Prompto held Noctis, rubbing his back, until he started to calm. He kept one eye on the pistol, just far enough away that neither of them could reach it without moving, but for the moment, he thought that danger had passed.
"You with me?" Prompto asked, as Noctis peeled himself off the wet fabric of his shirt.
Noctis nodded. He looked completely exhausted, not that Prompto could blame him.
"Can I text Gladio and Ignis and tell them that you're okay? We were all really scared," Prompto said.
It was almost like a punch in the gut when Noctis looked up at him. "They were?"
"Of course they were," Prompto told him. "We've all been looking for you for hours."
Noctis closed his eyes for a few minutes. "I'm sorry," he said, starting to tremble in Prompto's grip again.
"No, no, shhh," Prompto soothed. "You're in one piece. That's all any of us wanted. Okay?"
Noctis nodded. "Okay." He wiped at his eyes. "You can- you can tell them. And we can go back."
Prompto could have cried with relief, but he told himself to save that for later. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, instead, and sent Gladio and Ignis a text: "He's okay. Bringing him back."
Then Prompto took Noctis's hand, and slowly, carefully drew him forward. "Come on. We'll go back and rest. I bet Gladio won't even complain if you take a nap."
Noctis managed a half-smile that looked more genuine than anything Prompto had seen on him in days, and it was beautiful.
---
The walk back was quiet. Prompto got a pair of extremely relieved texts, one almost immediately from Gladio and one ten minutes later from Ignis, who was still getting used to the voice navigation on his phone. They saw a few people here and there on the streets, though it was still mostly empty.
By the time they'd reached the place they were staying, both Ignis and Gladio were outside watching for them. Noctis tensed up and nearly stopped when he spotted them in the distance. "They're going to give me the mother of all lectures," he said.
"Probably," Prompto said, trying to sound casual about it. "But I'll make sure you get a nap first."
Gladio said something to Ignis, who gave an entirely calm reply, and they waited for Noctis and Prompto instead of rushing forward, which was a great relief. Noctis was dragging by the time they got there, though, probably from fatigue as much as nervousness.
Gladio clapped his arms around Noctis and pulled Ignis close enough that the advisor could do the same. "Glad you're back with us," Gladio said, voice only shaking a little.
Ignis grabbed Noctis tightly and murmured, "Please don't frighten me like that again."
Noctis looked terribly uncertain, but he relaxed a little.
Prompto nudged Gladio and Ignis very carefully. "Noct's been up all night. Can we let him get some sleep?"
They ended up settling Noctis into Ignis's bed. Noctis fell asleep almost instantly, breath evening out as the blanket was spread over him.
Prompto sighed. He was almost that tired himself, but he had the feeling he was going to have to do a lot of talking first.
Fill (7/?): gen or Noctis/any, Noctis attempts suicide post-Altissia
"You with me?" Prompto asked, as Noctis peeled himself off the wet fabric of his shirt.
Noctis nodded. He looked completely exhausted, not that Prompto could blame him.
"Can I text Gladio and Ignis and tell them that you're okay? We were all really scared," Prompto said.
It was almost like a punch in the gut when Noctis looked up at him. "They were?"
"Of course they were," Prompto told him. "We've all been looking for you for hours."
Noctis closed his eyes for a few minutes. "I'm sorry," he said, starting to tremble in Prompto's grip again.
"No, no, shhh," Prompto soothed. "You're in one piece. That's all any of us wanted. Okay?"
Noctis nodded. "Okay." He wiped at his eyes. "You can- you can tell them. And we can go back."
Prompto could have cried with relief, but he told himself to save that for later. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, instead, and sent Gladio and Ignis a text: "He's okay. Bringing him back."
Then Prompto took Noctis's hand, and slowly, carefully drew him forward. "Come on. We'll go back and rest. I bet Gladio won't even complain if you take a nap."
Noctis managed a half-smile that looked more genuine than anything Prompto had seen on him in days, and it was beautiful.
---
The walk back was quiet. Prompto got a pair of extremely relieved texts, one almost immediately from Gladio and one ten minutes later from Ignis, who was still getting used to the voice navigation on his phone. They saw a few people here and there on the streets, though it was still mostly empty.
By the time they'd reached the place they were staying, both Ignis and Gladio were outside watching for them. Noctis tensed up and nearly stopped when he spotted them in the distance. "They're going to give me the mother of all lectures," he said.
"Probably," Prompto said, trying to sound casual about it. "But I'll make sure you get a nap first."
Gladio said something to Ignis, who gave an entirely calm reply, and they waited for Noctis and Prompto instead of rushing forward, which was a great relief. Noctis was dragging by the time they got there, though, probably from fatigue as much as nervousness.
Gladio clapped his arms around Noctis and pulled Ignis close enough that the advisor could do the same. "Glad you're back with us," Gladio said, voice only shaking a little.
Ignis grabbed Noctis tightly and murmured, "Please don't frighten me like that again."
Noctis looked terribly uncertain, but he relaxed a little.
Prompto nudged Gladio and Ignis very carefully. "Noct's been up all night. Can we let him get some sleep?"
They ended up settling Noctis into Ignis's bed. Noctis fell asleep almost instantly, breath evening out as the blanket was spread over him.
Prompto sighed. He was almost that tired himself, but he had the feeling he was going to have to do a lot of talking first.