He snapped when Gladio pushed Prompto in the face. He didn’t feel much when he had chosen him as his target to rage, nothing when he yelled at him to get himself together, or when he rubbed Ignis’ blindness in his face like it was his fault (it was.) He didn’t retaliate when Gladio reached down and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulled him out of his seat like a kid who needed to be punished, and insulted him to his face. But when he shoved Prompto away… Prompto who had suffered as much as any of them and not so much as said a peep – his blood boiled. Why this now? Why this fight? Hadn’t they been through enough? Did he need any more reminders that he had failed everyone?
It was true. It wasn’t as if Noctis didn’t know he was a screw-up. It wasn’t like he didn’t blame himself a hundred times a day for what had happened to Ignis, to Luna, to Altissia. It was alright to punish him for it. But Prompto? A friend whose only fault was to try to maintain the peace and make sure what was left of their brotherhood didn’t fall apart.
“Cut it out,” he growled at Gladio, “You’ve said enough.”
“Oh, you think so? I haven’t said even half of what you need to hear, Your Majesty. I’m going to say it until it sinks into your thick skull. You’re the king so act like it and stop sulking.”
Act like it? What did he mean? Hadn’t he fought with the Leviathan? Hadn’t he almost died? Hadn’t he negotiated with Camelia for their safe departure from Altissia? Hadn’t he guaranteed their survival?
A look at Ignis with his dark shades and his cane resting on his side threw his heart into turmoil. A voice inside him screamed no. You didn’t do enough. You’re a failure.
“Please, stop!” he croaked at his mentor, “I’ve heard it all. It’s enough.”
“No, not enough. I won’t shut up until you understand what your duties are. Pull your shit together and behave like a king.”
The line broke. Noctis looked up. Eyes full of both flood and fire. He screamed, though it came out more like a choked hiss. “I am your king. And…and, I command you to cut it out. I order you to stop talking and leave me alone.”
Gladio stared at him, his look a mixture of disbelief and anger. He took a breath to speak but Ignis interrupted him, “Gladiolus, your king gave you an order. It behooves you to obey.”
And as Gladio released his breath in a growl and turned around to go and sit at the far end of the train Noctis’ heart shattered into a million pieces.
Fill: 5 times Noctis pulled rank and the boys let him...and one time they didn't (3/6)
He snapped when Gladio pushed Prompto in the face. He didn’t feel much when he had chosen him as his target to rage, nothing when he yelled at him to get himself together, or when he rubbed Ignis’ blindness in his face like it was his fault (it was.) He didn’t retaliate when Gladio reached down and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulled him out of his seat like a kid who needed to be punished, and insulted him to his face. But when he shoved Prompto away… Prompto who had suffered as much as any of them and not so much as said a peep – his blood boiled. Why this now? Why this fight? Hadn’t they been through enough? Did he need any more reminders that he had failed everyone?
It was true. It wasn’t as if Noctis didn’t know he was a screw-up. It wasn’t like he didn’t blame himself a hundred times a day for what had happened to Ignis, to Luna, to Altissia. It was alright to punish him for it. But Prompto? A friend whose only fault was to try to maintain the peace and make sure what was left of their brotherhood didn’t fall apart.
“Cut it out,” he growled at Gladio, “You’ve said enough.”
“Oh, you think so? I haven’t said even half of what you need to hear, Your Majesty. I’m going to say it until it sinks into your thick skull. You’re the king so act like it and stop sulking.”
Act like it? What did he mean? Hadn’t he fought with the Leviathan? Hadn’t he almost died? Hadn’t he negotiated with Camelia for their safe departure from Altissia? Hadn’t he guaranteed their survival?
A look at Ignis with his dark shades and his cane resting on his side threw his heart into turmoil. A voice inside him screamed no. You didn’t do enough. You’re a failure.
“Please, stop!” he croaked at his mentor, “I’ve heard it all. It’s enough.”
“No, not enough. I won’t shut up until you understand what your duties are. Pull your shit together and behave like a king.”
The line broke. Noctis looked up. Eyes full of both flood and fire. He screamed, though it came out more like a choked hiss. “I am your king. And…and, I command you to cut it out. I order you to stop talking and leave me alone.”
Gladio stared at him, his look a mixture of disbelief and anger. He took a breath to speak but Ignis interrupted him, “Gladiolus, your king gave you an order. It behooves you to obey.”
And as Gladio released his breath in a growl and turned around to go and sit at the far end of the train Noctis’ heart shattered into a million pieces.