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Chapter Text

Home At Last , a Final Fantasy XV fanfic by Raberba girl

Part 1 (rough draft)

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Summary: The Argentums' parental rights are terminated when their criminal neglect lands Prompto in the hospital. Ignis attempts to gain custody but is thwarted by the high council, so now the only thing standing between Prompto and foster care is a certain Immortal.

A/N: The draft of this fic is complete. It could either have been a long one-shot or a short multi-chapter, and I chose the multi-chapter route.

o.o.o

Ignis stared a little blankly. "Pardon me, Your Majesty?"

Regis smiled and said again, "Talk to Cor about this. I think he'll be able to help you out." He turned to one of his attendants. "Next appointment, please."

Ignis gathered his papers and felt a little dazed as he was escorted out of the room. He knew how much the king cared about Noctis. Regis wanted Noctis to be happy, and he knew how much Prompto Argentum made his son happy. He had even shown some interest in Prompto himself at times, unrelated to the young man's effect on the prince.

So why, in such an important meeting concerning Prompto, had Regis been so dismissive? He'd all but kicked Ignis out of his office. If it hadn't been for the gentle, almost enthusiastic smile on the king's face, Ignis would have been shocked at the uncharacteristic cruelty.

There had been a smile, though. Regis was very interested in this matter, and though his reasoning might be unfathomable for refusing to discuss it and for sending Ignis to the marshal of the Crownsguard about a custody case, of all things, the reasoning was clearly there. Hopefully Cor could shed some light on the matter.

Ignis had his orders, so he checked the schedule for Cor's office hours. He went to the cafeteria for coffee and worked on his laptop for a while, then packed up and headed to Cor's office once he was reasonably sure the marshal could be found there.

"Scientia," Cor greeted.

"Marshal." Ignis nodded. "Do you have a little time to discuss something with me?"

"What's it about?"

Ignis suppressed a wince. "A custody case. I went to the king about it, but once I had explained the situation, he sent me to you. I haven't the faintest idea why, so if you'll permit me to explain the important details, please let me know if there was...a misunderstanding of some kind."

Cor nodded at the chairs in front of his desk, and Ignis took a seat. He rested his briefcase in his lap and sat very straight. "The matter concerns the prince's friend, Prompto Argentum."

At the name, Cor blinked. Though his body didn't shift much and his expression didn't change at all, his eyes somehow seemed more intense. Ignis wondered if the king hadn't been so far off the mark after all, though it was no clearer than before why the marshal would have an interest in a teenage commoner.

"He's been friends with Noctis for about a year and a half now, and some troubling matters have recently come to light. His parents have fallen short on their responsibilities to him, and I decided to assume guardianship of Prompto myself. However, the council objects, claiming falsely that I would be unable to balance my duties with caring for a young man who is nearly an adult." He knew that Cor did not have a high opinion of the council, either, so he allowed a bit of his disgust with all those traditionalist old men creep into his tone.

Cor leaned forward and folded his arms on his desk, his eyes still strangely intent. "The council forbid you from assuming guardianship of Prompto Argentum because they claimed a single man in service to royalty couldn't possibly raise a child that's not biologically his."

Ignis was surprised. It was as if Cor knew exactly how he felt. "Correct."

Cor made a disgusted noise. "Kid's almost seventeen years old now and they're still pulling that shit...."

"Indeed," Ignis concurred, wondering why Cor sounded like Prompto had been on his radar for a while. "Prompto is a remarkably independent young man already--" far more than Noct was, honestly... "--I simply wish to provide him with reliable shelter, more comfortable financial support, and easy access to any guardian consent needed before he reaches adulthood. He...." Ignis paused. "He was recently hospitalized. He--"

"Hospitalized?" Cor demanded.

"For exhaustion and stress," Ignis clarified. "He doesn't suffer from any medical affliction that I know of. He collapsed at work, and I was listed as his primary emergency contact since apparently the crown prince's Hand is easier to get hold of than the boy's own parents. Repeated attempts to contact them were not successful; by the time they finally returned my calls, Prompto had already been discharged for three days. If I were his guardian, it would be far easier and quicker to take care of similar matters."

"The parents couldn't be reached when their son was in the hospital?" Cor said in a low, dark voice.

The man was clearly invested. Ignis still had no idea why, but he was now hopeful as he began withdrawing files from his briefcase. "I've been investigating the family and have compiled a timeline." He set the whole file on Cor's desk and moved the timeline to the top. He and Cor were both leaning intently over the paper.

"He was adopted at age one; his records from before that time are sealed." A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he looked up at Cor. Perhaps the man's interest in young Argentum was not as random as it seemed. "There isn't much that is barred to me with my clearance level, but only three people can access Prompto's pre-adoption records, and I am not one of them. You, however, are."

Cor grunted. Ignis waited, but no information was forthcoming. "Are the circumstances of Prompto's birth...relevant to the crown?" Judging by his physical characteristics alone, Prompto was likely a full-blooded Nifler, but an ordinary refugee, even from an enemy country, still wouldn't warrant such an extreme level of security. If he was not an ordinary refugee, why had he simply been adopted by a civilian couple? Why would a baby be considered such a high-level security issue in the first place? Regis himself had signed off on the forms clearing Prompto for companionship proximity to Noctis; why had he permitted a person with alleged sensitive security issues to associate closely with the prince?

"Says his parents started leaving the city when he was a kid," Cor read off the timeline, blatantly ignoring the inquiry.

Ignis exhaled softly and returned his attention to the paper. "Yes. After his adoption, there's nothing noteworthy until he was seven years old, when records show his parents occasionally leaving Insomnia overnight. Though they theoretically could have arranged alternative childcare for Prompto, he has made comments in the past that led me to believe they often did not. The longer absences started about a year later, first for a few days at a time and then getting longer and longer until now, where they only spend a few weeks in Insomnia per year."

Cor stared at the timeline, his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.

Ignis went on, explaining that the more independent Prompto had become, the less financial support he had received, driving him to become even more self-sufficient until the vicious cycle had grown too much for him. At one point, he had been struggling to hold down three part-time jobs and supplement his income by offering his photography services for small local events, all while still struggling to keep up in school. At sixteen years old, he was currently paying for food and utilities, the phone he'd independently acquired, and even a bit of rent to his parents. The Argentums' permanent address wasn't even in Insomnia anymore; according to their records, they were technically residents of Altissia who just happened to also own a house in the Crown City.

"Dammit," Cor whispered, staring at the files. He rubbed at his eyes.

"With the Argentums' parental rights terminated and my custody petition denied, Prompto is on the verge of being sent into foster care," Ignis said softly. "He'll be uprooted and suffer needlessly. I've little doubt Noct will try to illegally shelter him, and whether he succeeds or not, Prompto is sure to feel he is a burden and of low worth. I know for a fact that he's seriously considered dropping out of school and looking for unreported employment until he comes of age."

"Are you trying to persuade me?" Cor said wryly.

"You seem surprisingly unresistant to taking on such a responsibility."

Cor sighed and rubbed at his face. "I found a kid once," he said in a low voice. "An orphan. Council blocked my adoption petition, same as they did you."

Ignis stared. Cor's reactions to this affair had hinted as much, but it was still very strange to hear the marshal confirm it.

Cor raised his head, his eyes now icy. "That kid is not the helpless child he used to be, and I'm not the reckless young fool I used to be, either. They're not going to cross me this time." He stated it as fact. Ignis believed him whole-heartedly.

"I'll get you fresh copies of the forms," Ignis said.

The paperwork was signed and filed less than an hour later. The next council meeting was scheduled bright and early the next morning. Cor and Ignis attended alongside Noctis, Regis, and Clarus.

With the king, his Shield, the Immortal, the prince, and his Hand all using their considerable death glares to ultimate effect, the council didn't take long to cave.

The last of the signatures were performed. Ignis neatly filed away the paperwork. The meeting moved on, and after it was over, Ignis called Prompto with the intention of telling him that he now officially had a father.

o.o.o

Prompto hadn't been able to sleep last night and he'd been a clumsy mess at his early morning shift, but although work had been miserable, he almost wished he were still there so he'd have something to take his mind off his impending homelessness. His stomach churned so much he couldn't eat the sandwich he'd made.

His mind kept darting in trapped circles - this wasn't legally his home anymore, the only reason his parents hadn't kicked him out already was because they weren't physically here and he'd lied in a text, saying he'd already moved out. He was slated to be assigned to a foster family soon, but GOOD LUCK finding one who'd want a Niff failure like him, not to mention the fears stirred up by every horror story he'd heard in the news about abusive foster homes. Noct had offered to hide him in the spare room of his apartment, but the place was always crawling with guards and there was no way they'd be able to keep that up for over a year (a year of being even more of a freeloader than he already was, oh Six...). Iggy had been super-mega-nice and actually offered to take Prompto as a ward, except he'd been shut down, or maybe he hadn't even bothered to file the petition and had just been trying to find a way to back out without hurting Prompto's feelings. Maybe Prompto could run away, he still technically had one job that would be willing to pay him under the table, but he'd have to sleep on the literal streets and avoid the Crownsguard and probably not see Noct very often...for a year....

He was feeling nauseous again. He took out his phone and started level grinding in King's Knight, because that was the strongest distraction he had. He really couldn't afford the data to play phone games other than with Noct, but whatever; he was screwed anyway no matter what.

He'd been playing for about twenty minutes when he got a text from Noct: PROM! we found you a dad!!! :) :) :)

Prompto stared at his phone screen.

Prompto: what????

Noctis: paperwork's done, we're coming to pick you up RIGHT NOW get ready~

This was...weird. Even if Noct really had miraculously found someone willing and able to foster Prompto, why would he be so excited about Prompto being at the mercy of a random stranger?

The phone suddenly rang with a call from Ignis. "H-Hello?" Prom answered nervously.

"Hello, Prompto. I have some good news: we've been able to--"

"WAIT WAIT Ignis wait, don't tell him who it is!" Noct's voice interrupted. The phone was on speaker, then, or maybe they were driving and Ignis's phone had been connected to the car. "It'll be a surprise!"

"No!" Prompto yelped. "No surprise! This is my life we're talking about here, Noct!!"

"It's a good surprise, I promise," Noctis soothed. "Like, a really good surprise. We found the best person to be your new dad, it's hilarious."

"Hilarious?!"

On the other end, a deeper in the background started to say something, but Noct immediately shouted, "NO, no talking! See you soon, Prom!"

"No, wait, don't hang up, Noctis Lucis Caelum don't you dare--" He pulled the phone away from his ear to look at the screen. "He hung up." His eyes widened. "Six." He leaped to his feet and bolted up the stairs.

Most of his stuff was already packed up, but he'd done research as soon as he found out he'd be going into the foster care system and discovered that life was often turbulent and unstable for foster kids. The boxed up stuff in his room were things he wouldn't mourn if he never saw them again. He had a single bag packed with essentials and the few valuable things, like his camera, that he'd want regular access to. He'd already taken his important documents and his favorite comics and such over to Noct's place for safekeeping.

He got the last of his things squared away and brought his main bag downstairs. Then he went around cleaning up and checking, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything and that there wasn't anything left out or running that might cause his parents trouble if they took a while to come home (or, more likely, arrange for the house to be sold without even bothering to return). Then he sat nervously on the couch and fidgeted until he heard a car pull into the driveway.

TBC

A/N: I have read a ton of "Dad Cor" and "Prompto Financial Whump" fics and I love almost all of them. I was thinking about those tropes one morning a couple of weeks ago and got sucked into a "Cor adopts teenage Prompto" daydream that I realized would make a good fanfic.

Chapter Text

Home At Last , a Final Fantasy XV fanfic by Raberba girl

Part 2 (rough draft)

Prompto was up instantly, slinging the bag over his shoulder and hurrying to open the door. Noct and the others were piling out of the vehicle (which had an enclosed trailer attached to the back): Ignis, Gladio and...and Cor...the Immortal...?!?!

Prompto swallowed, but no one else got out of the car. They were shutting the doors, bang bang bang bang. Surely Marshal Leonis wasn't the one who'd offered to take in the homeless nobody Niff kid, maybe he'd just...randomly decided to escort them to wherever the foster home was--

"Prompto!" Noct called, gesturing in greeting as he approached.

"Hi," Prompto gasped out, nerves nearly stealing his voice. His eyes kept flicking to Cor. "What...why is...?"

Noct grinned. "He's helping us move you--" He gestured dramatically. "--into his apartment."

Prompto stared at the marshal. "...What?"

Cor stared back. Impossibly, his cheeks had a slightly pink hue, though his expression remained as terrifyingly stern as ever. "Prompto," he greeted in a low rumble.

"What-- Huh?!"

"Cor just adopted you," Noctis confirmed. "Like adopted adopted, none of this foster stuff."

"He still needs to sign the form," Cor grumbled.

"Speaking of which," Ignis said, presenting Prompto with a clipboard and pen.

Prompto stared at the clipboard, then took it gingerly. He started skimming through the paragraphs, and wow it sure looked like legit adoption paperwork, even though he knew it couldn't possibly be. He looked at Cor's signature at the end. Then he looked back up nodded firmly. "This is a joke."

"It's not a joke!" Noctis yelped.

"Because, I mean," Prompto said, looking desperately at Cor, "why on Eos would you want to adopt me?"

Cor reached out. To Prompto's absolute horror, he gently hooked a finger under the wristband. He didn't tug or anything, just kept his hand there, nearly touching the thing Prompto worked so hard to never let anybody see. Then he said softly, "Because I have wanted to ever since I carried you to Insomnia all those years ago, and now I finally have my chance."

He knew. He knew. The Immortal knew about the thing under the wristband, he'd-- he--

Things got jumbly for a bit. Prompto knew it was suddenly hard to breathe, and that he'd dropped his bag and maybe the clipboard, too. People were talking loudly around him, someone was tugging him, and when he was finally fully aware of himself, he was sitting on the couch. Noct was pressed into his side, an arm around him; Gladio had hold of his left hand and was coaching his breathing; Ignis was hovering nearby with a worried expression. Cor hung back, his face like stone. Prompto felt himself start to shake.

"Prompto," Noct said urgently, "Prom, you're okay. You're okay. No one's gonna hurt you, okay?"

Prompto waited, but Cor didn't approach, didn't try to arrest him or hit him or anything. Finally he swallowed, remembered something the man had said earlier, and managed to ask, "Y-You...brought me here?"

Cor shifted in a way that Prompto might have called fidgety in anyone else. "I got you out of that godforsaken facility in Niflheim. You lived in my apartment for a few weeks, until they denied my custody petition and took you away. I don't know if you remember that stuffed chocobo I gave you, but--"

"FLUFFY?!" Prompto shrieked, so loudly that the others winced. He couldn't seem to lower his own volume. "YOU GAVE ME FLUFFY?!"

The stuffed animal was one of the things currently at the prince's apartment. Noct took out his phone, found a photo he'd once taken of the toy to tease Prompto, and held it out. Cor moved closer to see.

"Yes, that one," he confirmed. "I got it for you in Tenebrae. It seemed to help you sleep better."

Prompto buried his face in his hands. "This is a weird dream, isn't it. No way this is real. My mind is blown."

"Mine is, too!" Noctis piped up. "You brought Prompto here from Niflheim, Cor? Did you steal him or something?!"

"The orphan," Ignis suddenly said. "You mentioned an orphan you'd once been denied guardianship of. It was Prompto."

"Yes."

Cor's eyes were locked on Prompto's now. They stared at each other until Gladio finally cleared his throat. "You guys can talk. We'll start packing up your stuff."

"It's...uh...already packed," Prompto said faintly. "Everything in my room that's in a box can go, everything else is staying."

"Very well." Ignis patted Prompto's shoulder. Noct gave him one last squeeze, then the three of them all went upstairs.

In the living room, it was quiet for a while. Cor finally sat down in a nearby armchair and laced his fingers together, then unlaced them and wiped his palms on his pants.

"Wherever you got me from," Prompto finally said in a small voice, "it was bad?"

"It was the worst thing I've ever seen," Cor said flatly.

Which, considering the man's history and line of work, was horrifying. "Bad enough to leave, uh, marks on their kids?"

Cor met his eyes, clearly picking up on what Prompto couldn't bring himself to ask outright. "Years ago, I infiltrated an enemy production facility while on a mission. In the laboratories, they were performing extremely unethical experiments. The minute I saw you, I knew I had to get you out. So I did."

Prompto's heart twisted in his chest. "I'm a lab experiment," he whispered, looking at his wrist. It was covered, but he imagined he could still see the wretched marks beneath.

"You're a Lucian," Cor said, and Prompto startled. "You were an innocent child back then, and you've been in Insomnia ever since. I wish I could have been there for you while you were growing up. If you don't want to come live with me, I will respect your decision. But if you're willing...I would like to be to you now what I was prevented from being to you then."

Prompto tried to answer, but was horrified when tears came out instead of words.

He cried for a while, feeling like an idiot sobbing into his hands as Cor the Immortal practically radiated 'I Am Extremely Uncomfortable' vibes. Then, impossibly, the marshal got up and came over to the couch and sat down next to Prompto, and...put an arm around him. Prompto couldn't help leaning into the man a little, and was both shocked and gratified when the arm around him tightened and Cor's head rested on his. Prompto cried even harder and risked closing his fingers into the fabric of Cor's shirt. Cor did not react except to rub his hand up and down Prompto's shoulder a little.

He could sense his friends moving boxes in his peripheral vision, coming in and out the open front door. When Prompto finally wound down from crying, Ignis came over with the clipboard. "Do you want to wait a little while before making a decision?"

Prompto looked up at Cor. "Do you really want me?" he asked. His voice was soft and shaky, and he wondered if Cor had even heard.

"I signed the forms, didn't I?"

After a minute, Prompto reached hesitantly for the pen. He glanced at Cor one last time.

"Sign the forms, blondie," Gladio called from the front hall.

Prompto giggled nervously, then obeyed before he could lose his courage. When he finished, the arm Cor still had around his shoulders squeezed again.

Prompto tried to help move the last of his stuff, but all that was really left was furniture. "Uh, I...I'm not super-attached to any of it, I just need a place to sleep and maybe a desk...."

"I can get you new ones," Cor said, frowning at the narrow bed and cramped desk in Prompto's-- in the bedroom Prompto had grown up in.

"Oh, you really don't have to--"

"Let your father spoil you a bit, Prompto," Ignis said, patting him. Prompto made an involuntary squeaking sound and then went very quiet.

Prompto tried to feel something as he closed the door of his parents' house for the final time and hid his key with the spare. He was too busy with other feelings, though, still in shock about being suddenly adopted and both excited and sick with nerves about his future. Maybe Cor would realize his mistake in the next few days and kick Prompto out again, maybe he would be too strict for Prompto to handle, maybe--

"HEY, PROM LOVES THIS SONG," Noct practically bellowed next to his ear, and Prompto startled.

They were all crammed together in the car, and the song that had just come on the radio was indeed one of his favorites. "Uuhhh, I don't think the marshal wants to hear--"

"It's 'Dad' now," Gladio corrected, elbowing him. "And I'm sure he'd love to hear you sing."

"No! And no way, I'm not calling him that! It's...insulting."

"It's not," Cor said from the front.

"It's not insulting," Gladio repeated gravely.

Prompto didn't even want to know what his skin looked like, it felt like it was on fire from all the blushing he was doing. Then he realized his friends had distracted him from his spiraling panic. "I-If you sing, too, Noct, then I will.... Just promise not to throw me out of the car if it's bad, okay, 'Dad'?"

He held his breath, but Cor didn't object to being called 'Dad.' "I won't throw you out of the car."

And he didn't.

o.o.o

They went to Cor's apartment first and carried all the boxes inside. Prompto got his first glimpse of Cor Leonis's home, and it was...about what he expected: spartan and dusty. The guy worked so much he was probably rarely home, and the possessions he did have mostly seemed practical. No knick-knacks, no pictures on the wall, no homey touches....

"This is a disgrace," Ignis said flatly. "I don't know whether to assist you on your shopping trip or work on turning this warehouse into a proper home for your son."

Prompto blushed again at being referred to as Cor's son, but luckily, no one noticed (or at least, no one commented on it).

"I can put Noct to work unpacking," Gladio offered. "You go on with these two, help them pick out some stuff."

"Very well. If it is acceptable to you, Marshal? Prompto?"

"Uh...." Prompto glanced at Cor, who simply nodded at Ignis. "Yeah, sure!"

They went to a furniture store first, where they put in orders to be delivered later. Prompto hesitantly picked out a simple desk with a relatively low price listed on the tag, but Cor said doubtfully, "It doesn't look big enough to be comfortable." Ignis steered them farther along and Cor studied a desk that had both a large surface area and tons of storage. "What about this one?" he asked.

The desk looked awesome, but the price was kind of terrifying. "I mean, it's cool, but if we're gonna get a bed, too, we might-- I mean, like, what's the budget for today's shopping...?"

Prompto swallowed nervously as both Cor and Ignis stared at him, the former in surprise and the latter with a soft expression that looked somehow sad, satisfied, and angry all at the same time. "Prompto," Ignis said, "you are in a significantly higher social class now. Rest assured that the marshal will let you know if there's a problem; otherwise, it's safe to assume that money is no object."

Prompto looked, wide-eyed, at Cor, who said flatly, "I make a lot of money and barely have anything to spend it on. So there's a lot of it. Nothing you pick out today is going to cause me trouble."

Prompto swallowed. "We can...I mean, I'm not picky, this is a nice desk but the other one was fine, too; I--"

Ignis snapped a photo of the product number and then ushered them on.

TBC

Chapter Text

Home At Last , a Final Fantasy XV fanfic by Raberba girl

Part 3 (rough draft)

Prompto allowed the adults to pick out a bed and mattress for him that were larger than the little twin he'd slept on at his par-- at the Argentums'. However, he needed bedding as well, and they were more interested in getting his input on that. He looked around a little desperately and grabbed the first serviceable-looking package of sheets off the shelf that he saw.

Ignis did not look pleased. "Hmmm. I would have thought something like this would be more to your taste." To Prompto's utter mortification, he picked up a set of bright yellow bedding with tiny cartoon chocobos printed on the sheets and a giant chocobo head on the bedspread.

"Th-That's...for kids, isn't it...?!"

"It fits your new bed."

Prompto's eyes darted nervously to Cor. "I mean, it's-- pretty babyish, right? For someone...rooming with the marshal of the Crownsguard...."

"I thought you liked chocobos," Cor said.

"What?!"

"Your phone."

Prompto covered his crimson face with his hands. His phone was hidden in his pocket at the moment, but apparently the Immortal had noticed at some point that the thing had a chocobo case, a chocobo charm, and chocobo stickers.

"And your socks," Cor added, and Prompto wanted the ground to swallow him. He was not used to anyone other than his three friends paying even a fraction of that much attention to him.

"I'm so sorry," Prompto whispered, peeking through his fingers.

Cor frowned. "You don't want the sheets?"

Prompto loved the sheets. That was irrelevant. "I don't wanna, you know, ruin your aesthetic."

Cor turned to Ignis as if looking for help, of all things.

"As much positive affirmation as you can manage," Ignis said, firmly setting the chocobo bedding in the shopping cart and reaching for another set that was literally sunset-colored. "And praise, though a little of that goes a long way. He gets easily overwhelmed."

Cor turned back to Prompto and said, gruff and awkward, "Good job choosing the sheets."

"Six, Iggyyyy...!" Prompto wheezed.

It got a little easier as they went along. Prompto obediently picked out a desk chair, a bedside table, a set of shelves, and a chest of drawers, doing his best to not look at the price tags. He chewed his lip when instructed to pick a more casual chair. They must have been watching where his eyes were straying, because he hadn't managed to say a word before Cor suddenly looked at a nearby display of bean bag chairs and then at Ignis, who nodded in silent agreement and then asked Prompto, "Which color would you like?"

"Oh Six, um...." Shyly, he picked out one with a pattern of yellow diamonds on it.

Ignis finished the trip by picking out a few general home accessories. "Do we really need those?" Cor asked when Ignis stopped to examine some paintings. "Isn't Prompto a photographer?"

"Oh - yes, that's a much better idea."

"Wait, what?!" Prompto yelped. "Like, for the walls?! Oh, no, no no no no no, my stuff isn't, like, display quality, most of it's just dumb selfies and pictures of random strays and Noct drooling in his sleep--"

"May I see?" Cor asked.

Prompto stared at his waiting hand. Gingerly, he set his phone into it. Cor started scrolling through the photos. Prompto internally cringed harder and harder as he watched the marshal's stoic face showing zero reaction to them. He probably thought they were all crap, they were all crap, the ones on Prompto's camera were a bit better but these on his phone were mostly just stupid impulse photos he never meant anyone to see except maybe Noct--

"This one," Cor said abruptly, pointing out a picture of Noct crouching down to offer a bit of his lunch to an alley cat. He started scrolling back through the photos he'd already viewed. "This one," he said again, this time indicating a selection from that lighting practice Prompto had done a while back during a bout of insomnia, testing out how the shadows played across his face as he peeked out from behind a pillow near his bedside lamp. "This one, and this one. They're better than anything in this store." Those were, respectively, a selfie of Noct and Prompto making dumb faces by a statue of King Mors and another of Prompto pointing excitedly at a mother duck leading her babies past him.

"Oh Six," Prompto whimpered, what felt like his entire body blushing in simultaneous embarrassment and pleasure at the compliments.

"We'll need frames," Ignis said, businesslike. "Prompto, how large can the prints go without quality degradation?"

"Oh gosh...."

He finally managed to recover after they'd paid for their purchases. To his surprise, they went to an electronics store next. "What are we getting here?"

"You'll need a computer for your schoolwork and job applications and such," Ignis said as they got out of the car.

Prompto gasped. "Oh! No! I just use the school computers or my phone, sometimes the library computers, I really don't need--"

"Is he always like this?" Cor asked Ignis.

"After half a lifetime of even his most basic needs failing to be met consistently?" Ignis shot back.

"Ah."

Prompto felt his face heat up again. "They did send me money, you know. Up until recently."

"Prompto," Ignis stormed, looking on the verge of losing his temper, "they were making you, their minor child, pay rent for living in their home."

"That was only for the past year or so! And it was only a hundred crowns a month, even the crappiest apartment in the city is at least three times that--"

"I'm getting you a computer," Cor interrupted, and that was that.

The argument over the specific choice of laptop was worse than the one over the desk had been, but they finally made a selection, and then Prompto had to really put his foot down when Cor tried to get him a tablet and a video game system on top of that.

"Marsh-- Dad, please. Please. I'm fine. I don't need them, I really don't."

The 'Dad' had been a big gamble, but it seemed to pay off, because it was his first (and only) victory of the day.

"Fine," Cor grumbled. "At least the computer's a good one." He said it like a statement, but his eyes slid to Ignis.

"It is a good computer," Ignis confirmed.

Their last stop was the grocery store, which was a relief in comparison. Ignis and Prompto took the lead there, leaving Cor to trail in their wake with the shopping cart. Ignis picked out some kitchen supplies as well as food. "From what I remember, the cupboards are rather bare. You'll need some basic tools if you plan to do any cooking."

"I only know how to make, like, three things," Prompto confessed. He mostly just ate salads and sandwiches at home when he was being good, and microwavable stuff when he was dead tired or too overwhelmed to do much meal prep.

"We'll have to do something about that."

"Are you...offering to teach me...?"

"Are you willing to learn?"

"H-Heck yeah!"

When they got back to the apartment, they found Noctis napping on the couch with Fluffy tucked under his arm, his head pillowed on Gladio's leg as the Shield read a book. The duo had apparently retrieved Prompto's things from Noctis's apartment. What little had been in Cor's spare bedroom had been cleared out and redistributed throughout the apartment, and there was a bag of take-out on the coffee table and more shopping bags piled on the floor.

"We put most of your clothes in the closet," Gladio said. "Had to buy more hangers and stuff; I'll give you the receipt, Cor. There was a lot of stuff we couldn't put away, though, since there's no furniture."

"It's being delivered tomorrow," Cor said. "We'll make do with my bed and the couch tonight."

Ignis looked at the take-out and sighed.

"I was hungry," Gladio said defensively. "I could definitely eat again if you're cooking, though."

"Wash your hands, then. You'll be making the salad."

Prompto helped Cor measure the spare room, which was when they discovered that their new furniture purchases actually wouldn't all fit unless Prompto was willing to climb over the bed anytime he wanted to get to the desk or access the closet.

"I was planning to buy a house, anyway," Cor muttered. "We can put your desk in the living room in the meantime."

"Oh Six, were you really planning to buy a house, or did you come up with that just now?" Prompto asked apprehensively.

Cor looked at him and his face...softened. It was both kind of heartwarming and really weird to see. Prompto also didn't know what to do with the fact that he was apparently the one who'd made Cor Leonis's face do that. "I was working with a realtor back then," he murmured. "I gave up the idea when I had to give you up, but now that you're back...."

And wasn't that weird, to think of Prompto actually returning to this place he had no memories of. "Just...you spent so frickin' much money on me already, I'm...not...used to it...please...."

Cor rested his hand on Prompto's head for a minute. Then he left the room and Prompto exhaled, taking a moment to gather himself before following.

They shook Noct awake and had an excellent Ignis-cooked meal while squeezed around Cor's kitchen table, which was adequate for two people but not so much for five. They had fun anyway, though. Cor didn't say much, but he looked content as he sat steadily chewing away amidst the loud banter and laughter of the four younger men. They all helped clean up and then the guests left, calling cheerful goodbyes to the new tiny Leonis family.

Cor shut the door after them and then looked at Prompto, who sort of half looked back and fidgeted.

"I don't...have a TV subscription," Cor finally said, as if only just now realizing it. That meant he'd only get the official Crown news channel, infomercials, and amateur broadcasts.

"Oh, uh, that's fine," Prompto said quickly. "We could...watch the news? Or I've got my phone, I can keep busy if you've got work to do."

Cor looked deep in thought for a moment. Then he went to a shelf, fiddled with something, and came back with a small data drive in his hand. "The original recordings were on VHS," he said quietly. "I made digital copies when the technology started transitioning. We could...if you want...."

"Uh, sure," Prompto said, having no idea what he was agreeing to.

To be concluded

Chapter Text

Home At Last , a Final Fantasy XV fanfic by Raberba girl

Part 4 (rough draft)

Since Prompto hadn't had a chance to set up his new laptop yet, they watched the videos on Cor's computer. Prompto had no idea what to expect, and tilted his head when the first video started with Cor facing the camera. Video-Cor looked at least a decade younger but a lot rougher, grimy and unshaven. The background was this exact same apartment and it appeared to be nighttime, the only light coming from a table lamp.

The Cor in the video, clearly grumpy and exhausted, started with the date, time, and self-identification, all spoken in a hoarse growl. "Just got back from briefing the king about my mission. Espionage in and around Gralea; ended up at the First Magitek Production Facility. Regis has all the documents and recordings I managed to get my hands on. Cloning, depraved experiments involving daemons and daemonic matter, and evidence points to the chancellor playing a far more crucial role than previously--"

He broke off and looked to the side, where a muffled noise was coming from. He muttered a curse and got up, bringing the camera with him. For a minute, the view was a staticky jumble as he walked across the room, down a short hallway, and pushed open a door.

It was nearly impossible to see anything in the room he entered, just a light shining near the floor, an indistinct figure near the middle, and two floating red dots. The noise was now recognizable as the crying of a small child. "Hey," video-Cor said, his voice now surprisingly gentle despite the hoarse rasp. "What are you doing up? I just put you to bed."

"Goh," a little voice wailed from the murky shadows, "Goh...Goh...!"

Video-Cor snapped on the light, and Prompto jumped when the image suddenly resolved itself. In the middle of a large bed sat a tiny yellow-haired child. Prompto felt chills of horror run down his spine at the sight of the child's glowing red eyes and starkly visible barcode, but he was simultaneously distracted by the sight of Fluffy.

Fluffy. Fluffy the chocobo, though much plumper and perkier than the faded and sagging toy it was today. Fluffy, clutched tight in one of the monster baby's arms as the other arm stretched out desperately toward video-Cor, oh-em-gee that was HIM, that was--! "That's me?!" Prompto gasped, suddenly shaking. "That's-- What?! WHAT?!"

Cor put an arm around him.

Prompto stared, riveted, feeling shocked and awed and scared. Up until this moment, he hadn't...actually believed that he'd known Cor as a baby. It just seemed impossible. But now the proof was staring him in the face, and it was freakin' surreal. Even more so with those creepy red eyes that didn't belong on a human being. His wrist itched. What...what the hell was he...?!

Baby-Prom continued to beg for 'Goh' until video-Cor walked over and sat on the bed. Baby-Prom immediately crawled into his lap and clung to him, the camera awkwardly angled down in an attempt to keep him in view.

"We're not on the road anymore, kid," video-Cor said. "You're gonna have to get used to us not being joined at the hip 24/7."

"Gohhh," the baby cooed, sounding a little happier now as he played with one of video-Cor's buttons.

"Prompto." Prompto stiffened, feeling a thrill of fear and excitement run through him at the sound of his name. "You have to go back to sleep. It's late."

"Nigh', Goh."

Video-Cor sighed. "I need a shower first. I stink."

"Nigh', Goh!"

Video-Cor looked into the camera. "Looks like I have my orders," he said very dryly. "I'll finish this tomorrow."

The image cut out. A second later, it was replaced by the sight of baby-Prom sitting on the floor of the kitchen in bright sunlight, Fluffy perched beside him and a plate of dry cereal in front of him. He was occupied grabbing pieces of cereal in both chubby fists and bringing them to his mouth, chewing each bite painstakingly. The barcode was even more glaring in the light of day, though it was also a little jarring that baby-Prom seemed so unconscious of something that haunted older-Prompto so deeply.

"It's morning," video-Cor announced, giving the date, time, and self-identification. "I was going to finish my report, but Prompto decided that breakfast was more important, so now we're having breakfast instead of following post-mission protocol."

Baby-Prom eyed the camera and giggled.

"That's right, I'm talking about you," video-Cor said. "Prompto."

"Ha ha!"

"Prompto."

"Ha ha ha!"

"Prompto Leonis."

Prompto swallowed. His baby self clapped his hands and cackled even longer and more loudly than before, the sound so delightful it sent a pang through him. He didn't know how a creature with such creepy eyes could make such an endearing noise.

"Goh!"

"Prompto Leonis."

"Goh~!"

"Promp. To."

"Ha ha ha ha ha~!"

The video changed again. This time it showed baby-Prom sitting on the living room floor in a chocobo outfit, taking toys out of a basket one at a time and adding them to a pile.

"Day 2," video-Cor said. His voice sounded smoother now. "Nights are still rough, but he's adjusting pretty well during the day. We've been doing a lot of shopping. He's never tried to take the sunglasses and wristband off when we're in public, but he started pulling them off himself when we get home. I assume he feels safe enough here to initiate that sort of alteration, so that's encouraging."

Baby-Prom set down a plastic yellow frame and studied it for a minute. Then he picked up a colored block and tried to push it through one of the holes in the frame.

"That's the wrong one, Prompto," video-Cor said. "That's a square, it won't fit in the triangle hole. You have to find the triangle block."

Baby-Prom continued trying to push the square block into the triangle hole until video-Cor reached for the block, moved it to the matching hole, and pushed it through. "Ah!" baby-Prom exclaimed. He looked at Cor, then back at the frame. Then he picked up the triangle block and started trying to push it through the circle hole.

"Prompto...Prom, look at the shapes, they have to match." Video-Cor took the block and pushed it through the correct hole.

Baby-Prom stared at it for a minute. He looked at Cor, then back at the frame. Then he grabbed the circle block, pushed it at the square hole a few times, then expectantly held the block out to Cor.

"You can do it, Prompto. It's a circle, so it goes in the circle hole."

"Goh," baby-Prom commanded. He finally crawled closer and pushed the block into video-Cor's hand.

The man sighed and matched the block. "Like that. They have to match, Prompto."

Prompto eagerly grabbed the rectangle block, banged it into the triangle hole a few times, then presented it to Cor with a grin.

"Now you're just doing it on purpose." Baby-Prom giggled. "The rectangle, Prompto." He tapped at the correct hole. "Rectangle goes with rectangle." Baby-Prom shoved the block at his hand until he finally relented and matched the block.

"Ha ha ha! Goh~!" Baby-Prom grabbed the oval block, banged it randomly on the frame a couple of times, then thrust it at Cor with an even bigger grin than before.

"You're just making up your own rules now, you little non-conformist."

"Goh!"

"Fine. Here." Video-Cor matched it, and baby-Prom let loose with his most infectious peal of laughter yet. "Stop being cute," video-Cor ordered. "I don't do cute."

Baby-Prom ducked his head and smiled coyly at him. "Heeee."

"What did I just say."

Baby-Prom picked up the frame with both hands and made the most exaggerated 'I am UTTERLY SHOCKED!' expression ever at the sight of all the blocks clustered beneath. Maintaining the wide-open eyes and mouth, he turned his 'SHOCKED!' face up to Cor.

Video-Cor turned the camera around and stared into it, completely deadpan. "Ladies and gentlemen, my kid," he announced, then the video suddenly jerked wildly and changed.

The scene was the living room again. A children's show was playing on TV and baby-Prom was dancing to the music, bobbing up and down enthusiastically and sometimes wiggling his diapered butt or waving Fluffy. He sort of hopped around in a semi-circle until he was facing the camera, at which point his already bright grin grew even bigger and he redoubled his efforts.

"I see it now," video-Cor said. "Niflheim's grand plan. Step one: create an army of babies. Step two: leave said babies where unsuspecting Lucians will find them. Step three: wait for babies to wrap aforementioned foolish Lucians around their little fingers. Step four: watch as Insomnia comes under the complete thrall of tiny Niflers. Step five: unknown. My capacity for rational thought has evaporated because I'm too distracted watching my new overlord be outrageously adorable." All spoken in a dead-serious tone as if it was a legitimate report.

Something occurred to Prompto as he watched baby-him cavorting around with no pants. "Did you--? You never, like...changed my diapers or anything, right?" he asked. He could not imagine Cor the Immortal coming within three meters of a poopy diaper, but then-- Had he...paid a neighbor to handle that sort of thing, or...?

Cor frowned down at him. "Was I supposed to just let you sit in your own waste?"

Prompto's entire being flooded with sheer horror. "Oh no," he gasped, too mortified to even cuss as he buried his face in his hands. "Oh no, oh please nooooooo...!"

"I got better at it after the first couple of times," Cor grumbled, as if he thought his diaper-changing skill was the problem here.

The videos continued. Prompto was startled to realize at one point that baby-Prom's eyes were changing over time, losing the glow and then shifting from red to purple and then lightening to lavender and then mostly blue.

He wasn't sure when tears started streaming down his face. It was for sure happening by the time of the last video, where baby-Prom was curled up in Cor's bed with his thumb in his mouth and Fluffy under his arm.

"He's sucking his thumb now," video-Cor murmured quietly, hand moving gently over the toddler's back. "That's a normal baby thing to do, I think. It's good. You're a good kid, Prom. You're so good." The hand stroked over golden hair and brushed softly across the barcode. "So good. I love you." The hand paused. After a second, baby-Prom shifted a little in his sleep and made a tiny noise.

The camera view was obscured by bedding for a moment as video-Cor leaned over the child. He straightened up again and the view was restored. "I love you," video-Cor whispered again. "Thank you for...being...you. You're a good kid, Prompto Leonis."

The video ended. Cor's arm was still around Prompto's shoulders, and now that there was nothing else to look at, the teen turned his face into Cor's shirt.

After a long silence, Cor finally murmured, "I submitted my custody petition the next day. They didn't even wait for the next session to deny it."

A sob broke free as Prompto thought of what could have been - of what had been stolen from both him and from Cor. The love had been so obvious in the man's tone and gentle touches long before he'd at last voiced it in the final video. He had loved that child, barcode and red eyes and all. He might have been gruff and taciturn and sometimes awkward, but he wouldn't have...left that child behind for days, weeks, months at a time. He wouldn't have dismissed that child, denied him, ignored him. He wouldn't have responded to each accomplishment by withdrawing further, wouldn't have cut off funds while he was still in school and working multiple jobs just to keep food on the table.

Prompto wished he remembered even a crumb of that early love. He had grown up believing he was utterly alone and unwanted; even now, after watching the evidence, he had no recollection of ever being in this home, of ever making his dad match colored blocks for him or dancing to children's songs with Fluffy or being told he was a good kid.

"I missed you," he choked out. It wasn't what he'd meant to say: he didn't remember Cor to miss him in the first place. He missed what he'd never remembered having.

Cor seemed to understand, though. "I'm sorry I didn't come back for you sooner. Maybe...after a few years, I could have...if I'd paid closer attention and noticed how they'd started abandoning you...."

Prompto couldn't bear it. He'd been alone, nothing could change that now. The important thing was that he wasn't alone anymore, that there were warm arms around him now. "Goh," he whispered, "sshhh."

He must have fallen asleep on Cor, because the next time he opened his eyes, it was morning and he was stretched out on the couch under a pile of blankets. He blinked, noted the smell of coffee in the air, and sat up.

Cor was at the kitchen table, sipping at a mug as he looked at his tablet. "Uh...morning," Prompto ventured.

Cor looked up. "Morning," he grunted. He leaned back and rubbed the back of his neck. "I meant to let you have the bed, but you fell asleep on the couch and I didn't want to wake you."

"It's fine." Prompto yawned. "I think I might...go for a quick run...?"

"Mm." Cor shifted his coffee mug. "Mind some company?"

Prompto grinned, delighted. "You'll go with me?!"

"Yes."

"Awesome. Let me see if I can find where Gladio put my jogging clothes...."

o.o.o

The furniture was delivered later that day, and they spent a couple of hours assembling and moving everything into place. Prompto finished unpacking his things and found places for everything, then stood back and looked a little breathlessly at his new room. He'd only been here a day and it already felt more like a home than his parents' house ever had.

He felt the same way when he and his dad moved to their new house about a month later. The shape and size of the space didn't matter; it was the fact that Cor was there, going for runs and drinking coffee with him in the mornings, dropping him off with his friends on the way to work, eating the dinners Prompto cooked in the evenings and helping with the dishes afterward, watching movies with him and telling him stories about his babyhood that hadn't been recorded.

He was there for Prompto's birthdays and his high school graduation. He encouraged his son to join the Crownsguard and actually smiled in public the day Prompto officially completed basic training. He told Prompto with actual spoken words that he was proud of him, and Prompto could see in his father's eyes that he meant it.

"Hey, Dad?" Prompto said, laughing, as he collapsed on the couch after dancing around the living room with Fluffy. The toy lay on his chest, idly held in place by a bare arm. Prompto didn't bother to cover his wrist anymore when he was alone with his dad or his friends.

"Mm?" Cor said, idly running his fingers through his son's hair.

Prompto beamed up at him. "I love you!"

Cor's voice was quiet, but the affection in it was unmistakable. "Love you, too, sunshine."

Prompto closed his eyes in contentment.

o.o.o

A/N: (Cor had to feed baby Prom on the floor because he didn't have a high chair and the only other way to safely feed him would have been to hold him in his lap, which he couldn't do while filming him at the same time. X''D)

When I was younger, I worried a lot about accidentally writing unintentional innuendo, but now that I'm older (especially after getting into Batman comics, where one of the major characters is named Dick), I don't care anymore - I'm just holding readers to higher standards now. The context should be clear enough! ^^;