Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 4

"Vampire," Noctis choked out, shaking in his arms.

Prompto pulled him up, holding him close, nuzzling at him and Noct whimpered, burying his head against Prompto's chest. "I'm sorry, I had no choice. You're safe Noct, I'll never let anyone hurt you," he swore as he rocked the younger vampire, hand moving to stroke through his hair. He felt Noct relax against him slowly, unable to resist the offered comfort.

"What're you doin' to me…." He slurred, boneless in Prompto's arms.

Prompto immediately toned it down. "Sorry, was just trying to help you keep calm, not knock you out," he promised. He helped Noct sit up a bit, still supporting him. Dark blue eyes met bright blue, searching and Prompto stayed quiet, swallowing back the instinctive hiss at being challenged. He would not treat Noct like he had been after his own turning.

,,,,,,,,,,

"Who are you?" Noct asked, finding himself unable to hold his eyes any longer. That was dumb, he was a Prince, taught to never look down and yet here he was, unable to hold his gaze. Some weird instinct screaming it wasn't a good thing to do, to challenge him.

"That's…kinda complicated," was the unhelpful answer. "Not refusing to answer," was the quick follow up of…his Sire? Yes, that was the term and it felt right. He closed his eyes and rested against his Sire's chest, wanting to cry over even feeling the urge to call someone that. "Prompto Argentum was the name I was given six months ago, before that I didn't have one."

"How could you not have a name…Sire?" the word felt pulled out of him and yet also natural and deep down that scared him. He'd read about vampires, he'd never met one before obviously, but as part of his studies he'd been forced to learn about all of the various beings that called Eos home. While illegal in Insomnia, he knew there was a small population of vampires, a larger one of were's and even some fey. He knew why they'd left the city before he woke, or he assumed they had since all he remembered since that night was here, the law was the law, even for the King and his family. His Dad would have no choice but to kill or exile him…he wanted desperately to believe his Dad would never kill him.

"It's weird, isn't it? Feeling compelled to call me that but also desperately not wanting to?"

Noctis nodded, relieved to hear the understanding in his voice. He shifted hesitantly in his hold and then sat up more fully when he wasn't stopped. "You did this to me, and I want to be mad, hate you…..but…but I can't, and I know it's because you turned me," he ran a hand through his hair out of frustration.

"I know…and I don't blame you for wanting to feel like that, I hate myself for it."

That definitely got Noctis' attention, meeting the lighter blue eyes again briefly in shock. "What?"

A gentle hand stroked his cheek and he found himself pressing into the touch. "I had no choice Noct. I've never had a choice before in anything. Just two minutes earlier and you'd still be alive, with no memory of ever meeting me."

Noctis puzzled over those words. "Your Sire ordered you to do this…and died just after you did?"

"Just after I turned you I felt the bond snap, freeing me."

"How old are you?" Noctis was genuinely curious, he couldn't be over a hundred or the bond would have broken on its own. They looked the same age but there was no telling with a vampire.

"Ah….twenty-one…I think," his Sire answered, surprising him.

"You think?" how could he not know his own age? Though it still made him a little older than Noctis, though not as old as Iggy and Gladio. He startled, looking around for the two…they were here, he'd seen them, fed from Gladio…he'd drank Gladio's blood!

"They're fine, asleep in the tent," his Sire soothed him gently, as if he'd read his mind.

Noctis groaned, why couldn't he just stay on topic?

"It's normal to feel scattered, even with your memories back" soft lips pressed against the top of his head and he found himself relaxing back into his Sire's body again, seeking comfort. "It'll take a few more days, no more than a week for it to get better."

That was a relief, he couldn't imagine living with his mind like it was….live…he wasn't really alive though, not anymore. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears slip free and his Sire just held him gently, rocking him. "Dad," he whimpered, he wanted his Dad so much.

"I'm sorry," another kiss was pressed to his head, this time his forehead. "Iggy bought some phones before we left. When you're feeling up to it, you can call your Dad."

Noctis wiped at his eyes, looking up at his Sire. "I can?"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Of course," Prompto promised. "He's your Dad, he must be worried sick. I'm betting that's why there's been so many Hunters around, he's looking for you. I don't really know much about families, but you love him. Maybe one day, you'll be able to see him, you could sneak in for a night or he could leave the city or something, maybe the law will change…" he would do anything he could to help make sure Noct didn't have to say goodbye forever to his Dad, if that meant a new phone every call so they weren't tracked or one day helping him sneak in or out of the city then so be it. He owed him at least that much, if not more.

"Thanks," Noct whispered, wiping the tears away and then staring at his hands, seeing the red tint.

"Seriously, it's the least I can do and not just because of the whole Sire thing," he promised. He had never called anyone Sire, being called that felt weird. "You've been calling me Prom, I'd like that, or Prompto," he offered.

"Prompto," Noct repeated his name slowly. "What were you called before?"

"Unit 05953234," Prompto answered and Noctis frowned, obviously confused. "I uh… I don't have parents like you do. I'm from Niflheim," he admitted, feeling Noct stiffen in alarm. He stroked the rigid back. "I am never going back there, and I will not let them near you, the only way they get to you is if I'm dead." He didn't want to even try to imagine what they would do to Noct if they got their hands on him. "What do you know about MT's?" he asked, not sure how much he'd need to explain.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Not a lot," Noctis admitted, feeling his body relaxing under the gentle touch, mind spinning. He may be having trouble concentrating but even so, he could think of a lot of reasons for a vampire from Niflheim to have been in the city, none of them good. He listened hard as Prompto explained how a unit was 'made', feeling sick at the idea of thousands of babies being made to turn into those things. "We should be overrun with those numbers."

"If they all made it through the process, yeah, but there's a high failure rate. I'm lucky, I guess. I was a failure but that was mentally, not so much physically. Since I still looked human and had some training, I wasn't terminated upon decommissioning. I got passed around a few departments until I was handed over to be turned. That was about three years ago."

Noctis felt the arms around him tighten briefly, a forehead resting against his and he realised that his Si…Prompto, was upset, scared? He slowly shifted to wrap his own arms around him, not liking the feeling. He found himself nuzzling at him as well and he decided to just let his weird new instincts guide him. If Prompto was twenty-one now then he would have been about nineteen, maybe eighteen, when turned. Noctis was technically older than him at twenty but at least he'd lived those years, what Prompto described wasn't living, wasn't a childhood.

"Thanks," Prompto whispered after a while. "It wasn't like what I did to you," he admitted. "They took us to a lab and strapped us down before drawing most of our blood out. Then bagged vampire blood was given to us. It was all very clinical, and it hurt so much. I made sure you were deeply asleep through that. I remember feeling my heart struggle to beat and then nothing. When I finally came around, I don't know how long it had been. I was locked in a metal room with others from the lab group who were in various states mentally. Everyday they'd toss blood packs in, never enough to fully sate the hunger though. There'd be fights over blood, space and uh…each other," the last was whispered and Noctis frowned before his eyes widened in shock.

"Oh…" what would it have been like to be turned like that? He could remember Prompto holding him, being gentle, touching him, giving pleasure even as there had been pain in his neck…that must have been when he was draining him. He vaguely remembered feeling weak, then a voice telling him to sleep. He craved Prompto's touch, but he was sure his Sire had done nothing beyond holding him, comforting him, a few soft kissing to his hair and forehead. Nothing like what he was insinuating had happened among the ones Prompto had woken with. "Did…were you…" he could say it and Prompto shook his head.

"I may be a failed MT, but I can still fight."

Good, that was good. That was the sort of violation no one deserved. "Did you ever meet your Sire?"

"No. Somehow the scientists and other military people were able to order us around as if they were. They must have been using the blood somehow. The Emperor is the only vampire over a hundred, at least in Gralea itself, every other vampire there is bound. Maybe ten months ago we began being tested, how well we could blend in among humans, control our thirst, control humans…things like that. Six months ago I was given my name and thrown into intensive training, memorising maps of Lucis and Insomnia, seeing pictures of the three of you, every bit of information the Empire had. I was ordered to find and turn you as part of a plan to undermine the monarchy. The King would either have to ignore the law, change it, or follow it. Either way they saw it as a win. There was no extraction plan or anything. Pretty sure they sent me to die because there is no way I wouldn't have been hunted down. When the bond broke I chose to leave the city with you, to keep you safe. I know I'm not all that old as a vampire, that normally I wouldn't have turned someone for years yet and I still have things to learn. But I will not abandon you like I was," Prompto swore fiercely and staring into bright blue eyes, Noctis couldn't help believing him.

He tried to listen objectively, to ignore the instinctive desire to believe his Sire. Hearing his story made that hard. He wanted desperately to believe that Prompto wouldn't hand him over to the Empire, he didn't want to even try to imagine what they would do to him, the Emperor had always been interested in his family's magic and the Crystal, as a vampire he could survive a lot more than he could have had he been captured as a human. "I want to believe you," he finally whispered. "What about Specs and Gladio? What did you do to them?" he knew they weren't vampires, but they also were very different. They called Prompto Master!

"They are blood bonded to me," Prompto admitted. "I couldn't get you out of the city by myself. I was dropped a day's walk from the city, if I hadn't decided to explore the area briefly, I wouldn't have known about this place to hide in. I needed help and I knew you wouldn't want to lose them."

"Iggy…he's almost like a child though."

"The bond overwhelms everything, destroys inhibitions, buries memory…it freed him from everything. I'll show you, close your eyes," Prompto urged and Noctis obeyed.

He felt Prompto's presence slowly grow, wrapping around him and a soft whine left his throat as he let the presence seep into his very being. He felt it guide him until he could feel two others, Ignis and Gladio. He could feel the steady strength of Gladio and Ignis…he bit back a sob as he realised just how devoted he was to him but also…how much he denied himself, his own needs. He'd been touch starved, had shut himself off…Prompto was right, he was free now, given all the touch and affection he had never been able to ask for before. A sob broke free and the feelings faded until he could only feel Prompto as his Sire held him. Iggy was happy now, in a way he knew his Adviser had never been before, was it right to want him back?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis sat with Iggy, his Adviser cuddling into his arms, seeking affection that Noctis was happy to give. Ignis had done so much for him all his life and he'd never appreciated it enough, had never shown him how much it meant to him that Ignis was always there. Now he had the chance to show him, even if Ignis didn't remember why.

Gladio sat beside them, watching calmly. "He's always loved you Noct, even when you drove him mad."

Noctis laughed bitterly and shook his head. "I did that too much; I should have shown him how much I appreciated everything he does for me." He stroked through un-styled dark blonde hair and Ignis smiled at him, pressing into his touch. The blood that bound them to Prompto recognised Noctis as well, meaning Ignis was quite happy with him while Prompto was out getting blood. They couldn't both feed only from Gladio and Ignis, it would leave them far too weak and could kill them if they weren't careful. They all hated the fact that Prompto was out there, too many hunters, but Noctis was too well known, and too obviously a vampire to go. "I love you Iggy," he whispered, nuzzling Ignis who nuzzled back happily.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis sat in his office with Cor and Clarus, trying to focus on his work but it was hard. It had been just over two weeks since Noctis and the others had vanished without a trace. He could see his own fears and lack of sleep reflected in Clarus and it hurt to see one of his oldest friends suffering the same as he was. They had always known that should something happen to Noctis, it was likely Gladio was already dead, but no Father expects to outlive their child. Regis refused to consider either of them was dead, not yet.

When a phone rang, Regis frowned looking at the others who checked theirs and shook their heads. The one on his desk wasn't ringing, nor was his personal phone which left… he quickly opened the drawer and drew it out. The phone's number was known to six people; himself, Clarus, Cor….Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis. His hands were trembling as he brought it out and he saw the other two men stiffen as they realised it was the emergency phone. "Unknown number," he stated, not surprising since all three of the boys phones had been found. He took a deep breath and pressed the answer symbol before putting it on speaker. "Regis," he kept the tremor from his voice, was this the ransom call?

"Dad," a familiar voice answered, and he slumped in his chair.

"Noctis… are you alright? Where are you?" he demanded, utterly relieved to hear his sons voice again. Of course, it could just be as proof as life but there was no sound of the phone being taken, of other voices.

"I'm…okay. I'm sorry Dad, I messed up," he sounded shaky, scared, like he hadn't heard him in years.

"Whatever it is, we can figure it out. Come home Noctis," he pitched his own voice to soothe his son, just as he had post assassination attempts and during the long months of Noctis' recovery from the Marilith attack.

"I can't…" they all heard the choked off sob. "I won't make you chose; I can't do that."

"What do you mean chose?" Regis pushed, terrified for his son.

"To exile or…execute me."

"Noctis…" he didn't understand why his son would think he would ever do either to him. "Whatever has happened, we can fix it, just come home. I can send the guard to meet you."

"You can't break the law for me, it's what they wanted. I should have been more careful, I'm sorry. I love you Dad."

"Noctis, please, tell me what has happened," he begged his son, the last had sounded too much like goodbye.

"I…I was…turned. I'm sorry. I couldn't call earlier; I didn't remember for the first bit and then I was very scattered."

Regis stared at the phone, eyes wide, and then he felt Cor grip his shoulder, sucking in a breath he hadn't realised he needed. Turned…no…not his son. Anything but that…

"Dad?" Noctis whispered in a small voice and Regis realised he had been quiet long enough to scare his son.

"Noct, son," he whispered, heart breaking as he tried to imagine his son as a vampire, enslaved to whoever had turned him, heart forever silences. Yet, the Crystal still hummed with a link to him. "You said them?"

"It was a plan by the Empire, to weaken the Monarchy. I was meant to be left somewhere for you to find mid transformation. Then you'd have to follow the law or break it for me. It wasn't his fault Dad, he didn't want to turn me, but he couldn't disobey."

"And you have to obey him, how do I know he hasn't made you say that?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice gentle, even if that was true, this was still his son. Noctis hadn't asked for this.

"You don't," Noctis admitted softly.

Clarus looked from the phone to Regis, pale and sick looking and he knew what the man was dying to ask.

"What about Gladio and Ignis?" Regis asked for his friend.

"They're here, still human. He needed them to get me out of the city. There's footage of Iggy getting our stuff, isn't there?"

"The Council is pushing that he was part of a kidnapping plot," Cor spoke up.

The line went silent for a second and Regis glared at his Marshall, worried Noctis would hang up.

"Hi Cor. Is Uncle Clarus there too?" Noctis finally asked, obviously trying to get his emotions under control.

"I'm here Noctis," Clarus answered obviously struggling to keep his tone even. "Where are you three?"

"Still in Lucis," Noctis admitted. "Could you call the hunters back? They're looking for us right? I'd like to be able to leave where we are without getting killed or having to fight."

"Their orders are to bring you home, unharmed," Regis argued and Noctis laughed.

"Right…they'll take one look, see vampire and do what they see as their job. I know they only nominally answer to the Crown. I can't come home Dad; I won't play into the Empires plans."

"Where will you go?"

"Don't know but it won't be Niflheim or Insomnia," Noctis answered. "This isn't goodbye forever….unless you want it to be. I won't use this phone again, to be safe, but I can call?"

"You are my son Noctis, no matter what has happened. I cannot lose you. You are safe?" Vampire or not, Noctis was his son, he could not turn his back on him as his own Father would have. He knew all the arguments why he should, that his son no longer had free will, that his Sire could twist everything that made him Noctis and use it against him, that his son would now prey on their people, become a killer….a monster… but he could not give up on him, the Crystal would never allow that either.

"Yeah, Prompto's taking really good care of all of us. He's never had a family before, the way he was turned… Niflheim has to be stopped Dad. You can't risk the cease fire but if we're exiled then our actions can't be held against the Crown."

"No! You are not taking on the Empire," Regis snapped, two vampires and two humans would never stand a chance.

"We can at least get better intel," Noctis offered but Regis knew that tone, his son would take on the entire Empire to ensure the safety of others. "Would you like to talk to him?"

"Yes," of course he would want to talk to his son's…Sire. His hands balled into fists, this was the person who had stolen his son, but it was possible he'd had no choice, could he really hold him to blame if that was true?

"Hello, ah, your Majesty," a new voice spoke, and he had a definite accent although it wasn't really strong. His voice was light, young sounding, nervous, not at all what he had expected.

"Hello. My son called you Prompto?"

"Yes sir, Prompto Argentum," there was silence for a few moments. "I really am sorry for everything that has happened. If I could change it I would. I would never want to make someone deal with this life. I won't let Niflheim get their hands on Noctis, they can't control me anymore."

"How can I believe you?"

"I….don't know. I know you can't trust anything Noct says either because of the control I have over him. I don't know what else to do but promise I'll do whatever I have to, to keep him safe."

"How about I come out and meet you all," Cor offered. "Just me, no guards."

"Who are you?"

"Cor Leonis."

"The Immortal?" Prompto gasped and Clarus managed a weak smirk at the tone.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto hit mute and looked at Noctis and Gladio. "Can we trust him?"

"Cor would never hurt us," Noctis offered immediately. "Dragging us back to Insomnia won't help anyone. I uh, don't know what he'd do to you though."

"We won't let him harm you Master. The Marshall is direct, he will do what he says," Gladio added.

Prompto nodded and took the phone off mute. "Alright, just you."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis closed his eyes in relief. It wasn't what the Father in him wanted, he would not be happy until his son was home and safe, but them agreeing to meet with Cor was a start. He stayed quiet as the meeting was arranged and Cor left to prepare. "May I speak with my son?"

"Of course sir," Prompto answered.

"Dad?" it was a relief to hear Noctis again.

"I'll call the hunters off and I'll make contact with the other races within the city. You will be able to come home one day," he swore. If he had to personally rewrite those laws and ram them down the Council's throats then he would. He would make contact with the others in the city and work to bring about fair laws that would allow them to integrate into the city properly, to not paint them all with the same brush. Even if it took the rest of his life, he would make it safe for Noctis to return and take his place as the next King. "You will stay safe?"

"As much as we can," Noctis offered what he could, and Regis could hear the shock in his voice. "I love you Dad."

"I love you too, Noctis." He glanced at Clarus. "Is Gladio there?"

"Yeah, hang on a sec," he listened to quiet voices and rustling of clothes, seeing Clarus tense.

"Dad?" Gladio's voice came through the speaker and Clarus closed his eyes.

"Gladio,' his Shield called in relief and Regis stood, deciding to give them some privacy.

Regis went to the library, he had laws to research and options to consider.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto smiled as Noctis threw himself into his arms, the younger vampire smiling. He absently smashed the phone while hugging him.

"He still loves me," Noct whispered.

"I'm glad," he told him, and he was. Noctis had lost so much, he didn't deserve to lose his Dad as well. Hopefully the Immortal knew enough about vampires to know that within the first few months, his death could kill or permanently damage Noctis' mind and growth.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"He'll want to see Gladio and Iggy too," Noctis warned, almost purring from sheer happiness, nuzzling at him. A hand stroked through his hair and he closed his eyes, loving the feel of fingers gently scratching his scalp. His Dad was going to fight to change the law, to let him go home, knowing that made it easier to just stop trying to feel anything negative for Prompto. He didn't want to try to be mad or hate him, it went against every instinct he now had. How had Prompto even managed to feel bad about turning him when it was what he was told to do? Maybe the bond had been weaker with how he'd been turned? just the idea of disobeying Prompto made him feel sick but…he thought he could do it if he absolutely had to, to protect his Dad or the others.

There was something else too….something… "I can still feel the Crystal," he murmured.

"Really?" Prompto asked, sounding surprised, hand stilling in his hair, and Noctis nodded, still nuzzling at Prompto, moving up to his throat, tongue darting out to lap at soft skin, hearing Prompto groan. "Noct…" his hand shifted from his hair to lie flat, holding him there gently and he knew he could pull back if he really wanted to. Instead he kept lapping at the skin over the vein in Prompto's throat.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Noct…" he groaned as a tentative tongue lapped at his skin, his hand shifting to hold Noct there though making sure he could pull away if he wanted to. It felt really good and he closed his eyes, even as he struggled to not influence what Noct was doing. He'd seen it, in his months of training, the way a vampire could use the one they turned, and he didn't want to do that to Noct. He made himself move his hand away. "Noct, you need to stop," he whispered, and he felt Noctis freeze against him, trembling. He gently drew Noctis back and tipped his head up, making eye contact. "I'm not mad," he soothed, stroking his cheek. "It felt really good," he assured him. "I really like you Noct, but I won't use you like that. I've seen it happen and I won't do that to you," he swore. If anything was to happen between them, it would happen when Noctis was free to choose for himself.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

If he had any blood circulation he was pretty sure he'd be blushing as he realised what Prompto meant. He knew if Prompto wanted him to, he'd be begging for him to do that. The fact he stopped Noctis from continuing just showed how different Prom was from the other vampires in Niflheim. He knew that the attraction he'd felt that night had been after Prompto had gotten into his head, but he was hardly the first time he'd danced with another guy. He thought if they'd really just met dancing, or anywhere really, that he'd like Prompto. He looked down, feeling ashamed, he was drawn to Prompto, he knew that. "Sorry."

"Noct," Prompto whispered, nudging his head up again. "There's nothing for you to be sorry for. It's my fault, I like you, ever since I saw your file," he admitted, confusing Noctis. "I'm sorry for influencing you."

Oh… was he? Noctis closed his eyes, focusing. "You're not…not any more than normal," he finally said. "I can feel it when you do, like when you showed me Specs and Gladio. I can't feel that now."

"Noct, not even two weeks ago you wanted to hate me," Prompto reminded him and Noctis looked away, he was right.

When he had remembered who he was, he had wanted to hate Prompto for stealing his life, for turning him into a monster, but…they weren't monsters. Being a vampire wasn't anything like he had been taught. He wasn't consumed by thirst, ready to drain whoever passed by. If that was true then he would have attacked Gladio and Iggy. His heart no longer beat, but that didn't mean he had changed, he was still Noctis. He just had a liquid diet now, he hadn't killed anyone, he didn't want to kill anyone or hurt them…well outside of those in charge in Niflheim. The bond between them drew him to Prompto, made him want to please him but he…he didn't want to hate him anymore. He shifted to sit in front of Prompto and reached out to take his hands. "Prom?"

"Yeah?" Their fingers laced together so easily.

"I don't want to hate you anymore. You could have abandoned me once you were free and no one would blame you for that. You didn't, you looked after me, all three of us, kept us from being discovered. Even if Dad had followed the law, if I'd been found like that it would have caused a lot of trouble. Everything you've done has been to take care of us." He squeezed Prompto's hands, wondering absently what they would feel like to a human, would their skin be cold? Would his Dad hug him one day and realise he was a walking corpse? "I understand you had no choice in turning me and I don't blame you. You aren't a bad person Prompto, you're doing your best in a mess of circumstances. I like you Prom, not just because you're my Sire, but because you're a good person." He freed a hand to gently touch Prompto's cheek.

"I wish…" Prompto leant into his touch. "I can't Noct…not while you're so tightly bound to me."

"So we wait a century or so?" he asked.

"Doesn't have to be that long, it can be voluntarily severed, by me, sooner than that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Not yet though, it's too dangerous for you. But in a few decades, I can let you go, be your own vampire," he offered a shaky smile and Noctis smiled back.

The idea of losing the link to him was scary but he also knew it would happen eventually. He bit his lip and then darted in to kiss Prompto. "I'm glad they sent you, not anyone else."

"Me too."

Noctis curled back into his arms, content, he could wait. What was a few decades to a vampire?

When Gladio left the tent he smiled at the sight of the two of them curled together. Noctis had been so lonely, even with them and Master had been even more alone, they deserved to be happy.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor parked and got out, looking around. They'd picked a good meeting spot, no easy ambush spots, good sightlines. He'd switched cars at Hammerhead, not wanting anyone to track him or notice a car from Insomnia so far from the city. He wasn't visibly armed, but it would take a split second to call his katana from the Armiger if necessary. He prayed it wouldn't be necessary, that this wasn't a trap, that there was still something of the boy he had helped raise in the vampire he had become.

He knew vampires were incredible fast and yet he was still startled when he turned back from scanning the area to see a hooded figure, body hidden from the sunlight. He studied what he could see, and it matched, but was it? "Noctis?" he called out and the figure moved over to the limited shade offered by a tree before pulling back the hood to reveal spiky black hair.

He took a breath to steady himself and then approached the tree, taking in the changes as he got closer. Noctis had never really been tanned but now his skin was pale, too pale. Cor was careful not to make eye contact and Noctis remained still, letting him look him over.

"Do I look that different?" Noctis asked and even his voice was different, smoother, all last traces of childhood gone from it.

"It is noticeable," Cor admitted, shifting so that his taller form helped block the remaining sunlight, getting a brief smile from the Prince.

"Thanks, first time I've been out when the sun is. I…I didn't realise it would be this bad," he ducked his head and kicked at a loose stone, behaviour that matched what he would expect from Noctis. "Is Dad okay, Cor?"

"Better since you called," Cor could admit to that easily enough.

Noctis flinched and he wondered what the Prince had heard in his tone. "You're safe Uncle Cor, I'd never hurt you."

"Noctis would never hurt me," Cor agreed, and the vampire flinched back, huddling in it's jacket.

"I am Noctis. I can still feel the magic of the Crystal. I'm still me. Yeah, I can smell your blood, hear your heart but that doesn't mean I'd ever try to feed from you. I'm not a monster Uncle Cor." Noctis took a step closer and Cor stood his ground. He lifted a hand and Cor fought not to flinch from the cold skin as fingers gently traced his cheek. This close, he'd never get to his sword in time should Noctis attack. He realised that Noctis was purposely not trying to meet his gaze, to put him at ease? "Look," he stepped back and summoned the Engine Blade from the Armiger before releasing it again. "Please," Noctis whispered, pleading for acceptance that Cor wasn't sure if he could give.

TBC…