#sunprince

“Hey Noct!”

Prompto’s footsteps are familiar, quick and light like he’s not fully tethered to the ground but stopping hard, like he almost forgot to stop moving forward. Noctis closes his eyes and sighs, looks like he’s out of thinking time.

“Oh...bad meeting?”

Noctis shakes his head, hand sliding off the door as he straightens up and leans back, brushing his hair off his forehead and looking at the ceiling, anywhere but his husbands face.

“Not...bad. Dad just wanted to talk about some “future” stuff…”

Prompto frowns, Noctis can practically hear the sound of his lips turning down but he tips his head back down to look just in case he’s wrong. He’s not.

“What kind of “future” stuff?”

He really, really wishes Prompto didn’t already sound so worried, but he supposes he has the right. After all the last few times this sort of thing had come up it had resulted in Noctis and Regis fighting, since Regis had initially not wanted Noctis to marry Prompto and then later Noctis hadn’t wanted to face his father’s mortality.

“It’s the ‘Noctis you must produce an heir’ kind. I was kinda hoping he’d forget about that.”

Prompto’s expression is concerned and worried for a brief moment and then a smile spreads and he laughs, like Noctis doesn’t recognize the defenses by now.

“Oh! Well we can’t have a kid dude, so what, does he want you to cheat on me?”

Noctis groans and shakes his head, moving to the couch in their apartment and flopping down on it, loosening his tie as he goes.

“No, of course not, he loves you too much. He wants...he wants us to look for a surrogate.”

Prompto huffs but starts tugging off Noctis shoes anyways, “That’s a lady to carry your baby yeah?” 

Noctis snorts and nods, letting his eyes slip closed as he relaxes a little.

“Do you have to sleep with her or can we just...I don’t know, turkey baster thing it?”

 “It’s called in vitro. Turkey-baster...you’ve been watching shitty 80’s movies again haven’t you?”

Prompto laughs and Noctis feels a little more of the tension leave him, it’s a genuine sound and he’s glad Prompto’s at least willing to talk about this, even if it is awkward as hell.

“I only watched like..a couple! And you’re not answering my question Noctis!”

The slight raise of Prompto’s voice belied his genuine concern and Noctis opened his eyes again, sitting up and catching one of Prompto’s hands in his, stroking his thumbs over the skin.

“Hey, hey...I don’t have to sleep with her, at least, I shouldn’t. We can do IVF stuff and everything. WE have to agree on who it is too...I told dad I wouldn’t do it if you were too against it or we couldn’t find someone we both liked.”

He presses a kiss to Prompto’s freckled cheek and tugs his lover’s hand again so he steps around the arm of the couch and sits, letting Noctis scoot around until his head is in Prompto’s lap.

Long fingers shift through his hair and Noctis smiles a little against the fabric of Prompto’s lazy day yoga pants. He always likes coming home to him, but even more when Prompto’s dressed comfy, Noctis’ own smell clings to him in his borrowed shirt and the Prince relaxes further.

“I have no idea who to ask even...and they have to be willing and in good health.”

Prompto hums thoughtfully, “What about Cindy?”

 Noctis groans, Prompto’s maybe still a little infatuated with the royal mechanic. His husband chuckles and pokes his cheek.

“Not that! Dude, she’s...she kinda looks like me.”

Prompto’s tone takes on an odd strained note and Noctis rolls too look up at him, seeing the way he tries to hide what he’s thinking, but it’s there still, to Noctis.

“Oh.”

Prompto gives him a quick smile and a raised eyebrow.

“You think it might look more like our kid then?”

Prompto’s nod is a little sheepish and he bites at his lip, but Noctis takes a moment to imagine, not a child of his and Cindy’s, but a baby with Prompto’s almost curls and blue-black hair, big blue eyes and a smattering of freckles, Prompto’s nose and Noctis’ mouth. His chest tightens oddly and he looks away from Prompto, staring at the ceiling.

He thinks about how Cindy’s features will change the image, maybe green eyes and skin more tan, true curls. It’s too close and too far at the same time and he swallows hard.

“I dunno man.”

Prompto shrugs, “Yeah, freckles and your skin? Probably not a great look.”

He still looks a little put out though and Noctis taps his nose.

“It’s not the freckles Prom. If anything, it’s the accent.”

That draws a laugh from him and Noctis grins, leaning up for a languid kiss. “We’ve got time.”

He mutters, against lips that are quickly becoming more interested in not-talking.

“I’ve taken the liberty of drawing up a list of options for you and Prompto to consider. They are by no means the only women who might be suitable, but certainly those I thought you would be comfortable with.”

 Noctis accepts the file with all the grace of an alligator with indigestion and Ignis frowns at him.

“Iggy...come on, it’s a bit early for all of this don’t you think?”

Ignis presses his fingers together, leveling his trademark advisors stare at Noctis,

“Normally I would agree, but the council is pushing for a decision to be made. You’ve been married nearly two years now and it’s no secret how long you dated before then, they seem to believe you should be looking toward your duty now. You’re father’s health is not declining nearly as quickly as it was before the treaty, but they are cautious. No one can know how long it may take to conceive and if your first choice is not...optimal, adjustments must be made.”

Noctis flinches, fingers pressing harder where he’s gripping the file, too many reminders of how little time there may be until he finds himself crowned.

 “And they know that once I put on the ring, I’ll hardly have the energy to raise a child.”

He can’t help the bitterness of the words as he looks aside, it’s something he tries not to think about, something Prompto’s good at dismissing, even though they both know there will come a day when he can’t keep up with the energetic blonde. It’s an icy grip around his heart now.

Ignis’ voice breaks through the melancholy, “Noct, you can’t know that. The draw of the crystals lessens all the time. The scourge is being eradicated and it’s power isn’t so needed.You’ll have plenty of time. I...I believe taking this, “ he touches the folder, the advisor is gone, replaced by the friend, “and thinking about the woman you’re looking for will calm the council’s frenzy, give you and Prompto time to find who you want and to adjust to the thought of a child. It’s why I took this task as well, so there would be no one pushing for a hasty choice.”

Noctis nods slowly, watching Ignis sit back in his chair, light blue dress shirt perfectly pressed, well fitted grey slacks and perfectly matched belt, shoes, and cufflinks. He looks down at himself, a loose tee and a borrowed pair of Prompto’s work out pants, barefoot. 

“I...I haven’t thought much...about the actually having a kid part.”

Ignis seems to know, as usual, what his concern is, “That’s why I thought it important for you to have time. For what it’s worth, I believe you and Prompto will make very capable, if somewhat unorthodox, parents.”

 Noctis swallows, the folder in his grasp weighs more than it should,

“Thanks, Ig.”

Prompto’s notes are filled with smiley faces and Noctis just rolls his eyes and he moves the one covering the woman’s name. It’s not particularly familiar and it takes him a long moment to place her face.

“The wedding...she came with someone?”

Prompto shrugs, “Dunno, I thought she was pretty, you should have pretty babies.”

He scoops another bite of fro-yo up, “but she’s also got a few health problems and we don’t know her at all, so...eh?”

Noctis snorts and pulls her information out, settling her into the pile of “no” that is growing far too quickly beside them on the large bed. He finds there’s a few of them he might be alright with but Prompto’s good at pointing out the cons of most of them. He’s trying not to be too happy about that, after all it would be easier if they could just chose someone.

He dismisses the next woman immediately, he remembers her, the way she sneered at Prompto, “Common folk are not welcome at my gala’s, but I suppose our young Prince is still learning.”

Prompto glances at her face and sticks his tongue out at the photo, “She was so displeased when I didn’t let her come to our reception.”

Noctis raises an eyebrow at him, even as he takes a bite and says, “what?” around a glob of fro-yo.

“Ignis is around too much if you’re saying “displeased” give me my husband back.”

Prompto grins and immediately has to slurp a little of the melting treat off his chin. Noctis just bumps his shoulder and looks back at the folder, a surprised sound tumbling out.

“Luna?”

Prompto sounds just as surprised, his notes ended the one before, though after a moment’s thought he nods, “Doubt Nyx’d like that.”

 Noctis just stays quiet, touching the picture of the oracle. He glances at Prompto, who has already dismissed her, and back to the photo.

“I mean...we do know her pretty well.”

 Prompto’s face goes blank so fast that Noctis feels his stomach curl, “Yeah. We know you’re almost-wife really well. I love Luna Noct, but it’s not a good idea.” “

Why?”

 It’s more accusatory than he means but Prompto doesn’t get angry, just sets his spoon and bowl aside and takes a deep breath.

“There’s still people who think it shoulda been her right? If you have a kid with her...it’s only gonna get worse. Our marriage will seem weaker and Luna’s having the same trouble we did since Nyx is kinda like me. We don’t wanna do that to her, or to us. I...I don’t know if I’d be okay with it too.”

Prompto rubs his hand over his wrist and Noctis bites back his instinctive comments, thinking. Prompto’s right and really, looking back at Luna’s picture, he can’t imagine having a child with her now, not to mention the Blood of the Oracle mess it might make. He sets the photo aside and leans to swipe a finger through Prompto’s yogurt, kissing his cheek apologetically.

“You’re right but this...ugh. It’s so stupid! How are we supposed to choose some woman? What if they want to raise the kid too? They have to be someone we can be around a lot, because I don’t want to make them stay away or anything...I just thought...Luna would be easier for us that way.”

Prompto nods, “I know Noct. I have no clue dude, who else is left?”

They scoot closer, shoulder to shoulder in the middle of their bed and look at the next person. Crowe’s a friend, but she’s already told them both she never wants a kid, too much chance of her dying in service and she’s just..not good with them. They don’t say anything as they set her aside, there’s no way Ignis could’ve known. 

The last person in the file makes Noctis cough and Prompto whistles, Iris Amicitia.

 “That’s….”

Prompto doesn’t have to finish the sentence as he stares at the picture of Iris, old enough now of course but still he remembers her a few years back. Noctis just groans and flops back, disturbing their pitiful yes pile.