#prompt simple

It was an accident.  At first.  Kind of.  Looked back upon with realizations and fondness, but not something any of them were aware of at the time.

Noctis had called and suggested meeting up at the diner a little off the beaten path of any main streets for a late lunch/early dinner sort of thing, well within walking distance for him even on "one of those days".  Prompto was already stressed and tired from studying, having mostly lost track of what day it was over the long weekend, accepting the invitation immediately because diner food solved everything for very short periods of time.  He totally needed to cling on to that very period of time with every ounce of strength and hope he had left in him.  And also maybe a grilled cheese or five.  Okay, four.  He was sure he could allow himself four.  Or maybe a burger.

They hadn't even had the chance to look at their menus before Ignis strolled in the door, looking both enormously out of place and completely unaffected by his out-of-place-ness.  Noctis had questioned why he was there, getting a lightly judgmental look before Ignis slid into the booth next to the prince.  He ordered coffee even before the waitress fully acknowledged his presence.  Ebony, of course.  Noctis did convince him to get some "actual food", but he took one extended look at the menu (every page, back and front) and ultimately got something with grilled chicken and steamed broccoli, which immediately lead to a discussion about the "real diner experience" being missed out on.  As per usual, Ignis did not budge from his choice, but did rather suspiciously type something on his phone before secreting the device away.

Gladio showed up about five minutes later, as they should have known he would, announcing his presence with a tap on the glass and a stern look which startled Prompto.  At least, until Noctis had rolled his eyes, then the Shield-to-be revealed a small but victorious grin before entering.  Inviting himself to sit beside Prompto, he didn't hesitate before ordering a double cheese burger, and ultimately that was what the rest of their booth went with (Prompto ordering the version with jalapenos and pepper jack cheese, while Noct specifically requested no vegetables despite Ignis' sigh).

It most certainly wasn't set up like any date any of them had ever known; they'd all just shown up for the prince, either by invitation or by assumed duty.  There was an odd "rightness" to the way the rest of the diner seemed to disappear, however, whatever tension and stiffness which had been in Noctis' shoulders when the other two showed up utterly falling away after Ignis had chosen to stick to somewhat mundane subjects, and Gladio himself to ridiculously boring ones in regards to his "not romance novels", which even Specs ever so lightly scoffed about even if he continued to deny it.  All of that got Prompto to laugh even though he tried to hold himself back, and that in itself got Noctis to loosen up more and chuckle a little, all of them momentarily shedding duty and expectation the moment the four of them got to talking about waiting for the next update to King's Knight and the hopes for new weapons.

It probably should have been awkward, if not intimidating.   Noctis probably should have minded that they were being chaperoned or whatever.   Bit it was... it was really...

"This is kinda nice."  Prompto admitted, almost too quietly to hear himself.  It was a little embarrassing to admit out loud for whatever reason.  For probably a lot of reasons and he wasn't sure which ones he was just imagining.  Yeah, he kinda wished he was sitting next to Noctis instead, but--

When he felt the prince's foot brush against his pant leg, that secretive little quirk of a smile on Noctis' lips, it was all okay.

"Bet a skinny kid like you can't eat a whole burger anyway."   Gladio teased, prodding Prompto surprisingly gently in the side.

The blond squeaked indignantly and swatted at that hand.  "Not everyone's made of mountain and needing tons of fuel like you are."

"I'm the one using up 'tons of fuel'."  Noctis didn't quite protest.

"Yeah, because you cheat during spars with all that warping."  Gladiolus didn't miss his opportunity to respond, getting a huff and "Whatever" from the prince.

What Ignis did not say was that it took an enormous amount of calories to keep up with all of his official duties, let alone the others he'd taken on, but it was implied enough in the silence broken mercifully by their waitress returning with food to a chorus of thanks and praise for how everything looked and smelled.  Along with a request for a coffee refill.

And it was good.  Classic diner fare; maybe not much to look at, but the portions were plentiful and the food was delicious.  Even if Noctis did have to remove pickles stuck to the top of his bun.

Prompto and Noctis were in their last year of high school, a few weeks before their final exams. The blonde had decided to start his Crownsguard training directly afterwards and Noct would have to take over a lot more royal duties since before. Since they knew the future would be stressful and they couldn't study for their exams all the time non-stop, the prince had suggested to take at least one weekend off and hang out together. It took some persuading but eventually, Ignis allowed the prince some free time and they got him and Gladio to join.

The four of them had finally become boyfriends after a chaotic first date a few months ago. Prompto still couldn't believe his luck. Even though they were together it didn't happen often that all four of them had the time to meet up. Ignis was the busiest of them all but Gladio was also busy training the new recruits. Prompto was still working at the photography shop after school, which left him with little free time as well. The prince saw Prompto at school and Gladio at training sessions regularly, as well as Ignis during some meetings but their relationship was still a secret. Because of this, the prince indeed managed to see his boyfriends but he couldn't act on it.

That's why Noct had insisted on this free weekend for them all and they ended up spending it in his apartment. It wasn't as fancy as their first date had been but it was still special for Prompto. He enjoyed spending time with all of his boyfriends, from time to time still not realizing they really were a thing now. But as they all laid on the couch, cuddling, legs intertwined, lazily sharing kisses and playing video games, the reality of it all slowly started to settle in and he tried to burry all his worries to the back of his mind.

It was the first time he played video games together with Ignis. And like always the advisor excelled at it after only a few tries. It was amazing and unbelievable at the same time. Was there anything the tactician couldn't do?! Noctis looked kind of grumpy about it but as he had spent hours of persuading Iggy to even play with them, they couldn't complain about it now. Since they were all together Ignis had become a little more lenient towards their prince's and Prompto's wishes. They even ordered pizza for dinner, telling the advisor they wanted to spend every possible minute together and not let him waste any time by cooking. Ignis wasn't convinced at first but one pout of Prompto had changed his mind. Prompto knew about the power of his pout, even if he still couldn't believe it. Gladio and Ignis had called it "unbearably cute" and apparently, they had really meant it that way, even though Prompto himself saw no cuteness in his own ugly face.

They played video games until late into the night before they got to sleep, all cuddled together in Noct's huge bed. Gladio facing the wall, Ignis on the other side since he always used to get up first, Prompto and Noct safely between the older two men. After the four of them had gotten together, the prince had bought a new bed so large, Prompto didn't even know something like this existed. Ignis was afraid someone could get suspicious of their secret relationship, but Gladio had said no one would question it if Princess Sleepiness got himself a new larger bed.

Prompto wasn't used to sleep beside someone else, so it always took him more time to fall asleep than usual. Sometimes he admired Noct's ability to fall asleep almost immediately. Gladio always was the next to fall asleep, his soft snoring causing Ignis to toss and turn around a few times before the advisor finally rested as well. Knowing their sleeping habits felt special to Prompto. It was like he got to know things about his three boyfriends no one else knew about them. And it made him feel welcome, it was a proof for their trust in him. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to sleep so peacefully beside him, would they? The blonde smiled fondly as he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off into the world of dreams as well.

The blonde fell into a fitful sleep. He tossed and turned until he finally awoke inside of an empty bed. He sat up and looked around. He was still in Noct's bed, but the sheets beside him were empty. It was raining outside, the sky painted grey and dark, but it wasn't nighttime anymore. Waking up after the prince was something new for the blonde, but he didn't pay it any mind. Still, he was kind of disappointed they all got up without waking him. They finally had a weekend off together, so he didn't want to sleep it away on his own.

Without caring about his appearance, only wearing a loose shirt and his chocobo printed sleeping pants, he got up and walked into the living room complaining, "You could at least have woken me up when Noct got up." "It is your own problem if you carelessly sleep away the day," the firm voice of King Regis himself reached Prompto's ears. The blonde widened his eyes in shock and suddenly became very aware of his tousled bed hair, "I, um, I'm sorry, your Majesty. What... what are you doing here?" "Is a father not allowed to visit his son?" Regis walked over to stand before Prompto with all his kingly might, dressed in his royal attire. Shit, what was going on here? Why didn't the others wake him up if the King of Lucis was coming over! A little warning would have been nice. "Oh, no, of course, you are! Um... speaking of Noct, um, Prince Noctis, where is he?" Prompto took a step back, trying to put some distance between himself and the king. "He is gone," Regis answered piercing the young boy with a fierce gaze. "Huh?" the blonde asked perplexed. Gone? What did he mean? "Like I said, he is gone. And you won't see him again. Ever. A commoner like you is bad company for someone of royal blood like my son," Regis explained, his voice getting louder towards the end, his face stoic, eyes cold. "Huh??" Prompto paled. He must have misheard this, right? There was no way the king would say something like this, would he? Well... he didn't really know the king. But from what he had heard from the others Regis was a loving father who wished for his son's happiness. On the other hand, it was true what he had said. He was nothing more than a commoner. "Is that all you can say?" Regis flashed him a ridiculing gaze. "Huh? No, I, um-" "Save your breath, I have no time for a commoner's babbling. Leave!" the king commanded and Prompto was too perplex to react in any way, "Are you too stupid to follow a simple order? I told you to leave right now. And don't you dare ever coming back here again!"

Prompto felt a cold shiver run down his spine. No, this couldn't be happening. This couldn't be true. He had to get away, right now. The king looked way too serious and threatening. Without thinking about where to go, he left the apartment and ran through the streets of Insomnia. As he bumped into a passerby in a hurry, he was granted a depreciatory look and wanted nothing more than to hide somewhere. He only now realized that he had just woken up and looked the part with his hair not done, loose shirt and chocobo printed pants. He really wanted to hide. And he needed to talk to Noct and the others about what has happened. His first intention was to call them but he left his phone on Noct's nightstand. As even more passersby stopped to look at him, he dashed off again. The surroundings looked familiar, he seemed to be somewhere near the Citadel. That was it, the Citadel. The training rooms. Gladio might be there.

He ran as fast as he could, ignoring his dry throat and the looks of the people he passed, keeping his face down desperately avoiding to make eye contact with anyone. Even as he reached the Citadel, he didn't slow down, running through the hallways. "Argentum!!" a sharp voice stopped him in his tracks and made him spin around almost as if he had been caught. "M-marshal Cor?" "I heard you won't be a member of the Crownsguard after all," the Immortal mentioned casually. Prompto only blinked at him in confusion, "What? I thought you said my training would start as soon as I finished high school." "Not anymore. You are not allowed to participate. King's orders. To be honest I'm glad about his decision. We don't need weaklings fooling around here," the marshall said so harshly, Prompto flinched. "But I," he stuttered before Cor interrupted him fiercely. "No buts! You are dispelled and therefore not allowed inside the Citadel anymore. Leave at once!" Cor ordered. Prompto shook his head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. He had looked forward to his training. Surely, it would have been hard. But he was so proud he got accepted and would be able to protect Noct for real one day! And now it was over before it had even begun? This couldn't be true. He didn't want to look for another job. He didn't want to believe this was happening.

Gladio. He needed to find him. He must be here, somewhere. He would protect him, the blonde could rely on him. Prompto dashed off into the general direction of the training facilities, desperately trying to ignore Cor shouting after him, "Hey! The exit is the other way!" He ran and ran and ran until he didn't hear the shouting anymore. There was only the echo of his own footsteps and the ringing inside his ears. Despite all the confusion he somehow managed to reach the training rooms and stormed inside at once, "Gladio!!"

"You!!" a voice similar to Gladio's reached him, but it sounded deeper and older. Prompto looked up to see Clarus stand in front of him. Shit. The encounter with Noct's father wasn't very nice, so he couldn't say he was pleased to meet Gladio's father. "Oh, um, hello, sir!" the blonde hoped he managed to sound polite as he tried to catch his breath, "Do you know where Gladio is?" "How dare you even speak his name..." Clarus rumbled. "W-what?" Prompto looked at him in shock. What had he done now? "I forbid you to ever contact my son again! What were you even thinking selfishly seducing him? What if he got so dumbstruck by a cheap slut like you that he fails to save the prince! It is his duty to protect the future king by all means. He has no time to lay eyes on someone else. Especially not you," the older shield spat repulsively. Prompto didn't believe what he had just heard. This couldn't be true. Why would Clarus think such things? The blonde would never do anything to distract Gladio from his duty. He himself wanted to become a member of the Crownsguard to protect Noct! He always knew that the prince had priority no matter their relationship status among each other.

Something wasn't right here. It had to be a prank. Or something else. He had to keep calm. There had to be a logical explanation for everything. Logical. Ignis. Maybe the advisor knew what happened. The blonde turned around and fled the training room, Clarus shouting after him, "Yeah, run away you coward!" Prompto closed his eyes as he ran, trying to fight back the tears. He had to stay calm. Getting worked up wouldn't help. Ignis had taught him that lately. He tried to take a deep breath but it was more of a stuttered inhale. He turned a few corners before he reached the library. Hopefully, Ignis would be here and could explain to him what had happened.

Entering the unbearably silent room, his eyes met those of Ignis's uncle at once. He had never met the man in person, but he had seen photos of him. Besides, he had the same stern gaze the advisor had when he was really upset. This wasn't good. "Argentum, I assume?" the man asked with a voice colder than ice. Prompto gulped and only nodded shortly, not trusting his own voice. "My nephew wishes to never see you again. Due to your indecent advances he had to deal with unnecessary feelings, clouding his mind and sense of judgment. Serendipitously he realized this before it was too late and wishes to cut all ties with you," Ignis's uncle stated before he just turned around and left, giving Prompto no chance to answer. Probably not even caring about his answer.

Prompto felt dizzy. He had to get away. He didn't know where to go, but he had to leave. Just get away from everything. Aimlessly running through the hallways of the Citadel once again, he suddenly saw a white dog at the exit, which looked oddly familiar to him. "Chibi?" he asked in disbelief. It couldn't be the dog he had once taken care of, could it? But if it was here, then... "Pryna?" a female voice asked and Luna entered the Citadel. As her eyes met Prompto's she looked surprised at first before her gaze turned sad. "Lunafreya-sama?! What are you doing here?" Prompto asked in wonder. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" Luna answered, her voice full of disappointment. Pryna placed herself protectively in front of her and growled at the blonde man. Prompto took a step back, "W-what?" "I asked you to befriend Noctis. I never wished for you to steal my future lover. Seriously, I had thought better of you. Noctis is the Chosen King and I am the Oracle. Did you seriously think you could oppose destiny?" she shook her head in disbelief, although Prompto was the one who couldn't believe what was going on. He wanted to reason with her but Pryna suddenly latched out for him and as Luna made no attempts to stop her loyal dog, he gave in to his instincts and fled. Again.

He left the Citadel, running through the rain once again. His hair stuck to his forehead and his face met with the ground as he abruptly tripped, not bracing himself for the fall. For a while, he just laid there, on the hard ground, hot tears mixing with cold rain, a taste of iron inside his mouth. He must have cut his lip at the clash. It hurt. His face hurt. His whole body hurt. But his heart was hurting the most. How could this happen? Yesterday he was happily eating pizza and playing video games with his three boyfriends who seemed to love him more than anything else in the world. But today reality came crashing down on him like a splash of cold water, to remind him that he didn't belong. He was a commoner. The world of royalty was way beyond his reach.

"What's this filthy piece of trash doing over here?" an unknown voice said and Prompto felt a sudden kick into his side. He rolled around and looked up into the face of an unknown man, who looked down at him in disgust. Around him even more, unknown passersby had stopped and mustered him, whispering to each other, throwing him looks. Prompto felt sick. He couldn't stay here, he had to finally get away from this lunacy. He couldn't stand this any longer, he was tired of it all, he just wanted to rest. He raced without looking back, ignoring the shouts of every person he accidentally ran into, ignoring his burning throat and lungs. He didn't care about the pain of his body, he just needed to get away. Get somewhere safe, to calm down and take a rest. Somewhere he could be alone and recover from everything. Home. He just had to get home. He'd be alone there.

Completely out of breath he reached the doorstep to his flat. As he patted the empty pockets of his pajama pants with shaking hands, he realized in a panic that he left his keys at Noct's apartment. No, this couldn't be true. He banged his head on the door and to his wonder it opened. Had he left it unlocked? Not able to care about it right now, he got inside. His wet clothes left droplets of water on the floor but he couldn't have cared less about this in that moment.

"You really have the guts to show your face here again?" Prompto stilled in his motion, looking down on the floor. This voice... No, it couldn't be. "D-dad?" he asked in disbelief, not having the heart to look up. "Who else did you expect? This is my house!" his father shouted and slammed his fist against the dresser, causing a flower vase to fall down, loudly shattering into thousands of pieces. Prompto flinched. Alerted by the noise, his mother came around the corner, "What's going on here? Oh no! Grandmother's vase, this was a family heirloom!" "It's his fault!" his father shouted and Prompto finally looked up, if only in disbelief. "How could you!" his mother screamed in disappointment. "I didn't even-" he tried to defend himself but his father interrupted him. "Shut up! Who would believe a faggot like you anyway?" his father exclaimed before he spat Prompto in the face, "As if it wouldn't be disgusting enough to fuck one man, you have three at once? Never knew you were such a bitch!" "That's so despicable! We didn't raise you to be such a disgrace!" his mother shouted under tears.

Prompto really couldn't take this any longer. He wiped the spit from his face before he screamed at his parents, "You didn't raise me at all!" "Are you trying to blame us now?" his mother started to sob even more, "I did so much for you and this is how you thank me for it?" "What? You were never there for me, I was always alone!" Prompto shouted, tears streaming down his face as well. "We worked hard to raise the money to keep you glutton fed!" his father shouted before his voice suddenly turned calm and cold, "But we won't do anything for you anymore." "Everyone is badmouthing us because of you! I can't stand it any longer," his mother explained in tears. Prompto couldn't believe his ears. Were they blaming him? He had done nothing wrong! "You are bringing my wife nothing but grief. Leave! And never come back. You are no longer our son," his father ordered, his voice not showing any sympathy. "It was a mistake to adopt you in the first place... you are a mistake!" his mother screamed before his father rushed over to embrace her. "What are you still doing here? You are hurting her! Why don't you just disappear? No one would miss you anyway!!" his father got angry again and something inside Prompto finally broke.

He was done. He couldn't take this any longer. He cried and screamed as he crouched down on the floor. The tears streamed down his face and no matter how desperately he covered his ears, he couldn't block out his mother's cries or his father's clamor. What had he ever done to deserve all this? He didn't know what to do anymore. He had nowhere to go, nowhere to belong, no place to go. Was his existence a sin in itself? Was he really this worthless?

Prompto jolted awake, eyes widened in shock. His clothes were clinging to him in cold sweat, as he looked up to three pairs of eyes. Iggy's gaze was graced with concern, while Noct looked almost hurt and Gladio kept his distance, looking like he didn't know how to deal with the situation at all. "Prompto?" he heard Ignis asking sheepishly before he realized the hands grabbing his shoulders. "NO!" he screamed on reflex and tried to struggle away.

"Calm down, Prompto. You had a nightmare," the advisor's voice sounded as reasonable as it always did but the blonde was afraid. He had to get away, he wasn't worthy, he shouldn't be here, he- "Prompto, darling, you have to breathe," he heard Ignis instruct him. What was the other talking about, he was breathing, wasn't he? But now that he thought about it, his lungs did still hurt. Like he had been running a marathon, a flame burning him from the inside. He managed to take in a stuttering breath before he had a coughing fit. "Easy, try to breathe slowly. Follow my breathing, Prompto," the tactician was a solid constant beside his trembling self. He could trust the advisor, couldn't he? Prompto could always rely on him. But... didn't his uncle tell him, that he didn't want to see him anymore? More tears streamed down his face as the world was slowly turning dizzy around him. "No, no, no, Prompto calm down," Ignis sounded almost... desperate? But why? Because of him? Was he worried? "You have to breathe in, and out. In. And out. Come on, Prompto, you can do it. I believe in you, I'm here for you. We are all with you," the advisor's voice calmed him down a little. Prompto wasn't sure if he really could do it. Was there even anything he could do? He was a useless nobody, a worthless commoner. But Iggy said he believed in him. And the advisor had never been wrong or lied to him before. And Prompto had always trusted him. He should try to believe him. He was already hurting so much all over it couldn't get any worse. And even if he couldn't believe in himself, he could believe in Ignis.

He managed to take a few stuttering breaths and distantly heard how the advisor told Gladio to go get some water. Closing his eyes to shut out everything that seemed too much right now, he tried to concentrate on Ignis's voice alone, which told him how to breathe. In and out. It sounded so easy. He just needed to follow his instructions. In and out. Yeah, he could do this. It felt easier from time to time and the advisor's voice sounded less stressed and more comfortable by now.

"What happened?" he heard Gladio's rough voice beside him and the memory came flashing back. Everything at once. What his parents had said about him. What everyone else had said about him. How he wasn't allowed to be with his lovers, caused trouble for everyone, wasn't allowed to even exist. It had been a dream, he knew this by now. But it felt so real. Too real. It could become reality every minute now. His lovers could realize who he really was and just leave him. And then he would be alone again. Like he used to be. But this time he knew how it felt to not be alone and he would always miss this feeling. Earlier he didn't know what he was missing, but by now, he couldn't imagine going back to being alone. He didn't want to. He wouldn't stand to lose his lovers ever again. But what if they left him one day? What if his dream became real? Should he break things up before reality hit him in the face again? Would it hurt less if he himself decided to end it all? Prompto didn't know what to do, what was right and what was wrong. He just wanted to be happy. But did someone like him even deserve happiness?

His body started to shake again, tears streaming down his face, mixing with the snot from his nose. He felt disgusting. He was disgusting, he was worthless, unlovable and... suddenly lifted up? Before he even realized what was going on, he found himself in Gladio's lap, his face pressed against the strong man's chest, two arms securely wrapped around him.

It felt warm.

But no, he wasn't allowed to enjoy this warmth, he wasn't worth it! He tried to struggle away but was no match for the trained shield's strength, "N-no!" "Calm down, sunshine," Gladio's chest rumbled as he spoke with a tenderness Prompto wasn't used to, "Don't think about anything, just calm down. You can cry if you want to. You can tell us what you dreamed about if you want to. But you are staying right here where you are until you have settled down. Deal with it." "Gladio, don't you think that's a little harsh? You can't hold him against his will," Ignis sounded worried. "You made him breathe your way, I'll make him calm down my way. You know I'm bad at talking, so just let me hold him," the shield answered, "I'm here for ya, Prom. I'll protect you from everything. You're safe with me, got it?" Prompto felt a kiss being placed upon his head before the shield's hand started to slowly stroke up and down his back. He tried to wriggle away but soon had to accept that the shield had meant what he said and didn't move one bit.

What should he do now? He couldn't just stay here, could he? He was only a commoner, he wasn't worth their time. But why had they never said so until now? Why had they stayed with him until now? They wouldn't be playing with him, he knew them well enough to know they weren't these kinds of people. Did they pity him? Prompto didn't know what to think anymore. He felt like his head would explode with a headache if he thought about this any longer and his stomach wasn't feeling well either. He just didn't know what to do anymore, what to feel anymore, what to think anymore.

And so he just cried.

Laying in the shield's strong, protective arms, not thinking about anything anymore, just letting all these complicated feelings being washed out of his body. The shield's shirt turned wet, where Prompto nuzzled his face against it, but the tall male didn't budge one bit. Instead, he kept patting his back and telling him he was safe no matter what. Prompto was hurting all over, his eyes, his head, his throat, but he didn't stop crying. He let it all out. At one point his body instinctively pressed harder against the other male, his one hand gripping Gladio's tank top, the other one desperately clutching onto his shoulder, unintentionally scratching the rough skin. But the shield didn't back away after this either, he only held him tighter, placed more kisses upon his head, whispering in his ear to take all the time he needed to calm down.

Prompto felt safe.

After a while, he shifted a little, shakingly tangling his legs around the shield's waist, pressing himself against him harder, desperately seeking even more contact.

Having lost track of time completely, he eventually managed to stop shaking, his endless streaming river of tears drying down almost completely. He still snuffled but he was gaining control over his body again. A dry lump had formed in his throat and his voice sounded raspy as he quietly mumbled, "Sorry." "Hm?" Gladio hummed. Prompto backed away from the other's chest a little and looked at his shirt, where a big wet stain had formed, "For ruining your shirt." "I don't care about a little rain, sunshine," Gladio said as he placed a kiss on the blonde's forehead. "B-but I'm always such a burden!" Prompto shouted, which caused him to cough. "You are no burden," the shield said, his voice sounding confused, probably not getting where Prompto was coming from. "But I-" the blonde wanted to explain, but his dry throat wouldn't let him, just making him cough uncontrollably.

"Try to drink some water, darling," Ignis's soft voice reached Prompto's ears and the advisor handed him a small opened bottle of water. The blonde accepted it with shaking hands and took a few small sips. The cool liquid felt like heaven on his raw throat and he only now realized how thirsty he had been all the time. He eagerly gulped down some more of it before he sheepishly handed the bottle back to Ignis. The advisor took it and placed it on the nightstand before he carefully placed a hand on Prompto's shoulder, asking even more carefully, "What makes you think you could be a burden?" "Well because I'm... I'm just me," the blonde fished for words. "I'm afraid I don't follow," Ignis admitted, but Prompto only bid his bottom lip.

For the first time this night, Noctis spoke up as he tentatively laid his hand on Prompto's thigh, "If it's not too much... would you tell us about your dream?" The quivering in the prince's voice made Prompto look up. He was surprised to see Noct's eyes shimmering worriedly as if the prince himself was only a second away from crying himself. "You really wanna know?" he asked hesitantly. "Yes, I want to know what's haunting you." "Even if it's... bad?" "Yes, even if it's bad. I want to know everything about you, Prom," Noctis confirmed.

Prompto chewed on his lips a little before he slowly nodded and started to tell them about his dream. It was difficult to live through it all once again, his voice breaking more than a few times, tears escaping his eyes again. But as he felt the warmth of his three lovers around him, saw Noctis crying for him and heard Gladio unabashedly insulting the people from his dream for everything they said, causing Iggy to gasp scandalized more than once, he felt better.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all this," Noctis stuttered between sobs after Prompto had finished his narration. "Dude, it's not like it's your fault," the blonde answered on reflex. He wasn't used to Noct crying. To be honest he had never seen the prince cry before and everything inside of him screamed to make him stop and just console him. "But I should have noticed you were worried about all this!" Noctis mentioned snuffling. "He is right," Ignis added, "I'm sorry we didn't realize you had so much on your mind. If you ever worry about anything, please feel free to tell us. Even if you think it might be something insignificant. We'll always listen to you." "Yeah, you are one of us now!" Gladio joined in, "So don't hold back and just speak up if something's on your mind! And don't you dare start your next sentence with but..." Prompto opened his mouth only to close it again immediately. How did Gladio know he wanted to protest? He didn't want to trouble the others with his insecurities, "I don't wanna be a burden on you all.." Gladio groaned in response before he softly shook the blonde still sitting in his lap, "Prompto! You are no burden on us. Why don't you just get this?" Ignis sighed, "What he meant is: Please don't think you are a burden to us. We all love you and care about you. That's why we want to know everything about you, good things or bad things. We want to laugh with you and we want to support you when you feel down. You don't have to hide anything from us, we are happy if you confide to us." "Yeah, that's what I meant! Didn't I say this?" Gladio answered. Noctis had stopped to cry by now and shook his head, a little desperate laugh leaving his mouth, "You have no tactfulness at all, Gladio." "Hey!! I don't wanna hear this from you," the shield grumbled and Ignis chuckled. Noct and Gladio started to playfully stare at each other, nudging their shoulders a few times before a soft snicker left Prompto's mouth. They all stopped and stared at him. "Thanks, guys. Thanks for... loving me." "Thanks for letting yourself be loved and loving us back!" Noctis smiled at him. "We wouldn't be complete without you, darling," Ignis added. "Don't you ever dare think anything else!" Gladio said before he placed another kiss on Prompto's forehead, which made the blonde smile at him.

"So, what's the plan? Gotta stay up the rest of the night, cuddling under as many blankets as possible and eat all ice cream the fridge holds?" Noctis suggested much to Ignis's dismay. "That sounds nice, but I'm actually way too exhausted," Prompto admitted. "Well then, back to sleep!" Gladio said and took off his wet shirt faster than anyone could look, before he laid back, putting Prompto down with him. The blonde blushed fiercely as his face pressed against the shield's muscular naked chest. Their legs were tangled together and Gladio had his arm securely wrapped around Prompto's upper body. Before the blonde could react, Noctis had cuddled against his back and slipped his hand under the blonde's shirt, soothingly rubbing circles over his soft skin. Ignis put the blankets upon them before he settled down against Gladio's other side, taken the blonde's hand into his own, placed upon the shield's chest. Prompto smiled fondly before he closed his eyes and listened to his lovers' breath and Gladio's steady heartbeat beneath him. He felt warm, secure and loved as he finally drifted off to sleep again.

Prompto shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Noise from lively conversations between other diner guests filled the room, but their own table was relatively quiet. Prompto looked at the focused attention of his companions before inspecting his fork as if it had an engraving in some ancient tongue.

“It’s silly, right? We’ve been together all this time, but suddenly, I don’t know how to act around you guys.”

Ignis placed an understanding hand on his shoulder. “It’s perfectly normal to move slowly. You enter cold water gradually rather than jump right in, correct?”

Prompto met his gentle gaze. “Yeah, okay.” Then he looked to Noctis and Gladiolus, both of whom seemed far too relaxed aside from their acute attention. “Uh, but still, none of you seem put off in this situation.”

Noctis leaned his elbows on the table despite the displeased look Ignis sent him for doing so. “Okay, I’m going to just come out and say it. We’ve already been in a relationship for years now.”

Stricken, Prompto jerked back in his seat. “Years?” he stammered.

“Prom, I know we should have told you, but—”

“No, I get it.” He gave a dry laugh. “You were probably just taking pity on me when I confessed.”

“No, Prom.” Gladiolus took his hand in a firm grip. “We always wanted you—or Noct did, and Iggy and I weren’t long after.”

“Then, why didn’t you just tell me?” Prompto asked shakily.

“Because I thought it might push you away,” Noctis explained with a remorseful smile. “I didn’t want you to be weirded out by it.”

“Noct,” Prompto sighed, finally relaxing in his chair. “Man, I’ve loved you since, like, forever. It wouldn’t have changed that.”

“Yeah, but I couldn’t risk losing you. You’re so special to me, Prompto.” Noctis reached across the table to take Prompto’s free hand. “And when you confessed, I knew you’d jump to crazy conclusions if you knew, so I made the guys keep quiet.”

Ignis’ hand squeezed on Prompto’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter that we have a longer intimate bond—you’ve always known we had that—but we want to start something new with you, Prompto. Everything is still new because here you are with us.”      

“Guys,” Prompto sounded close to tears.

Gladiolus gave a light chuckle. “Don’t cry now. It’s a happy occasion.”

“I am,” he wiped at a threatening tear, “happy, I swear. Just emotional.”

“There’s no shame in that,” Ignis said. “Actually, you should have seen Gladio on his first date with us.”

“Hey, now,” Gladio cut in. “Don’t tell me you didn’t get all choked up when Noct confessed to you.”

Ignis pushed at the nose of his glasses. “That I did, and I have no shame in admitting it.”

Prompto couldn’t help laughing at the weak glare Gladio was sending the advisor. After a short silence, he asked, “So, what now?”

“What do you mean?” Noctis asked.

“What are we supposed to talk about and stuff?”

Gladiolus tugged him closer by the shoulder. “Seriously? You’re always talking our damn ears off, but now of all times you’re coming up blank?”

“But it’s a date. I can’t just ramble on about that adorable chick at the choco ranch.”

“Sure, you can,” Gladio said. “But fine, if you’re gonna stress about it, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we say what we like the most about each other?”

Ignis smiled. “That sounds like a brilliant idea. Why don’t you start us off?”

Gladio lowered his head with a smirk. “You know that thing you do with your tongue?”

“Alright!” Ignis exclaimed. “Let’s keep this pg for now, shall we? I dare say Prompto might not be comfortable with that just yet.”

Prompto gave him a tiny appreciative smile.

Across the table, Noctis frowned. “Shit, now I have to rethink mine.”

“Noct,” Ignis chastised.

“I’m kidding, Iggy.”

“Okay, for real, Iggy, it’s a toss-up,” Gladio said with all seriousness. “What I respect most about you is your competence. As much as it’s my duty to keep you all safe, I know you’ll be there to step in if I ever fail. Not only can you protect Noct in my stead, you’re there to keep us all in line from nutrition and nursing to finance. It’s thanks to you I’m not a complete mess worrying about what ill-fates could befall these two.” He gestured to Noctis and Prompto, who both frowned. “But romantically, I’d say it’s the subtle ways you show your affection. You aren’t just capable, you care. You know just when we need reassurance or to be left alone. Plus, hearing your endearments in that gods sexy accent is enough to make my toes curl.”

“Endearments?” Prompto asked, perking up. “Like what?”

“Noct is my love or simply love, and Gladio is darling since I’ve been saving dear for you, Prompto.”

The gunner slumped a bit in his seat. “You’ve been saving it.” He seemed dazzled, but a second later a huge grin spread on his face. “Can you say it again?”

Ignis cupped his cheek. “My dear Prompto.”

Prompto’s giddy reception was clear despite the grin already on his face. “Oh my gods!”

Releasing Prompto, Ignis turned his attention back to Gladio. “Continue.”

Gladio faced Noctis. “I know we’re shaky sometimes, Noct, but you better understand how fucking much I care for you. Yeah, you’re a lazy brat, but you do what has to be done when it really comes down to it. You just care way too godsdamn much, and that’s the problem. As much as it frustrates me, it’s also what I love the most about you. You care about everyone and want to create a bright future for them. It’s beyond admirable, but your duty requires tough decisions and I have to be the one to push you to do so.”

Noctis looked pensive. “I always knew it was your sense of duty pushing you against me. Thanks, though, for telling me you like that side of me. I sorta always worried I was a disappointment.”

“Never. Sure, I’ve disagreed with you, but in the end, you’ve always worked things out for the best. I can push in the right direction, but you always get there on your own two feet.”

Noctis took Gladio’s hand and kissed his knuckles. “Thank you for being there to kick my sorry ass into motion.”

The shield chuckled. “Someone’s gotta do it. Kay, Prom. You want it now or wait until we’re deeper in?”

“Uh,” he paused in thought, “how about both?” His eyes sparkled, an obviously good sign.

Gladio smiled. “Your bubbliness. It’s so easy for me to get broody, but it never sticks when I’m around you. Your smile and energy just lights up the entire room.”

Prompto kicked his feet out gleefully. “Seriously? I’m not, you know, annoying or too much?”

“Weeell,” Gladio drawled, “sometimes you can be a bit too rambunctious, but I’ll take a hyperactive-induced headache over you mellow or brooding any day.”

“I suppose I shall go next,” Ignis offered. “Love,” he sent a meaningful smile Noct’s way, “so much has been asked of you. You have every right to rebel and place blame, yet you follow through with what you believe to be right. You may not be selfless, but you are sacrificing, and I am honored to call you my king and partner.”

Noctis swallowed down a lump in his throat, but his smile was sincere.

Ignis turned to Gladio. “Darling,” he smirked at Gladio’s tiny shudder, “what I love most about you is your straightforwardness. You never hold back your punches and make me better for it. I do believe you could be gentler on Noct at times, but when it comes to me, please dish out as much as you can. I want you to tell me when I have made a mistake or am losing grip on myself. You, darling, serve as my crutch. I know that if I ever wear thin, you will sit my ass down and tell me so.”

Gladio chuckled. “Guess we have that pretty much in common, huh?”

“It would seem so. Dear, Prompto.” Once again, Ignis cupped the gunner’s cheek. “What I love most about you is your optimism. When the world feels to be too much, you are always there to see the brighter side of things. To you, a baby chocobo is a tiny miracle and a friend is the most precious commodity. I only wish you could view yourself just as beautiful as the world. You, dear, are a rainbow in the mix of a storm.”

Now Prompto was crying. They weren’t strong, but he was definitely crying actual tears. Ignis wiped at his eye with concern written across his face. “See, you are probably thinking that it is amazing that I would view you as that wonderful, aren’t you?”

Sniffling, Prompto nodded. Ignis placed a kiss to his forehead. “I swear I will tell you just how wonderful you are each day until you can come to believe it yourself.”

Prompto leaned his head against Ignis’ shoulder, hand gripping at his suspender for support. Ignis held his head there while Gladio patted his back. Too far away to do much, Noctis just eyed him with concern.

“I’m okay,” Prompto finally mumbled, face still in Ignis’ chest. “Go on, Noct.”

“Alright,” Noctis said quietly. “Iggy, you’ve been with me for as long as I can remember. You were my first friend, my first love, and my greatest support. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for you. What I love most about you is your devotion and support. You made me your entire world, and I’m eternally grateful for what you give up because of it. I just hope I live up to your expectations so that you never have regrets.”

“Always, love. I will always give for your sake. You are my sun and stars.”

Noctis chuckled. “Have I ever told you how sappy you are?”

Ignis grinned back. “On multiple occasions, I’m sure.”

“Gladio, we may have started physically, but now you’re so much more to me. At first, you seemed pretty closed-off and hardcore, but deep down you’re a teddy bear. You’re soft and caring even if you show off your claws sometimes. I guess what I like most about you is that you don’t settle. You never baby me, instead pushing me to be my best. You’re damn harsh and relentless, but I know you see me as an equal. Even as children, you didn’t treat me like a kid. You saw the king buried deep inside me and yanked it out of me bit by bit making me who I am today.”

Gladio nodded silently at his understanding.

“Prom,” Noctis continued, “you are so special to me because you came to care about me for me instead of my station or out of duty. You’re just a normal guy liking me as a normal guy. It’s…refreshing, genuine—” He sent quick glances to Ignis and Gladio, “not that I mean you guys aren’t. It’s just special. I don’t know how else to put it. So much of my life has been centered around who I am as the prince. You are my normalcy, Prom. My piece of real life.”

“Noct, I…I don’t know what to say.”

“That’s fine. You don’t have to say anything.”

“Are you up to it, Prom?” the shield asked.

“Sure, I guess.” He glanced at them a bit nervously. “Just remember I could totally change my mind later, okay?”

“Of course,” Noctis said, once again leaning forward on the table.

“Kay, uh, Noct. As you know, I’ve had a crush on you since, like, forever. First, it was cause you always looked as lonely as me, then after getting to know you, it was because you were the first person to really care about getting to know me. It was unbelievable, really, at the time. I couldn’t believe you actually cared about me as a person, let alone that you—the prince—cared about a pleb like me. Then I met these hunky attendants of yours and was even more floored you’d give me the time of day. So, yeah, it’s that you care about me, and now that you want me when you could have, like, literally have anyone you want.”

“It’s not entirely accurate, but I wouldn’t want anyone other than you, Prom.”

Prompto giggled. “Me neither.” Sobering, he looked at Gladio. “Big guy, you make me feel safe,” he said with a tinge of embarrassment. “You’re big and strong and protective, and it makes me feel like nothing really bad ’s gonna happen when I’m around you.”

Spurred by the statement, Gladio took Prompto from Ignis and wrapped him in a bear hug. “Like this?”

Prompto nuzzled deeper into his embrace. “Like a comfy security blanket,” he sighed in contentment. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back over to Ignis.

“Iggy, gotta say I’m liking this sappy side of you. I’m fully open to the sap.” They grinned at each other. “What made me start liking you was your caring attentiveness, I guess. Even if you’re busy cooking or something you still check in on me and stuff. When we get out of battles you always make sure we’re all okay before you take care of yourself. It’s risky for you, but I get why you do it. You’d never be able to live with it if you missed the opportunity to help, and I just can’t believe you’d care so strongly about me, you know? Not in a self-deprecating way, just touched.”

“Actually,” Noct spoke up, “I don’t like it.” He took Ignis’ hand, face serious. “Iggy, you gotta take care of yourself, too. I know it’s rare, but I hate seeing you run yourself ragged for us. And if you’re hurt, you gotta help yourself. Can you promise me you’ll start saving at least one potion for yourself from now on? Please.”

Ignis sighed. “You know I can never deny you. How about I promise to access all of our injuries when we are running low on curatives so that our worst injuries are cured—including my own if need be.”

“Thanks, Iggy. I hate seeing you hurt just as much as you hate seeing us.”

They all fell into a pleasant silence, which was only broken when the waitress came to check on their table. “Does everything taste alright?” She asked, but her face was somewhat stiff.

Prompto jolted back into an upright position at her voice. “Huh?” Then he glanced down at the table and realized none of them had touched their food. “Yeah!” he quickly assured the young woman. “It’s great!”

She inclined her head politely. “I’m glad. Please let me know if you need anything.”

As soon as she was gone, he exclaimed, “Oh my gods! I can’t believe we forgot about the food!”

Gladio’s rumbled a laugh. “And you thought this was awkward.”

Prompto shoveled a spoonful of lukewarm chili into his mouth with a contemplative ‘hmm’. “Nowhere close to Iggy’s.”

Taking a spoonful of his own, Iggy said, “Thank you for the sentiment, but I believe that is merely because mine is still warm.”

“Naw. Yours is filled with love, the best ingredient.”

Ignis was caught between sentiment and humor, so Noctis beat him to the punchline. “Who’s the sap now, huh?”

Entirely unperturbed, Prompto chewed more of his chili. “It’s fun. Maybe we’ll start a competition.”

“My gil’s on pipsqueak,” Gladio said. “With his energy, he can probably keep firing them all day long if he wants.”

“That is a contest I do not mind losing,” Ignis said.

They ate relatively quickly after that, and Prompto released a giddy sigh afterward. “Nothing better than a full stomach.”

“Nothing?” Gladio asked with a glint in his eyes.

“Well, yeah—” Prompto’s explanation was cut off when Gladio kissed him. The gunner was caught off guard, but it did not take long for him to melt into the kiss. Once more, he let himself be taken into Gladio’s safe embrace. Gladio’s hands rested at his waist while Prompto’s own held around his neck.

When they broke apart he was red-faced, yet glowing. “Wow.”

Gladio’s eyes flicked to Ignis’ in silent communication. A moment later, the shield turned Prompto around so that he was facing the advisor. Ignis was the one to press himself against Prompto’s chest. He cradled Prompto’s face, holding him as if he were the finest china. His kiss was slower and more sensual than Gladio’s had been, and when he pulled back, Prompto had to suck in a deep breath.

Noctis fidgeted in his seat. “Fuck it,” he said, raising so he could go to Prompto as well. He knelt down, ignoring the odd looks they were receiving from other diner guests. Before Noct had the chance to move in for the kiss, Prompto did it for him. He latched onto him with an intensity he wasn’t expecting. But it was a pleasant surprise, and he pulled him flush against him, dishing out his best in return.

Pulling back, Prompto slumped low in his seat. “Phew.” He fanned himself with his hand. “I can die happy now.”

Gladio chuckled. “That better not be your end-goal, cause trust me, there’s more to come.”

Prompto brought his hands up to his face. “Yeah, I’m probably gonna die. But that’s fine.” Noctis and Ignis laughed this time as well at his melodramatic tone.

It's a good dream.

He wakes up with tears trailing down his cheeks, getting a concerned look from Ignis, but he assures in a cracking voice, "It was... such a good dream."

Ignis doesn't look like he quite believes, but he doesn't press.  He allows Noctis to lay there as long as he likes to gather himself while breakfast is made.

The images continue to play in the back of his mind, and he can see it all so clearly when he closes his eyes.  In the dream, Noctis is king.  Standing strong and proud as he remembers his father used to, with Luna at his side; but they're not married.  Were never forced.  She has the right to choose for herself, to live her own life along with being the Oracle.  She chooses to stand beside the King of Lucis, as he chooses to stand by her side, honoring their childhood promise to one another.

Besides, he loves Luna dearly, and she loves him, but they never knew each other in that way.  Luna's had her eyes on a Glaive or three, besides, and it's a different kind of love.  A different kind of need and want and giving to one another than anything they had for each other, though no more powerful.  Nor less.  Noctis teases her about royalty being selfish and she laughs, every time.

Because he knows, deeply and dearly: he's selfish, too.  With his three loves, with the three men who mean the most to him in the entire world, those he would never surrender to any situation or ideal.  They each have their own rooms, their own individual places, but there is a reason that the king's bed is the largest of all. Beside him always are his three; his private, personal kingdom.  Ignis is his trusted adviser out of personal duty and desire, as he had been even before the official title of Adviser to the King of Lucis.  Gladiolus continues his family tradition of being Shield of the King of Lucis, not because of the duty of his blood but because of the call of his heart.  Prompto is the Royal Photographer, a good and proper title, and while the public might attempt to think less of him for that, he remains at their center.  He's the one who captures the private moments, helps everyone decide which shots the press gets and which they keep for themselves.  He documents private moments and proud history.

And yet, despite the titles, after some years of pulling Eos back together again, they collectively decide to end the reign of kings.  Noctis wants to do right by his father, by all the kings; but the only way to do that properly, he feels, is to change along with the rest of the world.  They no longer need sacrificial kings.  No more princes watching their fathers drained of life only to take on the mantle themselves when the former king wastes to nothing.  The magic handed to them should be returned, and the magic which comes naturally should be free.  The people themselves should have more say over who rules them and how.

In his dreams, the Gods agree, and return to slumber.  There is no divine curse or expectation.  The ring does not exist.  Borders between nations are arbitrary, the differences beyond and between them not hated or feared.

In his dreams, they are happy to live in prosperity and peace, aiding others in doing the same.  There is no Scourge.  There are no mysterious figures.  There is what they wish and what they want, finally blooming into achievement.

Opening his eyes to the present waking world again, he can almost hear the chirps of a small Astral, the one he knows well.  Trying to give him hope.