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silverarmedassassin · 5 years

Text

To Save Me From Tears

Pairing: Bucky x Reader Word Count: 2853 Warnings: Jealousy. Clueless Bucky™️ A/N: This was one of the first ones I wrote! It actually helped give me the idea to write all 25 days! I’m not sure how I like the ending (I struggled a lot with finishing this for some reason), but here it is. Day four!

Summary: Another year, another Stark Christmas Party. But this year, karaoke is involved and, even though you didn’t plan on getting up there, sometimes a song is the only way to express your feelings.

2019 Christmas Masterlist

“You’ll save me a dance, right Sergeant?” you ask coyly as you finish tying Bucky’s tie. It was light blue, the exact color of his eyes. He smiles down at you as you flatten the collar of his black-on-black suit, those eyes crinkling edges.

“‘Course. Wouldn’t dream of missing the opportunity to dance with the prettiest girl in the room.” He adjusts his sleeves as he examines his reflection in the metal of the elevator door.

You turn around to look at yourself as well, admire the way your cranberry-colored dress sways as you do so. You couldn’t help but notice Bucky did the same, his eyes traveling up the long skirt, up to the lacey bodice. When his gaze finally lands on your face, you can see, even in the distorted reflection, that his cheeks are now bright pink.

“Come on,” he grumbles shyly, grabbing your lace-covered arm as the doors opened. “Stark won’t like it if we’re late.”

You and Bucky weren’t together. Yes, he sent you the coveted “good morning” and “good night” texts every day, and invited you as his plus one to more than your fair share of game nights with the Avengers, but it was because he was a genuinely nice guy. A nice superhero guy.

There was nothing special or super about you. You worked in the public relations department for crying out loud, slaving around the clock to fix any screw-up the team made and making sure the public absolutely adored them. Bucky would never be interested in you, not when he was surrounded by agents and literal super-humans.

Everyone else disagreed, however. Even Tony made a point to tell both of you that if a move wasn’t made soon he would be forced to interfere. And that was the last thing you needed.

That’s why you decided tonight would be the night you were finally going to say something to Bucky. It was a perfect time - after all, there’s nothing more romantic than confessing your love for someone amid the overly-crowded Annual Stark Christmas Party.

Avengers, agents, and employees like yourself were spread out across the Compound. It turns out the room Tony had built specifically for press conferences doubled as a great dance floor.

You were out on the terrace with a group of your coworkers, watching as liquored-up bodies crammed together like sardines. Outside was just as beautiful as the inside - strands of white, twinkling Christmas lights bordered the open doors, and the standing tables were adorned with crystal votives. Stark hadn’t left a single pebble unturned when it came to this party, so the state-of-the-art heaters littering the space fought off the mid-December chill. It was just warm enough to be comfortable, but still several degrees cooler than inside. Perfect for a breather.

You were only half-listening to the conversation you had found yourself in, your focus more on the happenings around you. You could hear Thor singing off-key to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” How they convinced the God of freaking Thunder of all people to participate in Christmas karaoke was beyond you, but you were thrilled it was happening.

You smiled as you took a sip of your spiced cider, relishing in the way you could feel the warmth travel from your tongue to your belly as you drink. Maybe after another couple of these, you would finally get the courage to go talk to Bucky.

A hand flapping in front of your face draws you from your thoughts.

“Hello, earth to Y/N,” David, one of the IT guys said.

You feel heat spread across your face and you know it’s not from the cider. “I’m sorry, what?”

David huffs and your little group snickers to themselves. “We were asking about your plans for the holidays. Since Stark gave us the next two weeks off…”

“She was busy looking for Loverboy,” Carley says. You roll your eyes at your officemate’s snark.

“I was not looking for Bucky.”

“I didn’t even mention a name! Ha! I think I know what her plans are for Christmas.” She wiggles her eyebrows at you suggestively and everyone burst into laughter.

“It’s not like that,” you whisper, turning your attention back to the crowd inside.

“The man brings you lunch more days than not, walks you to your car when you stay late, and invites you to family game night. Almost every week, may I add.” Carley points an accusatory finger at you. “I’ve been here for seven years and I haven’t even been invited. It’s been six months for you! He’s got it bad.”

You could feel the embarrassment creeping back to your cheeks. Finishing off your cider in one massive gulp, you turn to the group. “I’m going to get another drink. Anyone need a refill?”

“Classic deflection,” David mutters as they all wave you off. You knew this conversation wasn’t over, but you were happy to dodge it for the time being.

You shove your way through the crowd that was now cheering for Thor. He bows dramatically before passing the mic off to Natasha, who is deeply focused on finding a song. The familiar, sultry notes of “Santa Baby” start to chime through the hall. You’d expect nothing less from Nat.

Finally, you make it to the bar, where you find Steve and Sam in the middle of a heated debate about which era produced the best Christmas music. Steve, of course, is partial to the early 1900s, while Sam insists Michael Bublé is the best Christmas singer to ever grace this earth. You chuckle as you slide your empty flute to the bartender and wait for a new drink.

“Ah, there she is!” Sam finally acknowledges your appearance, effectively ending the frivolous debate. He pulls you in for a quick side hug before Steve does the same. “Where have you been hiding? Been lookin’ for you all night!”

“I’ve been...around. Mostly trying to dodge getting drafted for karaoke. I’m not drunk enough for that yet.” You laugh as you watch Natasha shaking her hips on stage. “I don’t think I’ll ever be drunk enough for that.”

The boys follow your gaze. “Nonsense. You’d have all the men eating out of your hand if you got up there,” Sam sasses as your drink is slid towards you.

You hum in response, ignoring the comment as best as you could. “Have you guys seen Bucky? I uh, need to talk to him.”

Sam and Steve share a knowing look. “Are you finally going to say something to the pathetic sap?” Steve laughs as he peers at you over his whiskey tumbler.

Before you can reply, a familiar, gruff laugh drifts over to where the three of you are standing. Your heart leaps a little as you turn and spot the top of Bucky’s head, hair starting to fall loosely out of the bun at the nape of his neck.

Taking another drag of your cider and straightening your poster, you get ready to make your way over to him. Before you can get more than a step away from Steve and Sam, you’re frozen on the spot. Standing across from Bucky, using one of the tall tables as a rest, is a tall blonde. Her eyes crinkle as she touches Bucky’s left arm as she laughs at something he’s said. He never let anyone touch his metal limb. A slight pang of red-hot jealousy washes over you.

This was it. This is exactly what you meant when you said Bucky would never fall for someone like you. Not when there were women like her floating around the Compound, all fit and beautiful. This woman, who you come to recognize as one of the newest agents Natasha had recruited, exudes so much confidence that you can literally feel it from where you’re standing several feet away. She’s a literal vision in icy blue, the exact color of Bucky’s eyes. And that damn tie.

Steve clears his throat from behind you, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder obviously trying to pull your attention away from the scene in front of you. You harshly shrug him off. You didn’t want his pity, nor did you want to hear the trademark Captain speech you knew always followed tense emotional situations. You watch as the woman leans closer to Bucky as he says something into her ear. She smiles again, a flash of something in her eyes and she takes a sip of her drink. You’d seen enough.

“Excuse me,” you say, downing your almost-full flute of cider and ditching it on the bartop. Before either of the men can stop you, you’re shoving through the crowd. You’re on a mission and nothing was going to stop you.

You make it to the front of the room in record time, stopping right in front of the make-shift stage where Natasha is finishing her performance. You catch her eye and she gives you a devilish smirk. “Y/N!” she yells into the mic. “Your turn!”

The crowd, despite more than half of them not knowing you, goes crazy. Good. They gave you the little needed confidence you need to pull this off. You knew exactly what song you’d be singing, exactly who you’d be singing to. You climb up the few steps of the platform and graciously take the microphone. It only takes you a few moments to find the song, and you let all nerves and self-conscious thoughts melt away as the retro beat of “Last Christmas” fills the room.

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart But the very next day you gave it away This year, to save me from tears I’ll give it to someone special

You let your gaze linger further out than just the group of people bobbing along in front of the platform. You spot Natasha by the bar, talking animatedly at Sam, who is shrinking in on himself like a wounded dog. Was she scolding him?

Once bitten and twice shy I keep my distance But you still catch my eye Tell me, baby Do you recognize me? Well, it’s been a year It doesn’t surprise me

Thank god he’s tall because there’s no way you would have been able to see Steve’s blonde head making its way through the crowd if he was as short as he was once upon a time. He’s headed straight towards Bucky, who has abandoned the blonde he was flirting with earlier to watch you.

You’re surprised when, instead of feeling triumphant in your ability to get Bucky’s attention, you’re filled with anger. Maybe a little tinge of regret for not telling him how you felt sooner. Definitely a surge of self-loathing and despair. Damn alcohol. You make eye-contact as best as you can with Bucky as you start belting the next verses.

A crowded room, friends with tired eyes I’m hiding from you, and your soul of ice My god, I thought you were someone to rely on Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on

You watch as Steve begins, what you can only assume, scolding Bucky. He’s yanking his hands this way and that, occasionally pulling them through his hair. Bucky breaks eye contact, briefly looking at his best friend in front of him before looking back to you.

The blonde agent is long forgotten now.

When the last line is belted out, storm off the stage and make towards the main hall. You were no longer in the Christmas spirit, and you definitely didn’t want to talk to Bucky off all people right now. You just wanted to sit on your couch with a bottle of cheap wine and wallow in self-pity. Unfortunately, it seems your Christmas wish isn’t coming true tonight.

“Y/N!” Bucky huffs as he runs up behind you, gently grabbing your arm to stop you. “I’ve been looking for you all night!”

You contemplate trying to pull away, but you know it’s no use with his strength. You take a deep breath in an attempt to bury the emotions you’re feeling before turning to face him. The look of pure excitement and happiness on his face cued you in on the fact he didn’t know you were upset.

“I’m sure you were,” you mumbled as you looked down at his hand still holding onto your arm.

“I can’t believe you got up there and sang,” he laughs, dropping his hand and using his metal one to rub the back of his neck. “I was just telling Yelena that…” Bucky trailed off when he noticed you stiffen at the mention of, who you could assume, the blonde agent you had seen him with not 20 minutes ago.

“Uh, yea well...” You shrug not knowing what to say to that. “I’m not really in the party mood anymore, so I’m going to head out. Better go find Yelena again” You know you’re being petty, but it’s more out of anger at yourself for getting your hopes up than anything.

“What? No, I can walk you out if you’d like?”

Before you can respond, a heavily accented voice breaks through the crowd you’d edged your way out of.

“James! There you are!” Yelena says as she shoves her way out into the hall. “You ran off so quickly I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“Yea, everything’s fine. I found Y/N and didn’t want to lose her again,” Bucky turned back to you then a beaming smile on his face. “Y/N, this is Yelena. I uh, knew her back when Soldier was in control...”

“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Yelena interjects, holding her hand out for you to shake. “I’ve heard so much about you tonight. I was about ready to come to find you myself so this sap would shut it.”

She nudges Bucky in the ribs and he grumbles in response.

“You know, I was just about to say how happy I am that Nat brought you here, but I take even the thought back.”

Yelena snorts and rolls her eyes. “Anyway, I’m going to leave you two to it. Sam challenged Natalia and me to a drinking game. I have some ass to kick.” And just like that, the blonde disappeared back into the crowd.

As you and Bucky watch Yelena walk away, you couldn’t help but laugh. Watching the way they interacted made you realize that you may have slightly overreacted. Thanks, insecurity.

“What?” Bucky asks, turning to look at you.

“I’m just realizing how stupid I am.”

You look to Bucky and are met with a look of confusion. “What do you...Oh, you though...Yelena and...” He lets out a genuine belly laugh then, one that would normally warm your entire body but now makes you want to punch him.

“Don’t laugh at me,” you pout, crossing your arms across your chest in defense.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky gasps between laughs. “It’s just, I’ve known Yelena since she was younger. Watched her grow up, even if it was from afar. Her attitude reminds me so much of Becca that I practically see her as my little sister!”

Bucky grabbed your hand as the karaoke faded away into the live-music portion of the night. I instrumental version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” started to float through the room.

"I meant it when I said you were the prettiest girl in the room. I spent the entire night fighting with myself on trying to find you. Yelena was trying her hardest to get me to you but, I guess I was just nervous. The truth is,” he says as he brings his other hand to rest on your lace-covered waist, “I really like you.

“And I know everyone is always making comments about how we, ya know...I just didn’t wanna ruin anything. But,” he starts gently swaying you both the music then. The grin on his face reminds you of pictures of old footage of him back during the war, back when he wouldn’t have given a second thought about coming right up and asking you to dance. “When I saw you up there singin’, it reminded me just how beautiful you are. And how sweet, and gentle you are with me even though hell knows I don’t deserve it.

“So, I guess this is just my roundabout way of askin’ you to be my girl. Because I’d be stupid to let someone like you get away from me.”

“Buck,” you whisper as you step closer into his embrace. You blink rapidly trying to fight back the tears that are threatening to fall down your face. “I never realized how big of a sap you really are.”

This helps break the tension, and Bucky lets out a soft chuckle. “Is that a yes then, pretty girl?”

You smile as you lean in and rest your head against his shoulder. You let yourself get enveloped by the smell of the cologne you gave him as an early Christmas present specifically for tonight’s party. “Of course, Bucky. I’ll be your girl.”

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wolfgoddess77 · 7 years

Text

Paene Perditus

FFXV Prompto/Reader Oneshot

Word count: 9,469

Rating: Teen (SFW)

Summary: You and the boys split up to track down a pair of hunters’ tags, but something goes terribly wrong. (Post-timeskip; Soulmate AU; Noctis Lives AU)

Warnings: angst; blood and some gore

Disclaimer: I do not own FFXV or any related characters, nor do I own you. No money is made from the writing of this story.

Tagging: @toranyx @paopusunshine @sailormars109 @waterwifewrites @flurryofwritingflames @ultimoogle @alecair @vashiane @me-yasato @noxhighwind @rhysspeaces

A/N: This was originally a small section of a roleplay that I’ve been doing with @toranyx , and I decided to rework my favorite scene into story format.

Prompto hugged you tightly. “Be careful, babe,” he murmured in your ear. He didn’t want to let you go; something in the back of his mind was tugging at him, trying to get his attention. It was a bad idea, splitting up like this. It would be better if you all stuck together, and went after the tags one by one, even though it would take longer. He wanted to insist that you stay with him and the others, rather than going out alone. Hunts were dangerous in groups, and by yourself...

But when Dave had found the five of you at Cape Caem, and explained that there were two tags missing nearby, the color had drained from your face. You recognized one of the names of the hunters who had gone missing; Avis, a hunter a few years older than you.

It was a bad idea for hunters to form friendships. You’d known that from the beginning. But it was a hard, lonely life, and along the way, bonds were formed, whether you meant for them to be or not. Shortly after the Darkness had enveloped the world, you and Avis had become friends, and that friendship had only deepened as the years wore on, until she became something like a sister to you.

You owed it to her to find her tags, and bring them back, so she could be put to rest. You’d managed to convince Prompto of that, and he had relented, agreeing to let you go alone. The location wasn’t too far away; you could probably make it back before nightfall, with a little luck.

“I’ll see you again in a few hours,” you promised Prompto, giving him a smile. “And I’ll be careful.”

“I love you, so much,” he told you, cupping your cheek in one hand and brushing his thumb along it.

Just as he was leaning in for a kiss, Gladio stepped up behind him, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and pulling him back a couple of steps. “Okay, loverboy, finish up your goodbyes. We’re just going to look for some tags, not going off to war.”

Noctis chuckled from behind the Shield. “Oh, come on, Gladio, where’s your sense of romance?”

“Must have forgotten it this morning,” Gladio retorted, though there was amusement in his voice.

“In any case, we should get going if we want to return before sundown,” Ignis said, moving past the four of you. He patted you on the shoulder as passed you. “Take care, (Name).”

“You too. All of you be careful,” you told them, watching them head down the path, towards the Regalia. The location of their tags was a little further away than yours, so they would be driving there. Yours was within walking distance, though it would take a couple of hours.

“I love you, babe,” Prompto called as Gladio steered him down the path. “I’ll see you soon!”

Smiling, you gave him a wave. Taking out your phone, you keyed in the coordinates on the piece of paper Dave had given you, and after studying the map for a moment, you set off in the direction that it indicated.

You looked down at your phone, studying your position on the map you had pulled up before checking your surroundings. So far, it looked like you were on the right path; you were getting close. So far, things had been relatively quiet; all you could hear was the chirping of birds, and your own footsteps. But you weren’t about to lower your guard; something had killed Avis, and it was likely still in the vicinity.

Putting your phone away, you paused long enough to summon your daggers, your gaze alert for the smallest movement. At the same time, you were also looking for the glimmer of metal that would indicate where the hunter tags may have fallen. Unfortunately, the ground was covered with leaf litter, so you would probably be searching for a while.

As you walked, you began to notice something that made a coil of worry appear in your chest. It had been small at first; a tree with the bark scraped off, or branches broken away. A patch of ground that had been churned up. But now, more and more of the smaller saplings you passed had been completely uprooted, and a few of the bigger ones bore deep gouges.

Moving over to one such trunk, you touched the shredded wood, your brow furrowing. This was fresh; whatever had caused this had done it probably within the past twenty-four hours. And based on the amount of destruction, it hadn’t just been passing through; it had lingered.

Suddenly, the daggers you held in your hands, which had always been a source of comfort for you, felt frighteningly inadequate to defend yourself with.

Continuing on more cautiously now, you suddenly came to a stop, seeing something out of the corner of your eye. Was that…? You moved over to the glint, kneeling down and brushing away some of the leaves. Your heart clenched in your chest; you had found the tags. They were dented, and the chain was broken, but the name engraved on them was still legible. They had belonged to Avis.

Sighing, you tucked them into your pocket, but as you started to stand back up, you froze. Something had moved out there, beyond the trees. Slowly, you pulled yourself to your feet, gripping your daggers tightly.

A low growling reached your ears, and your blood ran cold as you saw what it was that had left such destruction around you. It was small for its kind, standing only a little less than twice your height – probably a juvenile, you realized. Its short forelegs were curled beneath its hunched body, almost completely concealed by the four massive tusks that protruded from the bottom of its jaws. Plated in red and grey armored spikes, the Bandersnatch snarled again as it moved closer.

As it advanced, you backed away, never taking your eyes off of it. Although you had known whatever had killed Avis had probably been quite powerful, you hadn’t been expecting this. Even though it was only half-grown, and even with your extensive training, you stood no chance against it on your own. You had to find a way to escape.

Ordinarily, a Bandersnatch wouldn’t be able to move very well because of the trees, but this one’s size allowed it to navigate through them without too much trouble. However, it was still rather slow; you could dodge it, if you were careful.

It had scented you now, and you saw its eyes focus on you for a moment before it shook its head, letting out an earsplitting roar as it charged at you.

In a burst of near-panic, you threw one of your daggers, being pulled into a warp that took you behind a thick tree. Your heart was pounding in your chest as you rematerialized, grabbing your blade and diving beneath a nearby bush. With any luck, it wouldn’t be looking for you that low to the ground.

You held your breath as the creature came closer, its small eyes scanning its surroundings. But it seemed that it hadn’t noticed you.

With a second roar, it scooped up the splintered trunk of a fallen tree with its tusks, tossing it aside. It was trying to scare you out of hiding, you realized. Though you had every intention of running, you had to wait until it turned its back so you could get away. It was close enough by now that it could lunge at you, and at this distance, its attack would strike true.

But it looked like it wasn’t going to give you a chance to escape safely; another couple of steps, and it would run the risk of stepping on you. You had to move, even though it was too close.

Reaching into your pocket, you pulled out your phone, pressing the button on the keypad that would dial Prompto’s number for you. You stood no chance of fighting it, but you might still need help escaping. If you could keep dodging it until they arrived, maybe…

Taking a deep breath, you steeled yourself, and leapt out of the bush you had been using for cover.

Prompto’s fingers tapped nervously against his thighs, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He’d been feeling inexplicably anxious for almost half an hour now, and not long ago, it had grown into full-fledged fear.

“Prompto, what’s the matter? You’ve been fidgeting in your seat for a while,” Ignis said from behind him, his tone laced with concern.

“I don’t know,” the gunman admitted. “It’s not me, it’s the bond. I think something’s-” The rest of his sentence was cut off as his phone chimed in his pocket. Quickly, he snatched it up, answering the call. “Babe, are you okay? I can feel you through the bond-”

From across the line, he heard the terrifying roar of an immense creature…one that he recognized, and his blood turned to ice.

“(Name), is that a Bandersnatch?!”

From beside Ignis, Gladio’s head snapped up. Shit; they shouldn’t have let you go alone!

Noctis stiffened in his seat, his eyes leaving the road for a moment to look over at Prompto. They had faced one of those things while hunting for the Royal Tombs; it had been hard enough killing it with all four of them. You stood no chance by yourself.

There was no answer from the other side of the line; you were too busy trying to avoid the beast as it sought to impale you on its tusks. Coming up out of a roll, you backed away, looking behind you for a moment; the Bandersnatch was herding you towards a deadfall of tree trunks. It was cornering you.

The glint of metal caught your attention, and you looked down to see the tags you had put in your pocket lying a few feet away; they must have fallen out at some point. Looking up at the approaching Bandersnatch, you once again looked down at the tags. You couldn’t leave them…

Your attention was drawn back to the creature as it ripped up a nearby sapling with its tusks and hurled it at you. You lunged forward, flattening yourself to the ground and grabbing at the tags as the slender tree trunk sailed over your head, close enough that you felt the sting of branches scratching across your back. You scrambled up and back, coming to rest on one knee, your daggers clutched tightly in your hands. Warily, you eyed the space behind it. That was your only way out. Did you dare try to warp…?

“Babe, answer me!” Prompto shouted into the phone, looking over at Noctis. “Drive faster, Noct!” He turned his attention back to the call. “Run! Just run, (Name!) We’re on our way, just get out of there!”

You didn’t hear him; your full attention was on the Bandersnatch as it shifted its weight, letting out another roar as it lunged forward, lowering its head.

There was no other choice. Drawing back, you flung your dagger, but even before you were pulled into the warp, you knew it was too late. You weren’t going to make it.

There was the sudden sound of static over the phone, but over it, Prompto heard the distinct sound of a scream. The static grew worse, and then the line went dead.

Ignis froze in his seat. He didn’t know if anyone besides Prompto had been able to hear what was happening on the other side of the line, but he had been able to distantly make out the sounds. And that scream…it had been unmistakable.

“(Name)! (Name)!” Prompto screamed into the phone, but before he could say anything more, he suddenly doubled over in pain, his phone falling from his limp grasp. He cried out, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

“Prompto!” Gladio yelled, halfway standing up and placing one hand on the blond’s shoulder, wishing there was something he could do to help. What was even happening?

When Prompto spoke again, his voice was low and rough. “Noctis, by the Six, if you don’t speed up, I will kick you out of the driver’s seat and drive myself,” he hissed.

“I’m going as fast as I can,” Noctis assured him, though his hands were shaking on the wheel. He wanted to pull over and try to help his best friend, but he knew the best thing he could do for Prompto was to get him to you.

However, there was a problem.

“Prompto, I don’t know where she is. Can you sense her at all?”

Prompto nodded, and began directing Noctis on where to go. It was faint, but he could still sense you, beneath the pain that had been laid over him like a blanket.

Ignis had also sat forward in his seat, placing his hands on Prompto’s shaking shoulders. “Hold on, Prompto…” he murmured, turning his head towards Gladio. “Shared pain,” he said. “Something is… Something has happened.”

Gladio frowned. He had seen that mentioned about soulmate bonds; when one was badly wounded, the pain would often transfer through to the other. But if it was strong enough to pass through, then…it had to come from a terrible wound.

Or…

He looked back at the tactician. “Iggy, what if she’s-”

Prompto spun around in his seat, glaring at the Shield fiercely, though his face was still contorted with pain. “She’s not dead! Don’t you say that again!” He looked back at Noctis, suddenly reaching out and grabbing his arm. “Stop!”

Almost before the Regalia had even come to a complete halt, Prompto had stood up and vaulted over the door, sprinting off into the trees.

“Prompto!” Gladio called, climbing out of the car. “That thing could still be around!”

The gunman heard him, but he was too desperate to care. He needed to find you; his soulmate was in terrible danger; nothing was going to stop him from finding you.

“Let him go, Gladio,” Ignis said, following Gladio and Noctis out of the car. “He can’t hear you. Let’s just keep close, and be wary. It may still be nearby, and in the state he’s in, he may try to take it on himself. Or, he may simply avoid it and go directly to her. If he does, we’ll have to keep it off of him.”

Noctis followed quickly after his best friend, though he wasn’t able to match the blond’s speed. He glanced back at his friends worriedly. What if Prompto had found his soulmate, only to lose her again so quickly?

Prompto ran ahead through the woods, barely taking any note of his surroundings. But at last, he came to a stop, breathing hard. This had to be the place. Trees were uprooted, the ground was ripped to shreds… Yet there was no sign of the creature…or of you.

More slowly now, he moved forward, his eyes scanning back and forth as he searched for any trace of you. Suddenly, his gaze landed on something sparkling in a small beam of sunlight that penetrated the foliage overhead. His body went numb as he moved over to it, dropping to his knees.

It was the crystal he had given you, still hanging from the chain that held your hunter’s tags. It glittered in the light, the crimson liquid that coated it shimmering like fire.

No… No…

Reaching down with trembling fingers, he picked up the crystal, heedless of the blood that soaked it. Somehow, he knew, just knew, that it was yours.

Distantly, he could hear screaming, but it took him a minute to realize where it was coming from. It was his own voice.

His hands tightened on the necklace, and he held it against him, curling over himself. Tears streamed down his face, and his body was wracked with sobs that prevented him from breathing properly. You couldn’t be gone… He had just found you. You couldn’t be.

A calm hand came to rest on Prompto’s shoulder as Ignis knelt down beside him. “She may still be nearby,” the tactician murmured, more to the others than to Prompto. “We might be able to find her.”

Though there was no telling what shape you would be in when they did.

Noctis nodded. “Ignis, you stay here with Prompto. Gladio and I will take a look around. Be careful; that thing might still be here somewhere.”

Ignis nodded as Gladio moved past him, the Shield coming to stand next to the young king, a deep frown on his face. It tore at him to hear Prompto crying like that. It brought back painful memories of the three of them returning to the throne room after Ardyn’s defeat, and finding Noctis…

Suddenly, his amber eyes narrowed, and he nudged Noctis, pointing. Between two trees, he could make out a faint trace of red. A blood trail. Hopefully, one that would lead to you. But he hadn’t taken more than a single step when he heard Prompto speak from behind him.

“I…I gotta go with them,” he said, attempting to stand, the bloody tags clutched tightly in his hands. “I can sense her, so I know where… I have to go, Ignis…”

Ignis tightened his hold on the blond, keeping him from standing. He couldn’t let Prompto go with them, couldn’t let him find you in whatever shape you had been left in… “It’s all right, Prompto. They’ll find her. Just stay with me.” He gently rubbed Prompto’s shoulder, knowing that it wouldn’t make much difference. “They’ll bring her back; just trust them.”

“But…” Another sob wracked his body, and he buried his face in Ignis’s shoulder, clinging to him tightly. “I can’t lose her… I just can’t… What if she needs me, Ignis? What if she need me to hold her hand, to just be there…?” His voice trailed off, and he shook his head, unable to speak further through his tears.

Ignis wanted to tell him that everything would be all right, that you weren’t lost to him. But he couldn’t have said whether this was the truth or not, and he didn’t like to lie, especially not to those he cared for most. Instead, he simply held Prompto tightly, letting the blond use him for support.

Noctis led the way through the foliage, his eyes on the thick trail of blood that Gladio had pointed out to him. “Gladio, I don’t know what kind of shape she’s going to be in when we find her. If she’s even still alive, she might not be for very much longer. This is a lot of blood…”

“We have to get her back to Iggy. If we get her back to him, he can do damage control before we call a healer to meet us at the Cape. That’s the goal. Get her stable enough to get back there,” Gladio said as he kept pace with Noctis. He kept an eye on the trees, making sure the Bandersnatch hadn’t decided to hang around after it had finished with you. “Iggy went through more healing training during the Darkness; he can take care of her until… But if it’s too bad, we at least have to get her back to Prompto, so he can…say his goodbyes.”

Noctis came to a stop suddenly, the color draining face. “Oh, gods…” Slowly, he moved forward, kneeling down and feeling his heart clench in his chest.

He had found you.

You lay underneath a partially-fallen log, curled up on your side. Your leather jacket had done little to protect you; it was in shreds, and your form was covered in crimson. Cut deep into your left side were two ragged gashes, and he could see a third that ran from your shoulderblade to your waist. A fourth was cut diagonally across your left thigh, and he could see a fifth revealing a flash of white bone over your right collarbone. You had been cut to pieces…

Carefully, he placed his fingers against your neck, holding his breath. Three seconds passed.

Please…

Five seconds.

Please!

Your heart was beating. Slowly, erratically, but you were alive. How, though, he didn’t know. Your wounds were deep; deep enough that you should have bled to death by now. But somehow, you still clung to life, however fragile that hold might have been.

“Shit…” Gladio murmured, kneeling down next to you. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a potion, squeezing the glass container. It shattered, and a cool mist settled over you. Because of the depth of the gashes, there was no discernible change; you didn’t wake, or so much as twitch, but he hoped that it had done you at least a little good. “We’ve gotta get her back to Ignis. He can do more; call the healer, and we can get on our way back to the Cape.”

Carefully, Noctis gathered you against his chest, lifting you up. He was terrified to touch you, scared that doing so might make your already possibly-fatal wounds worse, but he knew Gladio was right. He had to get you back to Prompto, if only so he could say goodbye. “Let’s get back. I don’t know how long Specs can hold Prompto back.”

Gladio nodded, standing as Noctis did, and turning back the way they had come. This wasn’t going to be pretty…

Prompto’s sobs had quieted into soft sniffles, though he was still trembling in Ignis’s hold. The tactician was doing everything in his power to comfort the distraught blond, for all the good it did. He turned his head as he heard footsteps; Noctis and Gladio hadn’t been gone more than ten minutes; had they found you already?

Feeling Ignis raise his head, Prompto glanced up. His eyes immediately went to your limp form cradled in Noctis’s arms, and he gave a wordless cry, leaping to his feet and tearing out of Ignis’s hold, sprinting over to Noctis.

“No, no, no!”

“She’s alive, Prompto,” Gladio assured the blond, watching him reach out for you, only to hesitate as he took in the extent of the damage to your body. You looked so fragile, and you were so pale… He could tell that you had lost a lot of blood just by the color of your skin.

“Let me take her to Ignis, Prompto. He can help her more,” Noctis said, keeping his voice even in an attempt to keep his best friend from panicking any more than he already was.

Prompto looked up at Noctis, blinking. For a moment, it looked like the young king’s words hadn’t registered, but finally, Prompto stepped out of his way, nodding.

“Yeah…Ignis…” he murmured.

Noctis moved past him, heading towards Ignis, who had been waiting patiently for them to return. He and Ignis knelt down, the former lowering you carefully to the ground, your head and shoulders still supported by his arm around you.

“She has multiple deep wounds; two in her left side, one on her back, one on her left thigh, and another one over her right collarbone, deep enough to show bone,” Noctis explained in a quiet murmur.

Ignis nodded, carefully reaching out and feeling your limbs, then your sides, being careful not to touch the gashes. “Her arms and legs aren’t broken, though I can’t say the same about her ribs. And it’s possible that she has severe internal bleeding.”

He turned towards Prompto. “I need to better assess her wounds. Are you all right with that?” He didn’t know how the blond would react to getting a better look at your injuries, and he wanted to prevent Prompto from panicking, if at all possible.

“Yes. If it helps her, yes. Please, Ignis, save her,” Prompto choked out. “Anything to help…”

Nodding in confirmation, Ignis set to work, assessing each of the wounds as best he could and taking your vitals, asking Noctis several questions about the appearance of the injuries. As he had thought, several of your ribs were crushed, and there was almost certainly internal damage. But your reflexes were intact, though your reaction to painful stimuli was very weak. He asked Noctis to check your pupils; they were reactive, if sluggish to respond to light.

At last, he sat back with a sigh. “She’s lost too much blood… We need to get back immediately; she needs a transfusion if she has any chance of survival. Several of her ribs are shattered, and I fear they may puncture a lung. On top of that, there’s the very real threat of infection, and severe internal bleeding.”

“But we can save her?” Prompto whimpered, his voice bordering on begging. “Please tell me we can save her.” He moved over to you, his touch hesitant as he caressed your cheek. Your skin was frighteningly cool to the touch, and where it wasn’t covered in crimson, it had lost almost all color.

“I…can’t say with any certainty,” Ignis admitted hesitantly. “She’s lost so much blood that there’s barely enough left to circulate. Though she doesn’t seem to be actively bleeding any longer, it hasn’t completely stopped, either. Exsanguination is our biggest concern right now; she may go into organ failure.” The words were bitter on his tongue, but Prompto deserved to hear the truth. Ignis wouldn’t raise his hopes in a false attempt to comfort him.

He turned to Noctis. “There’s nothing more I can do here; we need to get her back, quickly. Time is of the essence.”

The young king nodded, carefully lifting you again, though he kept one eye on Prompto, making sure the blond was still holding himself together.

Tears were still streaming silently down his face, but Prompto stood solidly, following Noctis as he carried you back to the Regalia. He slid into the backseat, holding out his arms for you. Carefully, Noctis settled you in Prompto’s lap, making sure that the both of you were secure before climbing behind the wheel. When everyone was in place, he pulled out onto the road.

Prompto held you carefully, making sure not to touch any of your wounds. One hand came up to stroke against your cheek, and he rested his forehead against the side of your face, nuzzling you softly. “Please don’t leave me,” he murmured into your ear. “It took me so long to find you…I don’t want to lose you again. Stay with me; I’m right here.”

You were unresponsive in his arms, though because of how closely he was holding you, he could feel the reassuring rise and fall of your chest as you breathed. It was shallow, but steady.

Ignis kept his head tilted towards Prompto, though he couldn’t hear anything from you. But he knew that, should anything happen, Prompto would be the first to know, and he wouldn’t remain quiet about it. The fact that he was still talking to you relatively calmly meant that you were stable, for now.

“Gladio,” he said after a few minutes. “Call ahead; make sure there’s a healer waiting when we return. We mustn’t waste any time.”

“Yeah,” the Shield agreed. Pulling out his phone, he dialed the number; after the onset of the Darkness, healer stations had been set up across Lucis for hunters who were wounded on the job, and they hadn’t disbanded after the Dawn broke. There was one relatively close to Cape Caem; it shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes for someone to arrive. With any luck, they would arrive at almost the same time.

After a couple of minutes of quiet murmuring, Gladio put his phone back in his pocket. “He’s on his way,” he told Ignis, who nodded.

“Good.” The tactician turned his head towards Prompto, frowning slightly as the blond let out a choked sob. If you could just hold on until then…

“I wish I could have told you again before you left how much I love you,” Prompto was saying, his face buried in your neck, his tears wetting your shredded shirt.

“She knows, Prompto,” Ignis told him. “Truth be told, with how severe her injuries are, she should be dead. Her will to live is very strong, and I firmly believe it’s because of you. She doesn’t want to leave you.” He wasn’t making this up simply in an attempt to make the blond feel better. Had it been anyone else, he was almost certain that they would have been dead by this point. Yet you still clung to life, albeit faintly. Something was keeping you alive…or someone.

“I shouldn’t have… Something kept telling me to make her stay, and I ignored it! And then this happened,” Prompto said, clinging to you as tightly as he could without hurting you further.

“Prompto, this isn’t your fault,” Noctis said from the front seat, glancing back at his friend in the rearview mirror. “No one could have predicted that a Bandersnatch would be anywhere near here. This isn’t even their usual territory. You couldn’t have known this was going to happen, and you couldn’t have stopped it.”

“Noct is right,” Gladio agreed, looking back at Prompto. “You had to let her go off on her own at some point; she’s a hunter. It’s what she does. You know that just as well as we do.”

“But I could have insisted on going with her! I could’ve… I…could’ve…” He sobbed loudly, shaking his head.

“No, you couldn’t have,” Ignis said gently. “Listen to me. You did not cause this, and you couldn’t have prevented it. But now you must trust her. Trust that she’ll come back to you. She survived the initial attack, and held on long enough for us to find her. Have faith that she’ll wake. She needs you to believe in that.”

“I do…” Prompto whispered. “Please…please…” He wanted to believe it. He really did. But he had seen the depths of your wounds, and even from a glance, he knew how bad they were. Even without anything more than basic first-aid knowledge, he knew you were…

Refusing to let this thought take root, he continued to murmur to you, though he knew you probably couldn’t hear him.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Noctis pulled into the parking spot at the Cape. Up at the lighthouse, he could see a man standing there, waiting for them. Getting out of the Regalia, he opened the door for Prompto, who carefully stood up and began making his way up the path towards the healer.

The man looked down at you, frowning. “What did this?” he asked, peering closely at your wounds. Judging by the amount of blood on your clothes, you had lost quite a bit, possibly too much to recover from. Your color wasn’t good, and your breathing was shallow enough to be concerning.

“A Bandersnatch,” Noctis explained, coming up behind Prompto, who was carefully handing you over to the healer, though he clung tightly to your hand. He wasn’t going to let you go; not while you were still in such danger.

“And she’s still alive?” the healer asked incredulously. By rights, you should have been ripped to pieces. And it looked like you were well on your way to that end. Though none of the wounds on their own were fatal, combined, the blood loss should have been enough to kill you. “I’ll need to get to work immediately, if she stands any chance.”

The healer turned away to take you inside, and Prompto began to follow, only to have Noctis take hold of his shoulder. “You shouldn’t see this,” he said quietly, shaking his head. “He’ll let you know when he’s finished.”

Though he knew that panic probably had a tight hold of Prompto, he also knew that it was a bad idea to let him go in with the medic. Not only would he almost certainly be kicked out of the room, Noctis didn’t want Prompto to have to see your wounds up close. He had already suffered enough, finding Noctis in the throne room, impaled on his father’s blade. To have to go through something like that again, with you this time…the young king feared that it would be too much.

“She needs me!” Prompto cried, trying to shrug off Noctis’s restraining hand. “She would want me there, not just a stranger!”

Noctis pulled Prompto into a tight hug, and both Ignis and Gladio moved over to him. The tactician rested his arm across the blond’s back, and Gladio wrapped his arms around the three of them as Prompto sobbed into the front of Noctis’s jacket.

“I know,” Noctis murmured, not letting go of his best friend. “I know…”

Ignis grimaced; it was Insomnia all over again, only it wasn’t Noctis they were potentially losing; it was both you and Prompto. If you died, the bond would shatter, leaving Prompto broken, or worse.

“I almost lost you!” Prompto said, clinging to Noctis. “And then I almost lost Gladio and Ignis… I can’t lose her now, too!”

“We don’t know that you will,” Noctis said. “She might still live.” Your wounds were so terrible that he didn’t know how truthful that statement was, though. He had never seen anyone with injuries like that before. “Come on, let’s go inside and wait for the healer to be done.”

Carefully, he, Ignis, and Gladio steered Prompto into the inn, seating him at the table and gathering around him. To distract himself, Prompto pulled out your broken necklace. Carefully, he began to wipe the blood away from the tags, and the crystal.

Hearing the chiming sound the metal tags made as they moved against each other, Noctis looked over at Prompto. “What is that?” he asked curiously.

“(Name)’s tags. I thought she would want them when she woke up,” Prompto said, his voice dull as he continued to polish the metal, making sure every drop of your blood was cleaned away, including the engravings that displayed your information.

A small, pained smile came to Noctis’s face, and he reached out, placing a hand on Prompto’s shoulder. When you woke up, he’d said. Not if. He held faith that you would be all right, even after all of this. “Yeah, I bet she will,” he agreed.

Unfortunately, though, even with Prompto’s firm belief that you would pull through, there was nothing any of them could do but wait.

The day wore on, and the sun faded into the west. As the stars began to appear in the sky, the door to your bedroom opened, and the healer came down the stairs, giving a soft sigh.

Prompto was on his feet immediately, hurrying over to the man. “Is she…?” he asked fearfully.

“I’ve done all I can,” the healer said tiredly. “She’s alive, barely. But it’s too early to tell whether she’ll survive. If she makes it until dawn, then she’ll most likely live.” He took a seat on the couch, running a hand across his face. He looked up as Gladio spoke to him.

“Thanks…she means a lot to…to us.”

The healer nodded. “Don’t thank me just yet. I still don’t know if she’ll make it. It’s up to her now.” Closing his eyes, he tilted his head back against the couch. “Wake me if anything changes,” he told them. Within minutes, he was asleep.

Prompto barely held still long enough for the healer to finish speaking. He ascended the stairs two at a time, hurrying into the room where you lay and dropping to his knees, taking your hand tightly. “I’m here, (Name)… I’m here.”

You were tucked neatly into the bed, bandages covering your wounds. Though you still lacked a healthy color, your skin wasn’t as cold as it had been, and your breathing was stronger. Still, you didn’t move as Prompto took your hand. He took a seat in the chair the healer had evidently pulled over to the bed so he could work on you, his eyes never leaving your face. He knew that he wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night; not until he knew you were going to be all right.

As the night wore on, Noctis appeared at the doorway, knocking softly so he didn’t startle Prompto. When the blond glanced back at him, he came into the room, holding a steaming cup of tea, which he held out to his best friend. “Here, drink this. Ignis made it for you.” Noctis looked at you for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Prompto, studying him. “Why don’t you get a couple of hours of sleep?” he suggested as Prompto sipped at the tea. “I’ll stay awake and keep an eye on her for you.”

Of course, he didn’t really think Prompto would take him up on the offer, but he had to make it regardless. He could see the strain this was putting on the gunman, and he wanted to do whatever he could to take some of the stress away, even if it was only temporary.

As he expected, Prompto shook his head, his other hand never releasing yours. “No,” he said firmly.

Noctis nodded, knowing better than to argue. “At least finish the tea, then. You haven’t eaten or drank anything all day.” Lightly, he placed a hand on Prompto’s shoulder, letting him know that he was there for him. “Do you need anything?”

“I need her to be okay. I need her to wake up,” Prompto said, though he did as he was told, finishing the cup of tea Noctis had brought him. Putting the empty cup down, he finally turned his eyes away from your form, looking up at his best friend. “Could…could you stay? Please?”

Noctis nodded, giving Prompto a reassuring smile and taking a seat on the floor, leaning back against the side of the bed. He had been in a similar position to this once, only he had been the one in the bed. He’d never wanted to go through something like that again, yet here he was. And Prompto was the one who had to wait again…silently suffering, not knowing if someone he cared for was going to wake up.

The night passed, minute by excruciating minute, and several times, both Ignis and Gladio came in to sit with him for a few minutes. Each one offered to take watch while Prompto got a bit of rest, and every time, Prompto declined, though Ignis did manage to coax him into eating a small bowl of soup.

Finally, towards dawn, when Noctis was dozing beside Prompto’s chair, the healer came back in. He checked your vitals and your wounds, finally standing back with a thoughtful frown on his face.

“Is something wrong?” Prompto asked, feeling fear seize his heart again. Just when he’d begun to hope that you might survive after all…

“No,” the healer hurried to assure him, seeing the panic trying to rise up within the blond. “But I can’t figure it out. She should have gone into hypovolemic shock, if not died outright from the severity of her wounds. Her organs should have shut down from lack of circulation. Yet she survived, even after losing so much blood. In my entire career as a healer, I’ve never seen that happen before.”

Prompto squeezed your hand, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes. “Does that mean… Is she going to be all right?”

The healer sighed. “Well…she’s not going to die from her wounds the way they are now. She’s still at high risk of infection, especially if she tears her wounds open again. Barring that, though, she’ll survive. But I can’t tell you when she’ll wake up. Her blood volume is still a lot lower than I would like, and that’s going to take some time to replenish itself. So as things stand, she remains in a coma.”

“But as long as she doesn’t get an infection, she’ll be all right?” Prompto asked.

The healer nodded. “Yes. Her ribs have been taken care of, and I’ve stopped the internal bleeding, but there’s only so much I can do for the external wounds. They’re sealed, but the scar tissue is still very delicate. That’s the most important thing; not to reopen the wounds. I recommend using a potion each day to encourage new skin growth over them, and she should remain in bed for a few days, to regain her strength.”

“She’ll rest. I’ll make sure of it,” Prompto said seriously. He knew you wouldn’t like this, but he would make sure you followed the healer’s instructions to the letter. He wasn’t going to put you at risk again…

“You need rest as well,” the healer told him sternly. “If you keep going the way you are, you’re going to collapse. She’s not going to die while you’re asleep; she’s more or less out of the woods now.” He looked out the window, studying the sky, which was beginning to lighten slightly.

“You have an hour, and if you’re still awake by the time I check in on you again, I’m sedating you.”

Prompto blinked, but nodded slowly, looking down at you. Maybe a couple of hours wouldn’t hurt, but he didn’t want to leave you here alone…

“I’ll sit with her, Prompto.” Noctis’s voice made him jump slightly, and he looked down to see his friend watching him.

“Noct, I…I thought you were asleep.”

“I got some rest,” the young king assured him, pulling himself to his feet and stretching. He moved around to the other side of the bed, pulling up a second chair. He knew he wouldn’t be able to convince Prompto to leave the room and sleep in one of the other beds, or even on the couch downstairs, but it was a start, at least.

“Thanks,” Prompto said gratefully. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and the exhaustion in his voice was clear as he spoke. Though he never let go of your hand, he leaned forward, folding his arm beneath his head as a pillow. Almost immediately, he was asleep.

There was no change in your condition when Prompto awakened a few hours later. Noctis had sat with him the entire time, keeping watch over the both of you, though he’d left for a few minutes so Ignis could come in and change your bandages. As the healer had said, your wounds were now sealed, though the delicate skin that covered them was an angry red. Thankfully, however, there was no sign of infection.

The day faded into night again, and by the following morning, there was still no change in your condition. Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio took turns sitting with Prompto, keeping him company, and encouraging him to eat periodically. Even as the day waned, you remained motionless, though some color had returned to your face at last.

Prompto was still seated beside you, his chin rested in one hand, and the fingers of his other gently caressing the back of your own hand. He remained steadfast in his refusal to leave you for longer than he had to. At first, Noctis had tried to convince him to go for a walk with him, but it wasn’t until Ignis pulled him aside and explained that this wasn’t the first time Prompto had done something like this that he fully understood.

After they had found Noctis in the throne room, he had been in a coma similar to yours, and it had taken a few days before he’d woken up. The same worry that kept Prompto at your side had also compelled him to stay with Noctis, and nothing anyone said had been able to budge him until the young king had finally opened his eyes again. The same was now true of you.

Suddenly, Prompto froze, his head raising, and his fingers going still. Had that been his imagination? For a second, he’d thought he felt your hand twitch against his. “(Name)…” His voice was barely audible, but filled with incredulous hope.

Noctis looked up at Prompto, frowning. “Prompto? You okay?”

“I think… I thought her hand just moved…” he said, not taking his eyes off you. He took your hand in both of his, holding it tightly. “Babe, can you hear me? I’m right here beside you. Please…please wake up…”

Seconds ticked by, so long that Noctis felt a trickle of sympathy for his friend. “Prompto, I think it was an involuntary movement. That…happens sometimes, from what Specs had told me. I don’t think…”

“But she’s been completely still this entire time!” Prompto protested, glancing up at Noctis. “She hasn’t moved an inch until just now.” Bringing the back of your hand up to his mouth, he kissed it, resting your limp fingers against the side of his face. “Please, babe…come back to me. Please…”

This time, it was unmistakable. Your hand moved in his. The motion was weak, but it was there. You were responding to him.

With a gasp, Prompto stood up from his chair, seating himself instead on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, he gently cradled your face in his hands, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against your forehead. “Open your eyes,” he murmured, feeling his eyes beginning to burn. “Please, just for a few minutes… Just let me know you’re going to be okay.”

Noctis leaned forward in his chair, watching the two of you. Was it possible…?

As Prompto brushed a lock of hair back out of your face, he saw your eyelids flicker, and slowly, very slowly, they opened. Your eyes were dim as they took in your surroundings, but almost immediately, they settled on Prompto, and a small smile came to your face.

“Prom…” you murmured, trying to raise your hand to place against his cheek. Your voice was raspy from disuse, and very quiet. Suddenly you winced, unable to raise your arm more than a few inches from the bed.

Noctis stood up, pushing his chair back in his haste, and moved over to the door, calling for Ignis and Gladio.

Tears fell onto Prompto’s cheeks, and he leaned forward, burying his face in your neck, his shoulders shaking silently. “Thank the gods… I thought… I didn’t know if…”

Your brow furrowed. “What…happened?”

“You were almost killed,” Ignis said unexpectedly, making you look down at him. He stood at the foot of the bed, Gladio at his side. Noctis was circling back around to the other side of the bed, and took his seat again. “When we found you in the forest, you were grievously wounded. We managed to stop the worst of your bleeding and get you back here, where a healer took care of the worst of your injuries. But you’ve been in a coma for almost three days.”

You didn’t respond right away, thinking about what he was saying. You’d gone to retrieve your friend’s tags, and then… There had been a Bandersnatch. Even though you had tried to get away…you must not have made it.

“I’m sorry,” you said. “I tried to-”

“What were you thinking, (Name)?” Gladio interrupted before you could finish your apology.

Prompto sat back, turning his head to look at the Shield and wiping away the tears that had welled up in his eyes. “Gladio, don’t,” he warned.

“I was thinking that I needed to get away from that thing before it killed me,” you told him. “It was a juvenile, but it was still too big for me to take on by myself. I tried to run, but I don’t… It must have caught me.”

The last thing you remembered was making a dive for Avis’s tags, and then…nothing.

“You should have run the moment you saw it,” Gladio growled. “Don’t tell me you didn’t try to get those tags.”

Prompto’s cobalt eyes flashed. “Are you saying you wouldn’t have done the same thing if it had been one of us?” he demanded, slowly rising to his feet.

“Prompto…” Noctis began, also standing up and beginning to make his way around the bed.

“No, Noct. He doesn’t get to do this. She almost died. She’s been in a coma for three days. You know if any of us had been in her position, we would have done exactly the same thing. We wouldn’t have left the tags there. Not if they belonged to someone we cared for.”

Ignis placed a gentle hand on Prompto’s shoulder. “It’s been a stressful few days,” he said quietly to the blond. “But there’s no need for this.” He knew that Prompto was just venting the terror that he’d felt for the past three days, looking for some kind of outlet so he didn’t need to keep it bottled up. But this wasn’t the way to do it.

“And those tags were worth her life?” Gladio snapped, his amber eyes boring into Prompto. “They’re just tags. They’re not that important.”

“Get out.” Prompto’s voice was flat, but there was an underlying heat in his eyes as he stared at the Shield.

Gladio opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again, shaking his head. With a final glance at the blond, he turned and left the room. The four of you could hear him descending the stairs, and the front door opened, then closed as he went outside.

Ignis sighed. This wasn’t how he’d wanted things to go. You were finally out of the worst danger, but Prompto still hadn’t completely calmed down. He was likely going to be quite protective until you were back on your feet; Ignis just hoped he and Gladio would come to a reconciliation once they’d both had time to cool down again.

He turned towards the young king, gesturing to the door. “Come, Noct. Let’s give them some time alone,” he said, not wanting to rile the blond up any more than had already happened. Maybe being able to talk to you a bit would help to calm and reassure him that you were indeed all right.

Noctis nodded, taking no offense at the fact that Prompto had snapped at him. He knew the blond hadn’t meant anything by it. He had nearly lost you, so it was understandable that tensions would be running high for a while. “Let us know if you need anything, okay?” he said to Prompto, heading towards the door.

Prompto waited until the door closed behind them before he sank down into his chair, burying his face in his hands and leaning forward. “I…I felt your pain,” he whispered. “And before, how scared you were. I felt all of it.”

Your eyes widened. Up until that point, you hadn’t realized that pain could be passed through the bond. If you had, you would have tried everything in your power to hold it back. The last thing you wanted was to hurt him…

Slowly, painfully, you forced your arm up, finally making contact with him, and running your fingertips lightly through his hair. “I’m so sorry…” you murmured. “Gladio was right. I did go for the tags. I thought I would be able to get away fast enough…before it could reach me. But I guess…”

Your strength exhausted, you let your hand fall back to your side, gesturing to him. “Come here. I want to feel you next to me.”

He shook his head, taking your hand instead. “I don’t wanna hurt you…”

“Prompto, I’m all right. You won’t hurt me. Please…” At the moment, you didn’t really care about your wounds; you just wanted him close to you. And since you couldn’t go to him, he would have to be the one to do it.

Slowly, he stood up, climbing onto the bed next to you, though he kept a few inches of space between your body and his. “Close your eyes,” he said suddenly. “I have something for you.”

Obediently, you did as he asked, and you heard a familiar chiming, followed by something cool being fastened around your neck.

“Okay, open.”

When you looked down, you saw your hunter’s tags, and the crystal that hung beside them. All of them shone; they looked like they had been cleaned recently.

“The chain must have broken,” Prompto told you, settling one arm lightly over your shoulders and tucking it behind your head so you could rest against it. “And the tags were dirty. So I cleaned them up, and fixed the chain for you. I thought you would want them back when you woke up.”

You gave him a smile, leaning your head to the side until you came in contact with his chest. He stiffened for a moment, but once he was sure that you weren’t in any more pain, he relaxed against you, draping his other arm lightly over your waist. Finding your hand, he took it, twining his fingers with yours. “I love you…so much. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that before you left.”

“You did tell me.” Your voice was fainter than before; your energy was expended, and you were so tired…

“I wish I’d said it one more time, then.” He pressed a gentle kiss to your head, resting his cheek against it. “Get some rest,” he told you, hearing the exhaustion in your voice. Though you had only just woken up, he knew that you needed actual sleep. And this time, he knew you would wake up again. There was nothing to be afraid of when you closed your eyes.

“Stay with me,” you murmured, already beginning to be pulled back into the darkness of sleep. “Please…”

“Always, starlight,” he replied, pulling himself just a little closer to you. “I’ll never leave you. Never.”

You had come back to him. Against all odds, against wounds that should have killed you before they had even been able to find you, you had survived. You were going to live.

A faint smile came to his face, and he let himself relax, for the first time since you had left to look for the tags. You were safe now.

You were safe.

An hour later, a soft knock came at the door, and Prompto opened his eyes, looking back over his shoulder. He glanced down at you, still sleeping peacefully. “Come in,” he called, raising his voice as much as he dared.

The door swung open, and he stiffened slightly as Gladio moved into the room, though he stopped after only a couple of steps. “Mind if I come in?” he asked, keeping his own voice soft.

“I guess not,” Prompto said, watching as the Shield came over to the edge of the bed, pulling back the chair Prompto had been using earlier and sitting down in it.

“Look, I was…worried,” Gladio said after a minute or two of silence. He gazed down at the floor, not meeting Prompto’s eyes. “If she died, you know what would happen to you. We already almost lost Noct, and now this? I admit that I reacted badly, but I’m not sorry for worrying about either of you. It took me a long time to believe that she wasn’t out to hurt you and Noctis, but…she proved me wrong.”

He sighed, finally looking up. “What kind of a Shield am I if I can’t protect the people I care for? I couldn’t protect Ignis in Altissia, I couldn’t protect you on the train, I couldn’t protect Noctis when he… And I nearly failed again, with both of you this time.”

Prompto was silent for a long time, just listening. But at last, he reached out, placing one hand on Gladio’s arm. “I’m sorry for kicking you out. But (Name) had just woken up, and I didn’t want… I’m still so scared, Gladio. Scared that I’m going to lose her. Just like we nearly lost Noct.”

“She’s going to be fine, Prompto. You heard the healer. We’ll make sure that nothing happens. We’ll help you take care of her. I’ve got a lot of ground to make up for, after mistrusting her for so long, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her die before I can make amends.”

At last, this brought a small smile to Prompto’s face, and he nodded. “Yeah… Thanks, man. It’s nice to hear that.”

Gladio stood up, clapping Prompto on the shoulder. “You should get some sleep, too. You look like hell.”

Prompto made a face. “Thanks a lot,” he said dryly, but there was a trace of humor in his voice, nonetheless.

Gladio grinned at him, moving back over to the door. “Seriously, Prompto. We’ve got you.”

The gunman nodded. No matter what happened, he still had you, and he had his brothers. Together, the five of you could get through anything.

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