Prompto had no idea what time it was when he woke abruptly from an unpleasant and violent dream, and he suffered the briefest of panics at finding himself once again in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. But as his senses quickly connected to his memory, he sighed in realisation of his surroundings.
It was still very dark, and he guessed that he hadn't been asleep long. The light sources from the building on the pier had lessened considerably, and now only a few rogue nightlights illuminated the decks. Scudding, purplish clouds had appeared to cover the bright moon almost completely. The room was cool, soaked in shadows, and smelt sweet and briny.
It was rather belatedly that it occurred to Prompto, with a tingle of anxiety, that he had forgotten to close the large, ocean-facing window. He felt, and Noct had felt, that the risk here was minimal. Nevertheless, if something happened tonight, it would be all his fault, and he knew that he had enough issues with self-doubt already - being instrumental in causing a dangerous situation would probably cause him to have some kind of breakdown.
Stretching his arms and groaning when a few joints popped in the silence, Prompto stood, quite naked, and checked that his Prince was still out for the count before going to the window, taking in one last, hefty lungful of refreshing air and then closing and latching it tight. He ambled back to his bed and laid down, pulling the covers back over his waist, and closed his eyes, mentally trying to force his thoughts into sweeter territory in the vain hope of avoiding more nightmares.
It rarely worked.
He was dwelling, as he often did (and against his will) upon certain embarrassing and upsetting memories that tended to haunt him in the early hours while sleep was postponed and his mind resisted rest. The harder he tried to ignore or forget them, the more insistently they replayed in his head, and he frowned at yet another personal run-through of his lifetime's humiliations.
For a moment, he thought the mutterings were in his head, before it occurred to him that Noctis was apparently talking aloud.
"Sss…mm, 'shoot it."
Prompto grinned warmly, both at the distraction from his maudlin thoughts, and at the honest amusement that he got from the fact that Noctis frequently sleep-talked. As he was often sharing a bed with him, he tended to have a front-row seat, and was usually involved in the conversations, even getting comprehensible answers from the unconscious Prince.
He murmured back loud enough for Noct to hear him, fighting a laugh. "Shoot it?"
"Ymm..in a…adds."
"…Shoot it in the ass?" Prompto attempted to translate, chuckling.
"Mmmm," Noct affirmed slowly, sounding satisfied.
His heart swelling a little with affection, the blond lowered his voice and bit his lip.
"You're adorable."
His only response was a small, snuffling noise and a quiet groan.
"…Prom?"
Prompto was very nearly asleep an hour later when Noct's quiet entreaty reached his ears, and he groaned instinctively.
"Nnh…what?" he mumbled to the darkness, vaguely irritated at his prolonged wakefulness and stifling a massive yawn.
"Get over here."
Prompto suddenly felt very much more awake. "…Why? You okay?"
"Just…get over here. In here," came the muffled voice.
"…In your bed?" Prom clarified tensely.
"Mm."
Considering this, his heart hammering to get his attention, the blond cleared his throat.
"…It's a tiny bed, dude."
"Don't make me order you."
"Like you could."
There sounded a long sigh in the dark. "Prompto Argentum, I order you to come over here with me. You refuse on pain of exile. And/or death," Noct added after a second.
"'And/or?' You suck at threats, Noct," Prompto chuckled, before tutting extravagantly. "Ugh, fine. Let me put some damn clothes on first."
"…What?"
"I'm butt naked."
"…Oh."
"Face the window, pervert," Prompto demanded playfully, sighing as he rummaged in near-sightless gloom for some underwear. Glancing at the sky, he noted that it was now crowded with thick, pregnant-looking clouds.
"What are you doing awake, anyway," he asked the Prince distractedly as he made himself decent. "You're not due to be up till tomorrow afternoon, sleepyhead."
"Shut up."
"Real mature."
"Idiot."
"Nerd."
"Jerk."
"Loser."
They continued to exchange affectionate insults as Prompto felt his way to Noct's bed, slipping into it and making sure he tutted and complained appropriately.
"It's way too small. We usually share a double, idiot."
"It's fine," Noctis informed him flatly. "…You sleep naked when you're alone?"
"Usually."
"…Wow."
"What?"
"Just…nothing."
"It's not like I have servants walking into my room in the morning to wake me up. I can be as naked as I want."
"Hm."
"...What's this about? Bad dream?" Prompto asked carefully.
"I'm not a kid, I don't need cuddles for nightmares. I was just cold," the Prince mumbled indignantly.
"'Just cold.' That is even more childish," Prompto laughed softly. "Do you need cuddles for warmth, then?" After a silent pause, he heard Noct's dark form huff noncommittally.
"…I don't mind if you do," the blond added.
There was no answer, merely the sudden and disappointing rustle of sheets as Noct turned abruptly to face away from his friend. Feeling a little gutted, Prompto was about to ask whether he should leave, when one cool hand snaked back towards him in the bed.
It bumped into his stomach rather sharply before patting and fumbling further up, until it found his own hand and grabbed it tightly. As Noct rolled slightly more towards the large, dark-sky windows, he pulled Prompto with him, hooking the blond's lean arm around his own torso.
Grinning, Prompto adjusted himself in a loose spoon behind Noctis, grasping his chest firmly with his forearm and wriggling close enough for the Prince's black hair to tickle his nose. Noct's cool hand continued to grip his gently, anchoring him in place.
"…Better?" Prom asked, unable to disguise the smile in his voice, the wet sound of his lips and teeth seeming manifestly loud in the gloom.
"Yeah," Noct replied softly, giving his hand a brief squeeze. Prompto would have believed how calm and careless the action felt, if it wasn't for the thundering, almost audible heartbeat that he could feel through the Prince's slim ribcage, vibrating fearfully against his own chest.
"…This is new," Prompto whispered, his lips millimetres away from damp, citrusy-smelling black hair.
"Mm," came the strained reply.
"You sure this is fine? You're not having a panic attack?" Prompto asked fondly, his warm exhale of laughter condensing upon Noct's scalp.
"…You gonna talk all night?" the Prince grumbled, but there was a smile in his voice.
"You gonna shut me up?" Prompto teased back. The following terse stillness was enough for him to wish he'd kept his mouth shut, as was the frantic, heightening pulse that he could feel in his friend's palm.
"…Prom…"
"Sorry. I didn't mean…anything like…you know...kissing. Forget it," Prompto said quickly, hoping to placate him. He could fairly feel the roots of his freckles scorching with blushes, and he was starting to feel unseasonably hot. "I should…not talk when we're like this."
"Like what?" Noctis asked quietly, not sounding interrogative, or aggressive, more…curious.
"In a…well…'suggestive'…thingy," the blond mumbled, trailing off weakly.
"…I like this," the Prince admitted, barely audibly.
"Me too. Cosy," Prompto chuckled, but it came out as awkward and strangled as it felt.
"…We do wake up like this sometimes," Noctis mused.
"Yeah, but that's an accident, it happens when we're asleep. This is kind of…intentional."
"You're not bothered?"
"Not…exactly," Prompto replied, and then winced and mentally kicked himself.
"What does that mean?" Noct's voice sounded extremely strained.
The blond sighed, swallowing thickly. Closing his eyes briefly, and seeing the same darkness as that of the room, he bit the bullet and snuggled forward as close as he dared to his friend.
"I don't mean it like that. It's…hard to explain," he muttered into soft, still-damp hair, nuzzling impulsively into the back of Noct's head.
"You're telling me?" Noct snorted, his hand tightening once more upon Prom's, insistently kneading his own fingerprints into his friend's.
"…You're sure this is okay? With me touching you and everything?"
"I like this," Noctis repeated simply, his urgent heartrate finally beginning to calm down, his grip loosening slightly. Prompto could almost hear the squeak of his joints as he unlocked limbs that seemed to have frozen in anxiety some minutes ago.
"I'm glad it's me. And not…Gladio or someone," Prompto chuckled faintly.
"It's always you. Idiot."
"Jerk."
"Weirdo."
"Pervert."
"Pleb."
They both snuffled with laughter, easing their muscles and minds, and sinking comfortably against one another.
"Night Noc."
"Night Prom."
It was sometime before dawn, with gulls keening outside over a grey-blue ocean, that Prompto was awakened again. They were still in the same position, loosely spooning, Noct in front of him, and everything in the hazy room seemed colourless. The blond felt his sleep-numb hand being eased downwards in very slow increments, to settle low on Noct's bare abdomen. He held his breath, keeping his hand limp, and waited to see what Noct would do with him next.
It was a long two minutes before Prompto's fingers were dragged downwards over warm, smooth skin, till they bumped into the waistband of his underwear.
"Noct," he uttered, without thinking.
The startled Prince immediately let go of his hand and huddled up, wriggling further away from him.
"…Noct."
"What," came the irritable grumble.
"…What were you doing?"
"You couldn't tell? Must be even more stupid than you look," Noct spat defensively, burrowing further into the sheets, voice becoming more muffled.
"…You wanted me to get you off?" Prompto asked bluntly, and he listened to Noct's breath hitch in embarrassment.
"…No."
"….Sure seemed like it." Prompto's voice was firm, but kind. He marvelled at how steady his words sounded.
"…Just…wanted to…" Noct trailed off, his stifled breathing sounding pained and distressed.
"…Yeah?" the blond encouraged gently.
"Wanted to imagine...what it'd be like," came a hoarse whisper, and what looked like an apathetic shrug. "If you ever put your hands…Gods, just forget it," he hissed with finality.
There followed a long pause, punctuated by very little except squawking seagulls and the distant whoosh of waves.
"…I can't do it, Noct," Prompto finally murmured.
A thick, damp swallow and an annoyed sigh. "Right."
"But not because-"
"Leave it."
"Noct, come on, let me ex-"
"Leave it!" Noct yelled, nearly deafening in the pre-dawn hush. He scooted as far away from the blond as he could, tutting miserably. Not to be defeated, Prompto followed him across the mattress, and hooked him in his arm once more, giving him a sound, noisy kiss to the back of his head.
"Don't sulk, your Highness. Doesn't suit you."
"Get out of my bed."
"Noct, quit being a brat, I-"
"Out."
Throwing up his hands in surrender, Prompto yanked back the covers and skulked back into his own bed, which felt almost unnaturally cold.
"You're an idiot," he groused, turning away from the belligerent Prince, his elfin features contorted into ugly anger.
On the other side of the room, Noctis didn't reply.