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Prompto dug his nails in his arm as he watched Noctis play Assassin’s Creed from a distance. He wasn’t entirely sure why he’d been getting withdrawals when it had been well over six months ago since he last had a breakdown. He sighed, which caught the Prince’s attention.
“You alright, Prom? Would you like to play a co-op game?” His eyes shifted between the screen and his blond friend, waiting for a reply. When he paused the game to properly turn to his friend, he realised something was off about him. Prompto’s eyes were glued to the floor and the skin on his right arm was red. The dark-haired boy tilted his head before getting up. He tossed his controller on the sofa and stepped over his pile of yet unwashed clothing in the middle of the apartment.
“Hey, it’s okay. You can tell me.” The blond breathed in and out before eyeing his friend. He knew that pushing Prompto to talk, would only make matters worse. So he’d often try to get his mind off it by distracting him and subtly asking questions in between. The Prince raised his hand to Prompto’s arm and slowly peeled away the fingers that were digging in his skin.
“I could make us some tea?” The blond nodded this time and his friend left to make some tea. From there on, he seemed a little distracted and joined him for multiplayer after. It didn’t take long for exhaustion to kick in, and so the two boys decided to call it a day and said their good nights.
Noctis was the first to brush his teeth and get in bed. Once he hit the pillow, he’d entered dreamland. Prompto watched him for a second until he was sure he wouldn’t wake up. The Prince was well known for being a deep sleeper and rarely anything would wake him up. Not even an earthquake could wake sleeping beauty.
The blond shut the bathroom door behind him, silently cursing Ignis for getting them an apartment without locks on their doors. He thought it was unnecessary and dangerous in case someone required help. For once though, even if he didn’t like admitting to it, he thought the adviser was right.
He flipped the tab and let the hot water pour into the sink. Creating some noise just in case. He opened the medicine cabinet, digging though the meds and bandaids and bottles, trying to find anything to relief himself with. With a sigh, the blond closed the cabinet, he should’ve known Noctis would hide it after his last incident.
But he didn’t give up. He frantically looked around, almost as if he was an addict looking for drugs. His lips were chapped and his throat Sahara dry, maybe it was like a drug after all. Prompto ran his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth until he’d come up with an idea.
Which didn’t take long. His eyes wandered down to a toiletry bag, it was Noctis’. He zipped it open, swallowing hard. It only made his throat feel worse. He emptied the contents onto the floor and dug through his electric shaver, cream and hair gel and found a pair of scissors. It had been used only once or twice, since it was mainly to cut the Prince’s nails, but he hated doing it.
With a sigh of relief he placed his back against the wall and dragged the scissors up to his arm with shaky hands. He knew it had to stop, he knew it was a cruel and dangerous thing to do. But for now, he just needed everything to stop. The flashbacks that haunted him, the anxiety of not knowing whether or not his friends accepted him and most of all - if Noctis loved him.
He placed the sharpest side on his upper arm, dragging over the already scarred skin, leaving small and thin lines which soon left a trail of crimson. The blond could feel the corners of his mouth curl up. It had been six months since he felt this good. It didn’t take long before he’d criss-crossed all over his upper arm and all the way down to his wrist. The blond took a deep breath and pushed the tip of the blade in deeper this time. It stung and by the time he realised he’d gone too far, he’d already slit horizontally. Panic slowly set in, but his body was too tired to respond. Instead, Prompto choked back a sob and watched the blood trail down his leg and drip into a puddle on the yellow-stained floor. His panic had made him wet his pants.
He felt disgusted and embarrassed, but the flashbacks stopped. He eyed the door and in that moment, he heard a voice.
“Prom.” Noctis’ voice was dripping in concern. The doorknob turned and a very tired Prince walked in. The pain in his eyes were a little too obvious, but he shook it off. His friend kneeled down beside him and carefully took the scissors away from him.
He didn’t lecture him, scold him, yell at him or even tell him how disappointed he is. Prompto watched him take the first aid kit from the very top shelf and unwrapped gauges, bandages and the disinfectant. The Prince used a wet cloth to get rid of most of the blood and proceeded by disinfecting and wrapping up half of his friend’s arm. He didn’t speak a word until he was done. The Prince stuck out his hand.
”I want you to know that I’m here, though next time - please talk to me before you make rash decisions. It may be hard, but you know I’ll always be by your side.” Prompto snickered.
”It’s my job to be at your side.” His snicker turned into a silent cry - which Noctis knew all too well. His cry for help. He wrapped his arms around the blond’s neck and planted his lips on the top of his head. He closed his eyes and took in the scent that is his best friend and crush’s.
”Let me be by your side this time. I won’t leave you and I’ll make sure you get better. That is a promise - not only as your future King but as your best friend.”
By now Prompto’s cries were less silent, he poured his heart out. The flashbacks of his past were gone for now, but he knew they’d be back and he would need Noctis to help him through it next time something similar would happen.
”Thank you and I’m so sorry,” was all the blond was able to say.
”Even if you fail, I’ll be here. Because Prom, the Gods won’t punish you.
It’s okay to try again.”