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Noctis didn’t like the look in Gladio’s eyes.
Jason cringed away from him again after an innocent comment and all of them saw it, that flash of hurt over their largest friend’s face. Gladio quickly hid his wince, face impassive, but Noctis knew him better than that. He knew it because that used to be him that Gladio gave that look to, back when they were just kids and Noctis was intimidated by the big guy’s intensity before he got to know him better. It made it worse because Gladio seemed to like the guy genuinely, and Jason was too skittish to see the upset he was causing.
The silence that followed as Jason refused to look Gladio in the eye was positively deafening. Noctis, Ignis, and Prompto all shared a look.
“A-haha, well! Better get those horns to the tipster so we can buy fuel! Gotta be able to actually get there, y’know! Let’s get going!” Prompto shouted awkwardly before spinning abruptly and walking away. Gladio shut his eyes for a brief moment before following, frown stoic. Noctis and Ignis shared a long look before falling into step as well, Ignis checking after a second to make sure Jason followed.
Jason did, but his eyes did not lift, lost in thought.
Once they’d pulled ahead a little, Noctis nudged Ignis on the arm. “Hey. We need to do something about this.” He looked pointedly at Gladio’s rigid shoulders.
“I agree,” Ignis concurred, a small line between his brows. “I’m afraid Jason’s discomfort around Gladio is bringing back some unfortunate memories.”
“Plus, the guy looks three seconds from bolting at any given point.” Noctis had mixed feelings about that. Yeah, they had the whole ‘we promise not to threaten to kill you or hold you captive anymore, by the way, sorry for being a huge dick’ conversation, and Noctis was willing to give the foreigner a chance, but that didn’t mean he particularly liked him just yet. With Prompto’s assurances that he wasn’t ever going to leave Noctis’ side, it put at ease a lot of the prince’s fears about the man. But Noctis couldn’t put everything aside, not when Jason kept putting that pained expression on one of Noctis’ closest friends. If it was up to him, he still preferred it if Jason would just leave. If his situation wasn’t so complicated and Jason wasn’t so intrinsically connected to Noctis’ magic as he was, Noctis might have just cut his losses on the whole thing.
Alas, that was not how this was going to work. They needed to get along and find a way to live with each other. But how?
Seemed like they didn’t need to come up with a plan on their own, because Gladio soon fell back to join them, game face firmly in place. “Hey, Iggy, I need a favor,” he said lowly. When Ignis raised a brow he elaborated. “I need you three to head into town when we get to the haven. Get a hotel and don’t come back till morning.”
While Ignis considered, Noctis felt his stomach swoop.
Hotel.
His gaze was drawn to the resident blond’s weaving back, Prompto obliviously bobbing his head to music only he could hear. He thought about Prompto’s joking request just a little while ago and a tingling sensation started in his fingers at the thought that Prompto just might get his wish. Noctis swallowed. Prompto’s desire for him was clear as day, now that they’d gotten through that disastrous confession. The way he’d kissed Noctis, with such confidence that it practically melted him into a puddle…
Nerves jittered in Noctis’ chest. He didn’t know if he was ready for that.
He knew Prompto. He knew of every person Prompto slept with, his first time, and what he was into because Prompto told him. All of it. And fuck if it didn’t drive Noctis crazy with jealousy over the years when he didn’t know about Prompto’s feelings, that other people got to touch him while Noctis dared not. Now that they were together though, Prompto, true to form, didn’t hide his desires for Noctis in any way.
Noctis, plain and simple, didn’t have anything close to the same experience Prompto did. That wasn’t to say that Noctis was a virgin or anything of the sort, but...it was complicated. As a prince, Noctis didn’t get to have casual relationships. It was too dangerous. So...he got retainers instead.
His first time still haunted him.
Not that it wasn’t good. It had been amazing. She was beautiful and had been trained to bring out the most pleasure possible. She knew just where to touch him to make his body sing, and Noctis was pretty sure after listening to Prompto’s accounts about his first few times that it wasn’t like that normally. Noctis got to skip all the awkward fumbling most people had to suffer through for years before they get to the good stuff. So, lucky him, right?
Wrong.
Because when he looked up, looked into her eyes, there was nothing there.
Nothing.
She was enjoying herself, sure, maybe she even found him attractive. But she didn’t care for him. She was just doing her job, performing a service that she was being paid for.
Noctis did it a couple more times with a couple of other people, but it always felt the same. Cold. Empty. Humiliating when it was done.
At least, not until...Noctis shook his head, coming back to the present forcefully. He didn’t want to think about it.
“I think that can be arranged,” Ignis hummed. Noctis jumped at the sound of his voice. He tilted his head downward and was once again grateful his hairstyle could hide the shame creeping up his cheeks.
Or maybe not. “Good,” Gladio nodded, then smiled at Noctis salaciously. “Don’t have too much fun, highness.”
“Shut up, Gladio,” Noctis hissed, flicking his eyes nervously to Prompto and back again.
Gladio raised a brow and Noctis wanted to punch his stupid, obnoxious face. “Playing hard to get, huh? Well, don’t wait too long, you don’t know when you’ll get another chance like this. 'Cause after all the dancing around you two did, I’m pretty sure Prompto’s not gonna be patient for much longer.”
“Patient about what?” Prompto asked, walking backward and way closer than Noctis remembered him being two seconds ago. Noctis nearly tripped over his own feet in surprise. “Whoa, buddy, you alright?” Prompto laughed, catching him before he could faceplant.
“Y-yeah,” Noctis finally got out through the stranglehold in his throat. Gladio snorted. Irritation spiked in Noctis at the reminder that Gladio was actually privy to the sordid details of his past. He’d been there for the whole thing, after all. The bastard knew exactly what the problem was. Noctis changed the subject forcefully. “Come on, let’s get a move on. I’m sick of this desert.”
“Here, here,” Prompto agreed immediately, easily distracted.
When Ignis asked Jason to stay behind while he, Noctis, and Prompto went to the market, it was to the satisfied expression on Gladio’s face and one of utter despair on Jason’s. Noctis rolled his eyes. It was up to Gladio now.
They almost made it over the hill before Prompto froze in his tracks. “Wait, what about Jason? Are you sure this is alright?” He turned back to the two men still standing stock still atop the haven when Noctis slung his arm around Prompto’s shoulders, stomach swooping a little as he did so.
“They’ll be fine,” he drawled. “They’ve got some stuff to work out.”
“Ooooh,” Prompto said, and then he grinned at Noctis, leaning into his side. “Planning on buying me dinner, buddy?”
Noctis smiled a little, relishing the little thrill he was getting from flirting in a way he hadn’t ever been able to until now. Prompto. Was flirting with him. He still felt like he’s been dreaming for the past couple of days; the soft touches, the stolen kisses, the amusing notes through the armiger. But Prompto’s warmth against him was real. This was real. “If you want.”
“No one will be buying anyone dinner until we get paid,” Ignis drawled, reminding the two younger men of his presence. “Which I would like to do before sundown. Pick up the pace, gentlemen.”
Noctis inhaled, but it was Prompto who answered in a rather insulting imitation of Noctis’ usual drone. “Yes, Ignis,” he said, voice low and sarcastic.
Noctis poked him in the side, making Prompto jump with a laugh. He kind of regretted it though when the ticklish blond leaped out of poking distance, leaving Noctis a little cold. “Cheeky.”
“Hah! You deserved that one, dude!” He held out a fist to Ignis, who bumped it with more class than should be legal and an almost imperceptible smirk.
“I see how it is. Ganging up on me.” And then he nearly choked at his own words, looking away before either man could catch his slip-up.
Astrals, this was more awkward than it should be.
Ignis is my friend, he reminded himself severely. It’s fine. It’s all fine.
“How much time do you think they need?” Prompto wondered, turning around so he could walk backward again. Noctis gave him thirty seconds before he tripped.
“All night, I would imagine,” Ignis answered dryly. “Gladio asked us not to return until sunrise.”
“Whooo, he’s going for it, huh?” Prompto said, surprised, a delighted grin rising on his cheeks. But then it faltered a bit. “But Jase is still afraid of him, right?”
“Yes. I highly doubt they will get up to anything tonight. Gladio just wants to talk.”
“Awww. I hope they make up, though. I mean, can you imagine,” Prompto’s voice got speculative, eyes hazing a little and heat rising to his freckled cheeks. His statement didn’t need to be completed. Noctis could imagine. They were both unfairly attractive and cut a striking figure together. He still just wasn’t sure he liked it…
Ignis cleared his throat. “Yes, well, only time will tell if Jason will overcome his misgivings.”
Noctis bit his lip, eyes darkening a little. Jealousy. It was something he had struggled with his entire life and was self-aware enough to recognize when he was being unreasonable. Even if it didn’t always stop him. But no. He would give Jason a chance. Gladio wasn’t going to leave Noctis for a stranger any more than Prompto or Ignis. Besides, the man looked far from jumping in bed with the big guy anyway, behaving like a frightened animal at best. His loss.
“Noct…” Ignis said, a little warningly.
Noctis cringed, caught. “I know,” he said. He wasn’t going to fly off the handle again. Gladio was his own man, and he could do what he wanted.
“Wait,” Prompto cut through the drama excitedly. “Does this mean…?”
“Yes, Prompto, we are getting a hotel for the night,” Ignis said indulgently.
Prompto’s eyes widened hopefully. “Two hotel rooms?”
Ignis glanced carefully at Noctis, who’d gone a bit pale at the suggestion. “It’s...up to Noct.”
Caught up in his own excitement and heedless of the sudden tense set of Noctis’ shoulders, Prompto let out a loud whoop, assuming the prince would acquiesce immediately. Noctis stayed silent, not correcting Prompto as he settled at Noctis' side and wrapped their hands together. Prompto’s excitement was palpable, like a kid about to go to a festival, and Noctis was loathe to take the wind from his sales. Because he was looking at Noctis like he was something to be desired. No one was paying him. He cared. He actually cared and wanted this.
You thought that once before.
Noctis shivered at the intrusive thought, banishing it by leaning into Prompto’s freely given warmth. The hand in his squeezed comfortingly as Prompto chatted with Ignis about what they should buy for dinner.
Noctis wanted it too. It was a gradual thing, this want, this desire for Prompto. He just started out in Noctis’ life as this weird kid that Noctis saw out of the corner of his eye every once in a while. But every time he would look, the kid would disappear. Then high school came around, and they finally became friends. Yeah, he was attractive, but Noctis was well accustomed to attractive people around him; celebrities, courtesans, and a fair number of the kingsglaive...But something about Prompto was different. There was this genuineness about him that Noctis rarely, if ever, encountered. To want to get to know Noctis as a person, not just a prince. He was the only one who wasn’t beholden to Noctis, whether by birth or money that just wanted...Noctis. To be friends. No strings. No deceit.
And so Noctis fell in love. Naturally. He just thought it could never happen. But now here they were. Prompto’s arm lightly brushing against his, the warmth of his touch, the blazing heat that raced down Noctis’ spine every time they stole a kiss, Prompto’s corded body pressed against his own, and the cumulation of fantasies Noctis had built up over the years mixing into a heady cocktail of heat pooling in his hips–
Oh yes. Noctis wanted. This time it was real. He just couldn’t screw it up.
Don’t screw it up.
Noctis stayed silent during the rest of the walk to the town, letting Ignis and Prompto’s voices wash over him. He just watched, drinking in the smiles and taking comfort in the familiarity, letting it soothe him and trying not to psyche himself out of what could very well be the best night of his life.
They got the bounty for their hunt and headed into the market to buy supplies for the coming days.
That’s when the touches started.
Prompto had been pretty expressive towards Noctis since they confessed to each other, nothing as overtly sexual as that first kiss. But now, as Ignis leaned over a food stall full of unsavory-looking vegetables in contemplation, Noctis’ entire train of thought was derailed and thrown over a cliff by Prompto’s fingers slipping from between his. His hand didn’t go far, though, as it slid slowly up Noctis’ palm and wrist, only to sensually slip back down and squeeze firmly, thumb dragging electric sparks over his skin.
Noctis’ heart slammed into his throat, running on hyperdrive as he suddenly lost all control of the blood flow in his body, cheeks flushing hot and lower spine turning into jelly. He shot a look over to Prompto, but the blond wasn’t looking at him, didn’t give him any indication that he knew what he just did, save for a small smirk at the corner of his lips.
Before Noctis could even think of saying something, Ignis turned back around, arms full of brown paper bags. The advisor didn’t even raise a brow at Noctis’ flushed face, merely placing the bags wordlessly into his prince’s hands. “A few more stops, I think.”
“Hope you’re not only getting veggies, Iggy,” Prompto said brightly. Noctis’ breath hitched as he felt a single finger paint a burning trail over his back, from one hip to the other, just above the waistband of his pants. Noctis’ spine went rigid beneath the sensual touch, pupils blowing wide. His mouth fell open incredulously, but Prompto was already moving, catching up to Ignis’ side and saying something about wanting stir fry. Then he had the nerve to smile saucily over his shoulder and wink. “You coming, buddy?”
“Yes, do hurry up, Noctis. It’s been a rather long day.”
It only got worse from there. Noctis forgot about his trepidations, forgot about his past, forgot everything but his lust as the sweet torture continued. Prompto found more creative ways than Noctis thought even possible to rile him up. A sweltering hand against his lower back, Prompto’s breath against his ear as he leaned in close to point something out, Prompto’s ass in the air as he bent over to examine something more closely than necessary, directly in front of Noctis. Prompto, Prompto, Prompto–
It quickly got to the point where it was starting to get uncomfortable to wander around, to the point where Noctis barely even remembered finishing shopping (Prompto’s shoulder brushing against his, hand wandering), eating something vaguely crunchy at a cafe (Prompto’s foot next to his beneath the table, inching upwards before slipping back down), or making it to the hotel (he was giving Noctis this look now, he couldn’t take it–). And most maddeningly, Prompto remained cool as a cucumber throughout the entire process, chatting with Ignis like nothing was happening at all.
Noctis found himself absurdly grateful that Ignis had given him shopping bags to hold because without them Noctis might have made a spectacle of himself in public. As it was, a casual passerby might think the pale raven had spent a little too much time in the sun, cheeks consistently hot to the touch.
Prompto took the key for the room gleefully and rushed inside, Noctis on his heels, but it was Ignis’ firm hand on his shoulder that snapped the prince out of his haze, Ignis’ green stare like a splash of frigid water. Ignis took the shopping bags from him, slowly setting them on the ground, before looking him in the eye.
“Are you certain?” Ignis said lowly, and a flood of memories rushed Noctis all at once, an old pain aching bittersweetly in his chest at the familiar phrase.
Are you certain?
Suddenly, Noctis wasn’t so sure. But he nodded. Something flashed in Ignis’ eyes, something that made Noctis’ heart clench hard before it was gone, too quick for the prince to even consciously define it. Then Ignis smiled, the moment passed and the only emotion left was acceptance. “I know how long you’ve wanted to confess. I’m happy for you, Noct.” He stepped back, formality wrapping around him like a thick wall between them, the moment of honesty gone. “I will fetch you both in the morning. Good evening, highness.”
Ignis picked up the food and walked away, the door to his hotel room clicking softly behind him.
For several seconds, Noctis just stood there, staring at nothing. Then he slowly walked to his own room and entered, shutting the door firmly behind him.
“Noct! I thought you’d never come in!” Noctis’ head snapped up and suddenly Prompto was there, strolling into Noctis’ space with a breathtaking smirk. Noctis fell back against the door as Prompto pressed up against him, chest to chest, filling Noctis’ nose with the scent of gunpowder, desert sand, and sunlight. Noctis’ body roared back to life when Prompto leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Ignis nagging at you?”
“Uh,” Noctis breathed deeply, Ignis’ momentary distraction gone with the rush of Prompto, Prompto, Prompto–. “N-no. Just telling me he’d get us in...the morning.”
“Good,” and then soft lips were dragging against his, dry but quickly becoming slick the firmer they pressed together. Noctis inhaled sharply, hands shooting up to grip Prompto’s slim hips hard and Prompto keened, a desperate sound that indicated clearly that their game of cat and mouse was over. Prompto pushed the other man against the door, arms snaking up around Noctis’ back, pulling them more firmly together.
Noctis groaned lightly, using his grip to drag Prompto’s body to him and shivering when Prompto’s excitement made itself known against his hip, sliding snugly next to his own hardening cock. Astrals, he’d wanted this for so–
“Wanted this for so long,” Prompto mumbled into Noctis’ lips, and when Noctis opened his mouth to reply, to agree, Prompto slipped in his tongue, any words devolving into a breathless sigh. Noctis immediately met him, giving and taking, his own tongue delving into that perfect warmth, reveling in the slick slide of skin, the quiet smacks, the near-silent groans of pleasure. His heart hammered in his chest, but his body was completely lax, languid. Molten.
There was no battle for dominance between them, only the quiet contentment of completion, as if their relationship was always meant to become this. But soft touches and tender nips soon became frantic, the two men keyed up after hours of teasing. It seemed Prompto got just as much out of it as Noctis did, what with the way his hands trembled with impatience as he fumbled for first his, then Noctis’ clothes.
Frustrated, Prompto pulled back with an almost painful nip to Noctis’ glistening lower lip that sent a bolt of lightning down Noctis’ abdomen, whipping his shirt off and tossing it somewhere not in his way. Noctis didn’t have even a second to miss his warmth before he was back against him, grinding his hips, sliding a calloused hand beneath his shirt, and latching his teeth onto Noctis’ neck. Noctis hissed, arching into the dual sensations. “Prom–” he gasped.
Prompto went rigid against him and then both of them strumbled to the bed, tripping over discarded shoes, belts, and shirts that a messy trail in their wake. Before he knew it, Noctis was on his back, rough hotel sheets a sharp antithesis to the solid warmth and weight of Prompto on his lap. He tried to drag the blond down against him, but Prompto resisted, just taking a second to look. When Noctis realized he wasn’t going to get that mouth back on him for the moment he fell still, letting Prompto get his full. Prompto’s chest heaved as he stared down at Noctis, the prince shifting beneath him and staring right back. All Noctis could smell, taste, see was Prompto–his blonde hair damp with sweat and dust, flushed shoulders and cheeks brushed with the freckles he always complained about but Noctis found hot as hell, the hard angles of his chest and sides and even the silvery flesh around his waist–He was just. Beautiful. And he needed to get back down here, now!
But Prompto had other ideas. His eyes glazed over, hand trailing lightly down the prince’s chest and abs as Noctis wiggled beneath him impatiently. Noctis shifted his hips into the weight of Prompto’s ass and both men groaned. Prompto’s lashes fluttered before his gaze locked onto Noctis. “Noct. Y-you’re so beautiful. I. I’ve wanted you for so long.”
The full reality of the situation hit Noctis as he stared up into Prompto’s blown-out eyes, barely a sliver of blue left. It struck him again that there wasn't just empty arousal in Prompto's expression, not anything he'd become accustomed to seeing before.
Want. He wants me, he wants this, Astrals–
This is real.
“Then have me,” Noctis gasped as the last sliver of blue in Prompto’s eyes disappeared into the depthless black. Prompto surged down and captured Noctis’ strangled groan in the hot cavern of his mouth, returning it with a whine of his own. There was no longer space between them as Prompto ground down, their members slotting next to each other and chests sliding, slick with sweat. Prompto thrust his tongue into Noctis’ mouth and Noctis couldn’t catch his breath as the blond synchronized the hot, slick slide with the pistoning of his hips, as if it wasn’t just his tongue dragging against the roof of Noctis mouth and sending shockwaves of heat through his groin, but something thicker, heavier, more fulfilling–
Noctis relished the startled yelp of surprise Prompto gave as he flipped their positions, pinning Prompto beneath him. Noctis didn’t waste any time dragging Prompto's pants down and over his hips, leaving them mid-thigh in favor of running his palms firmly over as much skin as he could get his hands on.
“N-ah! Noct!”
But Noctis was hardly listening beyond the roar in his ears as his fingers cataloged every bump and dip of Prompto's torso, as his eyes examined every glorious inch of his new lover’s flushed cock, curved and deliciously long, jutting out of a bed of soft blond curls. Noctis’ mouth watered and he denied himself no longer, swiping a hot trail from base to tip and then taking it into his mouth. His groan was drowned out by Prompto’s shuddering mewl, the sound doing just as much for the prince as the firm, satisfying weight on his tongue, the dusky musk filling his senses as he took it as far as he could into himself, stopping just at the point of discomfort.
Prompto cried out, back arching off the bed and fingers digging into the sheets with indulgent desperation. Noctis quickly pinned his hips to the bed before he was forced to swallow more than he could take, then dragged his way slowly back up, tongue a firm pressure along the bottom of his cock, before lavishing the tip with teeth and tongue and spit.
That’s it, Noct, just like that–
“Oh gods, oh gods, Noct, please– ”
The phantoms of the past were banished by Prompto’s sweet, husky plea, voice’s pitch climbing higher and higher as his legs strained to spread from their confines and his shoulders writhed against the sheets, hips cruelty pinned in place. Noctis spared a glance to Prompto’s hands clutching at the bedding, for just a split second wishing they were–
Fingers gripping harshly in black hair, pleasure just as potent as the pain, can’t breathe for the cock in his throat–
Noctis’ cock throbbed and he forced himself all the way down to the base, swallowing through his gag reflex and ignoring his need for air to chase that sensation, what he needed.
With a shuddering cry, Prompto came, cock throbbing as it emptied its contents into the velvety grip of the prince’s clenching throat. Noctis held him until he could feel the final twitches of Prompto’s orgasm die down, until his eyes spotted black with the need for oxygen and tears streamed down his face. Finally, he pulled off, heaving just as harshly as Prompto.
Prompto shuddered, still caught up in his high, eyes fluttering unseeing. His lower lip was red and swollen, bitten harshly and glistening with spit. His dusky pink skin looked heated almost to the point of sunburn, warmth rolling off of him as he came down.
Involuntarily, Noctis let out a small whine, pants still cruelly confining his length against his hip, body tingling all over with unfulfilled anticipation. Prompto's eyes fluttered open, and if Noctis wasn’t already as flushed as he could possibly get, he would have blushed in embarrassment at the look of absolute adoration on the blonde's face.
“Noct,” Prompto breathed. “That was amazing.” Noctis’ hips twitched at the praise, and the movement didn’t go unnoticed. “C’mere.”
Prompto pulled Noctis up until they were face to face, Noctis hovering just above him, conscious of the oversensitivity of Prompto’s body. Prompto kissed him, languidly exploring Noctis’ mouth as if chasing every last vestige of his own taste, drinking in the prince’s moans like a connoisseur of the finest wines.
Noctis could feel Prompto’s smirk against his lips right before his world shattered.
Prompto sank his fingers into Noctis’ hair and dug his blunt nails in right behind Noctis’ ears, dragging them down harshly. Bursts of molten heat exploded across Noctis’ body as he jerked, tingles of pleasure blaring across his shoulders and down his spine as if the nerves in his scalp were directly connected to his cock. He didn’t even realize that Prompto had released his mouth until he became aware of the aborted ah-ah-ahs that spilled from his lips unimpeded. He nearly orgasmed just from that, and might have, had Prompto dug just a little bit harder.
Beautiful. I bet you can come just from this, can’t you, highness–
“Astrals!” Prompto gasped, staring into Noctis’ face with unfettered wonder, and then said almost absently, “Iggy was right!”
Noctis froze. Ice splintered through him, putting out the flames of his desire with a cold flush of fear. He jerked back, ripping Prompto’s fingers from him, along with more than a few hairs. But the sting didn’t even register beyond the blatant disbelief. “What?” he whispered.
Prompto sat up immediately, concern sharpening his eyes with worry. “Noct? What is it?” He lifted a hand, perhaps to touch Noctis’ face, but Noctis jerked back as if burned. He scrambled from the bed, taking two big steps back. Prompto sat frozen in place, hand still lifted, face still flushed, limp cock drying soft on his hip.
“He told you?” Noctis felt sick, bile rising in the back of his throat.
Prompto was panicking now, clambering to find what went wrong but coming up empty. “I don’t–” He stumbled to his feet, yanking his pants back up and stepping forward, but Noctis wasn’t having it. Hurt flashed across Prompto’s face as he stared into the harsh rejection in his best friend’s eyes.
“Ignis. Told. You.”
Prompto clutched his hand to his chest as if Noctis had struck it. “Y-yeah. He told me yesterday th-that you like –”
Noctis’ worst fears were confirmed. Ignis had instructed him. Fingers that made Noctis’ body sing – empty gazes but hands that brought Noctis mind-numbing completion – the humiliation when they left him afterward –
Only to be replaced with even more painful Soft hands, so much better than the rest because they were familiar as breathing, soothing and sure, I thought he cared for me like that, I thought he wanted it. Now he was training Prompto like he was trained.
“Noct, you’re scaring me! What’s wrong?!”
“So you know, then,” Noctis whispered. “You know how I used him.”
Shock widened Prompto’s eyes. “You? Ignis?”
A quick wash of confusion tempered the panic. “Yes. I used him like a common whore,” he spat, a harsh smile on his lips and voice breaking. “And now he’s training you, huh? Learned some tricks, did you?” It was happening again, how could he have been so stupid? Maybe all of this was just another fabrication. Oh, yeah, Noctis is looking a little tense, hey Prompto, why don’t you go take care of that?
Prompto took a step back, eyes filling with tears. “He just–” he hitched, voice trembling, “He just said...you liked head massages.”
Slowly, the words registered in Noctis’ mind, dominos falling one by one to display a completely different picture than he'd imagined. Horror filled him as he realized exactly what it was he just did, taking in Prompto’s trembling form, so vulnerable after what they’d just shared together.
And he’d just accused him of being a whore.
“Oh my gods, Prompto, I–I–” Noctis covered his mouth, shoulders quaking. He’d screwed up, just like he knew he would, and ruined their first time with his damned mistakes. Now Prompto was going to hate him, just like Noctis hated himself. His eyes filled with tears and he clenched them closed, not wanting to see the accusation in his best friend’s eyes.
Noctis didn't know how long he stood there hunched over like that until he heard the soft thumps of Prompto’s feet across the floor. It wasn’t out the door as Noctis assumed, however. Soft but firm hands settled on Noctis' shoulders and guided him to the bed. Noctis sat down on the hard mattress, arms snaking around his middle in a meager attempt to hold back the sobs he could feel clawing at the back of his throat.
“Shh, buddy, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” Prompto rubbed his back, up and down in soothing strokes as he calmed. Noctis leaned into that touch, needing it like he needed nothing else in this world because Prompto was still here. Prompto was still here.
“I’m sorry,” Noctis husked eventually when it was apparent Prompto wouldn’t leave him, throat raw from what they'd shared and holding back his tears. “I didn’t mean it.”
“I know you didn’t. Do you want to talk about it?” Prompto’s expression held nothing but worry for Noctis’ wellbeing, and the raven relaxed a little.
“No,” Noctis said immediately, then cringed. “But I should.”
Prompto nodded slowly, then scooted up the bed and opened his arms. After a moment, Noctis crawled after him and settled against his side, the blond pulling a sheet about them both. Noctis laid his head against his shoulder, thankful he didn’t need to look him in the eye for this.
“I told you about,” he started haltingly, “my retainers, right?”
Noctis could feel him nod. “Yeah, you said they were good?”
Noctis snorted. “Yeah. The sex was good. Afterward, though...all I ever felt with them was humiliation. It was the worst. So I asked my dad about it. He told me...he told me that he also hated them when he was convinced to use them as a young adult. So instead, he turned to his closest friends, ones he knew cared about him.”
“...And you thought of Iggy.”
The prince closed his eyes wearily. “Well, no. Not at first. I used to have this huge crush on him, y’know? He was older, so much more mature, and so caring. I never even thought about using him like that. But I told him everything, even about my experiences with the courtesans, how I hated it. And he…He said, ‘what about me?’” Noctis curled into Prompto tighter. “I was so stupid. I thought he meant that he liked me, that he wanted me too. It wasn’t until months later, when he mentioned something about his training, that I found out the truth.”
Noctis remembered the crushing feeling of loss he’d experienced then as if it were yesterday instead of three years ago. “I stopped our meetings after that. I told him it was because I’d fallen in love. That was when I met you.”
Prompto’s arm tightened around him. “And was it true? Did you fall in love?” His voice was careful, hopeful.
“Yes,” Noctis whispered, and heard Prompto’s heart speed up in his chest. He smiled slightly before it fell. “But I never got over it, not really. He only became more dedicated to me after that, but it was like there was this wall between us that I haven’t been able to get through since. I ruined our friendship with my dumb assumptions, Prompto. I used him, then just threw him away...”
They sat in silence for several minutes, Prompto carding his fingers through his raven hair. Noctis felt echoes of the tingles from before, but it was less intense this way. Soothing. “I think you’re wrong,” Prompto said quietly.
“About what?” Noctis asked, almost falling asleep after the scare he’d endured, eyes closed. He cuddled closer. Still here.
“I think Ignis did love you. I bet he still does.”
A harsh spike of pain stabbed Noctis in the chest, unrelenting. He buried his face into Prompto’s neck, absorbing his scent and trying to rid himself of the old ache, like a wound that never really healed. “No, he doesn’t. He’s just doing his job.”
Prompto hummed, the sound vibrating through his throat and into Noctis' forehead. “I’m pretty sure. What do you think, Iggy?”
A quiet click sounded through the room and Noctis’ eyes snapped open, head jerking back to search frantically for the sound’s origins, finding it in the form of a cell phone on the bed stand, still displaying the letters ‘Call Ended’. Panic flooded through Noctis’ system like a shot of novocaine to the chest, freezing the air in his lungs. Prompto was staring at him steadily, watching his reaction with a small, ironic smile.
“What have you done?” Noctis gasped. He nearly threw himself off the bed to flee, to find somewhere to hide from what he knew was coming. How could Prompto be so cruel?
But it was too late. The door opened with a deafening click and Ignis walked through. Ignis, hair down and disheveled across his forehead, button-down shirt hanging open exposing his bare chest, and pajama pants riding low on his sharp hips. Clearly interrupted just before retiring for the night. Noctis only got one good look at the shock written over every plane of Ignis’ refined features before the distressed raven hunched over, waiting for the anvil to fall.
The bed shifted behind him and he heard Prompto make his way across the floor. “I think he needs you more than he needs me right now,” he said quietly. Noctis jerked back upright. No, no, NO, that’s not–
“Hold a moment, Prompto. It appears that Noctis needs us both.” Ignis held Prompto by the shoulder, gently guiding him back to the bed where he took his place next to Noctis once again. Ignis pulled up a chair beside them, lowering himself down into it so he could properly see his prince’s face. But Noctis couldn’t look at either of them.
“Noctis, is this true?”
Noctis took a deep, steadying breath. No escaping this now. “Yes.”
“You love me? And you thought I was only sleeping with you because it was one of my duties?” There was no inflection in his tone, and that might have hurt Noctis more than any physical blow ever could.
“Yes,” he whispered.
Ignis stood and Noctis flinched, clenching his eyes shut. “Oh, Noct,” Ignis said, and it was with such warmth that Noctis looked up in surprise, mouth falling open and shivering at what he found. Ignis’ expression took his breath away. There was so much concern, so much love, every ounce of the care he’d seen in Prompto’s eyes earlier. It was raw, unfiltered. How had Noctis never seen it before? Had he let his fears cloud his perceptions? Because there was nothing false, nothing unwilling in Ignis’ green eyes that Noctis could detect.
Ignis bent down and took Noctis’ face tenderly in his ungloved hands, bringing their lips together in a chaste kiss. Memories, unfiltered now by what he thought he knew, flooded Noctis’ system at the familiar taste and smell. The way Ignis took care of him, listened to all of his desires that Noctis hadn’t told any of the others out of fear of rejection, delivered on every single one and never judging, never leaving him afterward. The way he would always leave before the sun rose, not because his job was finished, but because his duties started early and he always made sure to brush a kiss against Noctis’ forehead before he left, but Noctis pretend to sleep because Ignis wouldn’t do it otherwise, and, and…
Noctis had been blind. Ignis pulled back gently. “I do love you, Noctis. I always have.”
“But. The training…I thought…”
“I only had training because I asked for it.” Ignis shifted a little guiltily. “It was never meant to be a part of my formal education, but after you came to me with your grievances, I believed it would benefit us both. I would provide for you what you needed, and I...would get to keep you, even if it was just for a little while.”
Noctis’ eyes widened. “And then I told you that I fell in love.”
Ignis’ brows drew together, and with a flash, Noctis remembered his expression in the hallway. When he’d told him that back then, he never did look into Ignis’ face. Is this how he’d looked that day as well? “Yes. I had no choice but to support you.”
“Ignis.” Noctis let out a broken laugh, shaking his head as all the tension, all the grief he had held onto, flooded out of him at once. He slumped, deflated. “What the hell is wrong with us? All that time…”
Ignis chuckled as well, running a hand through his limp hair. “Indeed.”
“OMG, guys,” Prompto whined, drawing the two’s attention to the man and reminding them of his presence. “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He was beaming, tears glimmering along the edges of his baby blues.
“Well. Alright then,” Ignis cleared his throat, face falling a little, even as Noctis paled. “I’m glad we cleared that up.”
“Prompto, I–” Noctis started.
Prompto waved his hand dismissively. “Nope, no, no, don’t even think about it! And you!” He stopped Ignis in his tracks. “Where do you think you’re going, mister?”
“You-you don’t mind?” Noctis asked haltingly.
“Are you kidding me? Do you know how long I’ve had a crush on you both? And seeing you together like that?” He visibly shivered. “Nu-uh. Iggy, you’re not going anywhere.” He looked pleadingly at Noctis. “That’s what you want, right? The both of us?” When neither man answered right away, Prompto faltered. “Unless. You’d rather I left?”
“No!” Ignis and Noctis said at the same time - startling them all into shocked silence. And then the three of them laughed. Noctis heaved, letting it all out at once, the release of tension so acute he could hardly breathe. Prompto didn't fare any better, rolling around on the bed and clutching at his sides. Ignis was fairly more reserved, chuckling, but his grin could have brightened the sun, all white teeth and crinkled eyes.
Noctis wasn’t sure when he’d closed his eyes, but he sure as hell noticed when, not one, but two sets of lips descended on him, one on his lips and the other against his shoulder. Noctis gasped as his body long gone cold with stress, flushed with warmth, reminding him sharply of the evening's events and his interrupted pleasure. He groaned as Ignis took him tenderly by the face and laved his mouth with tongue and teeth as if making up for lost time. Prompto pressed against Noctis’ back, suckling the side of his neck as if honey were slathered there. The prince’s body sprang rapidly back to attention, old and new sensations warring in a potent cocktail of anticipation.
Ignis pulled back a moment later, reluctantly, taking ahold of Noctis’ grabby hands and restraining them against his chest. “No, where are you going?” Noctis pleaded, and Prompto echoed the sentiment. Ignis found himself pinned with two sets of pleading blue eyes and chuckled darkly.
“As much as I would enjoy having the both of you, I’m afraid it’s not so simple.”
“Gladio,” Noctis said, crestfallen. Prompto made an ‘oh’ sound behind him.
Ignis smirked. “I wouldn’t look too downtrodden, highness. I have no doubt Gladio would wholeheartedly approve of our union. Still…”
Noctis read between the lines. It wasn’t right to do this behind his back, no matter how he might have enthusiastically approved had he been here. He and Ignis had been together for years, and that kind of thing wasn’t to be taken lightly. “I understand…”
Ignis made to pull away, but Prompto jumped to his knees, practically bouncing in place. “Ooh-ooh! I have an idea! Why don’t you watch?”
Noctis breathed slowly through the entire body flush that flowed through him at the thought of Ignis sitting right there, watching him get taken. Ignis seemed to enjoy the idea as well, a spark of deviousness glinting in his eyes. Noctis felt more than heard Prompto inhale sharply as Ignis’ gaze roved over them both, slowly.
“If Noctis doesn’t mind…” he agreed, scanning the raven in question for any protest. With none forthcoming, Ignis backed up and took a seat once more, letting his legs rest apart and not bothering to hide his burgeoning interest in his loose pants. He smirked, resting his elbows against the armrests and carding his fingers together. “Are you going to be a good boy for us, highness?” The way he looked, head tilted imperiously, chest and abs exposed and beautifully tensed even at rest. It was intoxicating.
“Whoa!” Prompto gasped, whether from Ignis’ display or the blatant whine of need from Noctis, it was up in the air. Probably both. Speaking of in the air, Noctis shivered as he felt Prompto’s cock twitch back to life against his lower back, knees still spread on either side of Noctis’ hips. He pushed himself into it, arching his shoulders to get closer to the willing heat. Taking the cue, Prompto ground forward, then lifted himself up a little to drag his hands over Noctis’ abs, up his chest, and down his arms in a blistering slide.
“Use your nails,” Ignis suggested as if commenting on the weather, and both younger men shivered at the command in his tone. And then Prompto did. Noctis shivered as wicked lines of fire gouged into his skin, leaving flushed pink marks everywhere Prompto’s hands wandered. His chest, his back, his sides...
“Damn,” Prompto cursed hotly, right into Noctis’ ear. Noctis was practically a puddle in his hands at this point. “I’m going to take care of you, buddy, just like you took care of me.”
“Yes,” Noctis gasped.
The room warped, and Noctis found himself on his back, pants roughly stripped from his skin and discarded he didn’t care where. And then Prompto’s lips and hands were everywhere, harsh scratches and stinging nips interspersed with gentle caresses and the softest kisses. It was positively maddening because Prompto wouldn’t touch him where he needed it most. He reached down, desperate for relief, but was stopped by an irresistible command.
“Na-ah-ah, highness,” Ignis drawled, accent thick and voice dark. “No touching. Let Prompto take care of you.”
If any blue was left in Noctis’ eyes, it was gone now when he looked at Ignis. The advisor couldn’t hide how aroused he was by the display, nor was he trying to conceal it. Ignis’ legs relaxed indecently wide, cock jutting from his pants, freed from its confines. He fisted himself slowly, the rare sight of his hands bare of their gloves almost as erotic as the smirk on his thin lips, the other hand supporting his cheek. He sat upon that chair as if it were a throne, arrogant as any king and so vastly different from his usual humility as he watched the two men pleasure each other. Noctis remembered that cock, remembered it inside him, and against him, and denied him–
“Damn,” Prompto said again, this time in a whimper, the blond’s eyes locked onto Ignis as if he held all the secrets in the universe. It was only when Noctis shifted beneath him with a needy moan that he snapped out of it. “You two are going to kill me!”
“I will if you don’t get your cock in me now, ” Noctis growled, losing his patience.
Prompto’s slack jaw morphed into a slow grin. “Is he allowed to talk to me like that, Iggy?”
“No, I should say not.” Noctis’ eyes widened, flicking between the two desperately. Please, he didn't think he could take any more teasing. It had been hours. Ignis hummed. “What do you think, Noct?”
The answer spilled from Noctis immediately, all pretense of shame gone. “Please, please, please, take me, Gods Prompto–” He writhed beneath Prompto, wanting relief so badly but not daring to touch himself.
It appeared that Prompto couldn’t take the teasing anymore, either. In a mad rush, he scrambled to the side of the bed and picked something up off the floor, sliding in between Noctis’ legs before the prince could even miss his warmth. A bottle of clear liquid was snicked open and its contents were dumped messily onto Prompto’s hands. It fell to the bed with a thump, quickly forgotten.
Prompto hitched one of Noctis’ legs over his shoulder, turning Noctis to his side. Noctis’ engorged member, an almost painful red against his pale skin, was in perfect view for Ignis, twitching under his gaze. Noctis shuddered, gripping the sheets like his life depended on it. Prompto made an aborted motion at the sight, then stopped himself, looking to Ignis for instruction.
“He likes it fast,” Ignis said, breathless as he began to lose his composure. “Start with two fingers.”
Noctis barely had time to take a breath before Prompto abruptly followed Ignis’ advice, plunging two slicked fingers into Noctis’ entrance without any warning or warm-up. Noctis yelped as pleasure spiked through his entire body as sharply as if Prompto had stabbed him, the pain almost as intense as the pleasure. “Hm,” Prompto hummed, shivering from the feeling of Noctis’ velvety walls clenching around him in a vice grip. His hand pistoned in and out the second he felt Noctis’ body relax fractionally, drawing a growl from the prince. “Noctis–you’re so–I can’t–” Noctis furrowed his brow, concentrating as he canted his hips into the movement. He felt frustration bubble up in him. He needed more.
“More,” Ignis gasped and Noctis’ gaze was drawn to him. Lust spiked through him at what he saw. Ignis had that little wrinkle between his brow that he only showed when he was holding himself back. It had only been a few minutes and Ignis was already right on the edge, sweat trickling down the side of his face and hand held carefully still around his flushed cock. He was waiting for them. Waiting so they could come together.
The introduction of a third finger had Noctis’ back arching off the bed in saccharine agony. He stared desperately into Prompto’s pinched face, seeing the sentiment reflected right back. Only a measly thirty seconds later, Noctis said, “Prompto, please!”
“I don’t want’ t-to hurt you,” Prompto grit out.
Noctis hooked his other leg around Prompto’s waist, forcefully pulling him closer. “You won’t. Now.” Noctis could feel his control hanging by a thread. If Prompto didn’t get inside him right now, he was going to miss his chance.
Prompto heeded the warning in Noctis’ tone, lining himself up. Noctis had only a split second to bear down before Prompto was sinking into him with a hiss. The blond held himself still with clear effort, his entire body trembling to hold itself back. “Noct! I can’t–hah!”
It burned. Oh, how it burned, Prompto’s cock a heavy, aching weight inside of him and Iggy’s gaze on them both. Noctis felt more alive than he’d had in a long, long while. It was too soon, too soon, too– “Move!”
Prompto did, hips pulling out before snapping forward sharply. Again. And again. Until all Noctis could do was ride it out, groans spilling in an uninterrupted stream from somewhere deep in his chest. He could feel the precipice rearing up on him like a viper about to strike, and there was nowhere to go, no way to flee from it. So he let it hit him. With each snap of Prompto’s sharp hips, he cried out with it, white painting his chest and the bed in bursts of pleasure. Prompto ducked down, dropping Noctis’ leg and shoving his fingers in Noctis’ hair to pull harshly at the strands as he claimed his mouth in a biting kiss, pumping his own release deep into Noctis’ body with a keen. The added warmth and pulses intensified Noctis’ aftershocks, the both of them riding it out in a shuddering mess.
Jaws slackened, grips loosened, and muscles relaxed as they fell down from their high, a pinning weight becoming a cuddling presence against Noctis’ chest. For a few moments as they breathed each other’s air, Noctis curled his legs gently around Prompto, holding him inside for as long as he could, not wanting him to pull out just yet.
He basked in it, basked in the care he could feel with every gentle kiss to his shoulder, the softening of Prompto’s member still warm inside of him, their hearts beating as one. Yeah. This is what it’s supposed to be like.
A soft sigh to the side had Noctis cracking open an eye, taking in the sight of Ignis in his most vulnerable; hair disheveled, glasses askew, spend painted over his chest in a telling stain. Gods, he’d missed that look. Noctis didn’t know how this moment could get any better.
Well. He could think of one way. But that was a thought for another time. Now that he knew that he could have this, it was only a matter of time before he got it all.
Ignis got up and quietly padded to the bathroom, returning with a wet cloth. He cleaned himself up first in a quick swipe before gently pulling Prompto upright. Both younger men groaned sleepily as they separated, still too sensitive and various liquids cooling uncomfortably on their skin. By the time Ignis had finished cleaning them up, they were fast asleep.
The next morning.
Prompto, Ignis, and Noctis stared into the tent, expressions varying from amusement to a pained grimace.
Gladio and Jason lay slumbering in the early morning chill, cuddled together so closely that a hair couldn’t pass between them. That wasn’t so unusual, per se. Gladio was a cuddler by nature. What was unusual was the position they were in. Jason, the foreign man who, for all intents and purposes, seemed terrified of Gladio not the day before, had his face snuggled into the hollow of Gladio’s throat, arm slung across the larger man’s waist like he would an oversized body pillow.
Gladio’s arm was pillowed beneath Jason’s head, the other arm draped possessively across the slimmer man’s waist as if he’d fallen asleep halfway through the act of pulling him closer.
“Well,” Noctis said.
“This complicates things a bit,” Ignis finished the thought.
Prompto raised his camera and snapped a picture.