Chapter Text
Prompto was eyeing the yummy looking menu of a restaurant when he heard the squeak of a young woman and looked up. The pretty blong lady was suddenly clutching her friend's arm with excitement.
- Oh my god, look over there! Isn't that... Prince Noctis?
Both women gasped when Noctis, only a few meters away from them and talking to Ignis, turned around slightly in their direction.
- It really is him! Oh my god, he's so gorgeous. I would never have expected to see the prince so far from Insomnia, in Lestallum market no less!
- Me neither. By the way, have you heard about the rumor? The Empire asked King Regis to wed his son to Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae as a condition to end the war.
Prompto froze as the woman's words sank in. Noctis? To be wed to Lady Lunafreya?
- Really? Oh please tell me he said yes!
- Well, the rumor says that he nearly accepted but finally refused, she continued, shaking her head. Apparently, the knights of the Kingsglaive told him after investigation that they thought it was a trap, that Niflheim planned to steal the crystal during the negotiations.
The two women obviously shuddered.
- That's chilling to think of what could have happened. It's such a pity though. They would make such a great looking couple.
- I know right? But at least that means he's still on the market!
They giggled at their joke but stopped when they noticed Prompto staring at them. Getting out of his trance, the blond blushed and waved at them awkwardly.
- Hey, hello ladies!
After side-eyeing the weirdo obviously stalking them, they whispered to each other and left, and Prompto sighed. He started when he felt a slap on his shoulders.
- Stop chatting up the ladies, you know it's useless, Gladio said with a smirk.
- What? I wasn't... Ugh, nevermind, Prompto said, huffing slighty and blushing with embarrassment as Noctis came closer. Anyway, let's go! Time to go hunting, we need that bounty! He said with too much enthusiasm.
Feeling down after hearing those disturbing news, he avoided Noctis' curious stare as he headed straight towards the Regalia, walking tall as if his heart hadn't just been trampled.
***
The night sky was clear, and if the moon was missing, it was full of shimmering stars.
Standing next to the dying campfire, Prompto took one last look at his daily photos. Some of them were okay, but most of them were plainly awful, worse than he had expected. He sighed, pouting slightly. He had yet to improve his poor skills.
No biggie, he still had time until the end of their little trip. After all, King Regis had allowed - even if reluctantly considering the potential imperial danger, and with no allowance - his son to take the road with his friends and bodyguards for two whole months. Ignis and Gladio had helped to persuade him, telling the King that it'd be a good training, also allowing the prince to grow up a little and be more responsible.
After that trip, the prince would have to resume his princely responsibilities. Actually, they both also had to resume their college studies. It'd be their third year for both at Insomnia University, in the Art and Photography program for Prompto, and in Politics and Economy for Noctis.
Prompto smiled dreamily, thinking about how their departments were so conveniently close, allowing them to eat together everyday. He was lucky to be able to do what he liked, and still hang out with the one person he...
Shaking his head to chase his inappropriate thoughts, he put away his camera.
- Well, time to go to sleep, he muttered to the stars.
He stretched and yawned before he entered the dark tent, crouching and feeling around to find his usual spot. When he groped what felt like a leg, he heard a tiny surprised groan.
- Sorry, he whispered as he laid down next to the sleeping prince.
No one answered him, not even Ignis nor Gladio, and Prompto tried not to make any noise as he wriggled to lie more comfortably on the hard soil.
Camping was fun and cheap, but not very comfortable and...
Prompto stopped moving at once, getting chills when he heard the roars and wails of an unknown but certainly mighty beast outside. He shivered when everything went eerily quiet after that, feeling suddenly thankful to Ignis who had insisted to call it a night earlier.
He rolled to his side, closer to Noctis. Duscae was stinking hot during the day, but the nights could be chilly, especially when you didn't have to run after creepy, magical creatures – or run away, for that matter.
Prompto's shivers calmed down a little as he listened to the steady breathing of his prince, enjoying the warmth of his close body.
So close and yet so far. In the darkness, Prompto had a small, bittersweet smile at the thought, and without his own consent, his hand hovered in the air until his fingertips captured a strand of soft hair, playing with it tenderly for a while.
Still, he was very lucky. He never had the chance before this journey to be that far into Noctis' personal space and he enjoyed it, probably a little too much.
It certainly wouldn't last long, he thought, remembering the overheard rumor concerning the potential wedding between Lady Lunafreya and Noctis. He wondered with a pang in his chest why his best friend hadn't bothered to talk to him about something that important. What if King Regis had agreed to it? Had he really refused anyway? What was Noctis thinking about all this? And what was really going on with the Empire?
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice when his cold fingertips brushed soft skin and he stiffened when Noctis suddenly rolled over. Wondering if had awoken him, he didn't move when the young man snuggled up to him, his head under Prompto's chin, chest flushed against his and the back of his hand touching this belly.
Prompto waited nervously, silently counting up to ten seconds, then sighed in relief. Fortunately, the prince seemed sound asleep. It was for the better, considering that his heart was hammering against his chest at such a high speed that Noctis would have surely heard and found it suspicious.
Slowly, Prompto let his hand grab Noctis' shoulder, holding him close, and his thumb soon started to caress the fabric of his shirt softly, the simple contact tender and shy. He probably wasn't allowed to do this, but this trip might be his last chance to be so close to the prince.
Sooner or later, Noctis would marry someone. If it wasn't Lady Lunafreya, it would be someone else. Another princess. Because princes married princesses, not male commoners.
When the hand on his belly suddenly moved to hold his waist, Noctis' head leaning even more heavily on his chest, Prompto froze for the second time that night and felt himself flush as the sleeping prince got closer to his fast ticking bomb.
He relaxed slightly when Noctis stopped moving, then he sighed, holding him close in the darkness and hopelessly willing his heart to calm down.
***
Leaning against the Regalia, Prompto watched from afar as Noctis frowned and crossed his arms in front of Cindy, looking annoyed as hell. He couldn't help but chuckle a little before taking another photo of the two, focusing heavily on the handsome prince.
When they had started their little road trip, the car had broken down early - totally not his fault - and they had stopped in Hammerhead to fix it, meeting Cid and his grand-daughter Cindy, and been there regularly ever since to service the Regalia and find little jobs.
Prompto had immediately been in awe with the girl. Cindy was lovely, very passionate about cars and her job, and she was also very sexy, looking very confident in her body. For someone like Prompto, who used to be fat and had very low self-esteem, she was just everything he admired and wanted to be.
On the other hand, Noctis always looked ready to strangle the girl. Well, at least that's how Prompto interpretated the pissed off expression on the prince's face as he had to listen to Cindy ordering him around.
Giggling again, he couldn't resist taking another photo, and still tried to look innocent when his eyes met Noctis' glare.
When Cindy finally left, Noctis made a beeline for his best friend.
- Let me guess, Prompto said with a knowing smile. Another mission?
Leaning lazily against the Regalia next to his friend, their arms touching lightly, Noctis sighed.
- She must think we are her personal slaves or something.
- Yeah, isn't she amazing? Prompto dreamily said.
Noctis glanced at him. He hesitated.
- Do you really... like her or something?
- He shouldn't, because she's clearly out of his league, Gladio intervened, coming up from behind them.
Prompto didn't pretend to protest. He didn't like her that way, but even if he did, he would have had no chance. What Gladio didn't know though, was that the person he actually liked was even further out of his league than Cindy was. What a laugh he'd have if he knew about it.
- I'm just glad she pays us so well, or we would have to camp out every night, Prompto cheekily said instead, ignoring Gladio's glare. Imagine the nightmare!
Noctis' stifled little laugh at Gladio's outraged expression was worth risking the big man's wrath.