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You were afraid to go home to Alstor Slough. It had been three weeks since Deadeye had scared you away and two weeks since you’d seen Wiz’s kind face.You wandered around a rest area in the desert, knowing that wherever people were, you were likely safe. Travelers kept to themselves, and you quickly learned that the diner’s cook would only feed you if you presented yourself as a chocobo. He seemed to think you needed something called gil to trade for food if you were human.So you kept to one form, more comfortable being a bird anyway, and waited until it felt safe to return home. You had a feeling for these things. You were meant to be here right now, for whatever reason.You never thought life was unfair. It was what it was. The gods gave you the best of both worlds, and though the other chocobos couldn't fully accept you and the few humans who knew of your secret didn’t quite treat you equally, you were content.Until the night you’d stayed out past sunset, making attempts to reach the top of the small rocky mountain just north of the rest area. Things that the humans called daemons began to appear. To you, they felt sad. They wished for an end. They used to be normal once.Crashing down the slope of the mountain as you fled, your foot twisted painfully as you landed near more of them. Slimy and gushing, they made their way toward you slowly. Despite the sorrow they emitted, you knew they’d end you. With a loud cry, you tried moving but only made it a few feet before dropping again.Basic instincts kicking in, you began to call for help. Maybe a hunter was nearby. You knew that gil, whatever it was, carried enough weight in importance that it propelled some of the braver humans out at night.It didn’t happen quickly so much as it happened suddenly. Loud clashing, grunts and sounds of human chatter surrounded you as the daemons were slowly taken care of. You sat still on the ground, legs shaking with pain, wings pulled tight to your sides.Humans so rarely made impressions on you. Wiz was special because he had a heart for it, so much so that you had to think he was a chocobo in his previous life. Sania, the scientist, stood out in your mind because she scared you with her extreme interest in your existence. And Dave, the hunter, because his dog was nice.These humans coming to your rescue were much the same as most. Vague shapes on two legs, even as one bent down to look at your injured foot. Then you saw him, dusting himself off as he approached you just behind his friend. His voice rang high, excitement clear as day at the sight of you.“It’s okay, buddy,” he said, bending down to touch the feathers at your head. You froze under the touch, staring at him as the other one applied a potion to your wound. “You’re gonna be all better now.”His eyes were such a bright blue in the moonlight, and you felt it.Was he like you?The pain in your leg dissipated, and both he and his friend stood, watching you. Two others approached, and you slowly rose, unable to look away from him to assess the others. One step toward him, then two, and you were nosing at his chest with your beak.He had to be like you. Look at him! Emitting a soft kweh, you urged him to change so you could see him. You imagined he was bright yellow, like the hair on his head. Excitement filled you at the thought. Until this moment, you’d never imagined the gods would make someone for you, but here he was, and he was perfect.Instead of heeding your insistence, he brought his hands to your head, patting you with a laugh. “I think it likes me.”You lifted your head, peering at him carefully. Didn’t he want to show you? Why was he remaining human for so long? Being a chocobo was so much better. You were faster, your feet hurt less, people gave you things freely.“I suggest we get a move on,” spoke another of the humans. Finally, you looked around at the others, finding the one who’d spoken had something quite shiny on his face. Glasses, you thought to yourself. You knew glasses. That would make him easy to remember. The other two humans may as well have been exactly the same, though.When they began to set off, at the lead of one of the vague humans —the smaller one— you followed. That beautiful creature that refused to show himself to you kept looking back, the occasional snicker filling the night air. The other vague human —the larger one— kept looking at you as well.“I think you have a fan, shortcake,” he said.The object of your fascination stumbled over a rock and fell. You stopped yards behind as one of the others helped him up. He laughed, dusting himself off and saying something that didn’t register because you were stunned by a realization.He wasn’t like you. He felt and looked like what you could only imagine another chocobo maiden to be like, but he wasn’t.You let them disappear into the darkness, horrified and confused at how a human like him could exist.—Bare feet against the floor of the diner, you trudged toward the bar and climbed onto a stool. The cook eyed you warily, and you motioned that you wanted something to drink. He knew by now that meant you needed water. You knew by now that water was sparse in the desert, but didn’t cost a single gil if you asked nicely.You’d slept behind the restaurant after eating leftover salad the cook had left out for you. It wasn’t bad, but you missed the greens you’d get at home.As you accept the glass of water with a smile and a nod, the cook smiled back. He was slowly carving a place into your memory, his vague shape taking a more permanent and recognizable form. He didn’t know you were the chocobo he’d been feeding every night for two weeks.The morning quiet was disrupted by new people walking into the diner. Yawns and chatter had you peering over your shoulder. Choking on the water, you covered your mouth with a hand at the sight of the beautiful human and his friends.The one wearing glasses nodded at you when he caught you staring, and you nodded back. That was a greeting you knew. Simple. Humans were simple.Turning your gaze to the blond one, you found him standing with another at the contraption at the end of the diner. It made such a racket, the trilling noise emitting from it as they pressed buttons making your metaphorical feathers ruffle. Or your literal feathers, if only you’d been allowed to come into the diner as a chocobo.“Have an eye for my friends?”You turned in your seat, realizing that the humans had sat next to you at the bar. Closer up and in the light of day, this one appeared more distinct than before. Your gaze followed the scar over his eye.He gave you an expectant look, and you motioned with your hands, trying to remember as best as you could the signs that Wiz had been teaching you for years. It was a long shot that they’d understand. Not many seemed to know sign language. The cook didn’t when you’d tried to talk to him the first day you’d arrived to this little pit stop. It didn’t quell your hopes, though.With careful and deliberate movements, you asked, Is your friend a chocobo? Unfortunately, the large human had no idea what you were saying, looking to his other side at the human with glasses. “Iggy, can you translate?”With an apologetic look at you, he said, “Leave them be, Gladio.”You shook your head, really wanting to know. If there was a chance that Glasses Human understood sign language, you weren’t going to pass up the opportunity to have a conversation with someone.Waving at him to keep his attention, you asked, It’s okay. I have a question. Please, you thought, desperate for someone to talk to for even a moment. His brows rose above his glasses, and to your relief, he said, “Alright. Ask away, I suppose.”Without hesitation, you pointed at the beautiful human still playing with the loud machine. Who is that? He didn’t seem to understand, looking past you at the others. Then he looked at the larger human, saying something quietly about not being as conspicuous as they’d thought.That wasn’t very helpful. The pretty man, you signed, catching his attention again. His name? He considered you, eyes narrowed behind his glasses before a small smile broke along his face. “Which one do you mean?”Your eyes widened. Couldn’t he tell? One was obviously more interesting than the other. He stood out so starkly against the world. He was bright and beautiful.This conversation was frustrating you. Tired of trying to do things the human way, you waved off the man with the glasses, getting down from the stool and walking directly over to the human that vexed you.It seemed to take him a moment to realize someone was watching him, and when he did, his hands paused on the sides of the machine, eyes growing wide at the attention.“Uh… hi.” He lifted a hand to scratch at his neck. “Did you wanna play?”Peering down at the machine, you shook your head, then returned your gaze to him. Closer now, in the morning light, he appeared perfect. Every freckle that splashed across his skin, every strand of yellow hair, the sheer feeling of his presence. It struck you, and you wanted him to be like you so badly.His thumb tapped against the machine, his foot shaking a little as he stared back at you. You reached up, touching his cheek with a finger, and he froze. Poking at him, from his cheek to touching his hair, to tugging a the cloth he had tied around an arm, you drew closer, inspecting him. Humans weren’t like him.He straightened himself out, hands following yours as you poked. “Hey, w-what the…?”His friend laughing startled you, and you jerked your hand away. They said something quietly to each other, looking at you. Then his friend walked past you, joining the others at the bar.“Uh,” he said, remaining in front of you, though the way he looked past you at the others, weight shifting from foot to foot, seemed to imply he wouldn’t be for much longer. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m Prompto.”He held out a hand, and you looked down at it, unmoving. This was a new gesture. One that you’d seen, but not one that had ever been extended to you before. Taking his hand in both of yours, you shook it gently. Keeping your eyes on his, you moved closer still, scrutinizing him and shaking his hand just a little harder. A slight blush graced his face, and he leaned back a little, tilting his head away.You didn’t mind it, catching the way his chest rose and fell as his breathing hitched. He peered over your shoulder, sending a confused smile at his friends.Prompto. That was something. Who was this Prompto, and where did he come from? He was very… noticeable. His hair was so eye catching, his arms were constantly on display, and his apparent inability to keep still intrigued you. He would’ve been such a great chocobo. It all felt very bizarre to you that he wasn’t.Letting go of his hand, you turned around and went back to the counter, motioning your hands as if you were writing. The cook looked at you, confused at your expectant expression.The human with the glasses cleared his throat. “If I may, this should help.” He reached into his jacket for a pen and a small notepad that he held out to you. Taking it, you wrote your name on a page, quickly ripping it off and handing it to Prompto.He looked from it to your face. “Oh, that’s your name?”You nodded. This was terrible. You’d never tried so hard to talk to a human in your life. You so rarely even made eye contact with them.As he folded the paper and put it into a pocket, you rifled through the small bag hanging from your shoulder. You needed to show him you were interested. You’d never done this, but you’d seen it numerous times. Both humans and chocobos did it, too, so there was no way he could misunderstand your intentions.Something shiny, you thought, something nice.Not particularly shiny, the small cactuar figure you’d taken from Wiz’s shop seemed perfect. It evoked such nice feelings, and though you were a bit loathe to part with it, you really wanted Prompto to know that you’d noticed him.Grabbing one of his hands, you placed it in his palm, then pushed his hand toward his chest. Yours, you signed. Then you took one last look at his blue eyes and ran out of the diner. Around the corner, you fell into the much more comfortable chocobo form and took off.You needed time to think.—Prompto and the other humans weren’t there when you returned. Neither was that feeling you’d had that told you that you needed to be at the rest area any longer. Home pulled at you like a siren’s call, and you left a small gift behind the diner of some shiny stones you’d found for the cook who’d been nice to you.Bullseye was still present in Alstor Slough. You could tell in the piercing silence that permeated the forest. You stuck along the roadside, arriving at the Post before sunset. Wiz’s expression lit up at the sight of you. He was the only person you’d ever known who asked permission before petting you.Wiz was the closest thing to a parent you had. He was a warm place to stay, and a gentle hand when you were confused. You wanted to tell him all about Prompto, but changing shape was taxing after travel, and you were often uncomfortable with the way people treated you while you were human, anyway.Objectively, you were perfectly average looking. It didn’t matter to you how you appeared as long as your feathers were soft and your beak was clean. The problem about your human form was the fact that you had an unintentional aura of mystery and magic that resonated off of you. These were words Sania used once, at least. People found that aura alluring, making you appear so much more beautiful to them than you actually were.It’s a part of your nature, Sania had said. She’d called you the hardest creature to seduce in the world, living life oblivious to such things as romance.If that were true, why were you still thinking about that human?—Word spread of Deadeye’s defeat, and you felt the need to see it for yourself. You were stopped outside the Post at the sight of a familiar vehicle, a familiar person taking something out of the back. Prompto. He was right there, and he was alone.Stopping just on the edge of the property, you were startled to see him close the trunk and bring out a camera to snap a picture of you. It made you shy, and you backed away, skittering off to hide behind the building.Near a giant stack of hay bales, you preened yourself. Nothing could be stuck in your feathers if he was going to be taking photos. You knew what those were all about. People did that kind of thing at the Post all the time.Prompto rounded the corner of the building, curiosity on his face. He cooed, reaching out a hand to pet you tentatively. His smile was so infectious, it had the tension at his sudden arrival to the Post melting away from you.You let him approach you and buried your face into his gentle hands, enjoying the attention. You were surprised to see him again, and so soon, at that. His light laughter warmed your heart. He felt so different from other humans. Maybe he just didn’t know he was a maiden like you yet. Maybe he just needed a little push.Drawing away, you peered around and found yourself alone with him. As easily as stretching, you took shape in a small, vague cloud of magic, standing in front of him on slightly shaky legs.His smile dropped, as did his hands. Taking a step back, he fell onto his backside, looking up at you with his jaw slack.You stared back, slowly lowering a hand to offer him help up. He took it hesitantly, and by the time he was standing again only seconds later, his smile had returned with a force.“W-wow!” He didn’t let go of your hand, lifting it up to look at your arm, then your face, your everything. “How’d you do that?”You let go of his hand, signing a little before realizing he had no idea what any of it meant. You needed the human with glasses. Biting your lip, you motioned that you wanted to write. That seemed to work usually, but instead of handing you paper or something similar, he pulled a small device from his pocket.“Here, can you type it out?”You didn’t know what that meant.Watching him carefully, you went to his side, looking at the device in his hands.“How about this,” he said, taking one of your hands. He held your index finger as if it were a pencil and touched the device’s screen. Oh, you understood now.With a nod, you took it from him and began to scribble as legibly as possible. It was actually kind of hard. The screen was much too small. You got as far as “I am chocobo maid” before running out of space. Learning how to read and write was still a work in progress for you, but these were words you knew very well.He looked at the words for a long moment, then returned his stare to you. “Oh, okay? So… you just become human like some kinda magic trick? Like when we become toads when hit with that one nasty effect?”Again, you had absolutely no clue what he meant. Smiling at him, shrugged.You both seemed to sit in a state of confusion, his eyes avoidant while you only strengthened your stare. Touching his vest, you tugged at the collar, then poked at the patches. He was very showy. He had to be looking for attention, right?He laughed a little, looking down at your hand touching him. That blush had returned to his face. You really liked it.“It makes sense now,” he said, taking a step back, out of your reach. “That you act kinda weird. N-no offense. I guess that’s just normal for a chocobo.”You followed him, stepping closer and pulling the bottom part of his vest up to look at the frayed edges of the dark red fabric. He was so curious, behaving shyly and clumsily when he so clearly craved attention.“U-uh, y’know,” he stuttered, backing away again, his shoulder catching against the wooden siding of the building. “The guys are waiting for me. S-so I gotta go. But, um, do you think I could maybe get a picture before we leave?”You nodded. People rarely asked for pictures. You added polite to your list of things you’d mentally tallied about him. He didn’t make it clear whether he meant to photograph you like this or as a chocobo before turning away and rounding the corner of the building.You noticed something small and shiny on the ground when you followed. Picking it up, you looked at the keys, a little dazzled. They weren’t rusty or tarnished, and one of them had buttons on it. Slipping them into your pocket, you were excited about having found something so sparkly and new.Your day was only getting better and better.—Running around the outcropping of rocks that made up the perimeter of your home, you nosed at the broken trees and uprooted brush. It was a disaster area, and it made you sad.Voices nearby, coming from the trail that passed through the area, caught your attention. You approached the noise, catching sight of your new favorite human. He was with the other one. The one with the glasses. He seemed upset.“Had you been paying attention, we wouldn’t find ourselves in this situation.”“I’ll find them, I promise!” Prompto appeared upset, too. “I’m sorry, Iggy. I can’t believe I lost them.”The glasses human was Iggy. Okay. Maybe you could keep that information in mind. It wasn’t as easy to remember as Prompto.“That makes one of us,” Iggy sighed. “Let’s continue to retrace your steps. Did you go anywhere else between the car and camp?”“Uh…” Prompto scratched at his head. “Yeah, I visited the chocobos for a bit.”“Of course you did.”“I can’t help it. They’re too cute not to!”Both of them stopped in their tracks when they noticed you standing near the road. Iggy seemed to tense just the slightest, but Prompto’s face lit up.“Hey, it’s you!”Amusing how he liked to state the obvious. You approached them, letting Prompto pet your neck. His touch was electric, had you melting, eyes closing as you leaned into it.He seemed to think for a moment before asking, “You haven’t seen any keys, have you?”Oh. Your eyes snapped open, and you saw Iggy beginning to walk away, continuing their earlier trek down the path.“We mustn’t dally, Prompto,” he said. “Your fascination with chocobos will have to wait.”Prompto frowned, sputtering, “I-it doesn’t hurt to ask!”You thought about the keys you’d found just earlier. Was that what he was looking for? Pulling your head away, you nosed into the bag strapped around your neck. You came out of it with the keys hanging from your beak, and one look at Prompto’s face told you this was exactly what he was looking for.“You found them!” He threw an arm around your neck, laughing lightly into the sudden hug. When he let go, he sent Iggy a grin. “See? They had them the whole time.”Iggy’s expression was hard for you to read. He’d stopped walking away, turning back to cross his arms. He analyzed you and the keys dangling from your beak. “It appears so.”Prompto reached for the keys, but you backed away. You didn’t want to give them back. They were yours now. You found them so you got to keep them. That was the rule. All chocobos knew this.His smile faded slightly, and he gave you a confused look. Iggy began to walk toward you, and you backed away from both humans, the jangle of the keys ringing in the quiet air.“I find this situation rather strange,” he said, peering at you with a hand on his chin. “This chocobo seems familiar somehow.”Prompto laughed. “They’re my friend. They can—” He cut himself off when you shook your head, the keys ringing again. You dropped them, stepping on them and nudging Prompto in the chest.He was confused again, petting your head. “What is it? I wish I could understand.”You wished he could, too. He wasn’t getting the keys without a trade. Something equally as shiny. You saw a ring of metal on his wrist, and began to tug at that to show him what you wanted.“Oooh,” he said, drawing it out as you pulled on the metal band. “You wanna trade?”You let go and nodded.He took it off, saying, “This is a titanium bangle. It’s pretty strong. You should—” He wavered, scratching at his neck. “Well, you can't really wear it right now, but here.”You took it from him, backing away enough to let him bend down to pick up the keys. You dropped the bangle into your bag, then looked between Prompto and Iggy. Prompto was all smiles, handing the keys to the other who kept his sharp gaze on you.It was so odd to be familiar with a human’s face well enough to realize that he was scrutinizing you. Uncomfortable and feeling as if your job were done, you brushed Prompto’s shoulder with your head in a pretty forward show of affection before running away.His shoulder had been bare and warmed by the sun. Your heart felt so light.—As a human, you had a job. Wiz paid you in greens and free reign of the Post. When you asked about gil, he cracked a smile and admitted he’d been waiting for the day you’d want actual payment.So you’d gathered a small trove of the shiny coins within weeks. You were absurdly proud of it, filling a small box that you buried at the foot of your favorite tree in Alstor Slough.The titanium bangle glinted from your wrist. It didn’t count, you told yourself, as a sign of interest from Prompto. But you pretended.It wasn’t like you wanted a mate or anything. It was too complicated. If you so much as became intimate, you’d lose everything that made you you. No human was worth that. Not even the best, most eye catching one in Eos.So it was with silent wistful sighs that you went about your life, helping Wiz care for the chocobos and saving up your little fortune piece by piece.You needed to go to Galdin Quay. There was a fish you needed that could only be found in the bay. The trek getting there wasn’t bad, but you often found yourself disoriented once at the beach. The ocean stretched for so, so long and felt so terrifyingly powerful.Catching the fish was easy. The hard part was stopping yourself from approaching Prompto and his vague humans when you noticed them on a dock nearby. His radiance was hard to ignore.Giving in, you ran down the beach, arriving to the end of the dock in human form. To make communication slightly easier.The wrapped fish in your hand, you practically stomped down the dock toward them. The large human noticed you first, elbowing Prompto and saying something too low for you to make out.It warmed you how Prompto seemed excited to see you when he turned around. “Hey!” He waved, dropping his hand when you came to a stop in front of him. “We keep running into each other.”Iggy looked over his shoulder, and you could practically feel his eyes on the titanium bangle that hang from your wrist as you returned Prompto’s wave.“You’re wearing it,” Prompto said quietly. “Sorry it’s not pretty. I guess I could’ve given you something nicer since you gave me that statue.”You blinked, eyes slowly growing wider. He considered the bangle a gift? It had just been a trade for the keys. And it was pretty. It was the shiniest, nicest thing you owned. All the other chocobos were super jealous, and you flaunted it as much as possible.“Why don’t you two go on a walk?”You both looked at the large human. Why would he suggest that? You could never understand humans and their reasoning.“Huh?” Prompto shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “But Noct is fishing.”“Exactly,” the large human said. His voice was booming in comparison to the others. “I doubt your friend wants to hang around the dock with us. Take them down the bay and show ‘em around.”You didn’t mind staying on the dock. What was so wrong with the dock? Your thoughts were halted at the sight of the light blush rising on Prompto’s face.“Uh, sure,” he said, murmuring and looking at the sky. “H-how about it? Doing a walk. I mean, walking me— walking with me.”Charmed, you took his hand and began to tug him down the dock toward the beach. Doing a walk sounded great.—You were delighted to find that Prompto could sing. It seemed to be a defense mechanism, his way of getting rid of the silence between you. Silence followed you everywhere, but you got the strong feeling that Prompto was anything but.“Umm, oh yeah!” He lifted the camera he held in his free hand. “We never took that picture.”You smiled and nodded, letting go of his hand you asked, Do I need to be a chocobo or a human? He rubbed the back of his neck. “S-sorry, I don’t know…”Right. He didn’t know sign language. Not being able to communicate with a human had never been so irritating before. Pointing at the camera, you nodded again. Best to just be as simple as possible.It turned out he wanted more than one picture, all taken from different angles, some with him and others without, and he didn’t care that you weren’t in chocobo form. Which was good because you didn’t care that he was just a human.—You’d never been to Lestallum, but Wiz seemed to think you were ready. It was overwhelming and warm and busy. The people were so nice, especially the children. You waved at them even when they hadn’t waved first. They ran past in flocks, reminding you of the chocobos at home.People paid well for your salves, which Wiz had suggested you put on the market when you’d gained interest in gil. You weren’t sure what you were going to do with the money, but it was an odd sort of satisfaction to have people buying things you made. That fish you’d caught had went a long way, the oils from it spreading along a huge number of jarred salves that helped with minor aches and fevers.At this point, you weren’t so much surprised to see Prompto as you were excited. You watched him walk with the small vague human through the market. He spoke to a woman eating ice cream. His smile was so bright. Did he want ice cream?You peered around, locating the stand that sold the treat. That seemed like a good thing to make your very first purchase on. Pointing at what you wanted and handing over the gil, you turned around with the cone only to find Prompto nowhere in sight.Searching for about a minute, you realized he must’ve left the market entirely. You stared at the ice cream before trying it yourself. Usually you stuck to salads, meats and other things making you sick. Ice cream turned out to be addicting. You didn’t know what was in it, but you were in love.When buying another just after finishing that cone, you heard a familiar voice and turned around to see Iggy. You were proud of yourself for remembering his name. He was accepting a bag of goods from a vendor one stall away.You approached him, and he inclined his head, looking at you with mild surprise. “Hello there.”You waved, then signed, Where is Prompto? That made him chuckle. “You don’t waste a moment, do you? I assume he’s somewhere causing trouble with Noct.”That must’ve been the small vague human. All these names were going to be hard to remember. He began to walk through the market and you followed, eating the ice cream and listening to him over the din of the crowds.“If I may be so bold,” he said. “I believe you’re a chocobo maiden. Is that correct?”You froze, tongue sticking out mid-lick. How? No one had ever guessed it before. The only people who knew were the ones you felt you could trust enough to show them. Except for Sania. She’d been brought over by Wiz when you’d appeared at the post years ago.Iggy seem to take that reaction as a yes, continuing on as he made his way down an alley with you not far behind. “I shan’t reveal your secret, no worries. Though I must warn you that Prompto may not realize the repercussions of his actions should you continue to pursue him.”The ice cream dropped from the cone, splattering onto the ground. You tossed the mess aside, wiping your hand on your shirt before signing, What do you mean? He gave you a small smile. “He’s rambunctious and not altogether the sharpest person.”That made you frown. Weren’t they friends? That didn’t seem like a very kind thing to say.He stopped near a fountain. “Does he know?”You nodded.Looking away, he chuckled. “Yet he’s kept quiet all this time. Surprising. Perhaps I’m not giving him enough credit.”Not sure what was going on, you shrugged.Iggy looked directly at you then, and his words came out so gently that it startled you. “Prompto is remarkably kind, if a bit silly. The tales must be true that your kind can only be seduced by the unwitting.”You knew the stories. They were mostly nonsense. The only truths were that you could lose your maidenhood with a simple kiss, and that living a solitary life was expected due to that fact.Iggy nodded suddenly, as if deciding something. “Wait here if you’re of a mind, and I’ll let him know you wish to see him.”Slowly, you nodded, sitting by the fountain while he disappeared into the large hotel nearby. Minutes later, Prompto walked out, looking around until his eyes fell on you. His grin was wide, and he was calling your name as he walked your way.“I downloaded this app,” he started right off, already making no sense to you. “It’s gonna be so helpful! Maybe. We’ll see.”Sitting next to you, he brought out the same device from before. You knew it to be a phone, but you’d never had any use for such a thing for obvious reasons. He swiped and pressed at the screen, then tilted it toward you.Letters spread across the screen. He demonstrated how it worked, writing out a sentence. See how easy it is? It took you a bit longer. I like your face. “Oh, uh, thanks,” he said, looking down at the words. He chuckled a little. “I-I like your face, too.”His cheeks flushed red, far too red for it to be good. Was the heat getting to him? You pressed a hand against his forehead. He was burning up.You had a few leftover jars of medicine, and took his phone to type, I can help your fever. I have medicine in the market. He stopped you from getting up and rushing off. “No, I’m okay! It’s just hot out, y’know?”You weren’t buying it, eyeing him warily.Looking off to the side, he added, “And you’re kinda making me nervous.”That wasn’t on purpose. You tended to make some people uncomfortable because you paid little attention to human conventions. The last thing you wanted was for Prompto to feel that way. I’m sorry, you typed.He chuckled again, rubbing at his neck. “It’s okay. I like it.”Smiling again, you wrote, Do you like ice cream? I love ice cream. Let’s go get some. “You’re suddenly more talkative than ever,” he laughed, standing up. “Lets go. I’ll buy.”You ended up buying because he’d left his money at the hotel. He seemed really bothered by it until you pointed out that he could get it next time.“Next time?” He seemed surprised. You couldn’t understand it.With a nod, you smiled at him. Considering your new endeavors and the number of times your paths crossed, there would be plenty of opportunities. This was how it worked. Gifts. Time spent together. How more straight forward could you get?He wiped a sticky hand on his leg, eyes shifting away from you but the smile on his face remaining. “I was thinking about, um, about your whole… chocobo thing.”You perked up further, smile becoming a grin. Maybe there was hope after all that he could understand you and your intent even though he was so very unfortunately human.“You seem pretty human to me.” His eyes met yours again, and his heavy blush was back.Your small market stand wasn’t far away. You had to fight the urge to go get something for how red his face kept growing. His words registered a moment later, and your slight concern shifted into surprise.He handed you his phone when you pointed at it. His eyes seemed to light up every time you shared a thought. No one had ever gotten so many words out of you.
I’m not human.
His smile waned a little. “I know, but you are sometimes. Like, right now.”This was true. But still. He didn’t understand. Not completely. As you typed something new, he continued.“Maybe not human, but something close.”Fingers slowing on the screen of his phone, you looked up. One blink, then two. You smiled, and it made him smile.It was okay that he didn’t understand. He didn’t have to.—Sania thought you could help with her research. You weren’t so sure it wasn’t a trap, but Sania had some important theories about the direction the world was going in. You had to agree.The shift in Eos was definite and crazy, and you could feel it in your every fiber. The gods were increasingly active, and though you only heard about it through humans in passing, you knew that there was a king somewhere who was going to bring things back to as they should be.The land surrounding Mount Ravatogh was unpleasant. You met Sania there, peering about in distaste. You missed the greens of the forest. Duscae was so much better than Cleigne.Between sharing ideas with Sania, of all people, and looking at her extensive research, you grew increasingly concerned. You had to take a break from it all, going into the convenience store and perusing things just to clear your mind.You couldn’t help like she’d thought. All you could do was confirm that you’d noticed the longer nights, too. It had the chocobos confused; they’d usually awaken with dawn, and now they were disoriented every morning.A familiar laugh pierced the air and made you perk up. Prompto. You peeked your head out of the doorway of the shop, finding your friend standing with his other humans around Sania. Buying a snack, you left the shop and beelined for the group.Prompto threw an arm over your shoulder when greeting you with his usual grin. You picked at bits of dirt on his vest, cleaning him up without even realizing what you were doing.Sania looked at you with a raised brow. You avoided her gaze, enjoying Prompto’s arm around you. She was going to have something to say when they left. Something about how fascinating it is that you’d taken interest in someone.He gave you a photograph, one of you together on the beach. He bumbled over his words when giving it to you, taking you aside when he did because the other humans seemed to find it amusing.“We’re leaving soon,” he said, nudging the dirt with the toe of his boot. “Like really soon.”You nodded, understanding. He was always on the go. He and his friends were the most well traveled group of humans you’d ever come across.He bounced on the heels of his feet, shifting back and forth as a smile played across his face. “I don’t know when I’ll see you again so I just— I wanted to say something.”With a warm smile, photograph in your hands, you waited for what he had to say. You hoped it would be that he liked you. That your intentions were accepted. That he didn’t think it was too strange that a being like you had found a particular interest in him.“I’m so not good with words when it comes to…” he trailed off, chuckling a little. “Um, I, uh…”His face was overtaken by that blush of his again. He was so sweet. You touched his cheek with a hand, encouraging him.He swallowed, biting his lip and staring at you for a moment before he leaned forward quickly, pressing a soft kiss to your lips. Freezing, you didn’t return the gesture. Your hand fell from his cheek when he drew away, a look of uncertainty on his face.You took a step back, then two. With shaky hands, you put the photograph in your bag. Betrayal bit at you with every heavy thud of your heart.“I-I’m so sorry,” Prompto said, expression becoming horrified and embarrassed. “I thought showing you might be better. I shouldn’t have—”Mind reeling, dread filling your gut, you didn’t stick around to hear him out. Taking off in a run, you shot past the others, not caring if anyone saw you become a chocobo as you sprinted away.Halfway through your journey home, somewhere in Causcherry Plains, you were thrown out of the form, rolling to a stop on the ground. You looked up at the evening sky. Tears welled in your eyes, clouding your vision.You had to stay at a rest stop for the night. You spent most of it staring at the photograph Prompto had given you. He was so bright in the picture, standing close to you on the sunny beach. He’d crossed a hard line, and you didn’t know what to do.Did he even realize what he'd done?When you arrived at Wiz’s Post late the next day with unbelievably sore feet and puffy eyes, you hugged the old man for a long time.In a newly minted, somewhat scratchy, wavering voice, you said your first words. “I’m afraid.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was a year before you saw Prompto again. Permanent darkness fell only months after he left for wherever. At first, you were in denial, about your forced change and the ensuing darkness. You cried often and didn’t speak even though it was now possible.The darkness forced you to cope. There were greater things at stake than the loss of your maidenhood.You grew into your voice, helping Wiz with the Post and Sania with a project to preserve a bit of the wildlife. Your body became a lot stronger, and you were maneuvering like any other human, surviving the darkness with only minimal stress as you focused on helping others.It was strange for you to think that perhaps your total strength had been split between the two forms before. Now that you had no choice but to live out the rest of your life as a human, you found yourself so much stronger. As if the gods were giving you retribution for your loss.When the Post succumbed to the darkness, you helped herd as many chocobos as you could to the abandoned military base that Sania and a few others had taken over and filled with animals. You suspected they were testing them, but whatever they were doing had to be less terrifying than what hid in the darkness.Sania gave you a place to stay there, a responsibility to care for the birds you’d brought. You wished you could’ve saved them all. You said goodbye to Wiz, who saw Lestallum as a safer haven, where he had family. You seriously thought, on the day you’d parted, that it was going to be the last time you ever saw him.Sania never mentioned the appearance of your voice or the complete change in your nature. You no longer had the alluring aura that made people treat you strangely, for which you were grateful. Sania’s fascination, though, remained unchanged.The titanium bangle still sparkled from your wrist, though it was often covered, like the rest of you, in filth. The first time you saw Prompto after becoming a full fledged human was on a busy day, the titanium bangle, having just been cleaned that morning while you’d showered, already a dark, dusty grey.You were running from one block of the military base to another with medicines in your hands when a large, vaguely recognizable figure came through the main gate. The person posted there had let the large man in so you didn’t bat an eye. With his size, he had to be a hunter. Hunters were the most helpful types of people during this time, and you were long used to them coming and going.“I think they need you in the main office,” you said to the large man, looking down to count that you had the right number of medicine jars. A godsdamn garula was having a baby soon, and garulas were smelly and gross and big huge bullies so you were not in any mood to deal with unhelpful humans today.The man said something that you didn’t catch. Yes, you had the right number of medicines, good. A screeching sound came from somewhere beyond the gate, making you look up at the second man that stood prone in the entrance.Prompto.You approached the gate with wide eyes, openly staring at him. He looked very different, seemed very different.Then, forcing yourself to look away, you noticed Glasses Human— it felt like him, but something looked terribly off— talking with the person posted at the gate. You approached them first.“Iggy?” It had to be him. He was wearing glasses. Many people wore them, but none with hair like his.He turned toward you. “Beg pardon. Do I know you?”“It’s me,” you said, telling him your name. You were you, and he couldn’t see that? So that’s what was different.“Ah,” he gripped the handle of the stick in his hand a little tighter. This was such a weird meeting. Neither of you appeared to be quite the same as you’d last seen the other. In fact, none of them seemed the same as before. “You’ve a voice. I don’t know if I should congratulate you or apologize.”“Neither,” you said, eyes pouring over him and then going to the others. Large vague human wasn’t so vague anymore. He had an impressive mane of hair, and you wondered if that had always been the case. Next to him, the person who had somehow remained your favorite human shared your wide eyed look. He was bruised, dirty, and his hair was flat.Despite everything, the sight of him made you weaken.“Prompto.” It was the first time his name had fallen from your mouth. It was a good one, too. The Ps popped and the T was hard. It felt so substantial coming out.Your name came out from him much softer, in disbelief. You wanted to talk with him, finally a chance to actually talk with him, but you had a garula birth to help with.“The main office is that way,” you said, pointing toward a building nearby. “Sania is probably expecting you. There is a ramp on the left side that you can use, Iggy, if the stairs are too much.”He actually chuckled. “How kind of you.”Turning away and continuing your walk to the garula area, you recounted the jars of medicine in your arms and tried to ignore the rapid pace of your heart.—“Precipitation.”“Good, you’ve got it.” Sania nodded, and you chewed on your lip. Pronunciation wasn't that hard. Mostly. You liked learning new words, liked that you could say them aloud.“Rain, snow, um, hail,” you listed, trying to recall the types of precipitation you’d read about. Being human meant you were slower and needed to sleep more. But it came with perks. You felt smarter than ever before because you dedicated so much of your time to reading when you weren’t working.Along with the lessons, Sania took a blood sample once a month, testing you for signs of Starscourge. There was no precedent for someone like you to succumb to the illness. She’d been working with a few others, including yourself, to develop some kind of medicine that could combat the effects of it in people and animals. It wasn’t going well.It was all trial and error, hunters willingly taking the test capsules each time an updated medicine was made. None seemed to work so far. If a hunter didn’t die from fighting a daemon, they eventually grew sick and became one themselves from such prolonged exposure to the total darkness.The regular hunters who came and went through the base were always rough, and as time passed, you quickly came to befriend a few. Your favorite was Prompto’s large friend, Gladiolus. He wanted you to just call him Gladio, but you liked the lus at the end. Gladiolus. His name was a flower, and that never ceased to amuse you.When one of the mechanisms broke on a door to the anak pen, you needed to go to Lestallum for a replacement. Gladiolus offered to drive you, saying that the better place to go would be Hammerhead because Cindy “knew what was up” when it came to mechanical things.“I never asked,” he said not long after setting out. “How’d you suddenly get your voice?”You shrugged. “Prompto stole a kiss from me.”That made him laugh. “Does he have some kind of healing powers I should know about?”You peered over at him in the dim lighting of the cab. “I’m a— I was a chocobo maiden.”There was a pause. “Oh, I get it.” He nodded. “I’ve heard the old stories. True love’s kiss turning you into a human and all that.”You shrugged again. “Not true love. Just… something like it. A connection.”He grunted indistinguishably, and the rest of the ride was quiet. You’d had a lot of time to think about what had happened. In the beginning, you’d been so scared and angry, and you’d told yourself that if you ever saw Prompto again, you were going to slap him or scratch out his eyes.But it turned out that being human wasn’t so bad. You appreciated things more. Like hot showers and deep conversations. You felt like you knew Gladiolus better than any person in the world right now because he was so easy to talk with, lingering around the base and sharing his experiences. You especially liked hearing about his little sister.As for the love aspect, you couldn’t let yourself think that you’d fallen in love with someone while you’d been in your former state. You couldn’t have fully grasped that concept when all you’d cared about was having fun and making salves at Wiz’s Post for an endless supply of greens.All you’d wanted was a companion, and what had that gotten you? A stolen maidenhood; your future taken with a simple gesture by a beautiful, bumbling boy who’d had no right.Hammerhead was fortified and crawling with hunters when you arrived. Cindy was easy to spot among all the darkly clad people. So was Prompto as he shifted from foot to foot, handing something to her with a shy smile. It was small but colorful, a can of something that had Cindy returning the smile.The sight of Cindy accepting the gift and placing a hand on his shoulder only made your stomach lurch slightly. You approached the scene with little care, not smiling at either of them before interrupting to ask Cindy if she had the parts you needed.While she checked the garage, Prompto didn’t make a move to leave. He scratched at his arm, gaze on the ground for a moment before he met your eyes.“So,” he said. “Your voice, that’s new.”“Precipitation,” you said, knowing you were showing off. It was silly, but you felt a little feisty at finding that Prompto was interested in someone else now.It was his fault you were stuck being human, yet he was seeking the affection of someone else. Your tune had changed in the last year; life was unfair, and this was only reaffirming that belief.Prompto didn’t seem impressed by your big word. He appeared confused, mostly, his blond brows drawing together.“Huh?”You touched the titanium bangle at your wrist. “The newest word I’ve learned. Precipitation. Humans have so many words for so many things.”Prompto chuckled, understanding easing into his expression. “Yeah, we kinda do.”Letting go of the bracelet, you went quiet. It was a comfortable place for you, but Prompto still seemed at a loss for what to do when no words filled the air. You’d already given him too much, you thought.The differences between the Prompto that stood before you now and the one that had charmed you before weren’t immediately clear. You felt them rather than saw them.He was still beautiful, but broken somehow.Nearly everyone was suffering in some way, but his felt so loud now that you were standing in front of him. What had he done in his year away?Cindy reappeared from the garage with what you needed, and you turned away from Prompto to trade them for a few gil. He may have stuck himself permanently into your mind and heart as your favorite human, but that didn’t mean he had a place in your life.He’d chosen to stay here, in Hammerhead. To be near Cindy or, perhaps, just to be away from you. Either way, it made you unhappy. Humans had never really made sense to you. Even now, becoming one yourself, that hadn’t changed.—Eating meat made you sick, so the increasing lack of it as the darkness stretched on endlessly was not even remotely a problem of yours. You picked at the salad with your fork —still hard to not automatically use your fingers to eat— and looked at Prompto sitting across from you in the booth.Gladiolus sat next to you, arm thrown over your shoulder. He carried most of the conversation, laughing at how Prompto had also gotten a salad. The smaller human stabbed at the lettuce with a slow, sheepish smile.“It’s either that or boiled beans with no flavor,” he complained before shoving a bite into his mouth. He continued to speak even while eating. “Besides, I love salad.”“Me, too.” It rushed out of you. Like an offering of friendship. Here was something we both love, you wanted to say. Chocobos would mimic as a way of showing affection or familiarity. It meant even more that he wasn’t just copying you as a way of… what? You didn’t know. But you liked it.The bangle at your wrist rattled a little against your plate when you lowered your fork for another bite. Prompto didn’t acknowledge what you’d said. Instead, he looked at your wrist, then to your face. His smile grew warmer, less sheepish.“You still have it.”You nodded, fighting the strong urge to say it was your favorite possession. It meant the world. It was shiny and sturdy and a reminder.He didn’t offer conversation after that, but there were a few instances in which you thought he might. He’d open his mouth, tap his thumb on the tabletop, then shake his head and close his mouth again. You didn’t pretend you had anything to say beyond your one attempt. You just stared at him. At this human who’d taken away everything you’d known and didn’t seem to realize the profound effect he’d had on both you and your life.As you left Hammerhead with Gladiolus and the mechanical parts you needed, watching Prompto look sadly into the darkness as he approached the caravan parked on the edge of the lot, you thought it was for the best that he didn’t know. He didn’t seem whole anymore, and you weren’t sure he could handle it.—“I get why you said no soulmates,” Gladiolus laughed just minutes on the road. “That was awkward as hell. Even for Prompto.”You didn’t know what that meant but nodded anyway. Awkward was a word Sania had used to describe you. It was somewhat contradictory to other words she used to describe you. The inconsistency just coincided with what you already believed about humans. They didn’t much care for making sense. So you changed the subject.“Chocobos mate for life. Do humans?”Not that you’d had much time to gather evidence of what the answer to this could be, you saw things. You noticed. Some people were inseparable, like the hunters who would never travel without their partners. Others would have a new person at their side each time you saw them. The only one who made sense to you was Dave, who was always alone. Only his friendly dog. A solitary life seemed ideal.At least… until you’d met Prompto.Now Gladiolus slowed in his drive, peering across the cab at you. “Some do.”Exactly the kind of unhelpful answer you expected.You sighed through your nose, crossing your arms. “Do you?”He faced forward with a laugh. “Nah. But I’m looking for something like it.”You stared at him as he stared ahead. “Looking?”He shrugged. “That’s what people do. We test things and see what we want.”That concept was hard to understand, and you spent most of the ride back to base mulling it over. You’d known you’d wanted Prompto the moment you’d seen him. So much so that you’d initially mistaken him for someone of your kind.“I’ve only ever wanted Prompto,” you said, uncrossing your arms and splaying your hands on your knees, fingers spread. “Does that mean I’m more human because I’m not with him for life?”Another shrug from Gladiolus had you preparing yourself for another vague answer. “Probably. Do you still want him?”You looked out into the darkness, unsure of the answer. Before, it hadn’t mattered that you didn’t actually know Prompto. He’d been eye catching and kind. He remained both of those things, but he was fractured. Just like everyone else. Just like you.When you never answered, Gladiolus pulled into the short drive of the base and said, “If you’re not, I know a guy who might be interested.”That made you arch your brows. Someone interested in you? “Who? Is it you, Gladiolus?”He chuckled as the base’s larger gate slowly opened. “Why, you interested in me?”Suddenly, this seemed like the best idea in the universe. You nodded and grinned. “Yes. Your beard is soft, you’re big and strong, and you tell the best stories.”His laugh grew, and you didn’t understand why.“I’m flattered.” He slowed the truck, pulling up to one of the bays so he could help the others unload the equipment he’d picked up from Hammerhead. Instead of getting out immediately, he scratched at the hair on his jaw, his amusement softening. “I wasn’t talking about myself, but now that I know you like beards, I guess I could introduce you to a few others.”You shrank back, your smile dropping. Oh. A weird, uncomfortable tingle pulled tightly at your chest, and you felt your face begin to burn. Embarrassment. You knew the meaning of the word, but this was the first time you’d felt it firsthand.You didn’t say anything as you climbed out of the vehicle, picking up the box that had the mechanical parts you’d needed. If Gladiolus wanted to introduce you to potential partners, you were grateful, but you weren’t sure you could do human courtship. Something didn’t feel quite right about the prospect.—You’d been wrong; human courtship was fun. One month of sharing conversations with people outside of the small community of humans you trusted became several months spent with one of those people in particular. He didn’t make your heart race, but he did make you forget what that felt like. Mostly.He was a hunter, so you would only see him when he visited the base. Which was the best because you liked your space. When he finally kissed you —three months and four days after meeting him, wow!— you were ecstatic to find, only days later, that Gladiolus would be arriving with a slew of other hunters to deliver meteor shards to power the base.You pushed past others with a grin to approach the vehicle he arrived in. Was Gladiolus your best friend? Possibly! You hadn’t seen him in over a month because the grand expedition to the meteor for a mass supply of shards had taken him, along with so many others, too far away for too long.With hands clasped and a bounce in your step, you watched the large man climb out of the truck.“Gladiolus!”He laughed at your yell, unoffended even though you were beaming in his face. He was grittier than usual, dusty black muck covering him. It didn’t deter your grasp on one of his forearms.“He kissed me!” You tried to shake his arm with your excitement, but the motion did nothing. “On the mouth!”Other hunters began to appear from the vehicle, just as dirty as he was. You beamed at them, too, words still spilling out to anyone who would listen.“The hair on his chin tickled mine, and it was so nice because…”Your smile waned a little, excitement dampening even as your heart thudded harder. Prompto rounded the vehicle from the passenger side, his golden hair mottled with a dirty black. His mouth was open, but he said nothing. Eyes wide on yours, he didn’t seem to realize he was staring until you audibly closed your own mouth, your teeth clicking together. He looked away, to Gladiolus and your hands gripping his muscular arm.“I missed you,” you said, looking from him to the human in your grasp. You didn’t know who you were saying it to. Both of them, probably.Gladiolus pried your hands off with a chuckle. “Sounds like you were in good company without me.”You nodded, but you didn’t want to say anything more about your boyfriend. Your human boyfriend. Even the thought tasted weird on your tongue, left unspoken.Sania appeared a moment later, looking more animated than usual. Which was quite a feat for someone who often frightened you with how excited she could become. Especially when there was knowledge to be had. You were struck by the way Gladiolus pulled her into a hug. Bigger and closer than any hug he’d ever given you.So that was it? You didn’t look away when their faces met. You didn’t look away even when Prompto cleared his throat. This was hard for you to process. How could someone as great as Gladiolus be romantic with someone as scary as Sania?“Show him to the barracks,” she said as she looked at you, interrupting your muddled thoughts.You started, nodding and turning to Prompto. He was the only person still lingering as all the other hunters dispersed. He’d never stayed here, so of course. Of course he needed to be shown around.“This way,” you said, taking his hand. The grime on him made your grasp slip a little, but he held on, following you through the base to the place where most people slept. For how large the base was overall, the space that held the bunks was cramped. You let go of his hand to weave through the people taking up what space there was between beds. You stopped in front of one and turned to him with a small flourish of your arm. “Here’s a bed for you.” Sending that hand over your shoulder in the general direction of the baths, you said, “You can get clean over there. Before you ask, there is no hot water.”Prompto nodded, scratching his neck as he looked past you for a moment. Someone bumped into him, and he quietly apologized, stepping closer to you. You swallowed the tight feeling in your chest, that burning pull that told you to close the distance and hug him, touch him. Your hand still tingled from where it had held his, however briefly.He opened his mouth, then closed it, nodding again and looking away. You stood there as people kept shifting around you, moving through the barracks like cells in the bloodstream. You couldn’t just stand there. You were going to clot. Expression curling in distaste at how your inner voice was sounding more and more like Sania’s every day, you reached for Prompto’s hand again. He met your eyes when you grabbed his wrist instead.“Did you get hurt?” you asked, letting yourself finally give him a once over. You should’ve asked before, but he didn’t seem any more broken than the last time you’d seen him. “I heard the expedition was arduous.”Those were big, new words to you, and you bit your lip, realizing you were showing off. Prompto didn’t care about what big words you knew. He was only going to be on base for a night. Letting go of his wrist, you curled your hand tight at your side. “If you’re not hurt, I’ll go now.”Turning away, you weaved through the hunters and workers again on your way out of the crowded space. Your heart felt thick and heavy in your chest, as if your ribs weren’t wide enough to contain it and all the feelings it held. You lifted your fist to your chest, rubbing a circle there as you legged it toward the chocobo area. A moment of calm, that was all you needed. To get rid of how hard your blood rushed through you.After so many months, you were still feeling this way about him?You forced a breath out, fighting the tight feeling in your chest. Being a human didn’t feel worth it at times like this. When you were faced with more feelings than what should’ve been possible, when you wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball of feathers and sleep everything away.—You fed the chocobos, pretending they could still understand you as well as they used to. They trusted you more as a human now than they had before your change, and a part of you resented that. You’d been too different, then, and now you had no other choice. You ran fingers through their feathers and pouted. Your boyfriend wasn’t here so you had no one to distract you from that rapid-fire pace of your heart.Lost in thought, you were startled when someone stepped into the stables with heavy boots. You found Prompto standing by the entrance, his eyes wide and curious as he looked around. He’d cleaned himself up, the yellow of his hair brighter and the clothes on his form less torn. You felt like running again, but this was your safe space. So you stared him down instead.He approached slowly, blinking when he realized how hard you were staring at him. Looking behind himself, he rolled a soft shrug over his freckled shoulders and stopped next to you. The chocobo underneath your hands kwehed softly. You forced your gaze from him to give it more attention. You didn’t understand why he was here.The chocobo stepped toward him, leaving the comfort of your hands when he picked up greens and held them out. You watched him feed the bird and run a gloved hand down its neck. His smile was small, his eyes tired.“What happened to you?”He seemed to startle at your sudden question, blinking again as his eyes met yours. “Uh, well, I took a shower—”You shook your head, interrupting him. “When you left. When the darkness came to stay. What happened?”Prompto looked down, his attention on his feet that shuffled against the floor in awkward, restless motions. “What about you?” He lifted his head again, the small smile from before disappearing completely. “You’re… human now?”That felt like an accusation. You bristled, your shoulders raising and eyes narrowing. “That’s your fault.”His mouth fell open, confusion clear on his expressive face. “How? I haven’t seen you since you— when I was dumb enough to—” He sighed and looked away, toward the chocobo as he pet it. “Whatever.”This frustrated you, and you stamped your foot against the ground, an impulse more common when you’d been a chocobo. “You took my maidenhood, Prompto.”Eyes growing impossibly wider than before, he looked at you again and sputtered, “W-wait, what?”You crossed your arms. “When you kissed me, you stole my maidenhood, and I’ll never get it back.” As you spoke, you began to deflate and it was with effort that you kept your chest puffed out and arms stiffly crossed in front of it. “I’m surprised Iggy didn’t tell you. He figured it out.”Prompto’s hands left the chocobo, his fingers tangling together in front of him as he seemed to process what you’d said. Confusion remained the primary emotion on display. He scratched the nape of his neck with a small laugh. “Iggy only shares what he wants. He’s kinda closed off, especially after everything that happened.”Your arms slowly loosened, and you relaxed. Human body language wasn’t difficult as long as you were mindful. You let your arms fall to your sides, inviting Prompto to say more, to just talk to you. “And what happened?”You weren’t sure what you expected him to say, but the story he told you, the tale that kept you in the chocobo pin all night as you listened, wasn’t it.—“Was it really that cold?” You were backtracking after he’d said everything. All of it was fascinating— the king, his companions, their adventure. But your attention was caught on Prompto’s experiences when he’d been on his own. It seemed terrifying.You were wide awake even though almost everyone else had been resting for hours. All you could hear over the few people that remained alert on base were the horrible cries of the daemons beyond the walls. You’d heard stories from other hunters, of the world before the darkness and of the lands beyond your home, half of which seemed completely ridiculous. But this… Prompto would never lie to you, that you were sure of.Prompto arched brows, picking at bits of hay that littered the space. You’d both sat on the ground, facing each other with the walls of the single chocobo stall at your back. The chocobo itself lay asleep near him, something that bothered you only a little. “Cold?”You stretched out your legs. “In Niflem? When you were lost.”A corner of Prompto’s mouth pulled into a smile. “It’s Niflheim.”You nodded because that’s what you’d said. “Niffelhamn.”He blinked before smiling fully. “Niflheim.”“Nifenhium,” you said, insistent. Weren’t you saying it right? What kind of terrible word was this, anyway?When he chuckled, lifting a hand to cover his tired eyes, you weren’t sure if you were delighted or offended. The way your heart raced in your chest at the pull of his chapped lips into such a wide grin had you deciding you were very delighted. But that would be your secret.“Are you doing that on purpose?” He lifted his hand, touching his hair and sending that grin toward you.You stared at him, unblinking and unanswering. Of course you weren’t doing it on purpose. You didn’t even know what he was talking about.“Anyway,” he said, the words coming out in a near yawn. “Yeah, it was cold. It was the worst. It feels… good to get all of this off my chest.”His yawn made you yawn, and you reached your arms over your head, stretching them next. Maybe you were tired after all. “You didn’t tell Gladiolus or Iggy?”Prompto snickered again, softer this time. “You even say their names in a weird way. You’ve gotta be doing this on purpose.”You frowned at him and began to tap your feet on the floor. He was being annoying suddenly, avoiding your question and making fun of you. Embarrassment was still a rare feeling for you, and you weren’t going to let Prompto make you feel its uncomfortable crawl over your skin.He didn’t seem to notice the change in you. His grin eased into a softer smile, and he watched your feet shift and kick up bits of hay as he spoke again. “It’s different, telling you. You kinda get it. Y’know, get what it’s like not being totally human.”That made you pause, feet freezing and eyes growing wide. What was he even saying? “I’m human. Just like you. We’re both human.Prompto’s smile became a sad kind of wry. “Are we, though?”You wanted to pick up some of the dirt and hay and throw it at him. Annoying! You were human. You’d worked so hard to adapt. It was his fault you were stuck this way; how dare he say—The searching look on his face put a halt to those thoughts. As he looked you over, he nervously touched the band on his wrist, the one that covered the mark he’d told you about. You wanted to see it, but couldn’t seem to move.“You’re right,” you said, thinking about how he’d described the clones and everything he’d endured. “We’re not.”He frowned, nodding slightly before looking away. You’d agreed with him, yet he didn’t seem to like it. Humans were still too complicated; except, according to him, he wasn’t human. So maybe Prompto, with his weakened sense of self and intense warmth that shone through even in the unending darkness, was too complicated. And maybe that only made you care about him more.You drew your legs up, resting your arms on your knees as you said, “Not human, but… something close. You said that about me once. Do you remember?”It took several beats for him to look at you again. When he did, you were surprised at the sheepish look on his face. He didn’t remember.You wished you were so lucky. You remembered everything. You remembered the sun kissing your skin as you had wandered Lestallum together. You remembered his stumbling the day you’d first met him. You remembered what it felt like, the mix of terror and joy, when he’d kissed you.You hadn’t kissed back, and now, as you watched him yawn again and tilt his head back to look at you sleepily, you wished you had.—He invaded your private space the next day, not leaving the base like he was meant to. Gladiolus said he had things to do, that Prompto had to get back to Hammerhead, but neither of them seemed to be in a rush.“Hey, it’s us,” Prompto said with a grin, pointing at the single photograph you had tacked to a wall in your small room.It was the picture he’d given you, the one of you together on the beach in Galdin Quay. The corners were a little worn, but it was almost perfectly intact otherwise. You liked to look at it to remember the sun, it sparkled off the surface of the ocean behind you and shone in his smile. You’d told your boyfriend that Prompto had been a friend from before the darkness.
You sure? With his arm around you like that?
You’d taken to putting it away when he visited, but he wasn’t due to return to the base for another week.“Yes, it’s us.” You unpinned the picture and handed it to him. “Do you remember this, at least, Prompto?”You liked saying his name. You loved saying his name. It was hard to hate him for giving you a voice because you could roll his name around on your tongue. You could taste it and smile, knowing he could hear you.He chuckled, grinning down at the photo. “Yeah, I remember. You were so cute that day.”You didn’t know what that meant. Leaning into him, you looked down at it curiously. You hadn’t been wearing shoes. You’d never worn shoes back then. Your hair had been different, your clothes less maintained. You were smiling widely. Ready to ask him just what he was talking about, you were interrupted by someone stepping into your room without knocking.Expecting Sania, you turned to the door and stopped short. Your boyfriend stood in the doorway, flecks of grime on his face and in his beard. His hair was long, and his hand had paused in its tug to loosen it from its tie.“What’s going on, lovebird?”You perked up, an automatic reaction, because you loved having a nickname. You loved that he wanted to kiss you and call you something sweet and that he went out of his way to visit you as often as he could even though the base had some of the worst facilities even in this apocalyptic world state. You loved having a boyfriend.“My friend is visiting,” you said, pointing to Prompto. You couldn’t say his name, not in front of your boyfriend. It would be unfair. He’d somehow figure out how much you savored that name over his own.They seemed to already know each other, an easy handshake between them before Prompto awkwardly excused himself. You immediately noticed that he’d taken the photo with him, but you couldn’t say anything because your boyfriend needed attention.By the time you left your room later, Prompto and Gladiolus were gone. You stewed in your irritation, letting Sania take the usual blood sample before you hid in the chocobo pens. Your boyfriend wasn’t doing his job very well of calming your fluttering heart.
Alone with him in your room?
You buried your face into the soft feathers of a chocobo, suddenly hating his jealousy. It had seemed right before; a mate was meant to be protective. He hadn’t acted so strangely when it came to Gladiolus, and you had the distinct impression that your best friend inspired a lot more jealousy and sexual desire than Prompto usually did.“Hey, don’t be mad at me.” You lifted your head to see your boyfriend step into the makeshift stables. His expression was apologetic, and you warmed at the sight. “I’m sorry. It was a tough hunt, and I missed you.”You let him kiss you, and for a moment, just the briefest second, your stuttering heart muted, and you were able to forget that you were in love with someone else.—The photo of you and Prompto on the beach made its way back to you in the form of a letter. It was tucked away in a shipment of food, and the hunter who handed it to you told you it had been through several pairs of hands, three blessed camps, and Lestallum before making it to you. You didn’t know what to make of the dirty, slightly wrinkled envelope. When you opened it in your room, spilling out not just that photo, but a few more along with a badly folded letter, you were even more confused.The pictures were fascinating. One of Iggy posing next to the smaller human, the one you only vaguely remembered and knew to be the king. Another, with Gladiolus and Iris near a lighthouse. She was so young in the photo. And Gladiolus, he didn’t have that scar on his chest. A few landscape shots of different locations. Your favorite of those was a nice view of Alstor Slough. Three were of only Prompto, clearly taken by himself. They were all… wonderful. The best gifts. You were tempted to hang them all up, but you slid them back into the envelope and stored them in your desk. It was for the best. Being human meant being selfish, but only secretly. It meant withholding things to not let others get hurt. It meant lying sometimes.To prepare yourself for the letter, you brushed your teeth, washed your hands, and made your bed. That’s what humans did, right? Even you knew that was nonsense, but you were nervous. So nervous, in fact, that you accidentally tore the paper when you finally let yourself unfold it.Squawking in a rush to fix it, you unfolded the rest of it carefully and fastened it together with clear tape. It was with a sigh at so much stress over the few actual words Prompto had written that you read the letter. Which was more of a note, if anything.
These are for you. I hope you like them. I forgot to ask if you had a phone. If you have one, my number is…
You stared at the string of numbers, then the way Prompto had written his name so large, it made up a third of the paper. As if you wouldn’t know who it was from. When you took a moment to think about the weeks, the number of people, and the hours of driving it had taken for this to reach you, you couldn’t hold in a laugh.When it came to Prompto, apparently being human meant being silly sometimes. You read the note several times over, learning nothing new on such little information but feeling your heart swell. Leaving your room, you snuck into Sania’s office. There was a spare phone —emergencies only— that was only ever used on the rare chance that you left the base. You weren’t entirely sure how it worked, but you wanted to let Prompto know that his gift had been received.—He answered on the fourth ring, breathy and loud. “Yeah?”You froze, suddenly unsure. Were you bothering him? As he repeated himself, you hung up and held the phone away from your face. You stared at it, startling when it began to ring. Recognizing it as the number you’d just dialed, you answered it and held it up to your ear.“Hello?” Prompto sounded concerned, maybe even excited. You couldn’t pinpoint the exact feeling, but it was enough to propel you to speak.“Prompto.”He sucked in a breath, then let it out in a noise that came through the phone in an unpleasant way. “Hey, it’s you. I-I wasn’t expecting a call.”“You gave me your number.”He huffed a small laugh. “Yeah, but I wasn’t sure if you’d ever talk to me again.”You sat back on your bed, resting against the wall. The paint was chipping off the concrete in places, and you picked at it. You didn’t acknowledge what he said because you didn’t see the point in trying to understand his logic. Of course you would talk to him. “Do you know what I miss? Ice cream.”That seemed to take him by surprise, another laugh falling out of him. “Y-yeah. Me, too.”“Don’t copy me,” you said, picking away the paint idly. “What else do you miss?”He seemed to think for a moment, humming through the line. You moved on to folding and unfolding his note as you waited, careful to not rip the paper. “Iggy’s cooking.”You hadn’t known Iggy cooked. He rarely ever appeared in your life anymore, and you now vaguely wondered if he was alright, wherever he was. “I miss the freedom of being outside.”The conversation continued that way, for hours, a back and forth until you had him explain what the golden hour was in photography terms. You made him spell out big words he used, and when he couldn’t spell a few of them, it made you laugh.There were so many things you missed about your old life, but you found yourself missing Prompto more.—Weeks wore on into months, until over a year passed before you ever saw Prompto again. You spoke to him once a week, sneaking the phone back into Sania’s office without her noticing anything.He told you about his progress with training, and though you understood very little of it, you knew it was important to him. He needed to be ready for the king. You told him about the animals. He knew each chocobo by name and asked about them every time. You were waiting for him to actually visit again, to see them in person, even if it was just so you could see him.But he never did.Your boyfriend visited, though. Often. As time passed, he tried to move beyond kissing you, but you were afraid. Not of what it would feel like if you did let him touch the parts of you that were hidden underneath your clothes. You were afraid you’d accidentally whimper Prompto when hands wandered.It wouldn’t be fair to your boyfriend. Especially since things were never going to happen between you and Prompto. He made that clear every time he mentioned Cindy —every single phone call. The only reason you held any kind of feelings for him even now was because— because he’d been the one to take your maidenhood. There was no other explanation for it.Your boyfriend was the one there for you now. He was the one going out of his way to see you and make you happy. He was your key to getting away from those feelings and accepting your life for what it had become. Prompto was going to help the king bring the sun back. All you had to do was survive and do your best to let him go.So when your boyfriend asked you to marry him, you swallowed your feelings and said yes.—You stretched in the Lestallum heat, amazed that it remained warm even without the sun. The lights above flickered, the usual unstable but ultimately enduring energy coursing through the city like neon veins overhead and underfoot. You passed stalls selling things for hunters in mind. Your fiancé needed a new sword, but that was hardly something you could pick out for him.What you were looking for were medical supplies. Anything from bandages to phoenix down. What you found was Prompto.He didn’t notice you at first, laughing softly at something Iggy said as they walked through the busy streets together. But you noticed him. You always noticed him. This time, he looked markedly different. His hair was flatter, his arms a little meatier, and his face—He paused in his step when he finally saw you.You weaved around people to face him directly, your hand lifting of its own accord to touch his chin. “Prompto, you have a beard.”He laughed, louder than he had been before. “Kinda. I’m working on it.”“It looks very nice.” You touched him gently, enjoying the soft feel of it. “I really like it.”“I daresay it’s the best I’ve ever seen,” Iggy said, casually crossing his arms.Prompto rose a hand to grab yours, his head shifting to look at his friend with mild surprise. “Really?”Iggy quirked a corner of his mouth, saying nothing more.Prompto grinned, rolling his eyes. “Hilarious.” Even in the dim, flickering lights of Lestallum, you could make out the blush that grew on his face. “It’s only a goatee right now.”“A goat tea,” you repeated, lifting your other hand to touch it.Prompto looked at you again, his face growing redder. You knew human emotion and reactions well enough now. You had a few years under your belt and recognized that he was embarrassed. Dropping your hands, you smiled at him.“It’s a nice goat tea, Prompto. You are the most handsome.”Iggy chuckled then, uncrossing his arms and adjusting the glasses on his face. “Have I degenerated in the years since we’ve seen one another?”You’d have to remember that big word. “Iggy, you are tall, and your legs are long.”Prompto snickered, throwing an arm over your shoulder. The gesture of familiarity had your own face warming. He squeezed you a little, looking at his friend. “They’ve got you there, Iggy. You’re tall, but I’m handsome.”“I’m stating facts,” you said plainly, not entirely sure what they found so funny.Iggy shook his head, though the small smile never left his face. “I don’t have to see to know I’m unwanted. We’ll catch up later, Prompto. Good afternoon to both of you.”You watched him disappear, impressed by the way he didn’t need his walking stick anymore. Prompto’s arm never left its comfortable place on your shoulders. You led him further through the market and listened to him explain why he was in Lestallum, how far his training had gone, and that he’d been planning to surprise you with a visit soon.“But you never visit,” you pointed out when his arm finally did fall away from you.The medical supplies, as you expected, were few. They decreased every shipment, and you were beginning to worry. You picked up what you could, looking over your shoulder curiously when Prompto grew quiet. He’d begun to gather potions and things into his own arms. When he spoke, it was softer than before.“I didn’t want to intrude. You seemed… busy. Needed, y’know?You let your eyes wander away from him, unsure how to address that. They fell into focus on a fish stall. Oh! With so few remedies and curatives at hand, you suddenly realized you could make your own.“Prompto.” You looked at him and had to stop yourself from smiling, unable to ever get over how much you loved being able to say his name. “You take these. I’m getting fish. Meet me…” You unloaded what you held, and he quickly took it all, letting nothing drop. Free of your load, you pointed at the cafe nestled in the corner of the market. “Meet me over there.”—The plan, in your mind, had been to eat lunch there together after getting your supplies. Of course the man who ran the place would let dirty hunters lean their weapons against the tables and litter the place while they ate, but keeping your pile of wrapped fish on a table was too smelly and unsanitary. So you carried everything to the crate you were going to bring back with you to the base.As a refugee, you were allowed to stay in the hotel, but space was severely limited. You’d spent one night where Wiz lived with his daughter in the upper side of the city, close to the power plant where she worked. You’d felt like you were imposing, and you weren’t sure his daughter liked you all that much. So, the hotel it was. Even if it was the most cramped and crowded space in the city.That’s how you found yourself in the crowded plaza outside the hotel. The fountain, unused for years, was littered with trash. You stared into the mess while Prompto spoke to another hunter he knew who happened to be allowed into this part of the city to visit family.He seemed to notice your silence after his friend walked away, and he hummed to get your attention. He’d hummed the entire walk from the market to your supply crate by the main entrance of the city while you’d simmered in your annoyance over the cafe owner’s gall to refuse you. It had calmed you then, and now as you kicked at the unfortunate clutter in the fountain, it made you perk up.You hummed along, not knowing the song and enjoying the way he stumbled over small bouts of laughter at the awkward pitch of your voice. You’d grown well into it, but chocobos weren’t exactly known for being song birds.When he went on to do something else, a strange set of sounds he made with his lips and tongue, you couldn’t help but laugh. They were different from words, unintelligible and absurd in how great it sounded to you. It was rhythmic, and Prompto claimed he wasn’t all that good at it, actually.“It’s called beatboxing.” He pursed his lips in a facsimile of a kiss, making you laugh again. “It’s kinda hard.”“Beatbox,” you repeated thoughtfully, copying him in a kissing motion before turning your lips inward and biting down on them. You wanted to hear him do it again. It was so funny. You also just loved to watch the way his lips moved. But you couldn’t let your mind wander in that direction. “That’s a compound word. Beatboxing.”Prompto blinked, then he laughed, a delayed reaction that tumbled out of him in soft waves. “Since when did you become a language expert?”You didn’t consider yourself an expert, not by quite a long shot. “I take lessons with Sania. She thinks I should know as much Lucian as possible.”He tilted his head, his smile bright on his freckled face. “But you can’t even say Niflheim.”“I can,” you insisted immediately. You’d asked about that stupid word, and Sania had given you cards to help pronounce it. “Nifflehim.”Prompto had the audacity to laugh at you. “Still totally wrong.”You huffed at him. So what if you couldn’t say it? You also couldn’t say rural or ignominious even though you knew what they meant. That should count for something. Prompto couldn’t even spell some of the words he knew how to pronounce! You were ready to point that out when he began to beatbox again, this time along to a made up song about how much of a— a “know-it-all” you were. You didn’t know that compound word, and you didn’t approve of this song.Covering his mouth with a hand to stop the offensive song, you laughed when he laughed, and you couldn’t remember being this carefree in so long. Your giggling stopped, though, when his amusement waned. Your first instinct was concern, but he slowly pulled your hand away from his mouth, his eyes tracing the features of your face.Suddenly, you couldn’t move. You didn’t want to move, not as he leaned in. It was a slow draw, his eyes flicking from one part of your face to another. You felt a swell of disappointment when he stilled, the tip of his nose barely grazing the bridge of yours. Breath hitching, you waited for him to close the distance.When you realized he wouldn’t, you did.Your lips touched his with a spark, beginning at the contact and stretching, reaching beyond your extremities and deep into your chest. It curled around your limbs, loosening them comfortably. The hair on his chin tickled your face, and you smiled, lifting a hand to tentatively touch his cheek. Your hand faltered, fingertips just a breath away from skimming his soft skin.You shouldn’t do this. It wasn’t right. Drawing back, you used your lifted hand to cover your mouth instead. You blinked your eyes and shook your head. As amazing as even that simple touch had been, it was a mistake.He chuckled softly, not yet realizing. He had a hand resting on the concrete of the fountain, the other rising to touch your face, and he leaned toward you again.You knocked his hand away and pushed him back, your palms hard on his chest. “No.”His eyes grew wide as he faltered. “I-I’m sorry.”“No, Prompto.” You dropped your hands from his chest. “I’m the sorry one. I shouldn't have done that.”You said this, but you wanted to do it again. You’d never wanted anything more in your entire life.He rose a hand to the back of his head, scratching it as a blush crept up his face. “Right. Well, uh, then let’s not worry about it, okay?” He laughed lightly, but it felt insincere and made your stomach drop. You’d really messed things up.“I—” You swallowed, wishing you could take it back. You tried to think of some way to assure him that you weren’t trying to confuse him or make romantic advances toward him. You weren’t trying to do that. That had just been— wow, the scope for human emotion was far too broad and overwhelming right now. “I’m getting married soon. So.” You curled your hands into fists in your lap. “So that was just an accident because I miss my fiancé.”Prompto’s expression morphed into confusion. “W-wait, you’re getting married?”You nodded, repeating something Sania had said when you’d announced the engagement to her. “It’s the next logical step. Humans do it all the time.”He looked at you for a long moment, his eyes lingering on yours, before he smiled ruefully. “Yeah, maybe. But you and me… we aren’t quite human, remember?”Uncurling your hands and splaying them out on your knees, you looked down at the trash in the fountain. Unfair that he’d use that kind of reasoning. Unfair that he would give you, even if it was unintentional, hope that something real could ever happen between you.You had a voice, but that didn’t mean you knew what to say. It didn’t mean you had to say anything at all.—The gears of the truck screeched as you shifted them, pulling as hard as you could on the lever to put the thing into park. It was the first and only time you’d ever driven a vehicle, taken from the base with little warning after Sania had come to you with the emergency phone and concern on her face.Prompto had called even though it hadn’t been the right day or time for your secret conversations. Sania had answered and listened to him ramble almost incoherently about you before Gladiolus had taken his phone from him and explained that Prompto wasn’t “doing so hot”.You climbed out of the truck, stumbling a little in the dust due to how elevated the cab was. Hammerhead was mostly deserted, a few hunters roaming the place and sending you curious looks. Slamming the door, you peered around for any sign of someone you knew. Cindy was the first to step out of the open garage doors, so you beelined for her.“Where is Prompto?” You felt like you were going to lose the entire salad you’d had earlier in the day. “Is he okay?”She lifted her hands in a placating gesture that you understood but didn’t adhere to. “He’s in his caravan. Got caught by the blade of a Ronin from what I heard. He’s patched up; the big guy’s looking after him now.”You barely let her finish before you were running across the mostly empty lot, past the fuel pumps and the diner. You didn’t bother knocking on the door; it wouldn’t be locked. The air inside was warm and stale. Uncomfortable, but you pressed onward.Gladiolus was easy to find in the bedroom, just beyond a narrow doorway in the back of the living space. You went to him, finding Prompto at rest on the single bed. The blankets were pulled over him, but you could see how far up the bandages went, wrapped around one of his shoulders.You inhaled a shaky breath. His face was gaunt, and it hurt to see. You reached out to touch him, but Gladiolus grabbed your hand.“Easy. Can’t touch ‘im right now,” he said, holding your hand back.You pulled it from his grasp and looked at him. He was blurry in your vision. He moved, a wobbly, amorphous blob of tan skin and dark hair. You were wrapped in a hug that smelled like sweat, blood, and antiseptic. The entire room reeked of it, of pungent potions and the frowsty air of a caravan that had been locked up for months.You curled into Gladiolus, crying before you realized. The tears that blurred your vision spilled down your face and dampened his shirt. He squeezed you tighter, dropping his chin on your head. It was supposed to make you feel safe, but you were crumbling.“Give him a day or two,” he said. His voice rumbled in his chest, and you felt it against your cheek. “He’ll be alright.”Only indistinct sounds came out of your mouth, weird noises that tore out of your throat, and you hated them. Having a voice meant nothing when you had no control over what came out. As the emotions poured over, you let Gladiolus hold you because you couldn’t hold Prompto.—You opened the windows of the caravan to let in what breeze you could. According to Sania, the air wasn’t the freshest, just another part of the overall issue with Starscourge. But the light in Hammerhead should protect him, you thought. It kept the daemons at bay, and the stench was becoming far too much for the windows to remain down like they were.When you began to clean the place, Gladiolus decided it was time he had to leave. He joked that he didn’t want to help do chores that Prompto was supposed to be doing, but you sensed his unease and worry. You knew he’d be back to check on Prompto within a week or two. Likely with Iggy in tow.Prompto didn’t truly wake up for three days. He was in and out of consciousness, blue eyes flickering open for brief periods of time for you to help him out of bed so he could stumble to the bathroom, or so you could feed him in small doses and tend to the wound.You sat down next to his bed for a moment of rest, leaning forward to stretch your arm out toward him. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but you liked knowing he was only an arm’s reach away. Of course that’s when he finally found a level of lucidity needed for coherent thought.Your eyes cracked open when a hand folded over yours. Head resting against his mattress, you met his eyes and didn’t move. He squeezed your hand, then slowly brought it up and held it to his cheek. His eyes closed, a smile coming to his face.You didn’t know why he was smiling; he wasn’t quite healed yet and had to be in some pain still.Withdrawing your hand, you stood up and went for the salve you’d brought. You’d been using it to treat his wound, which had impressed Cindy when she’d visited the day before. You were really proud of yourself for being able to create something that healed him so quickly when potion supplies were nearly non-existent in the pit stop, but your pride meant nothing in the face of Prompto’s pain. You wanted it to heal him faster. He sat up, the blankets pooling at his waist as his eyes followed your movements. It was a delicate process, sitting on the bed and slowly removing the bandages to apply the salve. He hissed when your fingers touched him. You had to resist jerking your hand back. Other than the occasional sound of discomfort, he was amicable about all of it, lifting his arms and holding still when needed.You brushed his flat bangs out of his eyes when you were finished, proud of him for being so calm with all of it. His lashes were long and the dark circles under his eyes were deep. It was an unhealthy contrast. He’d just woken up, but he still needed more rest.When you motioned for him to lay down again, he wrapped arms around you and pulled you down with him. The angle was awkward, and you were overly aware of how much pressure you were putting on his wound. Freeing yourself from his grip, your heart sank a little at his soft frown. His tired, lidded eyes tracked you as you put things away.You stopped near the door, debating on where you would sleep because you did need rest soon, too. Prompto shifted underneath the blankets, throwing them off on one side and patting the open space on the small bed with a hand. An invitation. It didn’t take much convincing. You were exhausted from not sleeping for so many days, and being this close meant you could react quickly if he needed any help.He was also very warm and gentle, and when you crawled into the bed with him, he pulled you so close, you were afraid you’d agitate his injury. So you pressed a hand to his chest to create a bit of distance. He didn’t resist, but kept his arm around you secure.You felt his heart beating quickly against your palm. You felt the drifting of the blankets as he let you go —for only a second— to draw them up over you both. You closed your eyes and felt your heart sing at the kiss he placed on your forehead. As if he were the one caring for you.—He picked at the meager salad you were able to get from the diner. Iggy had brought vegetables from Lestallum, and you’d added them to make it a better meal. To help him heal sooner. You thought they were precious and should’ve been savored, but Prompto was hesitant to eat them.You reached across the table and picked a slice of tomato from his plate, eating it in one bite. His mouth parted in a small gape, his eyes widened. You shrugged, reaching for more. If he wasn’t going to eat it, you would be more than happy to. The base had the bare minimum when it came to rations, so actual vegetables were like ambrosia to you right now. Plain lettuce could only go so far, even for someone who used to be a chocobo…Prompto blocked your hand, stabbing at the salad with the fork in his other and finally taking a bite. You dropped your hand and smiled at him. Progress. He wasn’t a difficult person, but you were noticing patterns now that he was awake. Patterns that you’d been suspicious of when cleaning the caravan.Prompto was bad at taking care of himself.While he ate, you tried to figure out how you were going to convince him to take a shower. His hair was knotted, both wild and flat on his head in different places. He scratched at his head intermittently as he ate, and it was honestly kind of gross.You nodded toward the bathroom, first when he pushed his empty plate away. Then, when he gulped down the water you’d brought him. It took you diverting him on his way back to bed, hooking your arm at his elbow and pushing him into the little bathroom. You crowded him in, blocking the doorway and leaning past him to turn on the shower first. The cold water misted the air, and he pouted.You really didn’t understand why he didn’t want to do anything, but you weren’t going to fall for the cute faces he made.Gripping at the hem of his shirt, you began to pull it up. He grabbed your wrists, stopping you with a whine. You anticipated an argument, but he only pulled your hands off before removing the shirt himself. Shamelessly, you leaned against the narrow doorway and stared at him. The bruises and cuts that marked his lean muscle was unfortunately something you’d grown used to in the past few weeks you’d spent in Hammerhead. The largest scar, clear across the right side of his chest and arching up a shoulder, was pink and not yet completely healed. It wasn’t as impressive as any of Gladiolus’ scars, but it hurt to see all the same.With his thumbs hooked at the waistband of his pants, he paused and stared back at you. Pink dusted his face, and he arched his brows with meaning.Right. Right! You nodded and left him alone in the bathroom, sliding the weak excuse for a door shut behind you.—“I—” Prompto cut himself off immediately, sucking in a hard breath and letting it go as he closed his eyes.He rested next to you on his little bed. You’d grown too comfortable during your stay, sleeping next to him every night as you’d helped him recover. Even now, as you prepared to leave sometime that day, you were finding it difficult to get yourself out of the bed.Now, as he spoke for the first time since he’d been injured, you couldn’t possibly bring yourself to get up. You poked his cheek, and he opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. He cleared his throat four times before turning his head to look at you. Your finger brushed his nose, and you poked at that next. He smiled, grabbing your finger and drawing it away.“I wish you could stay.” He poked at you this time, first your nose, then your chin.You opened your mouth, snapping at him with no real intent to bite. The small gasp he let out as he withdrew his finger made you laugh. “I have to get back to the chocobos.”He inhaled another deep breath. “I know.”Sania herself was coming with Gladiolus to pick you up. The base was missing you something fierce, apparently. You felt appreciated, but it was dampened by the fact that you would have to leave Prompto. This was the longest amount of time you’d gotten to spend with him… ever. Instead of growing tired of him, it had only solidified your feelings.“You have training, Prompto.” You were adding this for your own benefit, reminding yourself why you had to get back to your own life. You’d helped him, but you couldn’t interfere with his goals.He covered his face with his hands, stifling a sigh and repeating. “I know.”The caravan grew quiet, and you thought that was the end of the conversation. You stretched what little you could in the small space, your feet touching Prompto’s legs and hands meeting the wall beyond your head. Relaxing from that, you became very aware of him staring at you. Rolling onto your side, you stared back.It didn’t matter what he had to say, you couldn’t stay. No matter how badly you wanted to.You understood now, how lonely it could be in Hammerhead. Hunters came and went, never staying for long. It kept Cindy and the diner owner busy. You weren’t all that surprised that Prompto had gotten so ahead of himself, accepting a hunt for a Ronin all by himself just to get away from the outpost for a day.“Next time I see you,” he said, a frown gently curling the corners of his lips downward. “You’ll be married.”You blinked, surprised at this turn in his thoughts. Your engagement had been the furthest thing from your mind. Mostly because it wasn’t happening anymore. It hadn’t been happening for a long time. Not since you’d parted ways with him in Lestallum and realized you needed to let your fiancé go. You hadn’t gotten the chance to tell Prompto before his injury.You smiled softly, and it made him frown harder. “I’m not getting married.”His frown eased, his eyes widening. “W-what? Did something happen?”You shook your head, the motion slightly hindered by the pillow you rested on.He reached up, putting a hand on your arm and rubbing it gently. “I’m sorry.”Your smile grew. He had no reason to apologize, yet he did. He made absolutely no sense to you.“I loved having a boyfriend,” you admitted. “But I didn’t love my boyfriend. Someone should’ve told me there was a difference.”Finally, a smile broke along his face, too. His hand paused in its comforting movement on your arm, then slid down, tentatively taking hold of your own, fingers tangling. “It’s hard to know. Love is confusing stuff.”Again, you shook your head. “Knowing isn’t the hard part.”The smile on his face waned, and his eyes coursed over you. “It’s not?”You adjusted your fingers, fitting them between his more comfortably. “No. It’s the easiest. Even chocobos know when they feel it.”Prompto’s lips parted, then closed, his face growing pink. He swallowed, and the bob of his throat made you blush in turn. Acting on instinct, you moved closer to him, and your nose pressed into his. That wasn’t right. You lifted your head, and in the same moment, he lifted his own. Your forehead bumped into his. He laughed, and when you tilted your head to make contact, your teeth connected with his in a hard clack.He was letting out soft chuckles, but you were not having this. Sitting up on an elbow, you let go of his hand and pushed him onto his back with your hand on his shoulder. His laughter died down, and his eyes grew wide as you leaned over him. You were being serious right now! Didn’t he understand what you were trying to get across? How could it be so difficult to—He lifted a hand to your nape, and you felt his muscles tense under you as he lifted himself and met you in a much smoother kiss than you’d been attempting before. You leaned down, pressing him back into the mattress. He relaxed underneath you, and you felt like you were setting free a weight you hadn’t realized was so heavy until he lifted it from you. His hand at your nape drew you closer, deepening the kiss, and suddenly he was in your mouth. You could taste so much more than his name, your eyes falling shut as his mouth melted with yours in swift, wet movements.You didn’t want to part, even for breath. He was the first to pull away, tilting his head back and inhaling deeply. The hair on his chin tickled your cheek, your nose. You kissed his jaw, then his neck, burying yourself into him. Every part of you wanted to stay, finally understanding that Prompto— he felt the same. He was going to be lonely again when you left. You were going to make Gladiolus visit him. Actually—“Visit me,” you mumbled into his neck. “You never visit.”You felt the vibrations of his voice against you as he spoke. “I guess I owe you for taking care of me.”Lifting yourself, you sat up. “You are terrible.”It pained you to leave the bed, especially now, but you had to get ready for Sania’s arrival. She wouldn’t want to be away from the base for long, even with Gladiolus at her side. You sighed, climbing over him and standing with a stretch.He followed you. “I thought I was the most handsome.”You stopped in the kitchen and picked up the mug you’d stolen from the diner. You needed one back at the base, and this one matched another that Prompto had taken from the diner years before, apparently.“You can be both.”For some reason, one you completely understood despite the numerous things that you absolutely didn’t, you weren’t able to focus on gathering your things until Sania was already knocking at the door. Thankfully she didn’t comment on your obvious, kiss-swollen lips until you were both in the truck back to base. Gladiolus found it hilarious, and you discovered new levels of embarrassment.—Prompto followed through, visiting you and your chocobos whenever he could. Letting him into your life this way felt so much easier than anything you’d done as a human so far. Existing was less confusing, and life was less about merely surviving the darkness.When his hands wandered, you encouraged his journey across your body. When he held you closer than anyone else ever had, you made sounds so shocking, so beautiful that you were certain you were falling to pieces. He collected the pieces and put them back together with his carefree, enduring form of love that you would never truly understand.When the dawn finally came, and he was the one coming to you in pieces for entirely different reasons, you did the same for him. Because you didn’t have to understand. You didn’t care what either of you were, only that you were together.