Author's Note:

Thanks to everyone who took a moment to read the first chapter and especially to my reviewer. I'm glad you liked it.

I hope you all enjoy Chapter 2.

Forever after that it felt impossible not to notice the blonde around at school. It seemed they shared a bunch of classes, though it wasn't wholly surprising he hadn't noticed before now. He used to breeze through his school days, barely noticing anything or anyone around him, lost in his own little world. Argentum – whatever his first name was – with his display in class the other day had managed to break him out of that world and now he was noticing everything and everyone around him.

Most especially Argentum himself.

He supposed it must have been nice, having so many friends to talk to, though the idea of that much attention on him in this place made him want to shudder. Not that he didn't get his own attention in this place, but nothing more than the usual; the kind of attention that didn't require acknowledgment or reciprocation. Argentum on the other hand was more often than not in the middle of any conversation; almost always the centre of attention.

Which was why it was so strange to suddenly see him completely alone.

Standing across the hall, leaning idly against the steel lockers, feet crossed at the ankles, he seemed caught up in his phone. Super focused, thumbs flying across the screen, he found himself wondering whether the guy was texting friends or else maybe he, like so many their age, was into King's Knight – probably one of the most addictive...

"Geez... Take a picture; it lasts longer."

Noctis started at the words, realising only then that he'd been caught staring again and felt a hint of colour rise in his cheeks as he caught the bright blue eyes of the guy opposite.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to stare."

"Didn't mean to, huh?" The guy pushed off the wall he'd been leaning against and made his way over, his actions smooth; an easy grace to his movements.

Coming to a stop directly in front of him, he cocked his head a little, blue eyes carefully studying Noctis' face. Feeling his flush deepen at the careful study, Noctis quickly offered his hand. "I'm Noctis."

Amusement tugged at one corner of the other's mouth and his eyes flickered down to the offered hand. "Yeah. I do know what our crown prince looks like." The words were amused with only the slightest hint of mockery but seconds later he took the offered hand, shaking briefly. "Prompto. Nice to meet you Noctis."

A silence fell between them then and it took another long moment before Noctis realised he was still holding the other guy's hand securely in his own. Releasing the hand as though burnt, Noctis cleared his throat and stepped back, his blue eyes lifting again to meet those of the blonde opposite him and wondering again what the catalyst had been that had changed the boy so completely over the years.

"You're staring again."

Amusement this time eased its way smoothly into the other's voice and despite having the confidence to defend himself against people like Ignis and Gladio – was usually a pretty confident guy – for some reason Noctis found himself flushing; embarrassed. "Sorry."

A quick shrug indicated the blonde – Prompto – didn't much mind the attention, though his blue eyes were curious as they considered him a moment. "So what do you see?"

Confused, Noctis frowned. "Sorry?"

"When you look at me like that. What do you see?"

"Nothing... I, uh..." and when he saw Prompto's smile widen a little at his discomfort, his flush darkened in embarrassment and he cleared his throat, determined not to look like a complete moron. "I was just thinking how much you've changed since... well since we first met."

"We've met before?"

"Well... no I guess not. But I'd seen you around."

A small, self-deprecating smile tugged at the other's mouth then, his blue eyes sliding to the side to stare at an invisible mark on the wall beside them. "Well... I was pretty hard to miss."

"That's not what I meant."

His rushed response had Prompto's eyes sliding back to his face and a quick smirk removed that brief moment of vulnerability from his face. "Of course not."

Silence descended between them again and, searching frantically for something to say Noctis blurted without thinking, "I'm headed to the arcade after school today. Did you want to come?" Wondering what in the names of all the Six he was thinking inviting a complete stranger to the arcade with him – Iggy and Gladio would have a fit – Noctis found himself trying to justify the invitation. "If you want to, I mean. Not a big deal if you don't."

He was surprised. He could see it on the other's face and in the big blue eyes staring back at him as though he'd sprouted another head. "I... uh..." There was a pause then and bright blue eyes wandered carefully over his face, as if the guy was assessing his reasons behind the invitation. Eventually he responded with a quick shake of his head, his eyes not quite meeting Noctis'. "Actually no I don't. Have fun though." And without another word the other guy turned and left him standing where he was in the hall.

Staring after the tall blonde as he disappeared around the corner, Noctis realised that he'd just lied to the other guy. Not a big deal if he didn't want to come with him? Then why the hell would the other's easy rejection make him feel so hurt and almost... insecure? Why did it matter if Prompto didn't want to spend time with him? The guy didn't know him. They'd barely spoken and already he was inviting him to hang out at the arcade? Who did that? Of course the guy had said no. Who wouldn't? It was creepy.

He'd thought over the years of course that the reason he didn't have a friend at school was because he'd never really cared to have one, but in that moment, after that simple no from one of the school's more popular students... well maybe it hadn't been entirely his choice after all. Sure people liked to stare, ask questions, bombard him with endless attention from afar, but not one of them had ever actively tried to befriend him. Was it because they simply didn't want to know him? Maybe he just didn't know how to talk to normal people; royalty, nobles and diplomats sure, no problem. Kids his own age... Apparently not.

He could sense that Iggy knew that something was wrong the minute he arrived to collect him; maybe his frown was darker than usual, maybe it was the way he shot a long look over at the crowds of students chatting together outside the school. Or maybe it was the way he darted quickly to the car and practically threw himself into the back seat when a certain blonde head turned his way.

Whatever Ignis thought however, he kept it to himself as they drove away, restricting any concern he felt to shooting surreptitious glances at him in the rear-view mirror and Noctis had never been more thankful for the way the other man could read him and how he'd very obviously assumed that he didn't want to talk about it.

Back at the school, standing amidst a crowd of friends who were all chattering around him, Prompto watched the luxury sedan pull away from the kerb in silence. For a long moment bright eyes watched the car depart, curiosity flickering deep in the clear blue before a sharp elbow to the ribs and teasing laughter pulled his attention back to the group around him.

He didn't end up going to the arcade, not really feeling up to it after Prompto's rejection, though really… should have seen it coming. Prompto was one of the school's most popular kids; he had a ton of friends he could go with to the arcade. Why in the names of the Six would he want to go with a complete stranger? And a prince no less... bodyguards hovering, bossing him around, probably glowering at the unvetted student hanging around their prince.

Gladio would have undoubtedly have had words with the guy the first time his back was turned.

It would have been a horrible afternoon for the other teen; if he'd been given a similar opportunity as the one he'd offered Prompto... well he'd probably have done the same thing.

"Are you feeling well, Noct?"

It seemed as though Iggy had finally broken his silence which meant the guy's worry had clearly won out over his desire to give Noctis his privacy. "Yeah, I'm fine."

The other hesitated a moment, eyes filled with concern and curiosity. "Are you sure? You seem quite... disheartened."

For a long moment Noctis remained silent, trying to order his thoughts into any semblance of sense so that he could pass them on to Ignis in some way that didn't make him look like a complete moron. Eventually he gave up, realising there was no easy way to explain it all and deciding to plough right in he took a deep breath, just saying the first thing that came to mind. "Hey Iggy is there something wrong with me?"

Ignis blinked a moment in surprise at the rushed and almost breathless question, before shaking his head. "Not that I'm aware of, no. Why do you ask?"

And Noctis just shook his head. The very last thing he felt like doing right now was revealing his failure to someone as calmly confident and put together as Ignis. "It's... it's nothing. Forget I asked."

"I find it highly unlikely I will be able to do so but we need not speak of it if that is your wish."

Noctis nodded silently, wondering then if perhaps he shouldn't take Ignis up on the offer and discuss it. After all, his advisor never seemed to have any trouble with making friends... sure he hadn't really seen the guy with any really close friends outside of the Citadel but that didn't mean he didn't have any. Gladio, for example, seemed to like the guy well enough. "It's just... I don't have any friends at that school, and I thought it was probably just because I didn't choose to make friends."

Ignis considered that for a moment. "I'm sensing there's a 'but' in there somewhere?"

"But I spoke to one of the guys at school today. Just for a bit, and... well..." When his voice trailed off into nothing, Noctis assumed Ignis might offer some kind of encouragement to keep him talking. When he didn't, merely watching him in silence and waiting patiently, Noctis sighed. "And I guess I might have invited him to hang out at the arcade with me today."

Ignis when he replied was all seriousness. "Noct, we don't know a thing about this kid. You know the protocol. He will need to be heavily vetted before you invite him..."

"I know, okay?" he snapped, cutting his advisor off mid-sentence. "I get it. Trust me, I get it." He sighed then, the anger from a moment before dissipating and his expression became almost helpless; a new look for him. "I just... panicked, I guess."

Ignis, calm once more, cocked his head curiously. "You panicked?"

Noctis nodded slowly, embarrassed to admit just how bad he was at this whole making friends thing but realising he'd gone too far to quit now. "Yeah. We were just talking about... well nothing really. And then there was this long silence and I just panicked and invited him to the arcade."

Silence was Ignis' only reaction for a moment, all the while Noctis' embarrassment creeping up his neck until his cheeks were coloured a faint pink. "But we didn't go to the arcade this afternoon."

A response that only heightened his embarrassment and as his cheeks blossomed from pink into a colour closer to red, the prince shook his head. "He said no."

"Which is the whole problem you're having with this."

Noctis nodded. "I thought making friends was supposed to be easy for royalty."

Ignis laughed at that, honestly amused at the frustration in Noctis' voice. "Ordinarily yes, but it seems you've chosen an interesting one to target."

"Target? You sound like Gladio. I'm not trying to attack the guy."

"But you do want to be his friend."

"I..." Did he though? If he was completely honest with himself the thought had never occurred to him before that rather unexpected conversation in the hall today. "I don't know. Maybe?"

"Maybe?"

Noctis shrugged. "Like I said... I don't know. I didn't really plan to talk to him. It just happened. And..."

When Noctis didn't continue, Ignis prompted once more. "And...?"

"I dunno... seems like trouble. He swore aloud in class the other day and then walked out on the teacher." Okay he really didn't know why he was telling Ignis this. It felt like he was some little kid dobbing on the other guy. "Not a big deal really. Guy clearly isn't interested in hanging out, so it's not like it's going to be an issue."

Ignis chuckled at Noctis' pretended disinterest. It was clear he saw right through the act; could see that the rejection had hurt. "You never know... he might have simply been taken by surprise by the sudden invitation if it was as out of the blue as you say. Or perhaps he already had plans."

"Or maybe he just had absolutely no interest in being friends."

"That is a possibility, yes." Ignis agreed with a nod. "Fact of the matter is you won't know for sure unless you try again. Honestly, if you'd invited me to the arcade minutes after we'd met for the first time, I'd probably have turned you down too."

"You hate the arcade."

"I do. Regardless it's..." and he paused a moment, looking thoughtful. "Now... how do I put this kindly..."

"Creepy?"

A smile quirked at the corner of Ignis' mouth at that, his eyes as they met Noctis' twinkling merrily at the succinct description, and he nodded. "I was looking for something a touch more tactful, but essentially yes. It was a little creepy."

"So you think I should try again?"

"Of course. Try again if you like. Or not. You're under no obligation to befriend this boy, and you did mention that he might be trouble?"

Noctis nodded thoughtfully in acknowledgment. Iggy was right of course; Iggy was almost always right. Kinda annoying but it definitely had it's moments. Like right now, for example. After all, the last thing he wanted was to get involved with someone who'd only get him into trouble, or at the very least make his time in high school that much harder. "Yeah you're right," and it was rare enough a statement that Ignis' brows rose on his forehead in surprise at the admission. "He can go on thinking I'm a freak; I don't care."

And he really didn't. He was sure there were a lot of people out there who thought things of him that weren't true; a side effect of being so well-known and at the same time a bit reclusive outside of official functions and school. So if the guy thought him a total freak – if he told all his friends about what had happened and they all had a good laugh about it, he didn't care.

Prompto Argentum could think whatever the hell he liked.