One-Shot!

Something wasn’t…. right.  Beyond the fact that he was floating, that there was endlessness around him, something–  Prompto shouldn’t have been there with him.

Not that he should have been there.  Or… it didn’t feel quite right, but it didn’t feel wrong either.  He belonged much more, even if he didn’t particularly want to.  Whatever sense that made.  Thinking about it only seemed to send the answers skittering further away, and for whatever reason it felt much more important to focus on that time and place.  If time even existed around them.

Prompto’s laugh dragged his thoughts back to the moment faster than anything else, the telling sign that he was scared.  That a panic attack would be possible if things got worse.  He had to talk, or joke, or suggest they walk or do something to help take his mind off of it, like he’d always done.  Then… why was everything so different?  A dream, maybe.  There was familiarity to that.

Like the familiarity of reaching back for Prompto’s hand, as easily as helping each other up off the ground.  Hadn’t there been more space between them?  It didn’t matter.  Coolness to warmth to the touch of skin against skin mattered.  To feel something real.  (What did that mean?)

“I don’t–”  Oh.  Oh.  Something non-specific but final pricked at him.  Lodged in his throat.  He held on to Prompto’s hand, but it–  He couldn’t keep hold.  He knew that.  He couldn’t.  “I don’t think I can, Prom.”  Wake up?  He couldn’t wake up, was that what he meant?  He couldn’t–

Prompto didn’t belong there.  None of them did.  Had he sent them all away?  Then why didn’t he… remember?  Just vague shapes.  Voices.  Maybe he had, maybe–

“Find Carbuncle.”  The words weren’t spoken with the speed of desperation, but he felt it.  Desperately.  He didn’t want to send them away, but he couldn’t… they couldn’t…  ”The charm, you’ll know it.  I bet it’ll be where you least expect.”  Please.  Please, give me this, please.

“You’re not alone.  You’ll never be alone.  I promise.”  He had to let go.  It was a thought that tore through him like steel, but he… had to…

The very second their hands touched, Prompto knew everything and nothing at all. He couldn’t stay and Noct couldn’t go. That was all there was. Reality, horrid and solid. 

He clung to Noct’s hand as though he were drowning, “No, no no no no no, don’t leave me, j- just don’t, okay?”

He couldn’t even look him in the eye, not if he didn’t want to burst into tears. Despair tightening an iron grip around his chest, he stared at their joined hands, shaking his head. If he denied it enough, it might all go away.

I can’t let you go, not for all the Carbuncles in the world. 

“Dude, I can’t. I can’t.” Without breaking down, it was all he could say.

He threw himself at Noct’s chest, face buried in his neck, all-consuming defiance raging through him like a heartbeat. 

“I wanna stay. Please.” Who was he even begging? Not just Noct, but the void itself. “I don’t wanna do this without you.” 

He was here by fluke, by luck, by something. 

By injury. 

That was it. One minute there’d been pain, the next... this. This different kind of pain. But if he could stay, it wouldn’t be pain. Wherever this place was, it held secrets. Things he couldn’t see, just out of reach. It would be just fine here, for certain, if only he could stay. 

“Please,” he whispered against Noct, “I don’t wanna go. If you can’t come with me, I’ll come with you. I’ll follow you. Anywhere, dude, anywhere.” 

It didn’t… make sense. But, boy did he want to see one now. He really had been picturing a real worm. Some sort of messed up early bird gets the worm situation.

“Not real, but it’s a pet?” He tilts his head to the side in question. “Show me.”

“Dude, you’ve never seen a worm on a string? Man, are you in for a life-changing experience!” 

Nothing wrong with hanging out with Kenny Crow, right? Scrabbling for his camera, Prompto grins. “Uh, gimme a sec, ok? I know I kept a photo... Oh, here we go!” 

Showing off a goofy photo of himself back in Insomnia, looming behind Noctis with a single green worm on a string... Yeah, this wasn’t doing the whole thing justice. Should’ve probably kept that pic on the down-low, too, but Noct’s wearing a hat, it’s fine.

Prompto grabs his phone, fully invested in opening up the world of magic worms to the mascot. It wasn’t like Gladio had been interested when he’d tried to show him earlier.

“A… WHAT?”

Uh oh. 

Saint Valentine’s... 

“Oh...” 

Wow. That had actually been fun. For a long time, years, he’d had his friends. Sure, sometimes he was fooling around with girls, those last few years, when he finally felt he stood a chance, when he got the balls to get a little wild, but the rest of the time, just hanging with the bros, teasing Noct and Iggy, play-fighting Gladio over everything from cards to candy to affections... 

It was great. He and Gladio were a goofy team on celebrations. 

And now... 

He lay his head in Kuja’s lap. What did it matter? He’d won.