Close Shave (Patreon)

I have a lot of thoughts for this piece.

So first of all this song started playing and was what inspired it.

"You can drop the innocent act; I know who you are." Prompto's tone was bored, belying the speed with which he had produced the gun and pressed it into the bone of Noctis' jaw, tilting his head back. 

Noctis thinks Prompto is giving him too much credit, he might be hamming it up, but he definitely was startled. Then again, that was why he was here.

He'd heard the rumours.

With a smirk he relaxed his posture, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I have a job for you." 

Prompto scoffed, retracting the weapon with an unnecessary flourish, before sliding it back into it's holster.

"What makes you think I want anything to do with you?"

-

In this scenario I imagine Noctis and Prompto's friendship ended abruptly with their graduation. Prompto was never trained as a Crownsguard and one he was legally an adult his 'parents' wanted nothing more to do with him. He wasn't their problem any more.

He did what he needed to survive and he was deeply ashamed of the lows he stooped to in the beginning but he wasn't about to lay down and die. I imagine he started pretty low in a gang - drug running - running running when things went bad, but it was only when he showed his affinity with a gun that things began to change.

He rises the ranks pretty quickly, becomes a much sought after bodyguard for the upper echelons. His nickname Quicksilver left a bit of a bad taste in his mouth considering he'd been disowned by the Argentums, but it was whatever.

Nothing got by him, no one was faster to draw and shoot.

Some even said there was a sort of glow when he was fighting but it wasn't like they had the time to be looking at him so it was just a rumour.

This of course turns out to be daemon related, gives him that extra edge in any situation. Especially considering most trade was carried out during the night when he was at his best.

Eventually he decides; why am I working for these guys? They're awful, they could be working for me instead and I can make less shitty choices. So he offs the bossman and pretty mush anyone who doesn't agree with him.

He probably pulls back a lot of the seedy side of what they were doing. Becomes a bit more of a Robin Hood esque leader. Still a criminal and doing bad things but he doesnt feel as awful about it anymore.

-

The charm hanging on his gun was a gift from Noctis during their school years. He got it from a gashapon machine in the arcade. Now it serves as a reminder of how fleeting good things can be and to not go down that road so easily anymore.

Noct is less than thrilled when he finds out this meaning - he was hopeful at first, of rekindling their friendship, when he saw the charm but it wasn't to last.

-

As for Noctis' request. I imagine it's possibly time for his road trip but maybe it's less road trip and more 'get safely from point A to point B' with Niflheim making it difficult.

Prompto's almost like an urban myth - I imagine the Glaives who are in the slums have heard of him, possibly even encountered him once or twice and the gossip has carried up the chain.

Noctis' argument is that there are very few people who can get them safely there. They saw what happened to Crowe - a seasoned Glaive. They're going to need to think outside the box if they want to make it there with Noctis in one piece.

He uses his considerable sway to get the idea passed to his father and while the first instinct is to shut it down, Noctis pleads his case.

They're worried that Prompto will take the first opportunity to kill Noctis. Hell, he might not even come back from meeting him to give him the proposal, never mind being in such close quarters during the trip.

-

I feel like at first Prompto's like 'Let me tell you where you can shove your job.' Noctis pulls out the big guns. 

"I never stopped thinking about you and where you were."

"I still feel like I can trust you"

Prompto is livid, how dare he come back into Prompto life and mess everything up within minutes. He decides to think it over and tells Noctis he'll get back to him with an answer. Noctis is about to offer his phone number but Prompto is already leaving, not before throwing a salty look to where Gladio and Ignis think they're well hidden.

Later Noctis finds a note in his room and that's not scary at all. Totally not.

-

I kind of felt like there was a slightly darker agenda with the Lucius Caelum's too. Like their hands weren't completely clean either.

But yes, the boys go on a trip together, shenanigans and angst ensue and eventually the fall for eachother...or rather Prompto REfalls for Noctis, because Noctis never stopped falling.