bruises on my knees for you

[lineof]

[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.]

Comments

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

[lineof]

[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?]

[messofhangups]

( 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. )

[lineof]

[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.]

[messofhangups]

( 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. )

[lineof]

[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...]