lineof | bruises on my knees for you

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character: prompto

bruises on my knees for you

[It's days like these- when he's pulled out of class early for Official Business and returns to his apartment without Prompto in tow- that Noctis realizes just how quiet it really is with just him. Without the usual stream of excited (or school-related despairing) chatter he's left with just the hum of his various appliances and his thoughts... Not exactly his favourite afternoon soundtrack, if he's being honest, and even less appealing when said thoughts are cluttered with a hellish mix of exams and political tidbits; frankly he isn't even sure what he's supposed to do with the latter, and he can't help wondering what about it merited dragging him out mid-lecture.

He'll be dodging extra stares and whispers for at least a week now, he's sure. Dammit...

The one and only benefit to this situation is that it'd earned him an extra hour of relative freedom: there'd have been no point in going past his apartment to return to class for fifteen minutes and so he'd shot Prompto a text letting him know to just head over once his sentence is up.

...Two hours ago, he realizes as he checks his phone with a frown. It's not like Prompto to be this late (at least without a sorry, dude, omw now, because he's good like that), and so Noct can't help the twinge of concern as he reopens their conversation to check for a missed message that isn't there.

Ten more minutes, he decides. Ten more minutes and then he'll see what's up.]

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( On a good day Prompto isn’t really the biggest fan of school — at least outside of the fact it’s a solid seven hours of Noct time — on a day like the one he just had… well… it has him counting down the days till he’s finally done with the hell known as high school. Because today — today was not a good day.

While he would never begrudge Noct being pulled from classes, it still sucks to run out the clock on the day by himself. It’s not like Prompto is really swimming in other friends, a few people he talks to here and there but no one he really feels super comfy with like he does Noct. He supposes on the bright side, he actually pays attention in class instead of getting… distracted. But lunch sucks, and he foregoes it pretty much entirely and wanders around the school instead taking a few random photos of things before hitting up the bathroom before class is due to start up again.

Which is where his bad day gets even worse.

The thing about being pretty much the only person Noctis talks to at school is that teenagers were petty, jealous, and downright mean when they wanted to be. And it’s not like anyone can say a damn thing to Noct, but Noct’s commoner friend who wasn’t anybody special in the grand scheme of things? Well, they could say shit to him. For the most part Prompto is content to let it roll of his back, or at least appear to. Most of the shit talk he gets is about himself anyways — after all the only logical explanation for his friendship with the prince is him attempting to seduce his way to a better position in life, right? He’s gotten used to it, the slurs some of the more vocal boys in their class would give him when Noct wasn’t around. He figures if that’s the price to pay, he’d pay it a hundred times over and not blink an eye. Noct was more important than what some asshole boys in their class thought.

But when the usual started up and turned down a drastically different route, well, Prompto couldn’t just let it slide that time. Not when Alec’s words went from insulting Prompto, to insulting Noct. And while Prompto usually isn’t one to anger quick, he’s all but seeing red at the sudden change in tactics. Which is how he ends up in his first fist fight, and how he ends up losing his first fist fight. Badly.

He’s in detention — and it’s only because it’s his first actual fight in school that has him in detention and not suspended — when Noct texts, his phone buzzing in the drawer of the teacher’s desk and he waits out his sentence miserably, his mind a jumbled mess. His face plain hurts — one hell of a black eye on his right side. And he wishes he could say Alec was worse off than him but really…

When he’s finally released he checks the messages and frowns a little. He doesn’t really want Noct to see him like this. He knows it will just cause worry and that’s the last thing he wants. But he also knows it’s going to take more than a few days for the bruising on his face to fade and even if he could hide out for that long, the school will probably be buzzing about the fight tomorrow anyways. He’s going to have to deal with it at some point, and so he heads over to Noct’s, lets himself up as he’s done countless times and knocks on the door. He tries, he really does try when Noct answers. A forced smile and a laugh that sounds about as happy as he looks. ) You should see the other guy… ( He says before Noct can say anything. )

[The knock may come just in time to keep any serious worry in check, but the state of Prompto when Noct pulls open the door? Not so much. Eyes widening at the sight, Noct takes his condition in quickly- is that a goddamn black eye?- as he steps aside to let Prompto in, closing the door behind him and locking it for good measure.]

The hell happened to you?!

[Of all the things Noct had been imagining might have held Prompto up (photo ops, Animals In Distress, another equally chatty classmate) the last thing he'd been expecting was his best friend showing up at his door with what he's pretty damn sure is an honest to god shiner, among other other things.

Vacillating between pissed right off and the urge to soothe the mottled bruising blooming across the freckled bridge of his nose, Noct clenches his jaw and waits for Prompto to fill him in.]

( He shuffles into the apartment and it's not like he had any real hope of Noct not noticing his appearance, but that tiny, little bit he had clung to that maybe it wouldn't be a big deal was totally gone at Noctis' words. He glances down at his feet, toes of his left foot sort of digging into the tile floor and maybe he should have just gone back to his apartment — and he tries not to think about how it's not viewed as home in his mind, how home conjures up images of the very apartment he now stood awkwardly in and has for a while now. Even if it's all awkward and weird in that moment, with the anger radiating off Noct and the sort of guilt that's spiraling in his own mind, settling into the pit of his stomach.

He looks up, shrugs, and wills Noct to make this not a big deal. Yeah.. right. That's likely. )

Got in a fight... detention blows by the way, sorry I'm late...

( And with that he's toeing off his shoes and trying to make his way past Noctis with so much forced casualness he's even side eyeing himself at the moment. )

[There was never any chance of this not being a big deal. Even half that much bruising would have been a big deal, and when combined with the awkward little shrug and the rest of Prompto's weird behavior there's no way in hell Noct's just letting it go. Not even if Prompto wants him to.

He follows Prompto into the kitchen, and while he doesn't grab his arm and whirl him around or anything quite that dramatic his tone may have a similar effect anyway:]

You got in a fight? With who?

[The meaning is crystal clear- whose nose am I breaking- and while Noct's usually at least a little better at maintaining his composure, there's a time and place for that and 'someone jumped my best friend' is neither. Because as far as he's concerned that has to have been what happened, right? He just can't see Prompto picking a fight himself, and not because he doubts his friend's manliness or whatever the hell else some assholes use fights to measure, but because he's just... Not like that. He's better than that shit.

Which isn't really helping Noct's resolve to stop at just a nose. Later he'll probably wonder when the urge to crack skulls began to extend further than just insults directed at his dad...

But right now, someone roughed Prompto up and landed him in detention. His attention is pretty much occupied.]

( It's not that Prompto hasn't seen Noct angry before, he has. But it's a whole different thing when it's anger directed at a situation involving himself. And his throat goes a little dry at the insistence in Noct's questioning, the threat inherent in the words. Prompto right then has no doubt Noct would follow through, which really would only make a bad situation worse.

He hates himself a little right then for letting it get out of hand. For not just walking away like he's done so many times before. And even if he denies Noct an answer right now, well, it didn't matter. He'd find out at school tomorrow anyways. No, he has to tell he realizes. Has to try to diffuse the situation himself before Noct could do something stupid like go give Alec a matching black eye.

He shrugs a little again and rummages through the fridge for a drink as he talks, like Noct had just asked him how the weather was, like this was all no big deal. )

Alec… but Noct it's fine, seriously… ( He moves to lean against the counter, bottle of water in his hand and finally looks at Noctis for probably the first time since he's show up. ) Seriously, dude, it's fine...

[It's not like he's unaware that retaliation is unlikely to lead to any kind of happy resolution, it's more that in this moment he doesn't particularly care. The Crown Prince up and kicking someone's ass would undoubtedly be the last kind of spectacle his dad needs right now, but what kind of message does letting this go send? That it's fine to just beat up on people for no reason? That his best friend is fair game?

Bullshit.

At the name Noct narrows his eyes for a moment, and then nods. Oh. That shithead, the loud one. Guy needs to learn to watch his mouth, or someone needs to teach him.

Seething, Noct crosses his arms, frowning when Prompto finally turns to face him. The marks on his face are even more apparent under the kitchen's unforgiving light and dammit, how's he just supposed to let that go?]

So your eye's practically swollen shut and you got landed in detention because this asshole jumped you and you're just... Cool with it?

[He knows Prompto's not the most confident person in the world, but how the hell can he be so calm about this?]

( There's this part of him, small but there, that feels a small measure of thrill at Noct getting worked up at this. That little — okay maybe that part of him isn't that little — part of him that habours feelings far beyond just friendship. A part of him that perks up at the idea of being something worth the kind of anger Noctis is feeling toward the situation. Thoughts he feels guilty for even thinking. Thoughts he knew he shouldn't be having, because the last thing Noctis needed was to go punch some asshole kid in their class on his behalf. It would cause more trouble than Prompto was worth and it wasn't his place to even dare to think he might be worth it. The guilt coils in his stomach, not just at his wayward thoughts, but at everything.

Especially as Noct says the words this asshole jumped you. Prompto takes a quick drink from the bottle before capping it again, fingers fiddling with the top of it. There's a small shrug and he lets his gaze fall down again. )

He didn't... jump me... I kind of punched him first. ( It was an important distinction. Alec might have started running his mouth, but Prompto had turned it physical. Another little shrug as he moves to the living room and sinks down onto the couch. He lifts the bottle to his face, the cold feeling good against the swollen skin. He lets his head fall back against the back of the couch, feeling entirely miserable and awful about the whole thing. )

[Noct has too much going on to waste his time with people that don't matter to him, that's just a fact of his life... And so of course he'd like nothing more than to pummel Alec on Prompto's behalf. Hell, it'd probably feel good to vent some of his teenage frustration on someone who so clearly deserves it in general.

And he still deserves it even if Prompto threw the first punch.

...Wait, Prompto threw the first punch...? Thoroughly surprised by the admission, Noct's mouth drops open, then closes again, and then, finally:]

Seriously? Dude--

[He makes to sit down as well, but when Prompto sets the water bottle against his face like some kind of makeshift ice pack he stops mid-flop, stepping over to the freezer and sticking his hand all the way into the back where he shoves the most deplorable of frozen foods. Gotta be in here somewhere... He roots around blindly until he feels the lumpy familiarity of a specific bag and yanks it out, shaking the ice off before returning to the living room and handing it to Prompto as he settles onto the couch himself.]

Here, try these. ['These' meaning a bag of frozen peas that's probably been sitting in there since Noct moved in. Sorry, Ignis. At least he's getting some use out of them...?] And spill. What the hell happened?

[Because now he has to know. He's still pretty pissed about the thought of someone punching Prompto in the face- and yeah, also about not being there to back him up- but now he's curious too, curious about what would get Prompto of all people to get physical first.]

( Prompto shifts a little to put the water bottle down to take the bag of peas instead — no doubt purchased by Ignis at some point and of course never opened. He lays along the couch, head on the arm and lets his feet stick in under Noct after he sits down. Prompto rests the bag against the side of his face, his other hand moving to loosen his tie and undo the first couple buttons on his shirt. And he's quiet for a little bit, debating how best to answer Noct's question.

Prompto knows he can't outright lie or brush it off completely. Blanks would be filled in inevitably in the morning with chatter between the students. Again he feels the sting of you're a fucking idiot for letting it get so out of hand. A situation that could have just been ignored but now played right into every rumor that's floated just under the surface by him so hastily jumping to anger. Anger in Noct's defense.

His lips press together for a moment as he looks over at Noct. ) The guy's an asshole... I don't know... just didn't want to deal with it today and I got pissed. ( Why yes, that was vague. But sorry, Noct, he's not just gonna come out and say he was trash talking you and I thought that grounds to start throwing punches. )

[Thighs shifting automatically to accommodate the familiar push of Prompto's feet beneath them, Noctis arranges himself into his customary comfortable position as he waits for the details. He really can't think of anything that could get Prompto worked up enough to hit someone, especially considering how used to garden variety bullshit he is. Never mind how it'd been in middle school (which Noct absolutely remembers, contrary to Prompto's assumption otherwise), some of the people in their classes now are pretty nasty as a general rule.

In other words, he figures it must have been something really fucked up- about his parents, maybe, or something equally uncalled for...

The actual answer, when it comes, doesn't actually explain all that much. Noct cocks a brow and tilts his head.

Yeah, he's not buying it.]

Well that clears things right up.

[Was it something more personal, then? Something he can't even tell his best friend? Admittedly the thought bothers him a lot more than it probably should. He doesn't need to know everything, but anything important enough to punch a guy over seems like something he should know.]

( While Noctis would never be accused of wearing anything even close to his heart on his sleeve, Prompto's gotten pretty darn adept at reading him none the less. And so he can clearly see where the thoughts are headed and a different sort of guilt twinges in him. He was — not getting out of this was he. There's a sigh that he doesn't even mean to give as he lifts the bag of peas from his face. His feet under Noct's legs used as leverage as he sits up. His knees are bent, arms resting lightly against them, the bag of peas still in hand.

It's hard to focus on Noct, between the one eye barely open and the pounding headache that had started to settle into his temple. But he keeps his gaze on him regardless and lifts his shoulders in another little shrug. )

Just — ( A small pause as he curls into himself somehow, looking and feeling suddenly so small because this was so stupid. He had been so stupid. ) Don't get all... ( He gestures vaguely with a hand. ) Grr arrg again, okay? ( He lets out a slow breath, lets his chin rest against his knees as his gaze finds something very interesting in the wall as opposed to Noct's face. ) It was stupid okay, I know it was stupid... Alec's an ass and he was just being his usual asshole self and that's — whatever... ( I'm used to it... the unspoken end to the thought. ) But he started talking shit about — ( A small pause. ) Well... you. And I don't know, last straw I guess. ( He's hoping that's enough, though he somehow doubts it. But he looks back to Noct, the pleading he refuses to actually say evident in his face. Drop it, leave it, don't make me repeat what was said... please... )

[As impatient as he'd been- which he of course realizes too late was probably a dick move on his part- he doesn't continue press as Prompto works himself up to say what he's gonna say. He actually feels a little guilty himself as he watches his friend curl up like that- a gesture that would seem completely alien and out of place on someone as exuberant as Prompto if Noct didn't know him so well- but he can't quite force the never mind out of his mouth. Because it has to be important, if it's this hard to spit out. Isn't that how everything always is...?

In any case, he nods in silent promise not to lose his cool again, noting but not drawing attention to the way Prompto can't meet his eyes... Though when all is said and done it takes him a few moments for it to sink in.]

You basically slugged someone because they were talking shit about me.

[It's obviously not a question and so it doesn't carry the burden of an answer, but Noct does look a little... Lost.

He's quiet for a bit as he tries to wrap his head around that. Prompto- honestly one of the most relaxed people he knows as far as interpersonal shit is concerned- got fed up to the point of punching someone on his behalf? Face flushing he ducks his head somewhat, lifting a hand to the back of his neck and feeling faintly embarrassed even though he can't place precisely why.]

...Wow. Wow, uh-- okay. [Killin' it. Unlike most of the people in his life Prompto has no obligation to defend him, and so even though he knows nothing good can really come of this he can't help feeling... He doesn't know. He's not happy about it, really, but he can't exactly condemn Prompto either when there's a non-zero chance that, if anyone at school had the balls to say shit to his face, he'd have done the same thing.

And as stupid a reaction on his part as it is... He also can't help appreciating the gesture for what it was, even if he has no goddamn way of articulating that in a way that says both thank you for caring and don't do that shit again in equal measure.

And so he settles for an attempt at lightening the mood instead, the least he feels he can do for the moment, especially with that pleading look Prompto's giving him. Dropping his hand to his lap he nudges at Prompto's foot with his leg and flashes him a tentative grin.] You at least get a few good hits in?

[He couldn't give a shit less about what was said- he's not deaf and every so often the whispers reach his ears whether he acknowledges it or not- but the fact remains that the guy's been begging for someone to rearrange his face since the beginning of freshman year... But forget about his own honor. If Prompto knocked a few of his teeth out he did a public service to the rest of the school and that Noct can get on board with.]

( There's a small shrug at Noct's summary of events. And yeah, when put that way... well... Prompto's pretty sure he's done nothing but given more fuel for the rumors regarding his relationship with Noctis. Not that he could really change any of that now — not that he would really want to he realizes. Maybe it was stupid and there's the vague I should want to take it back, but deep down... he kind of doesn't.

And he watches as Noct takes in the revelation, the flush across his face. The way his hand rubs his neck and Prompto has to swallow against the sudden dryness in his throat. It all feels... like everything has started to feel with Noct lately. This sort of haze of confusion of emotions that he's not even sure how to classify.

But then Noctis breaks the moment — for which Prompto is grateful because it means he's not going to ask specifics — and he huffs a bit of a laugh, kind of self depreciating at the question. There's a shake of his head. ) Yeaaaaaah... not really.... ( Another small laugh but he perks up a little and grins. ) I did knee him in the junk though. ( Cheap as hell, and while it's all kind of a blur he remembers that, being pinned against the wall knowing shit was about to get worse and the only thing he could think of was to jam his knee up into Alec's crotch. Prompto tilts his head to the side a bit. ) Think Gladio would teach me how to punch? ( And he's really only about half joking. It's not that he wants to go pick fights now but there's the small tug of a thought. What if Noct had been there. What if someone burst through the door right freaking now and while he knows Noct is more than capable — more than he himself is — what if one day it came down to him to protect Noctis and he couldn't. A fact that was more than apparently clear to him now. )

[It's true that things have been a little off between them lately, but for Noct's part he's passing it off as just his own moodiness putting a strain on things as usual. There's only so many meetings and briefings and political whatsits a guy can take before it starts to take a toll on his social life, and lately it's been nearly non-stop... And not the kind of stuff he can just brush off, either, no matter how much he'd like to sleep or study. He's just tired, basically, that has to be it. It's a perfectly reasonable explanation for... Things.

Fortunately those 'things' aren't something he has to worry about right this second. Right now he's gonna laugh and be pleased that, while not enough to qualify as 'getting a good hit in', Prompto'd at least managed to leave his mark in some way.]

Dirty, [he says, cringing in spite of himself. He's been on the (unintended) receiving end of Prompto's bony goddamn knees before so he can only imagine...] But it serves his ass right.

[Moving on... Because this is Noct (and because of the circumstances surrounding it), the real reason Prompto's asking about self-defense doesn't even cross his mind... But even if it did, the answer would be the same:]

Anyway, the Big Guy? Yeah, he'd probably be down. [And because he just can't help himself when it comes to Gladio:] Pretty sure he gets off on knocking people around, so all you gotta do is ask.

( There's a grin as Noct laughs — something not as rare as it had been in the early days of their friendship, but something that still manages to feel as special to Prompto as it had back then, still manages to spread a warmth through him. And if he let himself think about it too long he'd know that wasn't exactly... normal probably. That really nothing of this was. So it's something he very much doesn't let himself think about too long. Instead just letting himself enjoy the sound of it, the feeling it invokes.

His eyes — or at least the one he can open — widen at the mention of just asking Gladio. Right. Because he's managed to say all of about five words to Gladio since first meeting him. He lifts the bag of peas and presses them back to his face, a slight wince at the contact before he gives Noct a cheeky grin. )

Ooooor... you could ask for me? Since I defended your honour and everything? ( Yes, he went there. )

[Noctis frowns at the obvious wince, willing the anger away when it threatens to bubble back up again. While he would still absolutely love to pay Alec back in full... He isn't going to, both because it'd be a bad move ~~socially and politically~~ and also because it's clear Prompto doesn't want him to. Going along with that is the least he can do.

But maybe not the only thing.]

Ohhh, I see how it is. [QUID PRO QUO, CLARICE.] ...But yeah. I'll ask him.

[He'll probably agree anyway just because that's the kind of guy he is, but hey- if Prompto turns out to be some kind of combat prodigy that's less Gladio's gotta worry about, right?]

( He grins as Noct agrees. ) Thanks, dude, you're totally my hero.

( Says the one who just literally got in a fight for aforementioned honour defending.

There's a pause, his lips press together as he realizes just how easily and quickly Noct had agreed, the path his thoughts were starting to take written all over his face. Just how much could he milk this for all it was worth... )

Hey, Noct? ( The segue coming off way too innocent sounding. ) Think you could like — do my math homework for me? Everything's kind of, you know, blurry - one eye and all. ( He was being terrible and he knew it. )

[Oh yeah, Noctis can absolutely see where Prompto's headed with this. To his credit he at least manages to keep a straight face through the request, even appears to be considering it...

For a moment, anyway.]

Well, when you put it like that... [Noct smirks, leaning back across the couch with crossed arms.] Not a chance in hell.

[Math homework is like full-body cast level at least. Noct doesn't make the rules, that's just how it is.]

( There's a fake indignation as Noct refuses the request — not that he had really been expecting anything else. And he huffs a little and tosses the bag of peas at Noct's chest. )

So rude, friendship over.

( Emptiest threat ever as he falls back to lay on the couch again. )

[THEM'S FIGHTIN'S PEAS, SON!]

Ugh! [SO OFFENDED, Noctis swats the peas away with the practiced ease of someone who's suffered at Gladio's hand for many, many hours.

This is it, this is what Prompto has to look forward to if his request is accepted.

Sighing dramatically, Noctis shakes his head.] Never thought it'd be math homework tearing us apart.

Or peas, [he says, grabbing them from where they'd landed and in one swift motion shoving them fully up and under Prompto's shirt.

Any other time he'd probably have tossed them right back... But he thinks Prompto's had enough actual injury for one day.

Freezing torture, on the other hand...]

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bruises on my knees for you

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i am totally avoiding work today, can you tell lol

s a m e man.... same........

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