pictures and autographs either," Noct pointed out. "How many people have actually recognised me on this trip?"

"But- "

Noctis issued another searching, impenetrable stare. "Just kiss me once. Right now."

With a discomfited sigh and a quick scope of the surrounding (fairly empty) rest stop, Prompto hooked a hand behind Noct's neck and planted a quick, hard kiss on his mouth, before backing off hastily, blushing and looking down.

"See? World's still turning," Noctis shrugged.

"Noct, I don't wanna fight about this now. Please? Let's just…go get some food. And then…" he trailed off suggestively.

"…I can pop your clutch and we can go for a sweet ride."

"Gods, Noct, that was awful," Prom laughed sweetly, shaking his head. "Sounds so wrong coming outta your mouth."

"Unlike your name," Noct purred.

"…I have to agree with you there," the blond chuckled, giving Noctis a fond little punch on the arm as they wandered into the diner.

"I concur with Prompto on this subject. Most strenuously, in fact," Ignis was saying, as he listened to the Prince finish his rant at the diner's slightly sticky booth half an hour later. "It would be very wise to act cautiously in this endeavour. Nobody is going to keep the pair of you apart, but positive public opinion is crucial to have on your side, Noct."

"So they'd hate me just because Prom is a guy?" Noct continued to complain, frowning and fiddling with his half-full soda bottle.

"Not at all. They wouldn't be upset because he's male, or because he's a civilian. But they would be appalled to know that you are cheating on your fiancée. Regardless of the fact that it's an arranged marriage, that sort of behaviour is understandably frowned upon."

"You gotta think about it as a part of your duties," Gladio shrugged. "If you think you can wander around hand-in-hand with Blondie, you're living in a fairytale. Get real, you know better than that by now."

Prompto sat in the corner of the booth beside Noct, listening rather resignedly to the conversation.

"…I'm not happy about any of this," Noctis grumbled, practically radiating discontent.

"Obviously," Ignis noted. "We will do our best to facilitate your relationship, as will your father and the rest of the Palace, I'm sure. You know full well that your…preference is already common knowledge. But in order for us to do that, you need to meet us halfway."

"…Did you, like…" Prompto started, directing his curious words at Noct. "I mean…you didn't just wander up to your dad one day and say you liked dudes, did you?" If Noctis was so flippant in his openness about their new relationship, perhaps he had similarly had no qualms about announcing his sexuality.

"Hah! Far from it," Gladio chuckled, as the Prince started turning heatedly red under his sunburn. "He was caught jerking off to a gay mag. Clichéd, right?"

"No way!" Prompto giggled, whilst Ignis rubbed his temples in embarrassment.

"I'm gonna kill you, Gladio," Noctis hissed under his breath, the threat somewhat dampened by the heroic blush on his pale face.

"You wouldn't even make a scratch, punk."

"Prom, shoot him for me," Noctis ordered.

"No can do, Noct. Sorry."

"Uggh," the Prince sighed melodramatically, banging his forehead against the table, the sound muffled by the soft dark hair that fell in his eyes. "You guys suck."

"Even me?" Prompto asked playfully.

"Especially you," Noctis murmured, turning his head with a lewd wink. "Or did you forget that cave in the Quay already…"

"Boys, that's quite enough," Ignis intersected, holding up his gloved hands to prevent the conversation deteriorating any further.

"There are some things we don't need to know," Gladio agreed, before downing half of his cool soda.

"…Noctis, where is the car?" Ignis said with frightening calmness and a cool gaze as they exited the diner, the sticky sunset temperatures finally starting to cool down.

"Cindy's fixing her up."

"…And will it be ready by tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah," Noctis shrugged. "Well…probably. Maybe."

Prompto was grinning at the pair of them devolving into an argument, when Gladio tapped him on the shoulder and gestured him close, looking conspiratorial.

"Don't say I never do anything for ya," he told the blond, pulling a slim box from his back pocket and ushering it into Prom's hand.

The gunner frowned, reading the box, before gasping and spluttering. "Gladio! We don't need these! We're not sleeping together!"

"Well, when the time comes, you'll have no excuse not to play safe, kiddo." Before the mortified photographer could contest the dubious gift any further, Gladio strolled away, joining the bickering Prince and advisor.

Prompto flustered and fidgeted with the box of condoms, looking around for a bin in which to get rid of them. If they didn't have protection, he wouldn't actually have to make excuses about not wanting to have full sex – it would be out of the question anyway.

When he couldn't see a trashcan, but he could see Noctis beginning to turn and look back for him, he hurriedly opened his camera case and slipped the box into one of the empty side pockets designed for carrying memory cards and extra lenses. Zipping it up with finality and doing his best to forget the entire incident, he gave Noct a little wave before jogging to catch up to the rest of the team.