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For as long as Noctis could remember, he had always seen colors; he has no memories of ever seeing the world around in black and white.

And that's a bit of a problem considering people only start seeing colors after meeting their soulmate which means Noctis has met his but doesn't have any idea of who it could be.

Kinda problematic when you're the Crown Prince of Lucis and people expect you to marry your soulmate and no one else because that would be going against the Astrals' will.

Nobody wants to piss off the Six…

If only Noctis even had the slightest clue of who it could be but he doesn't.

All he knows is that he must have met them when he was pretty young, before four or five, but the thing is, back then, it's not like he was surrounded by other kids.

Ignis and Gladio but they're a match so obviously it's not them and he was already seeing colors when he first met the Nox Fleuret so it's not Luna either, or Ravus for that matter.

He also already was seeing colors when he went to his event where nobles bring their kids so it's not any of them either.

That could have been a member of the Citadel's staff, plenty of people have a major age difference with their soulmate, but after investigation, they found out that every staff member either already knew who their soulmate was or had yet to meet them so they're still seeing the world in black and white.

Whoever Noctis' soulmate is, wherever they might be, there's no way for him to find them.

At this point, he's made peace with the fact he would probably never find out who they are.

It's not like it would have made much of a difference anyway.

His heart already belongs to someone else…

***

Beside his little…colorful problem, life isn't that bad.

Since the Empire was defeated nearly twenty years ago, the rest of Eos has known nothing but peace and prosperity.
The Wall became pointless so the Ring of the Lucii is nothing but a family heirloom nowadays, no longer draining his father's life. Daemons are a rarity and Hunters are keeping the fauna under control so the roads have never been safer before.

As for Noctis, well besides those dumb interminable meetings with the Council, he spends his time training with Gladio, having particular lessons with Ignis or hanging out with Prompto.

Meeting him in high school, or more like meeting him again is by far the greatest thing that ever happened to him.

For the first time in his life, someone actually wanted to spend time with him for who he is.

Not because it's their job or because he's the Prince and they want to take advantage of him somehow.

No.

Just because Prompto thought he was lonely and might need a friend.

Fuck…

Noctis loves him so much.

He did for years now, pretty much since the day the blonde walked up to him and introduced himself.

As pretty as the world is with all its colors, Noctis wishes they could have only appeared at this moment…

Prompto is kind and funny and gorgeous even though he doesn't believe so. He and Noctis like the same things, he never minds when the Prince has to cancel their plans at the last minute for some royal duties or ever complained about all the security checks he had to go through when they started hanging out together.

He's perfect.

He's everything Noctis could possibly dream of…

If only he could his fucking phone!

Noctis' schedule has been crazy lately and they haven't had the chance to hang out in days. They didn't even run into each other after the blonde's Crownsguard training. Today though, Noctis was free so they were supposed to meet at the arcade but Prompto didn't show up. Noctis waited five, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes, sending a few texts to his best friend which all remained unanswered and the blonde never came.

That's not like him though to just ghost him like that. He would have let him know if something came up and he couldn't come or if he would be late.

So whatever happened must be bad!

Very bad.

So the Prince sighs and walks out of the arcade which is getting too loud for him to think, hurriedly calling Ignis who answers on the second ring.

"Specs, I need your help!" he tells his adviser without any greeting, anxiously pacing around.

"What's the problem, Noct?" Ignis replies, concerned. "Are you hurt?"

"No but I'm worried about Prompto. He didn't come to the arcade and he won't answer my calls or my messages."

His adviser sighs and the Prince can perfectly picture him pinching the bridge of his nose as he pushes his glasses up.

"What do you want me to do then?" he finally asks after a moment.

"Well," Noctis starts, already dreading Ignis' reaction, "you could check that tracker and-"

"Noct!" he scolds him, cutting him off. "It's only to be used in case of an emergency!"

The Prince had thrown a tantrum years ago when he found out that soon after he and Prompto had become friends, Ignis had him place a tracker on his phone. His adviser had tried to explain to him it was basically just protocol, a security measure in case Noctis ever disappeared while he was with him. Prompto had assured him he didn't mind, that he understood the reasoning behind but Noctis still despised the idea.

At least until today.

"Look," he tells his adviser, "you know it's not like him to not reply so please, Iggy. I'm worried about him."

For a moment, Ignis remains silent as he seems to be debating his options until he eventually defeatedly sighs.

"Give me a minute," he replies and Noctis can hear some typing in the background and he holds his breath, anxiously running his hand through his hair.

A hundred terrifying scenarios flash through his mind and he tries to ignore them.

He doesn't know what he'd do if something happened to Prompto. He's pretty sure he'd lose his mind, that he would-

"He's home," Ignis announces after only a moment although it felt like hours to the Prince. "Or at least his phone is. It hasn't left his house for the past two days and before it-"

"Thanks, Specs!" Noctis abruptly cuts him off and hangs up but not before hearing his adviser calling him out.

He doesn't care what Ignis will say; he needs to see Prompto.

Now!

So he puts his phone back into his pocket and then he starts running as fast as his legs can carry him.

He might not have the best sense of direction but he's done the trip between the arcade and Prompto's place enough times to know how to get to it even with his eyes closed.

He sprints like his life depends on it, dodging people on the sideways and running at least three red lights, making cars honk at him.

Thankfully, he always blends into the crowd and he's rarely recognized when he goes out so there won't be any picture of him sprinting through the streets like a madman on the front page of the Insomniac tomorrow.

And even if it does, then he'll handle the Council, Ignis or whoever might have something to say about it.

He just needs to get to Prompto!

Eventually, he runs out of breath and has no choice but to stop, leaning against a building, panting heavily as he tries to get his breath back. His legs are hurting like hell, he can't remember the last time he ran like this but he can't stop for too long. He's got to-

"Nice run there, Princess!" Gladio teases as he parks his truck next to where Noctis is trying to start breathing again.

"Gladio?" he pants out as he stands back up. "What are you doing here?"

"Ignis told me you were headed to Blondie's because you're worried about him so I'm giving you a lift. You're coming?"

The Prince cannot nod quickly enough as he nearly rips the truck's door open in his hurry to climb in.

"Hey!" his Shield warns him. "My truck didn't do anything to you!"

And although Noctis would usually have a sassy comeback to tell him. Right now, he's too worried to come up with one.

"Sorry," he begrudgingly apologizes as he puts on his seat belt.

"By Shiva's tits!" Gladio swears as he turns the ignition back on. "You really are worried about Blondie!"

There's no point in denying it so Noctis nods and then they're moving, headed to Prompto's neighborhood.

"C'mon, Noct!" his Shield presses on. "What's the matter? What got your panties in a twist like that?"

"We were supposed to meet at the arcade," the Prince sighs, running a hand down his face. "But he never came. I tried calling him, texting him but he never replied either. So Iggy checked the tracker on his phone and he told Prompto haven't left his house in two days."

Something flashes across Gladio's face as he groans and shakes his head.

"That doesn't sound like Blondie," he agrees before speeding up and that doesn't help easing Noctis' nerves.

Within a few minutes, they finally reach Prompto's street and his Shield hasn't even parked his truck properly that Noctis is already jumping out of it, sprinting to his best friend's front door.

"Prompto!" he calls out as he frantically knocks. "Prompto!"

No answer though so he starts mashing the doorbell but to no avail.

"Nothing?" Gladio asks once he has joined him on the porch and Noctis shakes his head, trying to keep the tears threatening to spill at bay. "Want me to kick the door? I think it calls for it."

And right as the Prince is about to nod because fuck the consequences, he'll pay for the Argentum's new door, he remembers the spare key his best friend keeps hidden.

"Wait!" he tells his Shield as he bends over and starts desperately rummaging through the soil of the flower pot, not caring about the mess he's messing.

Eventually, he feels his fingers brushing against something so he grabs it and pulls it out, a maniacal laughter escaping his lips.

His hands are shaking as he tries to get the key into the lock and Gladio pats his back.

"Noct," he carefully begins as the Prince is still struggling to unlock the door, "we don't know what's inside. Maybe I should-"

But Noctis turns a deaf ear to his warning as he finally successfully fits the key in the lock and opens the door, stumbling into the house.

It's a real mess inside with clothes and blankets all over the living room while there's a pile of dishes in the sink but no signs of Prompto yet.

"Prom!" the Prince calls out as he walks in. "Prom!"

Ignoring his Shield, he ventures further into the house, looking around for his best friend.

The bathroom looks as it usually does while the door to the bedroom of Prompto's parents is closed, Noctis has never seen it opened in all the times he's been here.

Finally, at the end of the hallway is the blonde's room whose door is slightly ajar and the Prince takes a deep breath before stepping inside where he finds his best friend at last.

He's in bed, buried underneath a mountain of covers and doesn't seem to be moving.

"Prompto!" he cries out as he runs up to him, kneeling beside the bed.

He sighs with relief once he realizes the blonde is breathing, simply deep asleep which explains why he hasn't answered his many calls or his messages nor he heard him banging on the door earlier.

The trash can is full of tissues, Prompto's nose is red and there's some snot dripping from it. His hair is a mess, he looks just like he just crawled his way out of Ifrit's hell itself and Noctis briefly touches his forehead to check his temperature; he's burning up.

Prompto is sick.

"Sweet Six," he mumbles under his breath as he rests his head against the mattress, relief flooding through him.

Prompto is fine.

Sick, but fine.

It doesn't take long for Gladio to appear in the doorway.

"So?" he wonders and Noctis nods slowly as he reaches up to push some strands of hair out of Prompto's face.

"He's sick," he explains to his Shield, never taking his eyes off the blonde. "And he could probably sleep through an earthquake right now."

Gladio's features soften almost imperceptibly as he joins him, taking a good look at Prompto.

"He looks knocked out," he comments and Noctis nods in agreement. "I'll let Iggy know we found him. He was heading here too but he'll probably still want to check on him himself."

Specs can be such a mother hen sometimes but right now, that might be exactly what Prompto needs.

"C'mon," Gladio urges him, patting his shoulder. "We'll go clean up a little before Ignis gets here. Otherwise he's going to have a stroke."

"I'm coming," he assures his Shield who walks out of the bedroom.

Once they're alone though, Noctis cups the blonde's cheek, delicately stroking it. He runs his thumb across Prompto's upper lip and his heart aches in his chest.

He loves him so much…

Why couldn't he have been his soulmate instead of whoever the fuck it is?

Things would be so much simpler…

Of course, the Council would complain about the fact that Prompto is a guy, a commoner, not exactly royal husband material, at least not for them.

But Noctis would face them if it was what it took.

He would even abdicate from the throne if it came down to it although he knows that no matter how much the Council would complain, ultimately, they would have no ground to protest their relationship.

If they were soulmates, that would mean the Six themselves had destined them for each other…

But the blonde has never hinted at whether or not he was seeing colors while Noctis was seeing them long before they first met.

They're not a pair and no amount of wishful thinking could ever change that.

Noctis has to accept it and move forward.

He might not ever get to be Prompto's soulmate but he will always be his best friend and best friends take care of each other.

"Don't worry, Prom," he whispers, gently running his finger through his best friend's hair, trying to tame the mess. "I'm here. You're going to be fine."

The blonde makes a noise in his sleep and leans into Noctis' touch for a second, making the Prince chuckle.

"Noct!" he hears Gladio calling him out. "C'mon! I'm not doing all those dishes by myself!"

Sighing, the Prince reluctantly lets go of Prompto's hair and stands up, carefully walking out of the room and closing the door behind him before joining his Shield in the kitchen.

"How's Blondie?" Gladio wonders as he hands him a dish towel.

"Still sleeping," Noctis confirms, nodding. "I think he's got a cold or something. He has a fever and his nose won't stop dripping even as he sleeps."

"I told Iggy. I think he's going to rob a pharmacy and probably a grocery store too on his way here."

The Prince hums absently and starts drying up some dishes his Shield had previously washed.

"You're planning on ever telling him how you feel?" Gladio wonders after a moment and the shock that he knows only lasts for a second.

Noctis knows he hasn't exactly been subtle about his feelings for Prompto.

Ignis probably knows too.

"What would be the point?" he tries to shrug it off. "He's not my soulmate. People would never accept us being together."

"To hell with soulmates!" the older guy swears loudly, tossing the utensils he was cleaning aside. "Since when you give a shit about what people think?"

"But my dad-"

"Wouldn't care as long as you're happy!" Gladio cuts him off, shaking his head. "Don't tell you think he'd mind if you and Blondie got together! Especially not considering-"

He drifts off, vaguely motioning to Noctis who understands he means the mess about his soulmate.

"Besides, practically no one knows you've always been seeing colors. You could always pretend you started seeing them when you met Prompto. It's not like there's a way for the Council to prove you're lying."

"But if Prompto ends up meeting his soulmate and-" Noctis tries to protest only for his Shield to cut him off once again.

"He wouldn't care about them! Everybody can see he loves you back, Noct. Tell him."

Thankfully, the Prince is saved from having to answer when the front door opens and Ignis walks in, carrying bags from the grocery store and from the pharmacy.

So while Gladio keeps on doing the dishes and Ignis starts preparing some soup, Noctis takes the opportunity to leave the kitchen and go to the living room instead where he picks up the laundry Prompto has been neglecting lately.

As he does so though, he can't help but repeat his Shield's words over and over again in his head.

Has he been that oblivious before?

Is it really that obvious Prompto loves him?

Could they make this work even without being soulmates?

Would his father approve?

Sighing, he takes a good look around the house and wonders if it truly feels like home to Prompto.

He barely spends time here anymore.

Most nights, he crashes at Noctis' apartment after spending the evening with him. Most of his clothes are in Noctis' closet and drawers. He has a toothbrush and a bottle of his favorite brand of shampoo in Noctis' bathroom.

And that's not all.

Nowadays, Ignis always thinks of buying Prompto's favorite snacks when doing the groceries for Noctis. And when he prepares meals in advance for the week, he makes enough for two.

Prompto basically already lives with him…

And he's the one who asked to join the Crownsguard after they graduated high school, saying this way, Noctis could never get rid of him.

So maybe, just maybe, his feelings aren't one-sided…

He just got to work up the courage to tell him.

As if on cue, the Prince suddenly hears some shuffling in the hallway so he looks there right on time to see his best friend emerge from his room with a blanket wrapped tightly around him.

"Noct?" he asks, blinking several times, like not believing what he's seeing. "W-what are you doing here?"

"You didn't come to the arcade," Noctis points out with a fond smile as he walks up to him. "I was worried so we came to check out if you were alright."

"We?" Prompto repeats after him in disbelief.

"Gladio's doing your dishes while Iggy is cooking you some soup," the Prince explains, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around the blonde and hold him. "He bought you some medicine too!"

A blush spread across the blonde's already flushed cheeks.

"Sorry," he apologizes, truly looking embarrassed. "You probably all had better things to do than to do this, taking care of me and all."

And that just ain't going to work…

"Hey," Noctis whispers as he pulls his best friend closer, reaching to gently caress his right wrist. "Ever at your side, remember?"

The corners of Prompto's lips twitch up, some tension easing off him as he relaxes against the Prince.

These words aren't his though.

They're the blonde's.

He first said them just after they graduated high school, when Noctis' father and Cor made him come to the former's office and told him the truth about his origins: he was not only from Nifhleim but he also was a clone of Verstael Besithia, the mad bastard that was the Empire's Minister of research.

Cor had found him during a recon mission soon before the fall of the Empire and couldn't bring himself to leave him there so he had brought him back to Insomnia where he was adopted from the Argentums.

The rest is history.

Obviously, Prompto freaked out at first, apologizing over and over again for something he was in no way responsible for and he ended up having a panic attack which Noctis' father and Cor helped him through. They assured him it didn't change anything, that he was still allowed to join the Crownsguard, that they only told him because they felt like he deserved to know the truth.

The first thing Prompto had done when he left the office was go to Noctis' place to tell him everything.

"Whatever," the Prince shrugged off after his best friend's confession. "Who cares where you were born?"

The blonde's eyes had grown wide while he gaped like a fish, making Noctis chuckle as he playfully punched his shoulder.

"You never once treated me like a Prince," he pointed out, smirking. "So since where do people come from matters to you?"

Realization flashed across Prompto's face as he understood this wasn't the end of their friendship and tears of relief welled up in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter to me," Noctis whispered as he pulled him into a hug. "Just like it won't matter to Gladio or Specs. You already signed up to be an official part of my retinue, remember? That means you're stuck with us, with me."

A sob escaped the blonde's lips as he hugged the Prince back, clutching at him like he was scared Noctis was about to disappear.

"Ever at your side," he replied, his voice cracking, but Noctis heard him all the same and tightened his arms around him.

Ever since, those words were what they said to each other whenever one was feeling down or needed some reassurance such as today.

"Ever at your side," Noctis says again and this time, Prompto nods slowly as he meets the Prince's eyes.

"Ever at your side," he repeats after his best friend. "Thank you, Noct."

Noctis grins and throws an arm around his shoulders before he can do something stupid like kiss him and drags him to the kitchen right on time for the soup to be ready.

He eats two bowls and takes enough cold medicine to knock him out as soon as he sits down on the couch, his head resting on Noctis' shoulder.

The Prince is quite content with his new role as his best friend's pillow so he makes himself comfortable and stays there, long after Gladio and Ignis have left.

He's absently scrolling down Kingstagram with one hand, the other gently playing with Prompto's hair. It's a real mess of knots so he does it very carefully, not wanting to accidentally hurt him and that's when he makes a decision.

He's going to tell him how he feels.

As soon as he feels better, he will tell him he's in love with him.

He's going to-

A sudden giggle pulls him out of his thoughts and he looks down to see the blonde staring at him with heavy lidded eyes and an hysterical smile on his lips.

"You're completely high on medicine, aren't you?" Noctis guesses, fondly smiling back at his best friend who giggles again but doesn't bother replying to him.

For a moment, neither of them says anything, just staring and smiling at each other until eventually, Prompto reaches for Noctis' face, gently running his thumb across the Prince's lips.

"Tell me the truth," he whispers, leaning closer and Noctis' breath itches in the back of his throat because is it really happening right now. It can't be- "Do you wear lip gloss? Cause you have the prettiest pink lips I've ever seen!"

He bursts into another fit of giggles, clearly proud of himself, unaware of how the Prince's world is crumbling down around him.

Pink.

A single word that ruined every plan Noctis had.

Prompto sees colors.

He met his soulmate.

Anger, disappointment, heartbreak and a thousand more emotions are flooding through the Prince at once.

He's too late.

He missed his chance.

If Prompto has met his soulmate, then there's no way he would ever agree to be with Noctis instead.

Not that he blames him.

Things will be so much simpler with them than they would be with Noctis…

No Council to argue with, no need to lie and pretend to have been a pair for years, no pressure from being the soulmate of the future King of Lucis…

Why in Ifrit's hell would Prompto agree to go through this when he could just date his soulmate and live happily ever after with whoever they are?

Noctis can feel a sob building up in the back of his throat and he needs to get out of here.

ASAP.

He abruptly stands up, startling Prompto who was still resting against him.

"C'mon," the Prince urges him, grabbing his hands and pulling him up. "Time for bed!"

"Noct-" the blonde tries to protest but Noctis pays him no mind, dragging him to his bedroom before forcibly pushing him onto the bed.

And no matter how much he wants to die right now, Noctis still cares about Prompto's wellbeing first and foremost so he takes the time to properly tuck him in and his best friend is already back sleeping before he can even leave the bedroom.

***

He can't remember walking out of Prompto's house nor walking all the way back to the Citadel. All he remembers is thinking that he couldn't go to his apartment that is basically also his best friend's at this point. Not when everywhere he looks at reminds him of the blonde…

So instead, he went to his old room at the Citadel, burrowed himself underneath the covers in his bed and only then did he allow himself to cry.

*~*~*~*~*

He categorically refuses to leave the safety of his cocoon of blankets the next day because it would mean facing the outside world where Prompto has met his soulmate.

The first to come is Ignis. He asks Noctis questions the Prince ignores, tightening the blankets around him. Specs offers him food, water and to listen if he needs to talk but once it becomes clear Noctis isn't moving anytime soon, he sighs and announces he's going to cancel today's meeting. He reminds him he's there if he wants to talk before leaving. Right before walking out of the bedroom though, he stops in the doorway and asks one more question.

"Just tell me if I'm wrong, Noct, but does it have anything to do with Prompto?"

And the Prince didn't mean to answer but a sob escapes his mouth and his adviser must have heard him as he leaves, closing the door behind him.

***

The next to come is Gladio. Noctis briefly fears he might just rip the blankets off him and force him to talk but surprisingly, his Shield just walks up to the bed and sits down on the edge.

"What happened with Blondie?" he simply asks, cutting straight to the chase because, of course, Ignis told him it was about Prompto.

Or maybe he guessed.

It's not like it makes a difference.

And Noctis has half a mind to tell him to fuck off, that it's none of his business but he doesn't have the energy for it so he decides to just tell him the truth.

"He sees colors," he admits, his voice rough and husky.

His throat feels drier than Leide's desert but he doesn't want to get up to go get some water.

"He met his soulmate, Gladio. I'm too late. I missed my chance."

He expects comments, remarks but instead, his Shield just swears under his breath before gently placing a hand on top of the pile of blankets Noctis is hiding under.

"I'm sorry, Noct," he apologizes in a tone the Prince has never heard before. "I'm sorry."

And that's what breaks him.

A sob escapes his mouth while the tears start rolling down his cheeks.

Gladio stays beside him for a while, rubbing his back through the covers in an uncharacteristically gentle manner.

And as grateful as Noctis is, he can't help but be jealous of his Shield.

He and Ignis are each other's soulmate while his own is the Six knows where and now Prompto's is around and as his best friend, he will have to meet them eventually because best friends support each other…

He wants to throw up.

He loses track of time eventually and ends up crying himself to sleep.

***

Noctis still hasn't left the safety of his cocoon of blankets the next day, he only got up to use the bathroom and eat a little something but he must have been a terrible person without even realizing it because it seems like the universe is now purposefully mocking him.

The third person who visits him is none other than the one person he's been aching for.

"Hey, Noct," Prompto gently greets him as he walks into the suite. "How are you, buddy?"

And even though the Prince cannot see him, he can tell he's doing much better already; he doesn't seem to have his nose all clogged up like he did, nor his voice sounds like he swallowed sandpaper.

The blonde seems to be taking his silence the wrong way as he sighs and Noctis hears him come closer.

"Sorry!" he apologizes. "That was dumb of me to ask. I'm sorry."

Silence befalls upon the room once again for a moment before the Prince hears the blonde's footsteps coming closer.

"You don't have to tell what's going on, Noct, but I'm right here if you want to talk, okay?"

The mattress then dips and Noctis freezes as his best friend climbs into bed behind him, immediately plastering himself onto his back.

"Ever at your side, Noct," Prompto whispers, wrapping his arms around him through the blankets. "Always."

And if the Prince had any tears left in his body, he would start crying already.

Why is Prompto here with him rather than out there enjoying life with his soulmate? He must have found them recently or else he would have told him…

"Ever at your side," the blonde repeats, tightening his arms around Noctis who can't do anything but lean back against his best friend's chest, allowing himself to burrow himself deeper into the embrace.

That girl, that guy, whoever they are, Prompto will be theirs for the rest of their life but right now, he's Noctis'.

His.

***

The next visit he receives is the one he had been dreading the most beside Prompto's.

"Okay, Noctis," his father signs as he sits on the edge of the bed, just next to where the Prince is still hidden underneath his covers, "you don't want to talk and it's fine but you can still listen. Just nod so I know you're not sleeping."

So Noctis nods slowly, wondering what his father could have to say to him.

"Well then, I'm going to take a guess and say this either has something to do with a certain blonde Crownsguard."

And Noctis wishes he could say he was surprised that even his father knows about his crush but clearly, he was nowhere as subtle as he thought he was being.

"He met his soulmate," the Prince confirms, tightening the blankets around himself. "It's game over for me now."

The King sighs again and for a minute, Noctis thinks he's going to stand up and leave but that's not what happens.

"Is that so? Have they started dating? Has Prompto already proposed? Are they getting married as we speak?"

And for the first time since Noctis made himself home in bed, he peeks his head out of the blankets to look at his father in disbelief.

"What are you trying to say?" he asks, confused.

"One would have to be blind to not see how much this boy loves you. Or how much you love him."

"It doesn't matter!" Noctis protests, shaking his head as he sits up. "He found his soulmate!"

He feels the tears welling up in his eyes so he groans and digs the heel of his hands into his orbits.

"I was going to tell him how I feel," he admits, a blush spreading across his cheeks and he looks down in embarrassment. "I was just waiting for him to feel better since he was sick. But then he was joking around and he let it slip that he's seeing colors."

His voice cracks and his father reaches over to rub his back in soothing circles.

"You know," he begins after a moment, "when Clarus met Monica, he immediately fell in love with her. I remember him telling me she was the love of his life but he was also disappointed."

Frowning, the Prince looks back up at his father.

"Why?"

"Because she wasn't his soulmate so they weren't meant for each other. Then, a few months later, he met Claudia and they were soulmates so they got married because that's what people expected out of them."

"B-b-but," Noctis stutters, taken back by the revelation, "didn't they love each other?"

His father shrugs.

"In a way, they did, yes but they were never in love. Ultimately though, if they hadn't been soulmates, they never would have gotten married nor had Gladio and Iris."

He sighs.

"They had this agreement, they knew that they would never completely make each other happy so even though they couldn't split without causing an uproar amongst nobles because you know how they are about soulmates, they were even worse back then, so they found their happiness somewhere else. Clarus with Monica and Claudia with Magnus."

Noctis groans, rolling his eyes because the last thing he wants to hear right now is how his father's Shield was in an open relationship with Gladio's mother.

"Then, Claudia became sick and she knew she was dying so she asked Monica to make sure Clarus wouldn't be alone, that Gladio and Iris would still have a mother after she would be gone."

"What does it have to do with me and Prompto?" the Prince wonders, taking a deep breath.

"Do you know what's the number one cause of divorce?" his father asks him rather than replying and although annoyed, Noctis shakes his head. "Soulmates who get married right after they meet only to realize later that things don't exactly work between them."

The King then places a hand over his son's shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly.

"What I'm trying to say, Noctis, is that this whole soulmates system is flawed. They aren't necessarily the love of each other's life. Don't get me wrong. Some soulmates do work, I'll forever be the luckiest man on Eos that your mother and I were meant for each other, or just look at Gladio and Ignis, but not all of them. So Prompto might have found his soulmate but next to the love this boy feels for you? They don't stand a chance!"

It's too much for Noctis who cries out and his father immediately pulls him into a hug.

"W-what about mine?" the Prince whispers, clutching at the King.

"You don't care about them, you never did, so neither do I."

He then kisses Noctis' temple.

"The Council doesn't have to know the whole truth, you know? All I want is for you to be happy and he makes you happy, does he?"

"He does," Noctis confirms, his voice cracking as he buries his face into his father's neck. "I love him."

The King sighs happily as he plays with his son's hair.

"Then tell him."

He briefly stops.

"Just shower first. You've been here for what? Two days? You're starting to stink."

"Dad!" the Prince protests, snorting as he playfully pushes his father away.

But hope is already blooming in his chest.

He just has to be hopeful it won't be followed by heartbreak later…

*~*~*~*~*

He kept his phone off the whole time he was basically catatonic so when he finally turns it back once after his father has left him to get ready, it immediately gets flooded by notifications; text messages, missed calls and voicemails.

Most are from Prompto, Gladio and Ignis, some are from his dad and the others are either from Clarus or Weskham, all of them worrying about him.

He'll check them all later. Right now, he's a man on a mission so he texts Specs to let him know he would like to take a shower but all his stuff is still at his apartment.

So thirty minutes later, his adviser arrives at the suite with toiletries and a fresh change of clothes.

"It's good to have you back," he tells Noctis with a smile.

The Prince smiles back at him.

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Of course!" Ignis immediately replies, nodding. "Anything!"

"I'm headed to the shower already because I really do stink but I need to talk to Prompto so if I let him know, can you pick him up and drive him here?"

Specs nods again, his smile widening almost imperceptibly and he watches with a knowing look as Noctis texts the blonde.

To: Prompto
Hey! Sorry for how I've been. I need to talk to you. You home? Ignis can pick you up

He doesn't have to wait for long before the answer comes in three successive text messages.

From: Prompto
Of course!

From: Prompto
Yeah I'm home

From: Prompto
Waiting for him 😊

"All good," the Prince says as he looks back to his adviser. "He's at his place."

"I'll be on my way then," Ignis confirms before his features soften. "You don't have anything to worry about, Noct. He loves you."

Noctis lets out a nervous chuckle, anxiously wiping his hands down his pants.

"I hope you're right!"

***

Half an hour later, he's all dressed up, he washed himself and his hair and he's anxiously pacing around the suite, waiting for Prompto to arrive.

There's so many things he wants to tell him, he planned it all while he was in the shower but all thoughts go out through the window when the blonde walks in and immediately makes a beeline for the Prince, wrapping his arms around him to hug him tightly.

And what is Noctis supposed to do but hug him back even more tightly, burrowing his face into his best friend's neck.

"Fuck," Prompto swears under his breath. "I was so worried about you."

"Sorry," the Prince apologizes but his best friend shakes his head and pulls back just enough to look at him properly.

"You don't need to apologize," he assures Noctis with a gentle smile. "Are you better now?"

And Noctis doesn't have an answer to give him yet so he pretends like he didn't hear him and instead pulls him toward the couch so they sit down.

"I need to talk to you," he begins, taking a deep breath.

"That's what you said in your message," Prompto replies, chuckling nervously. "So? What's up?"

I love you.

Please, love me back.

"Who are they?" the words tumble out of his mouth before he can stop them.

Confusion flashes across Prompto's face.

"Who is who?"

Fuck! That's not how Noctis had planned for things to go!

"Your soulmate," he explains, smiling in a way he hopes is reassuring although it probably looks more like a grimace than anything. "I know you met them. Tell me about them."

A moment passes by.

"What in Ifrit's fucking hell are you talking about, Noct?" the blonde questions him, looking at the Prince as if he had grown a second head.

"While you were sick," Noctis starts explaining and recalling it hurts just as much as it did the first time, "you said something about the color of my lips so it means you're seeing them. You've met your soulmate. So who is it? How are they?"

Prompto's entire face suddenly turns a bright shade of red as he opens his mouth and closes it a few times, gaping like a fish.

"I-I-I," he stutters, looking down to his lap, "it's not what you think, Noct."

He takes a deep breath, seemingly looking for the right words so the Prince waits patiently beside him, his hand itching to hold the blonde's.

"I always saw colors," the blonde finally confesses after a moment and Noctis feels like he's being punched in the face. "For as long as I can remember, I always saw them. I thought I was broken, that it had something to do with this."

He sighs and runs his thumb across his barcode.

"Then, when your father and Cor told me the truth about Nifhleim and all, I thought that maybe Verstael had met his soulmate and since I'm his clone, then that's why I'm seeing colors too."

And Noctis suddenly feels like the world's biggest asshole…

"So," he says, swallowing past the lump in the back of his throat, "you didn't meet anyone?"

Prompto immediately shakes his head and looks back up to the Prince, blue eyes staring into indigo ones.

"And even if I did," the blonde whispers so quietly Noctis barely even hears him, "it wouldn't matter."

"Why?"

"Because I love you," he explains and the Prince's heart does a somersault in his chest. "I love you, Noct, and there could never be anyone else for-"

But Noctis has heard enough.

He can't help himself any longer and crushes his lips onto his best friend's. Prompto freezes but only for half a second before he throws his arms around the Prince's neck, eagerly kissing him back.

Kissing Prompto feels like all the fireworks of Founder's Day went off at the same time inside Noctis' stomach.

It's overwhelming and breathtaking and leaves him hungry for more so he wraps his arms around the blonde's waist and pulls him as close as he can, deepening the kiss and slipping his tongue into Prompto's mouth. His best friend moans against his lips which sends an electroshock through the Prince's spine and he wants to hear that sound over and over again.

Fuck…

It's even more perfect than he had ever dared dreaming of.

"Noct!" Prompto gasps, pulling back from the kiss and the Prince takes the opportunity to attack his neck, kissing and nibbling on the sensitive skin. "Noct! But your soul-"

"I don't care about them!" Noctis cuts him off, furiously shaking his head before looking back at the blonde. "Just you. It's always been you!"

His best friend's face suddenly lights up and the Prince is overwhelmed with how much he loves him and crushes their lips together once more.

The kiss is somehow even more desperate than the first and Noctis finds himself pushing Prompto until he's lying on the couch and he moves to lie on top of him.

The blonde moans into his mouth and begins hurriedly pulling at the Prince's clothes.

"Off!" he pants, only pulling back from the kiss to help Noctis take off his shirt as well as his own.

As soon as he's done tossing the offending pieces of clothing away, he pulls the Prince back into another kiss.

Feeling all that newly bare skin pressed against his own suddenly makes Noctis freeze as what they're doing sinks in.

"Wait!" he whispers, pulling away but Prompto whines in annoyance and chases his lips. "Should we slow down a little-"

But the blonde vividly shakes his head.

"We've got five years to make up for," he points out, smirking as he starts toying with the Prince's belt. "I don't want to slow down. Do you?"

But honestly, neither does Noctis so he shakes his head and smirks back at his best friend before diving in for another kiss.

Soon, their pants and underwear join their shirts onto the pile and the Prince finds himself on his back with the blonde riding him like his life depended on it.

And as he watches Prompto throwing his head back, his eyes shut with bliss, his skin flushed and looking absolutely ethereal, Noctis dares anyone to ever step in between them…

*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Noctis' father insists on having him and Prompto for dinner and he makes it clear he will stand by them if the Council says anything about them being together.

And they do complain when they publicly announce they're dating after a few weeks but Noctis' father quickly shuts them up by lying and saying they're soulmates and therefore, meant for each other.

Noctis never told them before because it simply was none of their business.

It does the trick and they keep their mouth shut afterwards.

They don't want to piss off the Six.

Things mostly stay the same after that except that Prompto officially moves into Noctis' apartment and sends a message to his parents telling them he has moved out.

It remains unanswered but Prompto says he's used to it and that it doesn't matter anyway since he's got a new family.

***

They've been dating for a year when it finally happens.

Noctis wants to spoil Prompto, to treat him like a Prince and shower him with gifts and affection but he just can't find the perfect gift for their one year anniversary.

He already gave him the best camera money can buy just a month ago. Rings are obviously a no-go, at least until the King gives his blessing to propose which he promised to give once they would have been dating for at least three years. Prompto's ears aren't pierced while Noctis can't find a necklace or a bracelet that fits what he has in mind.

"You could give him the bracelet I gave your mother on our own anniversary," his father suggests one afternoon while Noctis has been complaining for the past fifteen minutes that he must be a horrible boyfriend as he can't find a gift for the blonde.

The Prince's head snaps up from where he's been repeatedly banging it on the King's desk for the past fifteen minutes.

"What?"

"It's custom made," his father explains to him, smiling. "It's a silver bracelet with our family's emblem engraved. After you were born, she said she wanted you to have it someday so you could give it to someone too but then, you know, things happened and…"

He drifts off but Noctis understands what he means; his mother died and then they finally defeated Nifhleim for good and they had to rebuild what had been destroyed…

So the Prince nods in agreement and follows his father out of the office and down the hallways until they eventually reach the King's suite. He sits on the edge of the bed and watches while his father opens his closet and carefully pulls out of it an intricately decorated chest.

"I haven't touched it since your mother died," the King admits as he sits down beside his son and runs his hand longingly over the lid of the box. "I always felt like if I opened it, then it would mean Aulea really was gone."

Noctis sighs and rests his head onto his father's shoulder, waiting for him to be ready.

"You know what she would say if she was here with us?" his father wonders after a moment. "Open it, you big damn idiot! Keeping that box closed won't bring me back."

The Prince snorts, the corners of his lips twitching up.

"She was something, wasn't she?"

His father nods and chuckles.

"A real feral coeurl! Always speaking her mind."

He sniffles and wipes away a tear before wrapping his arm around Noctis' shoulder, pulling him close to kiss his forehead.

"Let's do this before her spirit comes back to haunt me for the rest of my life," he declares after a moment, straightening his back.

So the King delicately lifts the lid of the box and the Prince inhales deeply as he takes a look at all the souvenirs from his mother hidden inside the chest.

There's pictures and jewelry, a bottle of perfume, a black leather bound journal and a positive pregnancy test.

"Wow," Noctis lets out under his breath as he reaches for the pile of pictures. "Is that-"

"Yes," his father chuckles, nodding. "Our wedding!"

Noctis had never seen those pictures before. Many are from his parents when they were younger, before and after they got married while others are from their friends and he finally gets to see what Clarus looked like before he lost all of his hair.

His father tells him the story behind each photo and the Prince listens attentively as it's rare for him to speak so much of Noctis' mother.

Then, while the King starts rummaging through the jewelries, looking for the bracelet, Noctis decides to take a look into the journal, curious to see what his mother could have written into it.

It turns out to be his mother's journal in which she would write from time to time, whenever something special happened.

So he quickly flips the pages, looking for the day of his birth but then, halfway through it, a picture falls out so he picks it up from his lap and freezes, unsure of what he's looking at.

"Dad?" he questions his father, handing the photo to him. "Who is that?"

But his father seems just as confused as he is.

The picture depicts two toddlers, probably in between one and two years old, grinning at each other. Noctis recognizes himself as one of them, the black haired one obviously, but he has no idea of who the other might be.

Blonde hair and skinny enough that it must not be healthy with carved cheeks rather than full ones.

"I never saw this picture before," the King comments, shaking his head.

While he keeps examining the picture, Noctis turns his attention to the page of the journal it fell from. There's a handwritten note in it with the date; Noctis was around one year and a half at this point.

Cor came back today from Nifhleim and brought back a kid. A poor little boy who looks like he's been starving. He asked me to take care of him while he would talk to Regis. I fed him and then I introduced him to Noctis. I don't know what happened but as soon as they saw each other, their eyes lit up and they smiled in a way I never saw Noctis smile before. I couldn't resist taking a picture.

Who knows? It might be the start of a great friendship!

His mother wrote this.

She's the one who took the picture.

And the other boy with him…

A baby Cor brought back from Nifhleim…

Prompto!

"Dad," he says, his voice trembling and his hands shaking as he gives him the diary.

As his father reads it, his eyes grow wide and his jaw drops open, the revelation sinking in.

Noctis and Prompto met as infants, back when they were too young to remember it and the only other person who could have reminded them died shortly afterwards.

They both have been seeing colors for as far as they can remember although neither can recall meeting their soulmate.

And when they started dating, it felt so natural. It came to them as easily as breathing. As if…

As if it had always been meant to happen!

"Do you," the Prince begins to say but his voice cracks so he clears his throat before starting again. "Does that mean what I think?"

Sighing happily, the King nods slowly, a smile stretching onto his lips as he looks back at his son.

"With this," he replies, motioning to the book and the pictures in his hands, "it all seems so obvious now. If only we had known."

How much heartache it could have saved him and Prompto…

Because Prompto is his soulmate!

He's the one who made him see colors when they first met although neither can remember it because they were too young.

They are meant for each other.

"What are you still doing here?" his father asks in a teasing tone, clapping his back. "Don't you think Prompto deserves to know who his soulmate is?"

Noctis nods and stands up, already wondering how he's going to break out the news to his boyfriend but he doesn't get to go far before his father grabs his hand, making him stop.

"I know it hasn't been three years," he tells his son, his smile widening as he does so, "but I think that Prompto Lucis Caelum sounds a lot better than Prompto Argentum, don't you think?"

The Prince chokes on his saliva as he feels a blush spreading across his face.

"D-Dad!" he stutters, which makes the King smirk. "What? I thought you said you wanted us to wait!"

"Like you would have actually waited," his father teases him, snorting. "I actually have a bet going on with Clarus, Cor, Cid and Weskham. Cid thought you wouldn't make it to your first anniversary without proposing while Cor actually believed you would wait until it's been three years. If you ask Prompto within the next three months, I win."

And despite the improbable situation he found himself, Noctis can't help but chuckle, a bit nervously though.

"I don't have a ring though," he points out, shaking his head.

His father raises an eyebrow.

"Don't you?" he asks Noctis who follows the King's eyes to the Prince's right hand which he's still holding in his own. "It should fit him but we can always get it resized if it doesn't."

"Are you serious?" Noctis spurts out, his eyes growing wide.

"Why not?" his father shrugs off. "He's going to become a Lucis Caelum anyway."

The Prince takes off the ringer he's been wearing non stop since his twentieth birthday, a gift from his father.

It's a perfect replica of the Ring of the Lucii, powerless of course. His father is wearing an identical one. With the fall of the Empire, the wall became pointless and so did the original Ring which now collects dust somewhere in the armiger.

"You mean it?" Noctis asks, his throat tightening with emotion and his father nods.

"Go!" he urges him, chuckling as he playfully pushes him toward the door.

The Prince doesn't need to be told twice.

He practically sprints all the way to the training hall where he finds his boyfriend, and hopefully soon-to-be fiancé, in the middle of a training session with other Crownsguards under the supervision of Cor who raises an eyebrow when he notices him.

"Is there a problem, Noctis?" he wonders and the Prince shakes his head, unable to keep himself from grinning.

"No but I need to talk to Prompto. I've got permission from my dad!"

The Marshal glares at him for a few seconds before groaning and running a hand down his face.

"Don't tell Regis is about to win this stupid bet," he grumbles. "He's going to be insufferable about it."

"Well we just found out Prompto and I were soulmates so he gave me his blessing."

Cor's eyes grow comically wide, making Noctis burst into laughter.

"When you brought Prompto back from Nifhleim," he reminds the Marshal, "you left him with my mom while you were talking to my dad."

Cor swears under his breath.

"How come I forgot about it?"

"I don't know," Noctis shrugs off. "I'll forgive you if you give Prompto the rest of the week off from training though."

"Fine," he grumbles, reluctantly nodding in agreement before clearing his throat and whistling to get all the Crownsguards' attention. "Argentum! Come here!"

The blonde looks surprised but then he notices Noctis and he grins widely as he jogs up to him and Cor.

"Hey!" he happily greets the Prince who has to hold himself back from passionately kissing him right here.

Of course, his soulmate is exactly who it should be.

The person he loves more than anything.

"Hi!" Noctis greets him back. "You're done here for today. Come with me!"

His boyfriend looks surprised and takes a look at the Marshal for confirmation but Cor nods and Prompto grins once more.

"Lead the way then!" he tells the Prince who smirks and grabs his boyfriend's hand, pulling him along with him out of the training hall and down the hallway until they eventually reach an alcove and Noctis just can't wait any longer.

He promptly pins the blonde to the wall, making him squeal in surprise but his smile doesn't falter even for a second.

"You're in a good mood today," Prompto teases as he wraps his arms around Noctis' neck.

"An excellent one!" the Prince clarifies with a smirk, holding on tightly to his boyfriend's waist. "My father and I, we found my mother's journal and guess what we found inside."

He then lowers his voice and bumps their foreheads together, blue eyes staring into indigo ones.

"After Cor brought you from Nifhleim, he asked my mom to take care of you while he was talking to my dad and my mom introduced us to each other. Apparently, as soon as we saw each other, we smiled."

It takes a few seconds for his words to sink into his forehead but he can tell the exact moment they do because Prompto's eyes grow wide and he gasps. The Prince, however, can't help but smirk and crashes his lips onto his boyfriend's, muffling the sound.

"It's you, Prom," he whispers in between two kisses. "It's you! It's always been you! My soulmate!"

"My soulmate," the blonde echoes, tightening his arms around Noctis' neck. "Mine. And I'm all yours, Noct!"

They kiss and keep on kissing until they run out of breath and have no choice but to pull back, panting heavily, their foreheads pressed together.

And Prompto is just so beautiful like this with his skin all flushed, his eyes dark with lust, his lips swollen from kissing and he's still wearing his clothes from Crownsguard training; his tank top is emphasizing his biceps while his pants are doing nothing to hide his growing erection.

And it's taking all of Noctis' willpower to not just drag him to his suite so they can properly celebrate what they've just discovered but he would much rather the next time they have sex to be as fiancés and future husbands rather than just boyfriends.

But for that to happen, he needs to propose first…

"Marry me," he says as soon as he gets his breath back, pulling away so he can kneel in front of the blonde, taking his hands into his. "I love you! Soulmate or not, there's no one I would rather have by my side than you. So will you do me the honor to be by my side, forever?"

Tears start to roll down the blonde's cheeks as he giggles and nods excitedly. Grinning from one ear to the other, the Prince can feel the tears welling up in his own eyes as he takes off the ring from his finger to carefully slip it onto Prompto's.

He then kisses the ring before standing back up and he immediately finds himself being pulled into another kiss by his fiancé.

And Noctis might have always seen colors, the world has never seemed brighter than it does right now with Prompto by his side.

Forever.