photoshooter | Awash IC Inbox

It seems like a lot of food is like that, sometimes. Like it doesn't exist outside of walking up to a counter and asking somebody to hand it to you. Like milk in a bottle. You know how great milk in a bottle is? So good.

[She bites the corner of her lip, hiding a smile of her own, and then casts him a sideways look, sliding her eyes over to the corners without moving her head to look at him.]

So...does that mean you're sharing? The ice cream...and maybe while you're at it, the way you got away with eating a burger for dinner every night?

[He snorts and returns the previous elbow with a nudge of his own.]

Duh. What was I gonna do, ask you if you like ice cream and then eat it in front of you by myself?

[THEY'VE BOTH BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH TORTURE TO SKIP THAT.]

And what do you mean, how did I get away with it? How'd you get away with eating ice cream twice and day and still looking great?

Great metabolism and a whole lot of walking uphill both ways.

[She sticks her tongue out at him, carefully filing away the mention about how she looks for later. She doesn't, obviously, look great — but it's a nice thought anyway, however easy it is for her to subconsciously dismiss it.]

I mean someone didn't ride your ass to eat something other than cow once in a while?

Oh. ...No, not really.

[He shrugs and refuses to let too much energy drop out of his voice or his gait.]

My parents were out of town a lot. Otherwise I wouldn't have been getting takeout all the time, anyway. And I couldn't cook, so I didn't have a lot of options.

Oh.

[Funny, how there can be so much gravity in a single word. Funny how two letters can so easily frame an obvious elephant in the room.

Luckily, there's an easy way to divert the subject; a little verbal sleight of hand, and there was never a pachyderm at all.]

I mean, I'm not one to talk. I wasn't cooking for myself, either. It was all caf food.

[...]

That's actually. That's where we were going, the last time I was, um. We were all going to the caf, when the old man snatched us.

[He lifts his gaze from the ground, looking at her once more, then nods and squeezes her hand.]

Hey. Then this ice cream's really overdue, huh? [Hm.] What other foods do you like to eat? Besides potato.

[Did he just conversationally sidestep her conversational sidestep — oh my god what a champion.]

I like noodles. If it's made with a noodle, I probably like it. Dumplings, too. You know, the kind with the filling and you fry them a little so they get crispy? Burgers, pizza...tacos, shit, I haven't had a taco in ages.

[Prompto's nodding along until he laughs, suddenly.]

You know, I've still got a couple Cup Noodles left. Why don't we make a whole dinner out of it?

[I T ' S A D A T E Y O U D U M B A S S]

Cup Noodles and ice cream? Now that's a feast for kings.

[And actually...]

...I've still got some soda left. You know, from earlier this month. Since we're going all junk food all the time.

Yeah! If we're gonna do this, we should go all out!

[He swings their arms wide this time, like a little kid.]

We gotta let loose once in a while, right?

Oh, fuck yeah! I mean, hell, we just escaped from Castle Goblin unscathed, we just robbed a bunch of monsters, we've earned this.

[His enthusiasm is so infectious, it's hard not to let it catch on. And why would she ever want to resist it, in the first place?]

We should go eat and drink and...stay up all night, be as loud as we want, tell dumb stories about stupid shit...all of it, let's do it.

Is this a slumber party?

[Holy shit, he sounds so excited.]

Aw, man, I wish we had some video games! We'll have to make up our own. We'll have to get our toothbrushes and pajamas and stuff, this is gonna be so much fun!

[Time to make up for all the friends he didn't have in fifth grade.]

We can play truth or dare! Or would you rather! Or all of it!

Not as much as I wish we had video games. I used to be great at tower defense games. ...And Mario Kart.

[One of these things is more conducive to slumber parties than the other.]

So yeah, I guess we'll just have to play a bunch of bullshit party games to make up for it. Never Have I Ever, too, that one's always a barrel of laughs.

Ahh, but I'm no good at that one! I haven't done anything interesting.

[Self-awareness, Prompto is not thy name.]

You know how to shoot a bazooka and you're really going to tell me you've never done anything interesting?

[MY GUY]

Well, okay, I guess, but--I don't know, none of that stuff should count! I only did it because I was with the guys. Or. Well. I guess not the bazooka thing, the whole problem was I wasn't with them...

[He thinks about it.]

Iiii guess the last time I played that one was before we left Insomnia, when it was actually true I'd never done anything.

So. Now we've both done fantastic things, it'll be an interesting game. Or maybe it'll be even more interesting when we get into the stuff we did before the fantastic things.

[She raises one finger, as if in indication.]

I've never paid rent before. That's fun and interesting.

Really? Well... I never got my driver's license, how about that? Never even applied for a learner's permit.

[Poor Ignis Scientia.]

Ohhh, I've got you beat on that one. I learned late, but I still learned.

[She laughs a little, under her breath.]

You know why I put off doing it? Because I didn't feel confident being in control of a car. I was worried about being safe.

...

[Prompto shifts his grip again to lace his fingers through hers and hold on.]

I was afraid of calling attention to myself. Like, from the authorities. As if somehow they'd know something was wrong with me if I filled my name out on the form.

[Shaking his head at himself with a soft huff of a laugh, he turns to her.]

Dumb, huh? I mean, I was hanging out at the arcade with the government. I've been eating the government's breakfast leftovers for more than five years, but the idea of getting my picture taken at some counter scared the crap out of me.

...Honestly, I just think it's kind of impressive that you were like — you make it sound like it never even crossed your mind, how much those guys could've helped you.

[She looks at him a minute when he turns to her, watching him, gauging the moment — and then takes just one step closer, putting herself distinctly within his personal space, but far enough apart that it's only noticeable, not awkward.]

You're tight with an actual prince and, like...the world's most competent bureaucrat and it's like it never even occurred to you that they would pull strings for you if you asked them to. Or even if you just needed it.

[She shrugs a little.]

I couldn't do it. I'd — I'm not saying it's a good thing, but I'd have taken advantage of them. I just know myself well enough to know I would've. And you don't. You just...you just don't.

I...

[For a second, he looks like the thought never had occurred to him, like it's only dawning now. He glances down, blinking, but his eyes land on their hands and then find their way up again, following the line of her arm.]

If I asked them, I would've had to tell them. And if I told them, I... I thought. They might leave me. Tell me to get lost, never have anything to do with me ever again.

[It sounds stupid when he says it, but Prompto already admitted the whole thing was dumb, didn't he?]

I was more afraid of losing them. Than I was of... of anything, really. [He exhales like that was some revelation to say aloud, some stone off his chest, and adds, like it needs clarification:] They're the only friends I've ever had. You know?

Yeah. I know.

[She glances up at him, conscious suddenly of the fact that he's taller than her, made more evident when they're facing each other like this.]

But I honestly can't imagine anybody wanting to lose you. You know that too, right?

[He blinks again, rapidly, and ducks his head a little, biting his lip to hide a smile.]

It was harder to believe that back then.

[The shy, soft smile lingers without, for once, changing into something else, something wider or brighter.]

Thanks, though. For saying that.

I told you I'm keeping you, remember? So. ...Me too.

[The sound of her voice is like the look of his smile — soft, quieter perhaps than she means it to be. Something that could take an uptick at any moment, turn stronger and louder, but doesn't.]

I won't let you get lost. I'm too greedy to let you go.

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