It had been a long day for Prompto. There had been talk that they would soon be leaving Insomnia to accompany the Prince of Lucis to Altissia where the former Princess of Tenebrae awaited him. It was still in the early stages of planning, but it was starting to sound like they’d be departing sooner and sooner. This meant that Gladio and Ignis were training him extra hard to make sure he was prepared for what awaited them beyond the borders of Insomnia.

He shook the thoughts from his head. There was no need to worry over it yet. He still had plenty of time ahead of him, he was sure.

Turning the corner, he approached the large apartment building that he’d been living in for the past few years. It had been lonely for so long… but now…

His might wandered to you.

You had just been his neighbor at first. He’d been nervous to even approach you since the apartment complex housed mostly wealthy people who held close ties with the royal family. While Prompto held ties with the royal family, he never saw himself as the “wealthy” type and mostly kept his head down when it came to the people in the building and on his particular floor. You, though… You were something different.

The day you met, you both arrived at your doors from opposite directions. Prompto mostly focused on fumbling for his keys, but he turned his gaze to look at you for just a second. That second was long enough to catch your eye and you offered him a smile and a small “Hey.” Prompto immediately flushed red, managed to stutter out a “Hello,” in response, and then quickly slammed his keys into the door knob before fleeing inside.

But that didn’t deter you in the slightest, and it had soon become routine for you two to greet one another.

A few months later and you two had started dating.

Coming home never felt so sweet until he had something to look forward to.

He made his way up to the floor that you two lived on and made for his apartment first to change out of his gross workout clothes and take a quick shower. Once he was fresh and clean, he dressed himself and made for your apartment. Out of courtesy, he knocked on the door. Normally, you’d call for him to come in almost right away… but this time, he was met with silence. He raised an eyebrow, but shook his head and just knocked again.

He heard some sort of sound, but it hardly sounded like a greeting. His hand dropped down to the door knob and he was surprised to find it unlocked. You had to be home then, right?

He stepped inside, shutting the door quietly behind him. The apartment was too quiet for comfort. You normally had some music playing or the television on in the background while you did your daily routine. This time, though, no sounds echoed warmly through the room.

Instead, he heard the soft groan come from the bathroom. With a frown, Prompto approached the bathroom door but hesitated. He wasn’t about to open the door, but instead reached a hand up and gently knocked.

“(Y/N)?” he called through the door.

He was greeted with a groan before he heard the familiar sounds of dry heaving. Then he heard a splash of water. He waited and heard the sound of the toilet flushing before the sink came on. He bounced from one foot to the other nervously, shifting his weight back and forth. He let out an anxious breath once the door finally clicked and opened.

You stood there, hair disheveled and skin slick and pale.

“(Y/N)?” he said again, his tone becoming immediately concerned as his eyes widened.

“I think I ate something bad,” you groaned as you leaned heavily against the door frame. Your hand shifted to your stomach and you winced as another wave hit you. It wasn’t enough to send you back to the toilet, but it wasn’t rainbows and sunshine either.

“Oh, honey.” Prompto stepped forward and pulled you against him, hugging you close. He pressed his face against your hair despite your protests and squeezed you gently before drawing back “Let’s get you to the couch.”

He led you back into your living room and helped you get settled in the middle of the couch. When he noticed you shiver, he quickly turned and disappeared into your bedroom. He wasn’t there long before returning with your comforter. When you went to reach out, he shook his head.

“Ah ah, you stay put,” he said.

You raised an eyebrow but sat back against the couch as Prompto stepped up to you with the comforter. He then proceeded to wrap the comforter around you to create a small little nest. It mainly pooled around your lap, but there was plenty of slack that you could pull it all the way up and over your head if you wanted to. You were content with keeping it warmly tucked around your lap, your hands toying with the edges.

“You stay right here. Unless you need to go to the bathroom again.”

You nodded in response and Prompto disappeared out the front door. You raised an eyebrow but there wasn’t much else you could do or say until he returned.

The first time he returned, he had a bag full of things. From it, he withdrew a small stack of DVD cases that he set on your coffee table.

“Hope you like comedy,” he joked as he popped open one of the cases. He popped the DVD into the player and got everything set up on the television so the movie could start up. He turned the volume down a bit, still enough that you could hear it without it being overwhelming.

“I don’t think we’d be dating if I didn’t,” you joked in reply, to which the blond haired man laughed.

“True,” he said with a grin.

He turned and moved toward your attached kitchen. He rummaged through the cabinets for a moment until he found what he was looking for. He pulled down a bowl and a can of soup. After prepping it, he popped it in the microwave and leaned against the counter while the timer counted down. His eyes wandered over to where you were watching the movie.

He never expected to fall for you. Even more than that, he never expected you to fall for him. He never saw anything worth wanting from him. He was just a low-class jokester who didn’t really belong surrounded by people like Noctis, Gladio, Ignis, and you… Yet here he was. It made his chest feel warm to know that there were people out there who were able to see beyond the flaws he knew he had.

Even sick and disheveled, Prompto thought you were the most beautiful person he’d ever met. He wasn’t sure which astral to thank, but he knew that it had to be an intervention of the gods that led you to him.

He jumped at the sound of the microwave beeping. He hadn’t realized he’d gotten so lost in his own thoughts. A smile touched at his lips as he turned to work on the soup. He used a small towel on the counter to help him get the bowl out and he stirred it in the bowl on the counter before letting it sit for a moment to cool.

A thought hit him and he started looking through cabinets again until he found a package of saltine crackers. He pulled the package down and shut the cabinet before turning to find a small dinner tray near your dining room. Putting it all together, he brought it carefully back to the couch where you waited and helped settle the tray so it wouldn’t get jostled on your lap.

He reached for the spoon and scooped up some noodles and broth.

“Say aaaahhhhh,” he cooed.

You giggled, but complied, opening your mouth to allow him to feed you some soup. The warm broth felt so good on your aching throat.

“I added some extra salt to it, too. It should help,” he said as he dropped the spoon back into the soup to get some more.

You two talked quietly while watching the movie. Prompto spoon fed you a few more times before you switched to dipping a few crackers in the broth. Though your stomach was still a little iffy, the soup really helped sooth the aches you felt from your earlier session in the bathroom. Not to mention Prompto was just being super sweet overall, which left your heart warm and fluttering.

Once the soup had been finished, Prompto took point to move the tray back onto the coffee table so that you could move freely again. You shifted in your seat to get more comfortable before leaning up against Prompto’s side. Though he blushed profusely, he moved naturally to wrap his arm around you. His hand drew up into your hair and he started to work small circles against your scalp.

You swore that if you were cat, you’d be purring in that moment. The one thing you loved most about Prompto was his amazing scalp massages. They easily drew away all the stresses of the day no matter how stressful. You let out a soft hum and your eyes fluttered shut as you focused on the feeling of his fingers in your hair.

He smiled. “You like that?” he asked.

“Mmm, yes, of course,” you replied, a smile touching your lips.

Prompto smiled as well, pulling you closer as he continued to gently massage your scalp and play with your hair. The movie continued to play on in the background and you started to feel yourself growing drowsy.

“(Y/N)?”

You opened your eyes. Had you fallen asleep?

Prompto hadn’t moved, so if you had fallen asleep it must not have been for long.

“Hm?”

“I think I might have one more trick up my sleeve to make you feel better,” he said.

You raised an eyebrow and turned your head to look up at him. He grinned down at you before reaching for the bag he’d brought with him. He reached inside it and pulled out the chocobo plush he’d won months ago at your first date. Your eyes lit up as he set the chocobo plush in your lap.

Your arms wrapped around the yellow bird and you squeezed it against you as Prompto squeezed you against him.

“There. Now you can get some rest, and Chocobo will make sure you have all the best dreams,” he said.

Your eyes drifted shut again, but a wide smile stayed on your lips as you leaned into Prompto.

“You’re simply the best, Prompto,” you said quietly, your voice happy and content.

---

Noctis -

Being the crown prince and heir to the throne can be a rather pain in the ass at times. While his father has been able to spare him from most of them, some of them cannot be avoided and they drag on for what feels like forever. This one, in particular, was called at the last minute and right at sundown. Noctis can’t even remember what the meeting was for or why it was even called…

All he can focus on is the fact that you were back at his apartment, patiently awaiting his return.

The minute he hears the all clear for everyone to leave, he’s the first one out the door. He curses under his breath and even goes as far as to warp a few times through the city to try to get home as fast as possible.

He pauses at his door, straightening his clothes and running his fingers through his hair before he slowly opens the door and slips inside. He hears the sound of the television, but otherwise, the apartment is silent. He shuts the door quietly behind him and looks around. A gentle smell touches his nose and he pauses to step into the small side kitchen. His nose leads him to the oven. He touches it and it still feels somewhat warm, though it’s easy to tell that it’s been off for a bit.

He quietly opens the oven to see a large Mother & Child Rice Bowl neatly prepared and waiting to be devoured. His heart skips a beat at the sight and smell of one of his favorite foods. Guilt bubbles in his stomach. He should have tried to skip the meeting.

He shuts the oven for now. While his stomach is growling and he wants nothing more than to devour the amazing food sitting in the oven, there is a much more important matter at hand.

Where did the chef go?

It doesn’t take him long to find you curled up on the couch. It was clear that you’d been waiting up for him and had fallen asleep watching tv. You’re lying half on your stomach hugging a couch pillow to your chest as you slowly breathe. Noctis’s eyes soften and the guilt bubbles in his stomach again, threatening to move up into his throat.

He sits down on the edge of the couch and reaches out to gently touch your hair, brushing it out of your face. Your face scrunches up before you open your eyes. You’re disoriented at first, but Noctis’s presence makes you suddenly alert as you sit up.

“Shit, did I fall asleep?” you said, bringing a hand up to the corner of your mouth to feel if you’d been drooling.

Noctis chuckles and reaches out to gently touch the hand on your face. He shifts your hand to press your palm to his and he laces his fingers with yours.

“You’re fine, princess. That meeting went on forever. I thought I was going to fall asleep,” he replied, smiling at you. You blush at the nickname but squeeze his hand.

“No doubt,” you say before a yawn starts up. Noctis chuckles again before shifting to stand up, tugging you along with him.

“Come on, let’s eat dinner. I’m starving,” he says with a laugh.

“Ahahaha you must have found your favorite waiting for you,” you replied with a laugh of your own.

He stops walking and turns quickly. You bump into him and let out a small squeak. You prepare to draw back, but Noctis moves his free arm to wrap around your waist, pulling you flush up against him. His other hand pulled away from yours and drew up to gently stroke your face.

“You’re really the best,” he says, his voice low, before leaning in to press a kiss against your lips. You melt against him, enjoying the warmth of his arms and the softness of his lips.

You definitely plan to make dinner more often.

---

Prompto -

“Shit shit shit shit shit.”

The darkroom made it near impossible to tell what time of day it was given that it was always dark. If he’d been smart about it, he would have set himself some sort of alarm or reminder that you were supposed to come over tonight and spend some time with him. But even then, it likely wouldn’t have worked out since the dork had left his phone outside the darkroom while he’d worked.

When he’d finally picked up the phone to check something on it, he saw a text from you.

‘Hey babe, you’re not answering your phone so you’re probably super super busy. I’m letting myself in. Call me when you’re done! <3’

The text had been sent nearly two hours ago and when he’d tried to call you back, he reached only your voicemail. He cursed probably a hundred times between leaving the small studio and rushing the few blocks back to his apartment. He was nearly out of breath when he reached the door and leaned his hand against the frame as he breathed heavily.

He swallowed and reached to open up the door. He poked his head in first, looking around. He didn’t see any sign of life at first, so he swallowed hard and slipped inside. The apartment was mostly dark save for a small, blinking light that was coming from the living room. He moved further into the room, using his cell phone for light, and came to find that the flashing light was coming from your laptop, which had gone into sleep mode on the coffee table.

And speaking of sleep mode…

Prompto turned the phone light on the couch and the guilt washed over him again. You were curled up on the couch, your breathing slow and steady. As much as he didn’t want to disturb you, he knew his bed was much more comfortable than the couch. He reached out and gently touched your shoulder.

“Honey…” he called softly, biting his lower lip.

You groaned softly and opened your eyes. You blinked a few times in the dark and Prompto quickly moved to turn on a small table lamp nearby. As he did that, you shifted to sit up, rubbing your eyes.

“Mmmm, what time is it?” you asked before yawning.

Prompto bit his lower lip harder. “Err… eleven…”

You raised an eyebrow, looking over at him. “Eleven? Huh… I didn’t even realize I’d slept so long.”

Prompto tasted the familiar, metallic taste in his mouth and let his lower lip go as he realized he’d bit it way too hard. Before he could try to hide it, though, you reached out and took his face in your hands.

“Hey hey hey, stop that,” you chided softly, brushing your thumb over where he’d bit. You wiped away some blood before leaning in to press a kiss against the wound. It quickly stopped bleeding and you moved to press your forehead to his. “It’s okay, love. I’m sure you just got caught up with work,” you said with a smile.

“I’m sorry…” he said pathetically. You shook your head and leaned in to kiss him again.

“Hush,” you muttered against his lips. You kissed him, warm and slow, for a minute before drawing back and shifting to get to your feet. “Come come, I made your favorite. It should still be in the oven!”

You started to walk toward the kitchen, but Prompto grabbed your wrist and stopped you. He pulled you back down into his lap and pressed his face against the soft spot between your shoulder blades.

“You’re too good to me,” he muttered.

“Baby, you deserve every bit of it,” you replied softly. You let him sit there for another minute before tapping his leg. “Come on, I really want you to try what I made.”

And with the way his eyes lit up as he took the first forkful of Peppery Daggerquill Rice made it all worth the wait.

---

Gladio -

Gladio hates the idea of keeping you waiting even for a minute, but he’s also extremely dedicated to his duty as Prince Noctis’s shield. When he was requested to accompany the prince on a last minute trip, he hopes that it’s a quick one and that he’ll be back before you even notice.

But as the sun dips below the horizon, he has a bad feeling that that won’t be the case. They make it back into Insomnia’s wall just after sunset, but it’s still another hour before they make it back to the royal palace. Then they deliver a report before they’re finally dismissed.

Gladio curses under his breath as he finally makes his way to his apartment door. You’d been coming over more and more often lately and he was sure things were starting to get pretty serious. He didn’t want to ruin any of that, though, by appearing unreliable. While his sworn duty is to the crown prince… His heart still belongs solely to you.

He opens the door and steps inside, looking around.

“Hun?” he calls quietly. He doesn’t hear anything, but he certainly smells something. He makes a drop by the kitchen and discovers a small light on inside the oven. He can see the oven itself isn’t on, but the contents inside of it are still warm and steamy. He opens it up and is nearly floored by the amazing and powerful aroma of homemade ramen. Two bowls are sitting on a small tray being kept warm by the oven and the light.

He only barely resists the urge to grab one of the bowls and start demolishing it. He needs to find you first as he’s positive that this was your doing. With a heavy heart, he shuts the door to the oven and turns to begin his search for you. Lucky for him, it doesn’t take very long.

You’re curled up on the couch, dressed in one of his t-shirts and a pair of your boy short panties. The shirt itself nearly swallows you up, but it’s riding up a bit from the way you’re lying on the couch. Gladio can’t help but chuckle as he leans over the back of the couch and reaches down to give your bottom a gentle squeeze.

“Hey, sleeping beauty,” he calls gently.

You let out a soft sound as you’re drawn into the world of consciousness. The hand on your bottom makes your back arch, pressing your bottom against said hand, before you drop your hips back to the couch and roll over to look up at the man above you.

“Gladdy,” you coo, a sleepy smile curling on your lips.

“Morning, love,” he says with a chuckle, shifting to lean down and kiss your forehead.

“Morning?” Your eyes suddenly widen.

Gladio just laughs. “No no, just morning for you,” he says before standing up straight. “Sorry, I’m late getting home.”

You shake your head and move to your feet. “No no, it’s okay. I know it’s your job,” you reply with a smile. A yawn escapes you as you stretch your arms over your head.

“Still feel bad that I kept ya waiting.”

You shake your head again. “Stop. It’s okay.” You walk up and wrap your arms around his middle, pressing your chin against his chest so you can look up at him.

“If you say so,” he replies before leaning down to kiss you. The kiss is short and sweet before he draws back. “So… about that ramen in the oven…”

You laugh and squeeze your arms around him before leading him back to the kitchen.

---

Ignis -

Sometimes Ignis wonders why he takes on all these extra tasks and special projects. As dedicated as he is to his duty of being the royal advisor for the prince, it really cuts into his social life. In fact, these days his only social life is his friends and a very special woman.

It’s been a few weeks since he really got to spend some good, quality time with you. With how late he ends up getting home and how early he is to rise for the next morning, it leaves you with very little time together unless you come over strictly to spend time with him in bed.

Ignis notices that something is slightly off when he arrives at his apartment to find the door unlocked. He raises an eyebrow and raises his guard as he steps into his apartment and looks around. Everything is still where he left it, though his kitchen does look a little messy in comparison to that morning.

He steps into the kitchen and sniffs the air. His nose leads him to the oven where he finds Breaded Cutlet with Tomato sitting inside it, being kept warm by the presence of the oven walls around it. By his calculation of its temperature, it likely has only been sitting there for about an hour.

He shuts the oven and turns to look back into the rest of his apartment. That’s when he spots the small pair of shoes that are haphazardly lying on the ground next to the couch. His entire body relaxes at first when he realizes that it was only you in his apartment… only to tense back up when he realizes you were probably waiting for him and even went as far as to make dinner so he wouldn’t have to cook when he got home.

He crosses the short distance over to the couch and leans against the back of it to look down at you. You are lying on your back with a book open on your stomach, your hands barely touching the bottom of the pages. You’d likely fallen asleep mid-sentence from how you were laying. It brings a small smile to the man’s lips as he reaches out to gently take it from your hands, setting it off to the side.

“Love,” he calls gently, placing his hand on your stomach between your hands where the book had previously been. He doesn’t shake you, but he places a small amount of pressure to alert you of his presence as he calls you again.

Your eyebrows knit together before you slowly open your eyes. You blink a few times before looking up to see Ignis looking down at you. You smile at seeing him and shift to sit up, rubbing your eyes.

“When did you get here?” you ask.

“Less than ten minutes ago,” he replies, shifting to stand straight again. “How long have you been here?”

“Ah…” You trail off and reach for your phone on the coffee table to check the time. “Aaaaahhhh… A few hours.”

Ignis frowns. “Why didn’t you call me?”

You bite your lip, looking down. “I didn’t want to bother you while you were at work… I’d just hoped maybe tonight would have been an early night or something…”

You feel a weight on the couch and look up to see Ignis has moved around the couch to sit in front of you. He reaches a hand out to gently capture your chin, tilting it up a little so he can look down at you.

“I appreciate you, love,” he says softly before leaning in to press a kiss against your lips. It’s short and sweet, but you can feel it all the way to your toes.

When you part, you give him a shy smile. “I hope you haven’t eaten yet… I made dinner.”

“I saw,” he replied with a chuckle. “I look forward to trying it.”