Kintsugi

Chapter One

Prompto was afraid of the dark.

The constant foreboding fear had been a… thing ever since he could remember. Debilitating in its severity. 

More than once when he had stayed a little too late at Noct’s apartment, the sun just barely peeking over the Insomnian skyline, he would have to sheepishly ask his best friend if he could borrow a pair of pajamas and stay the night. The prince always seemed excited about Prom staying, but he still felt as if he were intruding no matter how many times Noct assured him. That dark hissing voice in the back of his head would loom and say he was overstaying his welcome, and he would get a gross slimy feeling in his stomach that would only go away when Noctis would pull him into bed and practically lay atop him and pretty much fall asleep instantly. 

On one memorable occasion, Prom thought he could make it back to his apartment before it truly got dark. It was only on the subway home that he realized he wouldn’t be able to make it. At first, he had tried to force himself through the dark streets, darting from street light to street light. But the terror had suffocated him and he ended up curled up at the base of a street lamp, trying to breathe through the panic. Hours later, his phone at 3%, Prom had mentioned to Noct that he still wasn’t home yet. Didn’t think that the prince would even really care. He was wrong. 

Truthfully he had just decided to stay under the light of the lamp until morning, it was summer and the night was pleasantly cool; he was wearing one of Gladio’s super comfy and large sweatshirts so he wasn’t cold. It definitely wouldn't be the first time he had fallen asleep on the street either. But Noct had freaked! Woke Ignis up and had the man drive all the way out to the fucking Caelyx (the area of the city named from the Old Wall statue of King Caelyx resided, which just so happened to also be the slums), which was forty-minute drive from the citadel. 

If Ignis was annoyed by being woken up at almost three in the morning just to drive Prompto five blocks down the street to his apartment he didn’t show it. Prom had never felt more like an idiot and had curled up against the door of the car and tried not to cry as the prince’s advisor came to a stop in front of his shitty apartment. The older man had even gotten out of the car and walked with Prompto up four flights of stairs (the elevator in the complex had been broken for months), and to his dirty, yellowed door. 

Ignis had bid him a goodnight and swiftly left. Prompto had curled up in his bed and cried. By the six, why was he a burden to everyone?

Thankfully, no one ever brought up that incident again. Not even Gladio, and Prompto knew he knew. Things did change, however. Whenever Prom would stay over at Noct’s there would be a little chocobo night light glowing comfortingly next to the bed. The bathroom and hallway light would be left on at night, a magic glowing crystal necklace as a birthday present, stuff like that. 

Prompto would be embarrassed if he wasn’t so relieved. 

And Prompto was embarrassed. Ashamed, would be a better word. He doesn’t know why Noct even wants to hang out with him, really. He was a coward, afraid of his own shadow. Claustrophobia, acrophobia, and an intense terror of doctors were just a few others in a long list of phobias that made his life miserable. He just wished he could be normal. Normal people didn’t have a panic attack every time they had to have a checkup at the doctors. Normal people didn’t feel as if their lungs were being crushed if they were shoved into a janitor’s closet. He was pathetic. A freak. 

But Noctis didn’t think so (at least he didn’t think he did). Noctis asked him to come along with him to his wedding to Lady Lunafreya (and oh hadn’t that been so bittersweet?). Helped him train to become a kingsguard. Would sling a careless arm over his shoulder (causing Prompto’s stomach to flutter warmly). He wouldn’t do any of that if he didn’t like him, right?