#promor

Cor (19:56): We’re venturing outside the city walls tomorrow, don’t forget. Get plenty of rest.

There, he sent it. This trivial text that nagged his conscious all day. Under any normal circumstance, a mentor would have no problem communicating with his pupil. Ye he found himself forming a habit of staring at the keyboard of his phone for minutes at a time, hesitating before his fingers tapped out nay words. He also noted how on edge he became after he sent the message. He would breathe a sigh of relief only after he heard his notification tone – one he set for his student, particularly – for a response.

Prompto (20:01): How could I forget? You got it teach thx for lookin out :)

Ah yes, another habit the veteran developed as of late; giving directions to his student regarding how he took care of himself outside of class. They were never strict instructions, of course, just gentle reminders.

But still, why? This all seemed very unlike him. As the legendary Cor the Immortal, many requested his guidance for combat training. He’s tutored countless people before Prompto. He wouldn’t lie that the blonde was a special case, as his Highness himself asked that his friend be under his supervision in preparation for when they leave the Crowned City. Not special like that though. Right?

Never before has he followed up so many times with his pupil in-between weekly classes. Never before has he decorated someone with so many compliments. Never before has a tune someone hummed echoed through his head, reverberating off of every brain cell until it stuck there all night.

And all morning.

Every time the song entered his head, the image of the bouncing boy, drumming out the beat on his thighs, appeared along with it. It was cute, endearing. It was not in his nature to think this way. Cor caught himself smiling, and quickly brought his wrist to his face. He pretended to wipe something off. The smile. It disappeared when he moved his wrist away. With a deliberately stern expression, he placed his phone in the small metal locker before him. One of many in the rather large locker room of the royal training hall. He heard a snicker as he relieved himself of his black jacket.

“Something funny?” Cor asked curtly.

The built man shook his head, eyebrows raised, a knowing smirk plastered on his lips. “Not at all,” tattooed arms shoved his shirt in his locker. “Just didn’t think that a hero of the war would be so fond of technology. Smilin’ at it an’ all.”

The shorter man’s feace twitched. “That’s not –“ He cut himself off. That’s not what I’m smiling about.

“So it’s the person behind the phone. I getcha.”

“…” He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He didn’t particularly want to think about this now, or discuss it with Gladio. He needed to clear his mind to train.

“Look. Whoever it is, I’m sure they’d appreciate you just tellin’ ‘em. If nothing else, it would get it off your chest.”

Cor stayed silent. He appreciated the other’s careful use of words, as to keep from throwing the issue at hand into his face. He also appreciated that he didn’t dig for answers. Plus, he made a solid point. “Perhaps you’re right…” There must be some reason Prompto didn’t leave his head, why he smiled every time he thought of him, why he felt so nervous texting him – business or not. He was, in fact, a special case.

“You gonna tell him now?” Gladio closed his locker with a metal clank, then turned to wait on his sparring partner.

“No.” he paused to think of the next time he would see his crush. The thought of calling Prompto that made him feel weird, yet giddy. “Tomorrow at dawn.” Despite being ready, he refused to look at the other man. In the silence, he felt his amber eyes on him, and somehow knew he figured it out.

“So be it.” The tall one patted Cor on the back as he passed behind him to enter the hall, leaving him to gather his thoughts.