The Secret Guest

by Maniikoi

Summary:

Noctis sneaks home with a small, stray cat tucked under his jacket. Cue Operation Secret Guest as he and Prompto try to keep it a secret from Ignis.

Notes:

This was originally intended to be a drabble for FFXVTOBER/XVTOBER but it grew a plot and I couldn't keep it short anymore, so enjoy!

Chapter 1

Noctis paces nervously outside his building complex, a small bundle of fur curled up in his arms. Noctis eyes the lobby to see if the concierge has noticed him yet, and if he has, is he wondering why Lucis’ prince looks nervous about going up to his own apartment?

The kitten, tiny and silver with bright green eyes, had been following him around since he finished his shift at the sushi restaurant. In hindsight, maybe he shouldn't have sneaked the kitten some fresh fish when his boss's back was turned, but in his defense, the kitten looked hungry and its mother was nowhere in sight.

He hadn't meant to take it home, but the way it had meowed at him and looked up at him with those large, pleading eyes, had tugged at his heartstrings in a way he couldn't ignore.

So now he's standing in front of the entrance to his apartment complex wondering how he's going to smuggle the kitten past the concierge who will, a hundred and ten percent, tell Ignis about it. 

Gladio will probably laugh at him, Ignis will scold him for not considering that this will mean another duty he will be responsible for, and Prompto—well, Prompto will lose his shit. That was the thought that put the nail in the coffin; the delight and excitement that will be on his best friend's face when he discovers what Noctis brought home.

Noctis pulls his hood up and shifts the kitten in his jacket, making sure it's hidden. The kitten seems content, purring softly against his chest. Noctis gives it a gentle pat, and stealthy goes into the building and makes his way past the concierge when he's busy with one of the tenants.

“Hey, Noct!” Prompto's voice rings out, startling him. Damn. He'd been hoping to have time to have the kitten settled in before Prompto came over for their movie night so he could surprise him.

Noctis freezes, wide-eyed as Prompto jogs over to him with a large grin plastered on his face, waving at the concierge when he shouts at him not to run down the halls. 

“What's up, dude? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

“Uh, nothing,” Noctis mumbles, pulling his jacket tighter. “Just…” Noctis struggles to find an excuse and settles on one closer to the truth. “...tired.”

Prompto raises an eyebrow, his grin fading into a knowing look. “You're hiding something.”

Noctis curses under his breath. He should have known Prompto would see right through him. Prompto has the uncanny ability to read him like an open book, even better than Gladio and Ignis.

“Okay, okay, fine,” Noctis sighs, glancing around to make sure no one is nearby. He carefully unzips his jacket, revealing the tiny kitten nestled inside.

Prompto's eyes widen, and his face lights up like the sun, momentarily blinding Noctis and leaving him staring dazedly at his best friend.  “Oh, my gods, Noct! You brought home a cat!?”

“Shh! Keep it down!” Noctis hisses, looking over Prompto's shoulder to see if the concierge overheard. Noctis edges further down the hallway towards the elevator. “I didn't bring it home on purpose.” A total lie. “It just… followed me. And I couldn't leave it outside on the road where it could get hurt.”

Prompto leans in closer once they're safely hidden in the elevator, and scratches under the kitten's chin. The kitten nuzzles Prompto's hand, purring even louder. “Dude, this is the best thing ever! You've gotta keep it!”

Noctis can't stop the smile creeping onto his face at Prompto's enthusiasm. He knew Prompto would fall in love with the kitten. “Yeah, I kinda figured you'd say that.”

“Oh, c'mon,” Prompto grins, following Noctis out of the elevator once it reaches his floor. “We can hide it in your room for now, and brainstorm a reason why you need a royal cat.”

Noctis chuckles, shaking his head. “Yeah, I'm sure that'll go over well with Iggy.”

Prompto jogs ahead to unlock the door for them, and Noctis finds himself unable to look away from Prompto's beaming face or ignore the way the kitten's happy purring while nestled in his arms has warmth curling in his chest. 

Noctis realizes then and there that he would do just about anything to keep that look on Prompto's face and the kitten safe and happy. It doesn't matter if he has one more thing to worry about or what Ignis may think about it. How hard could it be to take care of one tiny kitten when he's already learning to run a kingdom and take care of its people?

Besides, the kitten already feels like it belongs with them. He knows he technically has Umbra, but Umbra doesn't belong to him; he's a messenger for the Astrals with the ability to control space and time. He likes the idea of having a pet, or in Prompto's words, a royal cat.

They're going to spoil it rotten.

Noctis follows Prompto into his room, carefully setting the kitten down on his bed. It immediately begins exploring, sniffing around the blankets and pawing at the edges of the pillows. 

“Man, it's so cute!” Prompto exclaims, dropping down onto the bed beside the kitten. He wiggles his fingers in front of it, laughing as the kitten pounces and tries to attack his hand.

Noctis lowers himself onto the bed, watching Prompto play with the kitten. “Yeah, but we've still got to figure out what to do now. We can't keep it hidden forever. Gladio and Ignis are going to find out eventually.”

Prompto shrugs, scooping the kitten into his lap. “Gladio will probably think it's hilarious, and Iggy? Well… maybe once he sees how cute it is, he'll go easy on us?”

Noctis likes the way Prompto said us instead of you a little too much, like no matter what the situation is, they're in it together. Almost like—no. Noctis can't think like that. It'll only lead to madness. No matter how he feels, Prompto's his best friend, even though he wishes otherwise. He won't ruin their friendship just because he's gone and caught feelings.

“Yeah, I'll leave that to you.” Noctis snorts. “Everyone knows Iggy has a soft spot for you.”

“Pff, he does not,” Prompto denies, even though everyone knows it's the truth. Ever since Ignis found out about Prompto's living arrangements and the lack of parental figures in his life to ensure he has everything he needs, Ignis has seen to it that Prompto is taken care of. He treats Prompto like he's the prince instead of Noctis. 

Noctis finds he doesn't mind that one bit. Prompto deserves the very best, and he'd move Prompto straight into his apartment and out of that empty house to live with him if it didn't mean breaking protocol and royal etiquette. Prompto practically lives with him already; he doesn't see the issue. Prompto even has the key to his apartment and the clearance to come and go as he pleases.

Prompto’s silent for a moment, absently stroking the kitten's fur. Then he looks up at Noctis, his expression soft. Noctis' pulse thunders in his ears. Gods, Noctis' heart can't handle it when Prompto looks at him like that.

“But seriously, though. Thank you for bringing it home. I know you're gonna get an earful once Iggy finds out.”

Home. Prompto said, Thank you for bringing it home. Noctis feels warmth spreading through his chest at Prompto's words. Prompto thinks of his place as home. 

Noctis' guard falls just enough by that revelation that he doesn't think about what he's about to say until the words have already left his mouth. “I didn't do it for me. I did it for you. I figured you'd love it.”

Prompto grins at him, eyes bright with emotion. Noctis doesn't have time to panic about having practically divulged his feelings to Prompto when Prompto is looking at him like he just handed him the whole world. “Well, you figured right! You're the best, Noct.”

Noctis can feel his cheeks flushing slightly, and he quickly looks away, hoping Prompto doesn't notice. “Yeah, well, don't get used to it.”

Yeah, right. Like he wouldn't do everything in his power to make sure he gives Prompto everything he wants. Ignis may have a soft spot for Prompto, but he's completely and utterly whipped. He'd give Prompto the sun, the moon, and all the stars if he asked. He doesn't know how he would manage that, but he'd try.

The kitten meows loudly, demanding attention. Prompto chuckles and holds it up, examining its tiny face. “We should name it.”

“You wanna name it already?” Noctis asks, unsure whether it's a good idea to name it before he's even survived Ignis’ wrath.

“Of course! It's ours now, right? The little fella needs a name!” Prompto says with a wink, holding the kitten out towards Noctis. “Come on, what do you think? Something cool or something cute?”

Ours. Right. That's right. 

Noctis looks at the kitten, with its eyes bright and curious, its tail flicking back and forth. He remembers the way it ran to keep up with him on the way home before he scooped it up into his arms. 

“I dunno. Maybe… Quicksilver?”

Prompto blinks in surprise, then smiles. Noctis wonders if Prompto understands that he basically named the kitten after him.

“Because it's fast?” Prompto grins. “That's actually kinda perfect. Now the little guy just has to live up to his name.”

Noctis shrugs, pretending to be casual about it as he takes the kitten back into his arms. The kitten, with his soft, silver-gray fur, reminds him of Prompto and the way Prompto always seems to bring light to his life—even when things are dark.

“Quicksilver it is, then,” Prompto says happily. “Quicksilver, welcome to your new home!”

The kitten, now officially Quicksilver, meows in response, climbing out of Noctis’ arms to curl into a ball on his lap, playing with the strings of his jacket.

“Well,” Prompto says, leaning back on his hands. “Now that Quicksilver's settled in, I guess it's time to come up with a game plan.”

Noctis raises an eyebrow, absentmindedly wiggling the cord of his jacket to keep Quicksilver occupied. “Game plan?”

“To keep him a secret, obviously!”

Noctis shakes his head with a soft laugh. “You do realize that Ignis has eyes and ears everywhere, right? Not to mention he sometimes swings by when I'm not home to cook and shit. He'll figure it out, Prom. You can’t hide anything from Ignis.”

“Eh, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But until then, Operation Secret Guest is a go! We'll just need to be extra sneaky.”

Noctis looks down at Quicksilver, who's now chewing on the cord of his jacket. “Yeah, because this little guy totally screams ‘low profile.’”

Prompto laughs. “Hey, we've done crazier things. Remember that time we had to sneak out of a restaurant through the employee exit because the paparazzi were waiting to ambush you in front? Compared to that, this'll be a piece of cake.” 

“Except this time, our biggest threat is getting caught by Ignis,” Noctis says, gently freeing his jacket cord from Quicksilver's teeth. “Iggy is way scarier than the paparazzi.”

“That's true,” Prompto admits with a shudder. They'd once seen Ignis give Gladio a look so cold that it would have given a lesser man frostbite. They still haven't figured out what Gladio had done to piss off Iggy, but Noctis has some theories. “But we've got this! Just leave it to me. I'll make sure Quicksilver has everything he needs.”

“You're really into this, aren't you?” Noctis smiles, already trying to figure out the best way to slip Prompto his credit card without the blond making a huge fuss about it. 

“Duh!” Prompto reaches out, giving Noctis a playful shove. “It's not like I can have a chocobo so a cat is the next best thing!” 

Noctis glances down at Quicksilver to find him falling asleep on his lap, his tiny chest rising and falling with each breath. 

“Well, looks like we're going to be having movie night in my room,” Noctis chuckles. “Wanna sleep over?”

“As long as you don't hog all the blankets,” Prompto laughs.

“I don't hog the blankets,” Noctis says in denial. “You're just terrible at staying under them.”

Prompto rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. “Uh-huh, sure.”

“Definitely sure,” Noctis grins.

“Whatever,” Prompto huffs, a smile playing on his lips. “Do you have snacks or should I make a snack run?”

Whoops. Noctis had been so preoccupied with the kitten that he forgot he was supposed to stop at the corner store to buy snacks for their movie night. “I, uh, kinda forgot?”

“That's fine, Quicksilver stole all your attention, I gotcha,” Prompto says, digging into his pocket for his wallet. 

“No, wait, I'll pay,” Noctis says hurriedly, fishing out his wallet from his jacket while trying not to jostle the kitten sleeping on his lap. It's also a prime excuse to give Prompto his credit card without him making a big deal out of things. He was supposed to be the one paying for their snacks, anyway. 

Noctis tosses his credit card to Prompto, chuckling when he flails to catch it. “Dude! You don't have to—”

“Just get whatever you want, Prom,” Noctis interrupts. “I was supposed to get the stuff anyways, so honestly, you're doing me a favor.”

Prompto hesitates for a second before finally relenting. “Alright, alright, if you insist.” Prompto pockets the card, his excitement bubbling over again. “I'll grab all the essentials! Snacks, drinks, cat food, and maybe some cat toys if they've got any!”

Noctis glances down at the sleeping kitten, his hand resting gently on Quicksilver's soft fur. “Sounds like a plan. Just don't go overboard on the cat toys, okay?”

“No promises!” Prompto calls, already halfway to the door. “See you in a bit!”

As the door clicks shut behind Prompto, Noctis smiles softly down at Quicksilver. “Looks like it's just you and me for now, buddy.”

Noctis gently strokes Quicksilver's fur, watching as the tiny kitten lets out a soft purr in his sleep. His apartment feels too quiet, a stark contrast to the whirlwind energy Prompto left behind. He leans back on his hands, closing his eyes for a moment, letting the stillness settle and trying not to think too much about how empty his apartment feels with Prompto gone.

It's not long before the door swings open again, and Prompto bursts back in, arms full of bags. 

“Okay, I might’ve gone a little overboard,” Prompto admits sheepishly, dropping the bags onto the floor.

Noctis raises an eyebrow, peering inside one of the bags from his spot on the bed. “A little overboard?”

“Hey, in my defense, your pantry is practically a desert island. It's empty, I checked,” Prompto tells him, pulling out snacks, drinks, and an assortment of brightly colored cat toys. “Plus, I figured if we're turning movie night into a sleepover, we might as well do it right!”

Noctis chuckles, shaking his head as he watches Prompto unload everything. 

“At least I found some cat toys,” Prompto continues. “Quicksilver will have plenty of toys now to keep him busy.” 

Prompto tosses one of the cat toys towards Noctis, and it lands on the floor in front of the now-awake kitten, who jumps off Noctis' lap in pursuit of the toy. 

“Guess he's already sold on the idea,” Noctis chuckles, watching Quicksilver bat at the toy with tiny, playful swipes. “Good call on the cat toys.”

“Told ya!” Prompto flops down on the bed beside Noctis, grabbing one of the blankets. “Now, all that's left is to pick a movie.”

“Alright, what are we watching? Your pick,” Noctis offers.

Prompto grins mischievously. “Oh, you're gonna regret saying that. I'm gonna pick the cheesiest action flick I can find.”

Noctis groans, grabbing their snacks and drinks from the floor before flopping down beside Prompto. “Great.”

As Prompto scrolls through the movie options, Quicksilver jumps back onto the bed and settles between them, purring contentedly. 

For the moment, everything feels easy and right—just the two of them, the kitten, and the night ahead. 

Noctis will worry about Ignis finding out about the kitten tomorrow.

Notes:

I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this silly little fic! I had meant to keep this short and fun, but as always, my mind works against me and I ended up outlining this into an actual fic. XD

Comments and kudos are loved! <3 Let me know what you think!

Chapter 2

Summary:

Noct and Prompto rope Gladio into helping them hide the kitten from Ignis.

The next morning, Noctis wakes up to a soft weight on his chest. For one fuzzy, sleep-groggy moment, he thinks Prompto must have rolled over in his sleep and is now fast asleep with his head pillowed on his chest.

Noctis lifts a hand to sleepily card his fingers through Prompto's hair, momentarily confused when Prompto starts to purr at the contact. Noctis lifts his head, blinking blurrily down at Quicksilver's small form curled on his chest. 

“Right,” Noctis muttered groggily, rubbing his eyes. “The kitten.”

Noctis can hear Prompto moving around outside his bedroom, trying to be quiet but not quite succeeding. Noctis sits up carefully, causing Quicksilver to stir and stretch out his little legs, yawning wide.

Of course, Prompto is a morning person, how could he forget? Noctis can count on one hand the number of times he's been awake before Prompto.

“Mornin’, Noct!” Prompto says when he walks by the door and notices he's awake. “Ignis came by to drop off stuff for breakfast. I told him I'd cook to give him a break then snuck out after he was gone to get the rest of the stuff Quicksilver needs. He didn't suspect a thing!”

Noctis stares at him, impressed despite himself. It's not every day you hear someone was able to fool Ignis. He's honestly surprised that Ignis didn't even get suspicious. “I don't know whether to be impressed or worried.”

Prompto grinned, shrugging. “A little of both, probably.”

They set up Quicksilver's litter box and his new dishes and toys; watching as the kitten immediately scampers over to investigate. He eats all the wet food Prompto prepares for him, drinks some water, and then proceeds to beat up one of the toy mice Prompto had gotten him. 

“He’s gonna need more space soon,” Noctis says after a moment, watching Quicksilver dart around the room. “He can’t stay cooped up in my bedroom forever.”

“Yeah, I know,” Prompto agrees, sitting on the edge of his bed. “But we'll figure it out. Maybe we can let him out when no one's around or… we could try telling Gladio first. He might help us keep him hidden for a while.”

Noctis raises an eyebrow. “You think Gladio will help us with a secret kitten?”

Prompto laughs. “Hey, you never know! Plus, if anyone could distract Iggy, it's him.”

Noctis leans back against the headboard, mulling it over. “It's worth a shot, I guess. Worst case scenario, he tells us we're idiots and take him away.” He's not a big fan of that idea, but realistically, that's what the alternative is.

Prompto pouts, crossing his arms. “He wouldn't do that to Quicksilver. Look at him! He's irresistibly cute!”

Noctis glances down at Quicksilver, who has abandoned his toys in favor of attempting to climb Prompto's leg, his tiny claws barely making it halfway up before he slides down. Quicksilver looks up at Prompto with big, hopeful eyes.

“Yeah, he's already growing on me,” Noctis admits, smiling as Prompto picks Quicksilver up and sets him on his lap. 

Prompto's eyes soften as he pets Quicksilver, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, me too.”

“Does this make us his parents?” Noctis jokes, his heart skipping a beat when Prompto leans closer until their shoulders are touching. 

“I guess it does,” Prompto smiles.  “You're a big softie, Noct.”

Noctis rolls his eyes but doesn't deny it, and he sure as hell doesn't pull away from Prompto. He enjoys these moments with Prompto and holds them very close to his heart. He doesn't see himself ever confessing his feelings to Prompto, but during times like these, he's tempted to see if Prompto feels the same—wondering if maybe Prompto is hiding feelings for him out of fear too.

---

Later that day, after carefully plotting their approach, Noctis and Prompto corner Gladio in the training room at the citadel. 

Gladio's finishing up his sparring session, sweat gleaming on his forehead as he wipes it away with a towel.

“You two look suspicious,” Gladio says immediately upon seeing them. He slings the towel around his neck and regards them with a raised eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest. “Out with it. What's going on?”

Prompto nudges Noctis, but Noctis shakes his head, so Prompto jumps in. “Okay, so… don't freak out, but we might have a… guest… in Noct's bedroom.”

Gladio's eyes narrow as he stares at them, his expression unreadable. “A guest. In Noct's bedroom— of the female variety? No fucking way.”

Noctis’ eyes widen, trying to disguise the immediate wave of disgust that follows that crazy assumption. As if Gladio actually thinks he'd sleep with some random girl when Gladio knows fully well that he's gay and crushing on his best friend.

“No! It's not like that at all!” Noctis yelps, shooting Prompto a glare for making it sound like he'd banged some chick and now they can't get rid of her.

Gladio's skepticism only deepens. “Okay, then, so a guy who isn't Prompto is currently in your bedroom!?”

Prompto laughs, waving his hands. “Yeah, definitely not what you're thinking! It's… well… it's a kitten.”

Prompto glances at Noctis for support, and when Noctis sighs and nods, Prompto pulls out his phone. He flips to a photo he'd snapped earlier that morning of Quicksilver curled up in Noctis’ lap and holds it up for Gladio to see.

“A kitten,” Gladio says slowly, leaning in to look at the picture. “Where did you get a kitten?”

“It followed me home,” Noctis mutters, scratching the back of his neck. 

Gladio’s stern face holds for a few more seconds before he laughs. “Of all the things you two could’ve smuggled into Noctis' apartment, and you smuggle in a kitten? Seriously?”

“His name’s Quicksilver,” Prompto said quickly, eyes suddenly wide with hope when Gladio didn’t react negatively. “And we can take care of him! We already got everything he needs, and he won't cause any trouble, I swear! I'll take care of him when Noct's busy.”

Gladio shakes his head at Noctis, still chuckling. “You know Ignis is going to kill you, right?” 

Noctis grimaces. “That's why we're asking you for help.” 

For a moment, Gladio just stares at him. Then, after what feels like an eternity, he lets out a deep sigh. “So let me get this straight—you two idiots are hiding a kitten in Noct's bedroom, and now you want me to help you keep it a secret from Ignis?”

“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up,” Noctis agrees. “We just need to keep him hidden for a little while. At least until we figure out how to break it to Ignis without getting one of those you should know better speeches.”

“You seriously want me to be part of this… kitten conspiracy?” Gladio says with amusement. 

Noctis shrugs helplessly. “You're our only hope, man.”

Gladio crosses his arms, eyeing them both. “You know Ignis is gonna lose his mind when he finds out, right?”

“We'll owe you big time!" Prompto pleads.

Gladio lets out a long sigh, shaking his head. “You guys are something else. Fine. I’ll help, but only because I’m curious to see how long you can pull this off. But when Ignis finds out—and trust me, he will find out—I'm not getting dragged down with you.” 

Prompto pumps a fist in victory. “Yes! Thanks, big guy!”

Noctis sighs in relief, visibly relaxing now that Gladio’s onboard. He'd been dreading this conversation ever since Prompto proposed it; shoulders tense and stressing over the moment he'd have to witness Prompto's face fall if Gladio told them they couldn't keep it. “Yeah, man, thanks. You're a lifesaver.”

Gladio chuckles. “You're gonna need more than me to save you when Ignis finds out about this.”

Prompto beams and claps Noctis on the shoulder. “Operation Secret Guest is officially a team effort!”

“Just don’t let it interfere with training, got it? I don’t care how cute the thing is,” Gladio warns.

“We won't,” Noctis promises. “Thanks, Gladio.”

“Yeah, yeah, now get outta here before I change my mind,” Gladio grunts.

“A kitten… seriously,” Gladio mutters to himself as he turns away to go back to training, grinning to himself when he imagines the trouble those two are going to be in when Ignis finds out.  “Those two are way in over their heads.”

Notes:

THEY GOT THE LITTERBOX!!!! *throws hands in the air*

All the comments from the last chapter about those two dorks not thinking about the litterbox seriously cracked me up, so thank you for that! XD Prompto thought toys were much more important.

Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this update and hope to have the next one up soon!

Comments and kudos are loved! <3

Chapter 3

Noctis’ phone buzzes with an incoming message while he and Prompto are playing video games in his bedroom. Dread immediately fills him when he sees that the text is from Ignis. He thumbs the screen to open the message, his eyes widening as he reads the damning six words Ignis sent to him.

Ignis: I’m coming by in ten minutes. 

Noctis pales. “Prompto...”

Prompto leans against his side to peek at the phone and instantly shoots up, his controller falling to the floor in his panic. “Oh, shit! We’ve got ten minutes to hide everything!”

Both of them scramble to their feet, Prompto frantically gathering up the toys while Noctis scoops up Quicksilver, who looks far too calm for the chaos erupting around him.

“Quick put the cat stuff in the closet!” Noctis orders, holding the kitten close as he tries to think of what to do.

Prompto’s moving at lightning speed, shoving all of Quicksilver’s stuff into the closet with little care in his hurry to remove the evidence of the kitten’s existence from Noctis’ room.

“What about Quicksilver?!” Prompto asks in a panic. “We can’t just shove him in there, too!”

Noctis looks down at the kitten, who’s staring back up at him with wide, innocent eyes, clearly oblivious to the impending doom about to descend upon them all. “I don’t know! Maybe under the bed?”

“You think Ignis won’t notice a kitten under your bed?” Prompto hisses, looking around wildly for another hiding spot. “He'll crawl out, and then Iggy will find out for sure!”

Noctis looks just as frantic, his eyes darting around the room. “Well, do you have any other bright ideas!?!”

Suddenly, Prompto's eyes light up. “I’ve got it!” Prompto rushes over, grabbing Noctis’ hoodie from his gaming chair. “Hurry! Put this on!

Noctis blinks. “What? Why?”

Prompto waves the hoodie like a maniac taunting a bull to charge. “Just trust me! Put this on and hide Quicksilver in your hoodie! Just try to act normal, it’s baggy so hopefully Iggy won’t notice!”

With no time to argue, Noctis quickly pulls the hoodie over his head and hides Quicksilver in the hoodie, holding the tiny kitten close to his chest. The kitten, surprisingly compliant, snuggles into the soft folds of the hoodie and starts to purr contentedly. Noctis gives Prompto a wide-eyed look, trying to adjust the hoodie so it falls around his body to look more natural when he crosses his arms to hold the kitten up.

"How do I look?" Noctis asks, his voice tense as he tries to keep his cool.

Prompto gives him a quick once-over, then grins. "Honestly? Pretty cozy. Just don’t move too much, and you should be fine.”

Before Noctis can respond, they hear the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock before the front door opens and footsteps approach his bedroom.

“He’s here!” Prompto hisses, his eyes darting around the room to make sure there’s nothing he forgot to put away.

The door to Noctis’ bedroom swings open, and Ignis steps inside. He glances around the room, his eyes sweeping over everything. Noctis stands there, trying to act as natural as possible, his arms folded loosely over the kitten hidden in his hoodie. Prompto is leaning against his desk, trying to look casual but clearly a little too stiff.

Ignis raises an eyebrow. "You both look... rather suspicious." Ignis’ sharp gaze flicks between them, narrowing slightly. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Noctis forces a smile, mentally willing Quicksilver to stay still and to stay quiet. "Us? Suspicious? Nah, we're just... hanging out."

Prompto nods way too enthusiastically. "Yup! Just, uh, chilling. Nothing suspicious going on at all."

Ignis doesn't seem all too convinced, but he doesn't press the issue. Shrugging, he walks back out and heads toward the kitchen. 

"I thought I’d make something light for lunch," Ignis says, his tone neutral, although his eyes linger a little too long on Noctis. "I trust that you have put some time into studying for your finals and haven't been playing games all weekend with Prompto?”

Fuck. He forgot it's exam week! To be fair, he did get some studying time in before he kicked Prompto’s ass in Mooglecart… and watched movies until 3am. He's fairly certain he can pull it off without a hitch. It's only a history exam, so he's not all that worried. He probably knows far more about Lucian history than the teacher does, being the Prince of Lucis and all.

"Studied all night!" Noctis blurts out, wincing slightly at how loud and nervous he sounds. He tightens his grip on his hoodie, feeling Quicksilver shift slightly beneath it.

Ignis’ eyes flicker back to him, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. “Are you quite alright?”

Noctis swallows hard, his heart racing as he tries to maintain his composure, knowing he’s already fucking up. Studying all night?  Pff, even Ignis wouldn’t buy that. “Y-Yeah, everything’s fine. Just… a bit tired. I didn’t sleep well.”

Ignis takes a step closer, and for a terrifying moment, Noctis wonders if he can somehow see through his hoodie or see the small lump where Quicksilver is curled against his chest, but before Ignis can get any closer, Quicksilver—content in his warm hiding place—lets out the tiniest, softest purr.

The room falls silent.

Ignis tilts his head, eyes narrowing as he zeroes in on the faint sound. “What was that?”

Prompto’s eyes go wide, and Noctis freezes, holding his breath. He opens his mouth to say something—anything—but nothing comes out.

In a burst of pure desperation, Prompto steps forward, laughing a little too loudly. “Oh! That was my stomach! Skipped breakfast, heh. Guess I’m hungrier than I thought! Thank the Astrals you came by to make us lunch!”

Ignis’ gaze remains skeptical, but he simply sighs and turns back toward the kitchen. “Very well. I’ll prepare something quickly.”

As soon as he’s out of sight, Prompto exhales sharply, mouthing a silent "thank fuck" to Noctis. Noctis, still clutching Quicksilver, can only nod in agreement, his heart still pounding.

“We’re doomed,” Noctis mutters under his breath, adjusting his hoodie to make sure the kitten is still as hidden as possible before following Ignis into the kitchen with Prompto in tow.

Prompto fumbles with his phone, typing out a frantic text to Gladio: SOS. Distract Iggy. Now. Kitten hidden in Noct’s hoodie. Mayday Mayday.

Gladio's response comes in a few seconds later with a simple: 👍

As soon as the message is sent, Prompto pockets his phone and shoots Noctis a look. "Gladio’s on his way.”

Noctis nods, praying that Quicksilver will stay quiet.

Ignis moves around the kitchen, glancing at them every now and then with a sharp, calculating look. 

“So,” Ignis says. “What exactly have you two been up to this morning?”

Before either of them can respond and exaggerate how much “studying” they’ve been doing, the door to Noctis’ apartment opens. Gladio steps into the kitchen, fresh from his morning jog, a towel slung around his neck as he wipes the last bit of sweat from his brow. He looks like he ran the whole way here. 

“Hey, Iggy!” Gladio says, a little too loudly. “Are you cooking up something good?”

Ignis raises an eyebrow at Gladio, clearly surprised by his sudden appearance. “I am, but you’re early—don’t tell me you finished your route already?”

Gladio lets out a bark of laughter, walking over to Ignis’ side. “What can I say? Needed a break. Thought I’d stop by to see if I could grab a bite to eat before they finished everything off.”

Noctis shoots Gladio a grateful look, silently begging him to keep Ignis distracted. Prompto, catching on quickly, does his best to act normal.

Ignis looks a little puzzled by Gladio’s sudden enthusiasm—Gladio’s not one to skip or quit his workout routine before he’s finished. “Well, you’re in luck. I’m preparing more than enough. I was going to package some leftovers to bring over to you.”

Gladio claps a hand on Ignis’ shoulder. “Yeah? Maybe you could show me what you’re working with and I could help you out."

Gladio’s sudden interest in cooking is unusual enough to divert Ignis’ attention for the moment. He heads over to the counter where he had already taken everything out that he needed to prepare lunch, showing Gladio the new recipe for the meal he was preparing. “If you must know, it’s a simple dish, but the key is in the seasoning. Now, pay attention…”

While Ignis explains the intricacies of his cooking, Gladio gives a subtle nod over his shoulder to Noctis and Prompto, as if saying, Handle it now.

Prompto acts fast. He immediately starts clearing the kitchen table from the mess of snack wrappers and empty soda bottles they had left there the night before. “Hey, uh, I’ll get the table set up for you, Iggy! Noct, you can go, um, wash your hands or something.”

Noctis takes the hint, carefully sliding out of the room, holding his hoodie close as he moves. Quicksilver shifts slightly but stays quiet. As he walks to his bedroom, Noctis risks a glance back at Ignis, who is now fully engaged in a discussion with Gladio about proper cooking techniques. Gladio, to his credit, is nodding along, clearly doing his best to keep Ignis occupied while he escapes with Quicksilver.

Noctis hurries to his bedroom while Ignis’ attention is focused on Gladio, shutting the door quietly behind him. He quickly lifts Quicksilver out of his hoodie and sets the kitten gently on the bed. Quicksilver stretches lazily, completely unaware of the trouble he’d nearly caused.

“You almost got me killed, buddy,” Noctis whispers, running a hand through his hair as he takes a deep breath.

Back in the kitchen, Prompto’s still nervously bustling around, rearranging things and trying to avoid Ignis’ eyes. It seems like Gladio’s distraction is working, at least for now. Ignis is too focused on explaining his process to Gladio to notice anything out of the ordinary.

“So, what’s the deal with you suddenly wanting to cook, Gladio?” Ignis asks, his tone curious as he plates the last of the food and allows Prompto to place the dishes on the table.

Gladio shrugs, flashing a grin. “Gotta learn sometime, right? Besides, I figured you could use a hand in the kitchen once in a while. Keep things interesting.”

Ignis gives him a skeptical look but doesn't press him for more details, happy that one of them even has any interest in learning how to cook. Everyone knows the Amicitia's live in a huge estate that houses enough staff that the royal family's shields would never have to cook for themselves.

Ignis turns back toward the table, giving Prompto an assessing look. “I must say, you two have been acting rather odd today. Are you certain there’s nothing I should know?”

Before Prompto can respond, Noctis reappears, his hoodie now empty and the kitten safely tucked away sleeping under his blankets and clothes carefully arranged on his computer chair. 

“Uh, just washed up. Ready to eat?” Noctis says a little too quickly.

Ignis studies him for a moment, but before he can say anything, Gladio cuts in. “Alright, let’s dig in. I’m starving over here.”

The tension breaks as Ignis nods, and they all sit down to eat. Noctis gives Gladio a quick, relieved look, knowing they had dodged a major bullet thanks to him.

As they all start eating, Gladio leans back in his chair, smirking to himself. He doesn't say a word, but Noctis can see the amused glint in his eyes. He's enjoying this way too much.

Ignis, meanwhile, seems none the wiser, at least for now. 

“Sooo, Noct,” Prompto says, trying to steer the conversation away from anything involving small, furry stowaways. “Did you see the trailer for the new DLC yet? The one where we—and by 'we,' I mean our digital selves—are supposedly doing some crazy mission on a new planet overrun by behemoths??”

Noctis looked up from his food. “You mean the one where your character somehow ends up dual-wielding rocket launchers like you’re in some action movie? Yeah, I saw it.”

“Right?!” Prompto bounces in his seat. “I mean, my character is already the best—let’s not kid ourselves here—but that’s just epic! Did you see that midair somersault shot in the trailer? I might actually cry tears of joy if I can pull that maneuver off in game.”

Noctis smirks, resting his chin on his hand as he watches Prompto’s excitement grow. “So what you’re saying is that you’re just gonna hog my computer to show off as soon as I buy you the DLC?”

“Uhhh, correction: showing off and saving the day, thank you very much.” Prompto gives an exaggerated wink. “But come on, you gotta admit, it looks amazing. The graphics? The new weapons? They even gave your character a fancy new sword—what was it called again? Shadow... something?”

“Shadow Fang,” Noctis says with a shrug. “Looks decent, I guess.”

“Decent?!” Prompto feigns offence, clutching his chest. “Dude, they made you look like some edgy emo knight straight out of an anime! That’s, like, your dream aesthetic. Admit it.”

“Whatever,” Noctis mutters, but the corners of his lips twitch upward, knowing Prompto’s got him pegged. “You’re more hyped about it than I am.”

“Of course I am!” Prompto says, leaning closer with a grin. “But seriously, we gotta pre-order. Like, today. I heard there’s exclusive content if you do.”

Noctis shakes his head in amusement. “Fine, we’ll check it out later. But if I catch you bragging about your guns being better than my sword, we’re gonna have a problem.”

“No promises!” Prompto laughs, lifting his soda in a mock toast. “Here’s to virtual us kicking butt—and looking amazing while doing it!”

“So…” Ignis whispers conspiringly to Gladio while Prompto and Noctis are busy arguing over whose weapons are better. “Are you ready to fork over fifty yen?”

“Hey now, what makes you think I’ve lost our bet?” Gladio quietly exclaims.

“Come now,” Ignis scoffs. “It’s obvious they confessed their feelings to each other and don’t want us to find out they’re together. They’ve been acting strange all morning, even you can’t have missed the way they were acting. It’s clear something… happened… between them and they’re worried we may suspect something.”

"Alright, let’s say you’re right. What do you think happened? A confession while cuddling in bed? A steamy kiss after a gaming session? How romantic,” Gladio drawls, rolling his eyes.

Ignis narrows his eyes at him. "Call it romantic if you must, but I’d wager it was something more significant than that."

Before Gladio can reply, Prompto’s voice cuts through their conversation, loud and defensive. "Oh, come on, Noct! My guns are way more versatile than that clunky sword of yours!"

Noctis groans, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Versatile? Your guns can’t block a behemoth’s claw, Prompto. They’re great for support, but that’s it.”

Gladio leans closer to Ignis, his voice dropping to a whisper; playing along with Ignis’ theory despite knowing the true reason behind their behavior. "I’ll give you this, Iggy—they’re acting a little more intense than usual."

"Precisely," Ignis murmurs, triumph lighting his features. "Keep watching, and you’ll see. It’s only a matter of time before they slip up and give themselves away."

As the two finish eating and get up to go back to Noctis’ room, still trading playful barbs and talking about the DLC, Gladio nudges Ignis with his elbow. “You know, Ig, you might be onto something after all.”

Ignis smirks, his tone dry but amused. “Naturally.”

Notes:

Fun fact: I actually bought a kitten from a pet store when I was 13 and smuggled her home back in 2008 so my dad wouldn't find out. I named her Kira, and I still have her to this day. She'll be turning 17 this year!! 🥰

Sorry for the long wait and thank you for your patience! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! ❤️

Comments and kudos are appreciated! I always love hearing what you think!