Noctis Lucis Caelum (veggiehater) wrote in valloic, @ 2022-03-21 19:29:00 |
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Ignis, Noctis, and Gladio had headed off to the trouple’s shared room in their suite at Animal Kingdom after dinner, while Prompto went into his room. He was more than ready to turn in for a good night’s sleep after a shower in the ensuite bathroom. Prompto had pulled on the ridiculous Donald Duck pajamas he had bought at the gift shop earlier that day and had just gotten comfortable in his stupidly comfortable king size bed, when he heard a knocking at his bedroom door.
“Come in!” He called out, figuring it was one of the guys needing the bathroom or something, since three men to one bathroom was probably driving Iggy a little batty. The hood of the dumb pajamas were down and his damp locks were not in their usual gravity defying hairstyle.
Noctis felt a little delirious. Like when he stayed up all night playing a particularly satisfying video game and he desperately needed sleep, but there was no way his brain was going to let that happen just yet. Even after he got out of the shower and pulled on sweats and one of Gladio's way too big tank tops, his brain was stuck going a mile a minute. He need to downshift.
He was glad Prompto was still awake. Slipping through the door, Noct smiled as he turned in towards the room. The smile turned into a surprised laugh as he spotted Prom in his pajamas. "Okay, I knew you bought something with a duck but I didn't realize it was…" He gestured up and down Prompto and plopped down onto his bed, grinning. "...The whole thing. Wow." His grin was maybe a little too fond for friends but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it.
He propped himself up on his elbows, tank top gaping around his armpits and loose neckline showing off the sharp lines of his clavicle. "I wish I'd brought my phone in here,"
"Wait, you haven't even seen the best part," Prompto said, suddenly excited as he tossed his phone onto the bed next to Noct and got onto his knees. Then he flung his head forward and down and the hood of the pajamas flopped forward to cover his head. Grinning triumphantly, he showed off the outfit in its full glory. "You like it?" And then biting his lip, he added, "I got you guys some too as thanks."
It was thanks for a lot of things. For the home cooked meals, for the constant companionship, and for never making him feel like a fourth wheel to their relationship. The nature of their friendship had changed for the three of them, but they had never let Prompto feel like he had been left behind and that meant a lot.
So whenever he could, he made sure to pick up little gifts for them to show his appreciation.
"Now I really wish I'd brought my phone in here," Noct grinned. It was a ridiculous sight really. Grown man in character pajamas who could shoot the spines off a cactuar at fifty paces. But Noct had missed Prompto's lighthearted joy so much that it hurt to look at him for a second. He had to look away and push himself up to sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Wait you got us these? Good luck getting Specs to put it on." The mental image was enjoyable at the very least. And Ignis was soft for them all, so it wasn't impossible. Gladio might do it gleefully. He was a dork when Noctis least expected it. And also pretty soft for Prompto. They all were. Noct rubbed at his knees and cleared his throat. "Today was really great. It wouldn't have been the same without you."
“I think if he had the right incentive, maybe one from one of his boyfriends, he’d do anything,” Prompto hinted with a laugh before flopping back down onto the bed and leaning his head against his upturned palm. But his grin faded into a softer smile as he nodded in agreement with Noct’s assessment of the day. “Yeah, I had a lot of fun too. I’m glad I’m here to do things like this with you guys. And thanks…for never making me feel like I’m crashing on a date or something.”
Noct rolled his eyes and turned to crawl up the bed and sprawl out next to Prompto. "That was easy. Because you're not crashing anything. We want you around." It was probably a good time to say exactly how much they liked having Prompto around, but Noct was still a little gunshy. Prompto had been going on dates and enjoying himself. He didn't seem to be pining but then Noct hadn't exactly proven to be good at reading romantic interest with how much he'd missed from Ignis and Gladio over the years.
He frowned and smacked Prompto on the chest with the back of his hand. "Where's your camera? I know you took some good pics today."
The thing with Sophie had settled into an easy friendship and while it could have been something more, Prompto nor Sophie had pushed it that way. Maybe that would change in the future, maybe it wouldn’t, but Prompto was content with his situation right now. He was around the people he loved and was certain loved him back and that could and would be enough for now.
“Good because I don’t know how not to be around while in the same universe as you guys. The last time it happened, it sucked.” Then he pretended to collapse onto the bed and grabbed his chest where Noct had smacked, crying out, “Is this how you treat people you want around? Rude!” But then he rolled over onto his stomach and wiggled his way over to the other side of the bed where his camera sat on the nightstand. He made sure the lens cap was firmly in place before rolling back over shoving it at the other man. “Here, bossy. See for yourself.”
"Sucked is an understatement," Noct sighed, taking the camera. It didn't matter how sorry he was that Ardyn had tricked him into hurting Prompto, throwing him from a train and ultimately forcing him to fight his way back home. He couldn't go back in time. He didn't know the words to soothe that kind of ache. All he could do was slump closer to Prompto, his head lolling close to his friend's as he lifted the camera over his face and scrolled through.
"Any favorites?" He smiled at one of Iggy laughing. They would need to frame that one. "Better question: how many butts are in here?"
What happened with the train and Ardyn was long forgiven. Sure, the scars from the situation would always remain, but Prompto knew that it was a trick now. He knew that Noctis wouldn't have done what he did under normal circumstances. As far as he cared, it was good now.
Except for when he was questioned about the butt pictures. "Listen…" he said, trailing off when he didn't have an immediately satisfying response. "You all have nice butts and the people need to know. I won't be shamed for my philanthropy." He turned his nose up at this and sniffed loudly.
“I don’t think I really have much of one, but you’re the expert,” Noct laughed, a flush heating up his face. It wasn’t anything Prompto hadn’t said before in some way or another, but it hit differently these days. When the possibilities had been dangled in front of Noct’s face.
The long day was starting to catch up to him, with his hair damp, his shoes off, and the comforting weight of Prompto at his side. He wasn’t great at staying awake under the worst of sleeping circumstances, let alone the perfect ones. But he wanted to squeeze a few more moments with his friend before the day inevitably had to end. He lowered the camera to his chest and rolled his head to look at Prompto straight on. “Are you doing okay here? I mean, I know today was good, but I mean. In general…” Noct chewed on his lip. “I wished for you so many times but I didn’t really think about if this was what was best for you or just what I wanted.”
"If you need me sing about how nice of an ass you have, I'll do it. For the sake of our friendship," Prompto teased, watching fondly as Noctis clicked through some of the photos before shifting gears.
His smile turned to a frown when Noct started showing doubt about the good fortune that had him ending up here. "Noctis…yeah there's people and things I miss about home, but having you with me now? It's worth it." And the words felt true as they left him, knowing in his heart the biggest thing missing for him back home wasn't love or a family.
Because he had that. With Noctis and Iggy and Gladio. And here, he had that, without some cursed axe waiting to end things for them to save the world. It was selfish, but Prompto refused to feel guilty about having his best friend back…about having the first person he truly loved safe and away from destiny.
Noct snorted at the offer to sing and shook his head, hoping his face wasn’t obviously red. He wanted to tell him to sing about Ignis’s butt instead, but he lost that train of thought with the rest of what Prompto said. His chest felt warm, to match his face. It was a bigger feeling though. Too big to keep him at a safe distance.
“Thank the Six,” he grumbled feelingly. Flinging an arm and a leg over Prompto, he buried his face in Prompto’s shoulder. He hadn’t been any less of an octopus as he had been at home these last few weeks, but there was still an extra something to the way he clung now. A bone-deep relief manifesting in the way he sagged against Prompto and spoke with his words muffled by Donald Duck pajamas. “I know I have to go home some day and make things right. But I just want to enjoy what life I have here. This time out. And it wasn’t right without you.”
Maybe it was the low lighting of the room or what felt like the first piece of true normalcy in their physical affections. Because since he had arrived in Vallo, there felt like there might have been a physical distance to the way they interacted with one another, between him and the three others. Was it to put some boundaries in place because the other three were dating now? He wasn’t sure. But with the mood lighting and the easy way Noctis was grabbing him now like the octopus he truly was, Prompto felt an ease settle over him that let him roll into Noctis’ side and throw an arm around him in turn.
Clinging to each other, Prompto explained softly, “I know it makes me selfish, but I hope you never go back, Noct. I hope you stay here with me forever.” And that maybe felt like too honest of a declaration, but he was riding the high of a good day and a good moment right now.
Noct pulled his head back as Prompto rolled to face him. The idea was to give Prompto a little more room, but he didn’t get very far with Prompto’s wish suddenly in the air between them. He inched closer instead, wide blue eyes soft and pleased, and his leg tangling further around Prompto’s knee.
“I’m okay with you being selfish about keeping me,” Noct whispered. They were practically sharing a pillow. “More than okay.” Before he realized what he was doing, he brought a hand up to Prompto’s face and stroked down his jaw. His thumb lingered near Prompto’s mouth and he smiled shyly. “Since we’re confessing things…” He tugged on Prompto’s chin beard. “This…might be growing on me.”
There was a charge in the air that Prompto didn't know how to name. But he didn't shy away from it, didn't let his mind second guess him again when it came to Noctis. When the other man brought up confessing things, he held his breath for a second, wondering wildly where this was going.
But of course, it wasn’t what he was suddenly hoping for. There was no disappointment though and the tension of the situation remained because Noctis was stroking his face and common sense was suddenly nowhere to be found. Something in his brain short circuited and before Prompto could remember Noctis’ two boyfriends, he brought a hand up to cup Noct’s face. His thumb pressed in. His voice was soft and lower than normal when he explained, “I’m going to kiss you.” It was the only warning he got, before Prompto was leaning in and pressing his lips to Noctis’ lips.
Noct wasn’t expecting Prompto to be the brave one, when he really should have known he would be. He’d always been willing to throw himself into danger for Noctis, after all. And the rush of adrenaline that climbed up Noct’s spine as Prompto’s mouth touched his was dangerous. Not because it was wrong, but because it would be hard to recover from if Prompto changed his mind. If the idea of all four of them turned out to be too much. That didn’t stop Noct from following his instincts, though. If anything, it made him pull Prompto tighter, kiss a little deeper. He slipped a hand under the hood of Prompto’s pajamas and twisted his fingers into his hair.
If this was his one chance - their chance - he wanted to make it memorable.
The only thing running through Prompto’s head at the moment was ‘warm, soft, Noct.’ Higher level thinking had ceased probably five minutes ago, but the blond was fully functioning on his hindbrain and moving instinctively. Deeper kisses, pressed close, mouth falling open…it took longer than it should have for Prompto to remember Iggy and Gladio.
When he did, he pulled away from the kiss slowly, with a parting nip at Noct’s bottom lip because if he was going to die now, he might as well end the kiss on a high note. He didn’t physically move that much further away though, as he let his forehead rest against Noct’s. “Um,” he said, voice cracking before he cleared it and then tried again. “Um, sorry. Not about kissing you, but I guess about not doing that years ago when that was a real option.”
“What?” Noct frowned, the word rough and breathless. He chased after Prompto’s mouth for a moment before he realized what was happening. His heart was hammering in his chest, part anxiety and part joy. “Prom. Do you really think I’d have let this happen if this wasn’t a real option?”
He was confused, but he was also just a little dense. It didn’t immediately occur to him that it wasn't necessarily a given that he had the support and even mutual interest of Gladio and Ignis. To him, it was obvious. He wasn't someone who risked the people he cared about on a whim. He knocked his forehead gently against Prompto's trying to catch his gaze.
"I'm not sorry. But I get it if…if I'm…if we're..." Words failed him. Noct groaned. "I don't want you to be sorry, okay?"
It was Prompto's turn to be confused. Forehead wrinkling in thought, he went over the facts. Unless Noctis had just broken up with Gladio and Ignis just now, he didn't see how this was an option. It was why the two of them made a great pair. Two dense peas in a pod that needed Iggy to have anything resembling common sense. "Noct…two plus two isn't equaling four for me. What do you mean this is an option?" Then shamed he even pursued that line of questioning, he groaned and closed his eyes, but still failed to pull away from Noct. "Six, I know you said I don't have to be sorry, but I'm going to have to apologize to Gladio and Iggy and I feel like such a shit friend to them right now."
Finally, he started to really move away. He needed distance, he needed space so that he could think clearly and not be so caught up in hormones and how good Noctis smelled right then. "I'm really good at messing things up, huh?" The laugh that left him as he sat crossed legged at the end of the bed was slightly hysterical.
Noct startled and sat up. He wanted to pull Prompto back to him but he knew that wasn’t the right call. His anxiety skyrocketed instead. He scooted to the end of the bed but kept a healthy distance between them so he hopefully wouldn’t spook Prompto even further away.
“You didn’t mess anything up.” Noct rubbed a hand over his face. If anyone was doing this wrong, it was him. The guy actually in a relationship. “We…we’ve talked about this. Me and the guys. We just didn’t want to scare you off or throw too much at you at once.” He moved his hand to the back of his neck and closed his eyes. Maybe if he ran next door and grabbed the guys, they could handle this better than him. “Sorry, I should’ve…we should’ve talked before…sorry.”
It was the ambiguity that was throwing Prompto off. Not knowing exactly what the guys had talked about, what they were okay with…what was too much? What was going on? Prompto buried his face in his hands as his mind supplied the conversation in question. And none of it was looking good because his mind was running away with it. The raised skin from the cut that healed over from the time he had prime ribs with Iggy felt especially pointed at that moment, when he felt it against his face. It was a reminder he was tanking a friendship because he couldn’t control himself.
“Stop apologizing,” he mumbled from behind his hands, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to get his mind to calm down before he jumped to all kinds of conclusions. He breathed in deeply and lifted his face up again, so he could properly look at Noctis. “What…what would be too much? What did you actually talk about?” What was exactly possible going forward? Prompto tried to drown any hopeful tones in his voice, before he assumed too much or wrongly.
Noct started to reach for the back of Prompto's head when he buried his face in his hands but pulled back and moved closer instead. Prompto's anxiety made his own increase and the press of their hips together helped soothe him.
"Uh, your three best friends being interested in a relationship with you might be too much? I mean, I don't--we weren't sure how you felt about any of us - romantically - let alone all of us? I was halfway sure you were only attracted to women anyway." His eyes dropped away as his face heated. "But this thing happened where we got a glimpse at what the future could be like here and you were in it. And we were all…" Noct gestured between them, a bashful smile flickering across his mouth. "And it felt right. Not that…I mean, just having you here is right too. Just…yeah."
That feeling from earlier, floundering at the reveal of something so big, returned with a vengeance. Prompto looked like a fish with the way his mouth opened and closed several times before he finally was able to formulate his thoughts and say something. "All three?"
The implication that the future held something so precious, a promise of security and happiness was a lot. Almost too much. It was one thing when he thought it was just Noctis that he had feelings for, left unexplored because it wasn't ever meant to be a possibility. But Gladio, who he admired for his strength and hidden nerdiness, and Ignis, who had a seemingly endless fount of care and vulnerability that he didn't keep under wraps as well as he might have thought?
Prompto never thought it possible, so he never let his thoughts turn in that direction. It was easy to tell himself that they only saw him as a friend, an hanger-on of Noctis that had been elevated to friend once he proved himself to them. But now that it might have been on the table…
"All three?" He asked one more time, to be sure if he was hearing and processing what Noctis was telling, correctly. He couldn't let his mind run wild until he was sure of what was being said.
The moment before Prompto said anything felt like forever to Noct. He stared at his hands on his knees, shoulders tense, until the question snapped his gaze back to Prompto's face. A flustered laugh was trapped in his throat.
"Uh, yeah. All three." He bumped his shoulder against Prompto's and then stayed there, pressed close. His smile was crooked and sweet. "I don't know how you haven't noticed us all being really stupidly obvious this whole month. Ignis made you a special dinner that we weren't allowed to have. And Gladio is about as subtle as a brick to the face."
The anxiety that has been climbing this whole time dissipated just like that. Groaning out a disbelieving laugh, Prompto fell face first into the bed. From where he was trying to crawl through the bed and disappear, you could hear him saying, muffled, "I thought he was being nice because I just got here! And Gladio flirts as easily as he breathes!"
He felt a little stupid, thinking back to all the runs where Gladio had been extra handsy with the sunscreen or all the moments in the kitchen with Iggy that felt heavy with something unsaid. Astrals, he was as dumb as a bag of rocks. A low groaning noise emitted from him. "I don't understand how any of you would want to be with me. I'm stupid."
"It's one of Iggy's number one methods of seduction, dude," Noct laughed and fell back on to one elbow so he could watch Prompto roll around like a goof. "And Gladio flirts different with us. You've been getting the full treatment."
There was no question that Ignis would've handled this situation differently. Gladio too. But Noct didn't like Prompto's line of thought and didn't want to pressure him, so he was left with few options. He reached over to tweek Prompto's ear.
"Hey," he murmured softly. "You're not dumb. You're kind and funny and generous. You think the best of people and you don't always give yourself the same treatment. But we see you. I see you, Prom. I just want you to know, we're not going anywhere. If you want this, if you don't." Noct swallowed dryly. That thought was a hard one to face, but he'd face it if that's what happened. "If you…just need time? Whatever it is, you're stuck with us."
It had always been different with them. Prompto knew he had been getting special treatment, but he had thought it was just because they had been careful not to make him feel excluded, that it was just more of how they were back home with him. Sure, in the last couple of years the other two men had become more closed off, but so had Prompto. And that was all because of the man tweaking his ear now, of the acute loss they all felt because he wasn't around anymore. Noctis had been the one to bring them all together…it made sense that they were all a little lost without him.
Batting away Noctis' hand, he turned his head so it wasn't face first in the bed anymore. He stared at the man, trying to actually hear the words he was saying, trying to figure out what happened now. They were all just too good to him. He knew what Noctis was saying was true, that he wouldn't speak for the other two like this if they hadn't already spoken about this.
So really, it was up to him. And he was still floundering, trying to understand how any of this was possible. They wouldn't lie to him, he knew that, but the way they saw him versus how he saw himself…he reached out and dragged Noctis down onto the bed next to him. Manhandling the younger man, he wrapped his arms and legs around him and buried his face in his neck. "I don't know what to do next," he quietly admitted into Noctis' throat. "But I know I want to do it with you. All of you."
Noct met Prompto’s stare with a searching one of his own. Having his hand batted away didn’t worry him, but it did make him keep his hands to himself until Prompto glommed onto him like an aggressive octopus. He laughed and coiled his arms around Prompto in return, hugging him tightly.
“You don’t need to know right now.” Relief made his words soft and stretchy. Like he could yawn any second from the downshift in tension. He could sleep like this, easily, but he would wake up missing Gladio and Ignis in his bed. He buried his face in the side of Prompto’s hair for a moment anyway. Whatever happened now, Noct was convinced everything would be okay. “Do you want to see if we can fit all four of us in one of these resort beds? Just to sleep, I mean?”
It felt like a step too much, trying to sleep in the same bed as all of them when he wasn't sure what he wanted from the situation. So as much as it kind of sucked, he shook his head no. Reluctantly, he loosened his grip on Noct. "You can go and I'll see you guys in the morning? We can talk about this then. Or later. Whatever works best, but you guys should probably talk first and I need to think about this without thinking about kissing you again the whole time." Prom wanted to be sure that everything he was feeling was real, that it wasn’t just lust. Then he felt like he needed to clarify by saying, “Because I want to. Kiss you. Again. I probably should do the adult thing and not do that though.” And he knew if he was faced with Iggy and Gladio both right then, he wasn’t going to be able to stop himself if they wanted this too.
Noct tried not to look disappointed. He could be mature and patient about this. For Prompto, he could do that. He nodded a few times and drew back, unwinding himself from Prompto's limbs. But before he climbed out of the bed, he leaned over to press his cheek to Prompto's and whisper into his ear.
"I promise how we feel about you is very adult, Prom." It was truthful, but also a little cheeky. He grazed his mouth along Prompto's jaw as he crawled away and got to his feet. "But you're right. You should take your time thinking it over, without me pressuring you. Sleep good. And sweet dreams." He brushed a hand over the back of his own neck with one last bit of sheepishness, dragging his feet, and then shuffled out the door.