Dusk falls as they walk back, the carnival shedding its cheerful daytime atmosphere for the enchantment of its evening guise, Altissa’s graceful outlines traced in fairy-tale lights. They have to take a detour to return the chocobo chick to its grateful owner and so by the time they reach bridge leading to the pier the sun's slipping over the horizon and a single rocket streaks skywards, bursting into a shining silver star.

They buy their tickets in a hurry, half-run to the Leville and then they’re piling into a gondola and being rowed out to the centre of the lagoon for front-row seats of the fireworks pavilion.

“Wow,” Gladio says, “That giant chocobo is pretty cute.”

Prompto laughs and nudges him, "Hey, that's my line!"

The Choco-Mog-o-Rama starts with a single brilliant burst of gold and purple, shooting up from the water, and then the sky is filling with colours. Even though Noctis has seen it all already it’s still beautiful and it's even better now, sharing it with the people he loves most.

They all sit there just watching for a while, cheering together as golden rockets shoot overhead and gasping as sprays of sparks fountain out of the water. Eventually, though, Ignis begins running his hand over Noctis’ thigh, “Didn’t I promise you something extra for our next gondela ride, Noct?”

“Oh, really?” Gladio says, leaning forward, “and were the rest of us included in this plan?”

“Of course,” Ignis says.

“Wait, what are we talking about?” Prompto asks.

Ignis just raises an eyebrow at him.

“Wait, we’re talking about sex stuff? Seriously!?” Prompto yelps, eyes wide, “Here, with, um . . . " he jerks his head back to indicate the gondolier.

“He’s not going to care,” Ignis says, taking his glasses off and handing them to Noctis to store in the Armiger for safe-keeping.

Prompto looks up at the gondolier, “Er . . . “

“Enjoy the Festivities!” the gondolier says, face cheerfully unconcerned.

“Um . . . no, this is still too weird.” Prompto says, scrambling past Gladio to sit on the little stool at the front of the boat, “I’m just . . . going to watch the fireworks, okay?”

“You sure?” Gladio asks as Ignis makes way for him on the broad bench at the back of the boat. Prompto bites his lip and stares determinedly at the lights bursting overhead.

“Give him time to get comfortable,” Ignis says.

“Pity if he misses out,” Gladio says, leaning back against the bench and spreading his legs. Ignis helps Noctis keep steady as boat sways under them, pulling him forward and then pushing him down to sit in Gladio’s lap. He starts unzipping Noctis’ trousers as Gladio begins to push his t-shirt up, sliding a broad hand up Noctis’ chest to play with a nipple.

“Hey, Noct,” Gladio says, nipping at his ear, “I think you should get the lube out now.”

“Wha?” Noctis says, distracted by Ignis’ fingers tracing the top of his briefs, “Oh yeah, the lube.”

His first three tries get them two ethers and a hi-potion, materialising out of the Armiger to clatter against the floor of the boat. He finally manages to find the lube just as Ignis teases his briefs down and gives a wet lick to the head of his cock, and Noctis moans and almost drops the bottle into the water.

Gladio catches it, just in time, and pinches Noctis’ nipple in punishment. Then he’s slicking up his fingers and Ignis helps Noctis raise himself a little so that Gladio can get him ready. Even Gladio’s fingers are thick, and Ignis keeps Noctis distracted with teasing kisses against his dick as Gladio sinks in one finger, and then two, slowly stretching him open.

Gladio is always, always careful about this, protective with them like he always is but gentle in a way he never lets himself be outside of bed. Noctis’ hands scrabble against his arms and he’s groaning, “Please, Gladio, just, fuck . . . Please!” even though he knows begging never helps.


Blue and green flowers blaze across the sky as Gladio finally slides in, big and hot and perfect, and Noctis whimpers with relief. He tries to move, tries to raise himself up and sink back down, but Gladio wraps his arms around him and cradles Noctis against him, holding him still.

“Thank you, Gladio,” Ignis says, smirking up at Noctis before he opens his mouth and swallows his cock in one go. Noctis moans, loudly, and lets his head fall back against Gladio’s shoulder. Ignis uses just the right amount of suction and is shameless about using his tongue, and Noctis has been wanting this for hours, or maybe years. He’s shuddering, breath coming hard and fast, when Ignis suddenly pulls away.

“Ah . . . ah . . . Ignis?” Noctis asks, dazed, but Ignis is turning around to look behind them.

“I hope you’re at least taking pictures, Prompto,” Ignis says. Noctis looks up to see Prompto staring at them, eyes wide and pupils blown, palming at his groin almost absently.

“Prom,” Noctis moans, “Come on, touch yourself. Let us watch too.”

Prompto swallows thickly and nods, then he’s unzipping his jeans and pulling his briefs down. When he takes himself in his hand and starts fisting himself roughly Gladio gives a loud groan that rumbles against Noctis’ back.

“Fuck, Prom, look at you, so pretty,” Gladio says, and Prompto whimpers. Noctis feels Gladio’s dick twitch inside him in response and it makes him shiver.

Ignis traces his tongue up Noctis’ cock, from root to tip, and then looks back over his shoulder. “That’s hardly fair,” he says to Prompto, “don’t I get to see you too?”

Prompto scrambles forward, half-falling with his trousers around his thighs, but Gladio reaches out a hand to steady him and then Prompto’s sinking down, sitting on the floor next to Ignis, resting his head against Gladio’s thigh.

Ignis raises his head up slightly, still mouthing the tip of Noctis' cock, giving Prompto room to wrap a hand around the base. Prompto squeezes him, just the right side of tight, and Noctis moans as Ignis licks him through the gaps between Prompto’s fingers.

Gladio braces himself against the side of the boat and starts to move, finally. The angle is awkward and the thrusts are shallow but Ignis adjusts his rhythm to match, his head bobbing down on Noctis as Gladio thrusts in.

Prompto’s breath is hot against Noctis’ thigh, erratic, and Noctis reaches down and touches his mouth. Prompto licks at his fingers, then sucks them in and closes his eyes. His other hand is still working against own his cock frantically and then he’s gasping and shuddering and coming, cum splattering against the floor of the boat.

Gladio strokes his Prompto’s hair until he stills, and then Prompto’s languidly leaning forward and un-bucking Ignis’ belt. Noctis knows the moment Prompto gets his hands on Ignis’ cock because Ignis moans around him and his relentless rhythm starts stuttering.

Ignis pulls off of Noctis, breath shuddering against his hip, and then Prompto ducks his head down and Noctis wishes for a moment he could see, that Ignis’ shoulders weren’t blocking his view, but at least he can watch Ignis’ face as his eyes go half-lidded and mouth slack, panting between Noctis’ thighs as he comes.

Ignis takes a moment to recover, resting his head against Noctis’ leg, and then he moves back, bracing Noctis as Gladio bends him forward, finally getting a good angle. Prompto’s hand wraps back around his cock as Gladio starts to thrust deep and hard.

Noctis comes as red and gold starbursts explode overhead.

They stagger back to the Leville just before dawn. The receptionists don’t even blink as they check in, even though it’s embarrassingly obvious what they’ve been up to. Gladio has a line of bite marks from his neck to his belly-button and Ignis’ left sleeve is half-torn from his shirt. Noct is topless, covered in sweat and gods knows what else, because Prompto’s stolen his carnival t-shirt and refuses to give it back.

“Who wants first turn at the shower?” Ignis says as they step through the doors of the suite.

Noctis just groans and falls onto the king-sized bed, and then groans again when Gladio flops down on top of him. Prompto stumbles over and joins them and Ignis just stares down at them all a moment before he pokes at Noctis in the leg, "At least take your shoes off."

Noctis sighs and wriggles out from under Gladio to unlace his boots. Ignis moves around the room, closing the curtains, then there's a a brief slice of light as he puts the do-not-disturb-sign on the door.

They all grumble as Ignis pulls the blankets out from under them but then he’s crawling onto the bed to join them, bring the blankets with him, and they shuffle around to make space for him.

Noctis is just drifting off when Gladio says, “So, what are our plans for tomorrow?”

“Not much yet,” Ignis says, “I suppose we should test the boundaries of this place, figure out what it will and won’t let . . ."

“I meant, what did you want to do for breakfast?” Gladio says with a laugh, “I saw this bakery, all fancy pastries and fancy coffee. It looked like it’d be your thing.”

“Oh,” Ignis says.

“Sounds good,” Prompto says sleepily, “We should go.”

“Yes, I . . . suppose that does sound nice.” Ignis says, "If we have time, I'd like to visit the boutiques as well."

Gladio just chuckles.

“But afterwards . . . “ Ignis starts again, and Gladio groans, “Ignis, go to sleep, we can talk about it in the morning.”

“I want to try and go back to Lucis,” Noctis hears himself say.

They shift around him, suddenly more awake, “Do you think it’s possible?” Gladio asks.

“I don’t know, but I want to try.” Noctis says.

They’re quiet for a while, pensive. Even Noctis isn’t sure what version of Lucis they’ll find out there, if they can even reach it.

“Even if we manage it, we’ll still need to get a new car. We left the Regalia back in Gralea,” Ignis says reluctantly, breaking the hush.

“Nah.” Prompto says, voice already slurring with sleep, “Naaaah. That old girl won’t let us down. She’ll be waiting for us in Lucia like . . . like . . . like a faithful chocobo!”

Gladio snorts.

“And she’ll be as good as new,” Prompto continues, “No, she’ll be better than ever!”

“Nothing could make that car better,” Noctis says.

Prompto rolls over to poke him, “Nuh-uh. Now she’ll be able to fly!”

“Fly.” Ignis says, flatly. “ . . . I’m drawing the line at driving the flying car.”

There’s no response from Prompto though. He’s curled-up against Noctis and fallen asleep.

They sleep until noon. When they finally wake, attempts at a hurried round of showers and a quick exit turn into Ignis braced against the shower wall as Gladio eats him out while Noctis lazes against Prompto in the bathtub, slowly stroking his cock. They don’t manage to check-out until mid-afternoon but the bakery Gladio noticed is still open when they get there and the pastries and coffee are everything that was promised.

Noctis is on his third slice of some sort of sweet bread, studded with candied fruit, when Prompto leads over and brushes a crumb from the corner of his mouth.

“Hey Noct,” Prompto says, grinning sunnily, “Let’s stay a few more days before we go, earn a few more medallions. If we’re going to get the car back I think I saw the perfect decal for it.”

"Sure, why not?" Noctis smiles back, "We've got all the time we need."