Noctis sighed, tutting at his partner. “You’re going to make yourself bleed again if you keep it up. I know you hate that barcode, but you can’t scratch it off.”
“It’s ugly as hell is what it is.” Prompto pouted, leaning on the mop in his hand. “I even have to wear these stupid wristbands so that customers don’t get worried.”
“It’s probably for the best, you know that. There’s folks around here that aren’t as welcoming as I am.” Noctis tapped his fingers on the metal counter in front of him, staring at the mess of keys on his till. “I can’t believe it’s only half 5 and the place is this dead…”
“Yeah, well I can’t believe I got stuck on cleaning duty today.” Prompto huffed, giving the floor a token wipe. “Least you get to sit down.”
“Oooh, aren’t I lucky.” Noctis threw him a sarcastic glare, shoving his chin into his hand. “I would quite happily smash my head into this cash drawer if I wouldn’t get posthumously billed for damages.”
Prompto snorted with laughter, pulling a slight smile onto his face. “Hey, c’mere a sec.”
Dipping the mop back into the bucket, Prompto walked over to Noctis’ cramped cashier booth. “What’s up?”
He leant over the plexiglass between them and took Prompto’s hand, pulling it up and closer to his face. With small, delicate movements he slid his fingers under the wristbands and pushed them upwards, revealing a mess of scratches and bite marks covering the jet black barcode staining Prompto’s wrist. “This looks so painful, Prom… you can’t keep doing this to yourself. It doesn’t mean anything anymore, it doesn’t define you.” He leant down, placing gentle kisses to the bumps and grooves of his skin. “You’re always going to be Prompto, ex-Niff or not.”
“Noctis…” Prompto was biting his lip, trying to hold back tears. “I… I’ll try to stop. I promise.” He closed his eyes. “You always look so disappointed in me.”
“Only because you’re hurting yourself for no reason. I know it’s hard for you to come to terms with all of this change, but it’s all in the past. It’s nothing to worry about any longer.” Noctis fixed him with a steady gaze. “You can beat this. You’re better than some stupid mark on your arm.”
Prompto held his eyes for a moment before turning away, slowly pulling his wrist free from Noctis’ grip and returning to his mop. “I… I need a minute. I’ll see you soon.” He picked up the bucket and walked off into one of the far aisles of the store. With another sigh, Noctis turned back to the rest of the store and waited - either for a customer or for his boyfriend, whichever came to him first.
By the time Prompto had worked up the courage to speak to Noctis again, he was bagging up some groceries for an elderly couple who he’d seen in the store a lot - they seemed very nice, and often stayed around when it was quiet like this to chat with the cashiers. They were laughing about something - probably a weird story that Noctis hasn’t told them before - and the beaming grin on Noctis’ face made Prompto’s heart thud a little louder in his chest. He missed that smile. He missed it a lot.
With a wave, Noctis said goodbye to the couple and went to sit back down. He paused when he spotted Prompto hanging out by the end of the tills, looking awfully shy. He motioned him over, holding out his hand. “I’ve got an idea.” Prompto wandered over, keeping his eyes to the floor. When he was close enough, Noctis grabbed his arm again and pulled the wristband off. “I’m gonna show you that this means nothing of what it used to.”
He gasped, trying to yank his hand away out of instinct, but Noctis tightened his grip and pulled him closer. “Noct…”
“Just trust me, okay?” Noctis gently rubbed his thumb across Prompto’s knuckles, reassuring him. When he nodded, Noctis turned him around to face the till, standing behind him and giving his waist a squeeze. He twisted Prompto’s wrist to face the scanner, and slowly passed it across the red beam.
BEEP
Noctis held his breath, really hoping that this wouldn’t screw up. The system seemed to take an eternity, but it finally registered something.
WNK NERDS CHRY WTMLN
They both paused for a moment, before Prompto burst out laughing in Noctis’ arms. “Oh my god, I’m a nerd. I’m literally a nerd.”
“No, you’re nerds. Plural.” Noctis chuckled, kissing the back of Prompto’s ear. “See? There’s nothing to worry about. Cherry and watermelon are the best flavour of Nerds; ergo you’re the best kind of nerd there is.”
Prompto choked, a blush filling up his freckled cheeks. “N-Noctis..!” He wiggled free of his boyfriend’s arms, turning around to wrap his over Noctis’ shoulders, squeezing tightly. “Thank you…” He nuzzled into his neck. “I love you so much.”
Noctis hugged him back, kissing the top of his head. “And I love you too. You massive dweeb.”
Fill: Beep Beep [Promptis]
=============
“Oi, Prompto.”
“Hmm?”
“Stop picking at it.”
“I can’t help it… it’s just there.”
Noctis sighed, tutting at his partner. “You’re going to make yourself bleed again if you keep it up. I know you hate that barcode, but you can’t scratch it off.”
“It’s ugly as hell is what it is.” Prompto pouted, leaning on the mop in his hand. “I even have to wear these stupid wristbands so that customers don’t get worried.”
“It’s probably for the best, you know that. There’s folks around here that aren’t as welcoming as I am.” Noctis tapped his fingers on the metal counter in front of him, staring at the mess of keys on his till. “I can’t believe it’s only half 5 and the place is this dead…”
“Yeah, well I can’t believe I got stuck on cleaning duty today.” Prompto huffed, giving the floor a token wipe. “Least you get to sit down.”
“Oooh, aren’t I lucky.” Noctis threw him a sarcastic glare, shoving his chin into his hand. “I would quite happily smash my head into this cash drawer if I wouldn’t get posthumously billed for damages.”
Prompto snorted with laughter, pulling a slight smile onto his face. “Hey, c’mere a sec.”
Dipping the mop back into the bucket, Prompto walked over to Noctis’ cramped cashier booth. “What’s up?”
He leant over the plexiglass between them and took Prompto’s hand, pulling it up and closer to his face. With small, delicate movements he slid his fingers under the wristbands and pushed them upwards, revealing a mess of scratches and bite marks covering the jet black barcode staining Prompto’s wrist. “This looks so painful, Prom… you can’t keep doing this to yourself. It doesn’t mean anything anymore, it doesn’t define you.” He leant down, placing gentle kisses to the bumps and grooves of his skin. “You’re always going to be Prompto, ex-Niff or not.”
“Noctis…” Prompto was biting his lip, trying to hold back tears. “I… I’ll try to stop. I promise.” He closed his eyes. “You always look so disappointed in me.”
“Only because you’re hurting yourself for no reason. I know it’s hard for you to come to terms with all of this change, but it’s all in the past. It’s nothing to worry about any longer.” Noctis fixed him with a steady gaze. “You can beat this. You’re better than some stupid mark on your arm.”
Prompto held his eyes for a moment before turning away, slowly pulling his wrist free from Noctis’ grip and returning to his mop. “I… I need a minute. I’ll see you soon.” He picked up the bucket and walked off into one of the far aisles of the store. With another sigh, Noctis turned back to the rest of the store and waited - either for a customer or for his boyfriend, whichever came to him first.
By the time Prompto had worked up the courage to speak to Noctis again, he was bagging up some groceries for an elderly couple who he’d seen in the store a lot - they seemed very nice, and often stayed around when it was quiet like this to chat with the cashiers. They were laughing about something - probably a weird story that Noctis hasn’t told them before - and the beaming grin on Noctis’ face made Prompto’s heart thud a little louder in his chest. He missed that smile. He missed it a lot.
With a wave, Noctis said goodbye to the couple and went to sit back down. He paused when he spotted Prompto hanging out by the end of the tills, looking awfully shy. He motioned him over, holding out his hand. “I’ve got an idea.” Prompto wandered over, keeping his eyes to the floor. When he was close enough, Noctis grabbed his arm again and pulled the wristband off. “I’m gonna show you that this means nothing of what it used to.”
He gasped, trying to yank his hand away out of instinct, but Noctis tightened his grip and pulled him closer. “Noct…”
“Just trust me, okay?” Noctis gently rubbed his thumb across Prompto’s knuckles, reassuring him. When he nodded, Noctis turned him around to face the till, standing behind him and giving his waist a squeeze. He twisted Prompto’s wrist to face the scanner, and slowly passed it across the red beam.
BEEP
Noctis held his breath, really hoping that this wouldn’t screw up. The system seemed to take an eternity, but it finally registered something.
WNK NERDS CHRY WTMLN
They both paused for a moment, before Prompto burst out laughing in Noctis’ arms. “Oh my god, I’m a nerd. I’m literally a nerd.”
“No, you’re nerds. Plural.” Noctis chuckled, kissing the back of Prompto’s ear. “See? There’s nothing to worry about. Cherry and watermelon are the best flavour of Nerds; ergo you’re the best kind of nerd there is.”
Prompto choked, a blush filling up his freckled cheeks. “N-Noctis..!” He wiggled free of his boyfriend’s arms, turning around to wrap his over Noctis’ shoulders, squeezing tightly. “Thank you…” He nuzzled into his neck. “I love you so much.”
Noctis hugged him back, kissing the top of his head. “And I love you too. You massive dweeb.”