So, I'm falling back into the FFXV kick, and I have decided that I disapprove of how little complex character development Square Enix has given the guys?? Like where is the emotional depth beyond surface-level cutscene angst?? So I took matters into my own hands and have compiled a handy little list of headcanons / expanded canons that I think make sense.
Noctis: Has clinical insomnia and frequent lucid dreams (sorta a given, but bear w me bear w me)
Feels the weight of having to take so much on from such a young age much, much more than he lets on
Loves to argue
Would've been happier if he and Luna stayed as childhood best-buds rather than betrothed fiancés (controversial, ik, but it just didn't seem like he cared that much for her romantically to me?? Like he obviously cared about her, but it seemed like a really strong penpal vibe rather than a "We're-gonna-get-married-and-be-the-next-hotshot-couple" vibe. If you disagree, coolio, I'm not gonna debate w you on this one)
Has a natural sadness to his eyes regardless of what he's feeling
Went through an anime phase (possibly still in his anime phase, idk)
Social anxiety for the win
Severe RBF
Prefers tea over coffee (black tea is best---particularly lavender earl grey)
Can play the cello (practicing tho?? Don't know her)
Writes the most beautiful poetry when The Motivation™ strikes him (usually when he's home sick and half-delirious)
Prompto: Has ADHD and clinical anxiety, but is undiagnosed and doesn't take any meds for either of them.
Is legit like SO SMART, but can never focus, so not many people take any notice
Wears contact lenses (he had glasses as a child and I refuse to believe he had some high-tech corrective surgery to eliminate the need for them when lenses are cheaper and less risky)
Doesn't drink caffeine because it makes him jittery
Doesn't drive the Regalia when the guys are around because having other people in the car distracts him from the road. Also he tends to drive like a speed demon, which worries Ignis to no end.
Sunburns insanely easily
Could legit become a hitman if he wanted to with the amount of gun-knowledge he has. It doesn't matter what firearm you put in this boy's hand---pistol, SMG, sniper, rocket launcher, you name it. He can and will hit the target every single time.
Addicted to adrenaline
Pansexual
Has a lot of self-loathing (we see a bit of this in Ep. Prompto) and talks with an online therapist about it via text whenever his lows hit him. He's making great progress in learning how to heal and how to accept himself for who he is beyond the mask he wears for others
Ignis: More than a little bit of a control freak, and works very hard not to be too overbearing or critical about his friends' misgivings
Hypochondriac
Wants to protect everyone all the time and mentally kicks himself when he doesn't get there fast enough
Is SO PROUD of Noctis's journey and felt a stronger hatred towards Ardyn than anyone else in the group for what he forced Noct to go through (he stayed up at night sick to his stomach with hollow rage and baked nonstop to take his mind off of it)
Can verbally obliterate a man, but only rarely chooses to do so bc he's classy like that
After losing his eyes, he notices so much more beauty in the world than he used to (the sound of rain on the Regalia's roof, the specific gait of each of his friends, the smell of salt on the wind in Galdin Quay, the flawless feel of one specific silk tie he has in his repertoire, etc)
His internal compass is never wrong
Regularly takes antacids for his stomach
Has the straightest teeth you've ever seen
Demiromantic
Gladio: Hates being wrong: it's his way or the highway
Actually so much smarter than the musclehead jock front he puts up
A little vain and easily jealous (this man has a Jealous Face like no other)
Thunderstorms are his favorite; his ideal place to be is at a campsite, during a storm, with a well-worn book and a mug of Irish coffee in hand
Would throw himself in front of a bus for any one of his friends
Would beat up kids for the folks he cared about in middle school and spent the time he wasn't training to be a Crownsguard sitting in detention with the most unrepentant, smug, and-I'd-do-it-again look scrawled across his face
Can make a better smoothie than anyone (except maybe Iggy)
Spotify junkie
Had a dinosaur phase as a kid and can still name random facts about them whenever the opportunity presents itself
Avid technology-hater and only has a phone to make calls and join the others in playing King's Knight since they begged him so profoundly (he's sure the thing's going to be his downfall)
Gets most of Prompto's pop culture references
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flufftober day 1 - promnis 'no stakes'
Title: No Stakes
Chapter: 1 of 6
Fandom: FFXV
Pairing: Promnis (Prompto Argentum x Ignis Scientia)
Rating: Teen (Subtle Flirting - Fluff - Ep Ignis V2)
Word Count: ~2,730
Prompt: "I've got you."
Summary: Prompto gets thrown into a life he never wanted. All he cared about was his best friend, but as their roadtrip became something entirely different, things began to change.
A/N: Hello! I am participating in this year's Flufftober challenge. It was definitely a challenge for me, as I normally don't stick to just fluff. I hope you'll enjoy as I update this story over the course of the month.
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Prompto was not having fun. At all.
Not that he thought the other guys were having their own fun, as he knew they were all in the same boat. It was kind of weird, if you thought about it. Here he was, someone that happened to become best friends with the Prince of Lucis, and because of that was suddenly thrust into his inner circle. Becoming a Crownsguard member was never something that had ever crossed Prompto’s mind when he befriended the Prince at the beginning of high school. No, he thought that Noctis was really nice and kind of cool, and wanted to hang out with him. That was it.
Cut to four years later, and now here he was, standing off to the side as he watched his best friend, and two guys who had somehow become sort of friends to him, fight off a pack of animals that he couldn’t seem to get a beat on. The animals were snarling, baring their fangs at all of them. Prompto held up his gun and took aim, hoping to the Six that he wasn’t about to shoot one of his friends accidentally. Ignis had told him over and over because they were in the protection of the Prince, that friendly fire wouldn’t really hurt them that much. Ignis Scientia - who was the Prince’s right hand, who would know anything and everything there was to know about what could, and could not, affect the group.
“Prompto! What the hell are you doing?!” Gladio Amicitia, the manliest man that Prompto had ever known, yelled at him from twenty feet away. He was also the Prince’s technical Shield, whose job was to protect the Prince at all costs. “Can’t you aim better?!”
“I’m trying!” He tried not to sound as panicked as he felt, but it was difficult. He could see Ignis and Noctis doing their thing that made him wish he could be close to one of them like that. To see Ignis and Noctis move through battle together was a thing of beauty - they were so in sync with each other it was a bit off putting. “Can’t you back away for a little bit so I can get some shots into them?”
“No!” Gladio yelled back at him, as he went attacking with his very large shield, pushing one of the beasts away. “Noctis!”
The Prince used his warp strike ability, Prompto staring at the blue image of him as it disappeared, using his powers to get into the thick of battle. He fired off another shot, and managed to kill one of the animals. He let out a little whoop, pleased that he was able to contribute to this battle. He knew he was the weakest one when it came to these fights, and tried his best to hold his own, but sometimes it was difficult.
A gloved hand touched his shoulder, drawing his attention to his left. “Don’t worry, Prompto. You’re getting better. I know it’s challenging.” Ignis had sweat dripping from both of his brows, but he could see that the hunt had invigorated something inside of him, as he had a smile on his face that Prompto wished desperately was for him. “You are doing the best that you can.”
“It’s not good enough.” Gladio and Noctis came over to where they were standing, Gladio clearly upset by the accidental misfire. “You grazed my arm, you ass.”
“I didn’t mean to.” Prompto wasn’t going to get upset. Gladio had the tendency of being a bully at times, but only because he was the oldest of them all. He had more experience than any of them when it came to the scenarios they were now being thrown into on the regular. “It was an accident.”
“He’s fine.” Noctis tossed Gladio an elixir that he caught with expertise and broke it over his head. “You did good, Prompto. Better.” Noctis grinned, and patted his shoulder in the same way that Ignis had just done. But Ignis’ touch had felt a little different from Noctis’ - not that Prompto was putting any stock into that, as he knew that it was always going to be a no go for that one. “Come on - how about we go and celebrate at Takka’s before going out on another hunt?”
His stomach rumbled. “I could go for something dead.” He grinned, and threw his arm over Noctis’ shoulder, the two of them laughing together like they used to in school. “Are you treating, Prince?”
“Nah. But Ignis is.”
“Very funny, Your Highness.” Ignis’ voice drifted behind them. Prompto began to laugh with Noctis, as they began to make their way back towards Hammerhead, as it had been a long day. Finishing that hunt felt good, but now he wanted to relax for the rest of the night.
They had been out on the road for four weeks now. Insomnia had fallen, the King had been killed, and now they were technically dead according to the news reports. No one knew where they were, or where they were to be found, which was fine. Ignis said that it would work to their advantage, allowing them to stay off the radar from Niflheim. Of course, Prompto knew that that wouldn’t work forever, but hadn’t said anything as he knew it wouldn’t be appropriate. No, they all knew what their course of action was to be now - they had to keep Noctis safe, and get him to Altissia somehow.
It was dark by the time they made it back to Hammerhead. “Hey, can we sleep in the caravan tonight?” Prompto asked, looking at Ignis who had hung back as Noctis and Gladio continued their way into the rest stop. “Or do we not have enough funds for that right now?”
“We have plenty.” Ignis looked over at the Prince. “Is that what His Highness is requesting?”
Prompto shrugged. “I dunno. I know I’d like it. Hey, Noct!” He called out to the Prince, who turned around to look at him. “Caravan tonight??” He pointed to the caravan behind where he and Ignis were standing. Noctis gave him a thumb’s up, then went into the restaurant with Gladio. “Guess that’s a yes, Iggy.”
“I suppose it would be.”
He’d noticed that Ignis still had a look on his face that he wasn’t used to seeing. But, figuring it had something to do with how they’d fought today rather than anything else, he gave a quick nod of his head, and then followed Noctis and Gladio into the restaurant to take in his fill of some good food.
The caravan was cramped, but it didn’t bother Prompto. He was glad to be sleeping on a mattress. He didn’t mind camping, in fact - it had been one of the things he’d been looking forward to the most for this trip, but he did miss the comforts of home.
Home.
He had no home now.
No, no. Don’t think about that. He shook his head, and exhaled a deep sigh. He tried not to think about what had happened to Insomnia, as it would really do no good. He had to keep going, otherwise he would completely break down, and no one in this caravan needed that.
“Are you all right, Prompto?”
Turning his head, he saw that Ignis was looking at him from across the way. “I’m fine, Iggy. Did I wake you up?”
“No, I was awake. Can’t quite get to sleep.” Ignis yawned, then turned his head to look up at the ceiling of the caravan. “I heard you sigh. Are you sure you’re alright?”
Prompto winced. “Yeah, Iggy. I’m okay. It’s just…” He closed his eyes, and exhaled another sigh. “It’s really tough. I don’t know how you’re handling all of this, but I’m struggling. A lot.”
“Appearances can be deceiving, Prompto.” He saw a small smirk on Ignis’ lips. “I’m doing my best to fulfill my duty to the Prince, as well as make sure things are running smoothly.”
“I’m holding everyone back, aren’t I?”
Ignis sat up, Prompto following suit as they looked across at one another. “Never think that, Prompto. You are doing the best that you can. Do you think I have experience in what we’ve been thrown into? Because I can assure you, I do not.”
“You make it look like you do.” Prompto could see Ignis was looking over at the door where Gladio and Noctis were sleeping. The caravan was split into two sections - the back had a much larger bed that could be occupied by two people, while the front had a cot and a couch that two people could sleep on. They had stayed here a couple of times, but most times they would sleep at a haven. “I’m trying my best, Ignis.”
“I know you are. That is why I do not wish for you to have those thoughts, but I know that that is easier said than done.”
Prompto returned to laying down, tucking his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. “I’m afraid I’m going to make a mistake, and it’s going to be a bad one.”
“If you make a mistake, we will be there to help.” He could hear Ignis moving back down into a lying position as well. “This is a lot. We all know that. But how we proceed will help us survive.”
“Okay, Iggy.” Prompto sighed softly. “Sorry to keep you awake. I’m going to try and sleep now. Don’t want to be tired tomorrow when I know we’ve got some more hunts to go on.”
“Good night, Prompto. Sweet dreams.”
He closed his eyes, but sleep didn’t come for another two hours. He listened to Ignis’ even breaths, and wondered how he could be more like Ignis. Ignis Scientia, the Prince’s Adviser and Strategist. Of course Ignis knew what to do out here as he’d been training for it his entire life. But him? He got a crash course in combat when they graduated high school, and it had been all he’d known since then. Now he was putting his own training to use, however badly he was doing.
In the morning, he woke up and saw that he was alone. Gladio and Noctis were still asleep, and so he went outside and saw that Ignis had a cup of coffee and was sitting towards the east, watching the sun rise.
“The sky is so different out here.” Prompto remarked, as he took a seat near Ignis. “The colors are so vivid compared to back home.”
“That would be because of the barrier.” Ignis brought his cup of coffee up to his lips and took a deep sip. “Nature is truly remarkable, don’t you think, Prompto?”
“I do.” The sky was now turning a pale orange, and slowly transitioning to the blue that would become their enemy later in the day. That was one of things he missed most about Insomnia - the barrier kept it at a reasonable temperature all the time, and now without it, he was suffering through the elements like everyone else in the Lucian kingdom.
They said nothing else, both respecting the quiet. Noctis came out and sat down next to Ignis, who immediately got up to go and grab some coffee for the Prince. Gladio stumbled out a few minutes later, scratching the back of his neck as a loud yawn left his mouth. “What are we doing today?” Gladio asked.
“There’s a hunt in the mines nearby.” Noctis yawned, then tipped his chair back to sit on the two back legs. “Supposed to pay good money.”
“The mines it is, then.”
Prompto felt his stomach clench. The last time they’d gone to those mines, it hadn’t turned out so great for him. But it was a new day, and that meant that anything could happen. It didn’t necessarily mean that something bad was going to happen again to him. No, he knew that this wasn’t going to be like the last time.
They had breakfast, and then headed out before the sun rose too high into the sky. Prompto hummed to himself as they made their way across the desert, and headed towards the mine only a little ways away from Hammerhead. As they made their way into the cave, their flashlights turned on on their chests. Not that it did much good - the light only went out a few feet in front of you, and even that wasn’t enough in Prompto’s opinion.
The sound of feet shuffling on the ground had Prompto turning around fast. “Behind us!” He shouted, as he saw a group of Bombs coming right towards them. The light that shone off of them made them look more menacing than they were, and it only intensified that awful feeling that had yet to leave Prompto’s gut.
“Come on!” Noctis shouted, as he charged towards the group, ready to spring into action as if it was the most natural thing to do.
Prompto fired off a few shots, feeling somewhat helpless, but after he was able to stop two on his own, he gained his confidence back. He saw Ignis sprint towards danger, his daggers out and ready to be used. It was still so strange to see both Ignis and Gladio fight, as he never really had seen it before coming on this trip. Cor had always told him that they were a sight to behold, as they’d been training to protect the Prince since high school. Prompto was a little jealous, as he wished he’d had the same training, but really - he was the Prince’s best friend. That was it. He had no stake in this game. Not like Ignis and Gladio did.
They concluded the hunt, finishing off the last varmint with a flourish from the Prince. “Let’s head back.” Noctis groaned. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always hungry, Your Highness!” Prompto teased his best friend, who shoved him away with a playful shove. But, it was enough of a shove that Prompto began to lose his footing, and that wasn’t good as they were in a mine that had a bunch of different drops to who knew where. “W-Whoa!” He tried to grasp at the air, as if it would solidify for him, and turn into something he could hold onto before falling to his impending doom.
Just as he began to go over, a strong hand slammed down on his forearm, and yanked him back upwards. “I’ve got you.” Ignis’ breath touched his cheek, as his hand stayed tight around Prompto’s forearm, their chests coming into contact at the close proximity that had naturally occurred by moving so fast to save him. And he believed him. He knew that he was in no danger of falling backwards, not when Ignis was holding onto him for dear life.
“What’s taking so long?” Noctis’ voice drifted from the front of the mine. “Hurry up - I’m really hungry.”
Prompto stared into Ignis’ eyes, the two of them still standing so close to each other. Prompto wanted to say something. Anything. Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. You saved me. I think you’re beautiful. You look nice without glasses. Your grip is so firm. All of these things were racing through his mind as he couldn’t look away from Ignis, who was staring directly into his soul.
It lasted for a total of maybe five seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Prompto. Ignis slowly relaxed his grip on Prompto’s arm, and then took a step back. “Coming, Your Highness.” Ignis said the words while still looking at Prompto. But soon, he turned his head and began to walk out towards the entrance to the mine. Prompto’s shoulders dropped as he exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
What the hell was that??
He took off and joined the group outside, trying to shake off this strange feeling. Being in such close proximity to Ignis had been jolting - and not in a bad way. He reached for his forearm where Ignis had grabbed onto him, and tried to take away the touch that was still there with his own hand. But it did no good. Ignis’ grip had been branded onto him, and after that intense staredown with him, Prompto knew that he was in trouble.
Big trouble.
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Cross-posted on AO3
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