Author's Note: Hi all! First things first... Merry Christmas! Or happy holidays, if you don't celebrate Christmas. I hope everyone's had a great holiday.

Obviously I've returned home from my trip and finally gotten around to getting you the next chapter of this one. Thanks to all who've followed and favourited the story. I'm glad you like it enough to stick around for more. Thanks especially to my reviewers. I love hearing your thoughts. Your reviews definitely help keep me determined to keep writing more of this.

Quick note: I might have taken a little liberty with King's Knight (I really don't get why those boys love it as much as they do... I didn't find it that exciting) in regards to the whole 'adding friends'. I'm giving it a little more functionality than it has in real life for the sake of the story. I hope you understand.

Anyway, enough from me. Please enjoy Chapter 4.

"Noctis, hey! Wait up!"

He really should have been used to it by now, but he was still surprised when Prompto's voice interrupted his thoughts the next morning. Turning to see the tall blonde jog up, Noctis sighed heavily.

"What do you want now?"

Now it was Prompto's turn to look surprised and was it... a little hurt? "Woah dude, what's with the attitude? Just saying hello here."

Noctis pushed down a sudden feeling of guilt, instead just arching his brows and offering a quick shrug. "Past experience suggests you want something." And although it was true, Noctis wished he'd never said anything when a range of emotions – including hurt and what might have been anger – flashed through Prompto's bright eyes. Eventually however the other guy just laughed.

"True enough, I guess. No ulterior motive this time though, I swear. Just saying hi."

For a moment Noctis studied the blonde, finally offering a nod and a "Hi then," in return, before turning to continue walking down the hall, Prompto falling into step beside him.

When he didn't offer anything more, content merely to walk in silence, it became apparent that Prompto wasn't the quiet sort. "Spoke to the guys about the brunette, just so you know. They didn't one hundred percent believe my description of your... Shield, or whatever, but I think they'll definitely be thinking twice before approaching her if they happen to see her at the mall or whatever."

"For the best, probably."

"No doubt. I won't be losing any friends and your Shield won't be going to prison... probably a pain in the ass training up a new one, right?"

Noctis shrugged at that. "Wouldn't know. I didn't train the first one."

Prompto nodded, taking that in a moment before looking over curiously. "You don't really say a lot, huh?"

"Not really a lot to say." And there really wasn't, but he had a feeling it was bothering the blonde.

"Naturally quiet or nothing to say to me?"

He thought about that honestly for a second before shrugging. "Maybe a bit of both?" And when Prompto looked a little offended, he added defensively, "Look I don't know you. Far as I know we have nothing at all in common besides the fact that we're in a few of the same classes. What do you want me to say?"

Prompto nodded thoughtfully at that. "Okay okay. Fair enough. Hmm... things in common... Well you're pretty quiet and somewhat introverted; kinda the opposite of me."

"Yeah, I'd noticed."

The blonde flashed him a grin at that, before continuing. "Okay... how about photography?"

"Nope."

"Uh... how about... video games?"

"Which one?"

Prompto grinned. "Ah ha! Got a bite. And seriously dude... What video game? How about the only one worth playing on a smartphone! King's Knight!"

Noctis nodded. "Fine. I'll give you King's Knight. But the rest of it..."

"So what? We have something in common. That's more than me and half my friends have." And when Noctis opened his mouth to say something, Prompto spoke over him. "Besides... you and Ignis... how much do you two have in common?"

"Well..." Now that he thought about it, he and Ignis really didn't have a whole lot in common at all. He supposed a great part of the reason they were friends was because they'd been stuck with one another so long that it had just happened that way.

When Noctis didn't answer, Prompto nodded his head. "Exactly. Nothing at all right? And you two are buddies."

Noctis grimaced at that, shaking his head. "I wouldn't say we're buddies... just friends."

"Buddies, friends... What's the difference?"

A whole lot really but he wasn't about to have this conversation with someone who was almost a complete stranger. If he could even call Prompto that these days... he'd spoken to him more in the past week than he had his own father.

Though that wasn't really saying anything...

"So what's your username?"

Confused, his mind still a little lost in his own thoughts, Noctis glanced with a question in his eyes at the blonde. "What?"

"Your username?" And when Noctis continued to look at him in confusion, Prompto shook his head with a smile. "In King's Knight?"

"Oh!" Surprised, Noctis hesitated, wondering if he really wanted to go telling Prompto that kind of information. They weren't friends after all, and he had no plans for them to become so.

Prompto, apparently, had other plans. "So?"

"It's, uh... I mean... why?"

Bright blue eyes regarded him with incredulity. "What do you mean, why? So I can add you, of course!"

"I... mean... I..." He sighed, shaking his head. What the hell would it matter if he let the guy add him on King's Knight? "It's... well it's kinda embarrassing."

Prompto grinned at him. "As long as it's not something like ThisIsCrownPrinceNoctisBitches, I think we're okay."

A smile tugged at the corner of Noctis' mouth at that. "Pretty sure there's a character limit that would prevent that."

"Thank the Six, am I right? Now stop procrastinating and give me your username already."

"Knightlight... with a K," and when Prompto cracked a grin, Noctis shook his head. "Shut up, I was trying to be funny."

Prompto, laughing quietly now as he entered the username into his phone, nodded his head. "And you were. That's actually kinda hilarious. I'd never have guessed that one."

Moments later Noctis heard the chime of his own phone and checked his notifications. A friend request from 'Quicksilver' made him laugh quietly. "I see you were feeling equally creative that day."

The blonde grinned. "What can I say... it was right there."

"Your parents really made RPG usernames far too easy for you, huh?" The minute he uttered the words he saw the smile on Prompto's face falter a little and he floundered a little, unsure exactly what he'd said that was so wrong. "Sorry... I..."

But Prompto waved off the apology, forcing a smile back to his face, though this time the expression was far from genuine. "No big deal, dude. Don't even worry about it." He looked up then as they arrived at their class, and Prompto offered a quick nod in his direction, before slipping quickly to the back of the room and Noctis got the feeling that it was a far bigger deal than the blonde would have him believe.

As he took his seat in the middle of the room, he chanced a glance over his shoulder to find Prompto smiling brightly once again, caught up in a conversation already with the guy at the desk beside his own.

He found himself wondering for a moment what that might be like, knowing everyone like Prompto seemed to; having a friend nearby no matter where he went. The next minute he was pushing the thought from his head as the teacher rose to start the class.

Noctis was just leaving the classroom when he felt the light shove on his shoulder and found Prompto standing there with a look of mock outrage on his face. "Dude! You didn't wait for me! What kind of friend are you?"

"We're friends now are we?"

Prompto looked at him like he was an idiot. "Duh. We talk at school, play video games together. That's what friends do, right?"

"I wouldn't know." Now why the hell did he have to go ahead and say something like that? The expression on Prompto's face was easing ever so slightly towards sympathy, so he continued. "Gladio and Ignis don't play video games and don't go to this school so by those criteria I've never had a friend before."

Prompto laughed at that. "Well you do now."

A friend, huh? He wasn't exactly sure how the aforementioned Gladio and Ignis would feel about that. Still... whatever. He seemed liked a cool enough kid despite his habit of ending up in detention.

"Okay then. If we're friends now, level with me..." and when Prompto looked over with curiosity, Noctis continued. "What's your issue with Mr Melior? Half the time we're in that class you're being pretty disrespectful... not to mention that whole stunt the other day that landed you in detention."

"Ah that... yeah. Well that would be because Mr Melior is a dick." He shrugged. "And my father. Well... sort of. Not really."

Noctis was surprised to say the least, staring at the other guy as if he'd grown another head. "Mr Melior is your dad?"

Prompto hesitated a moment. "Like I said... not really."

"What's that mean, 'not really'?"

It occurred to Noctis that this was all pretty personal and that Prompto had every right in the world to tell him to piss off and mind his own business. Instead the blonde just shrugged slowly. "It means exactly what I said. 'Not really'. I'm adopted."

"Oh." Not at all what he expected, Noctis just stared a moment before realising what he was doing and shaking himself out of his stupor. "Sorry... I didn't..."

"Not a big deal. Don't worry about it." Familiar words, Noctis was reminded of the expression on Prompto's face earlier when he'd mentioned his parents. Suddenly that reaction made a whole lot of sense.

"But if you're adopted... Wouldn't you have his name?" Oh my God! Shut up Noctis. Seriously... he really needed to get this 'talk first, think later' thing out of his system if he wanted to keep his new... friend. He had a friend.

Huh.

Prompto just shrugged at his question in the end, apparently careless but his bright eyes were guarded. "Prompto Argentum is my birth name. I guess they let me keep it."

The topic was obviously a sensitive one for the other guy; Prompto's voice rough and almost angry, usually bright blue eyes dark and hard. Given the fact that they'd really only just become friends and this really wasn't any of his business, Noctis decided to just drop it. "So... King's Knight then. You any good or am I gonna regret letting you add me?"

The blonde brightened immediately, a grin pulling at his mouth. "Better than you, your Highness," he drawled out, teasing again. If this warm feeling – amusement, he thought and maybe happiness – was what having a school friend was like... well he could definitely get used to it. "Probably gonna carry this duo, not gonna lie."

Noctis snorted in disbelief at that suggestion. "Not a chance, blondie. I could take you."

"We'll see, Noct. We'll see."