A Prince's Friend is Hard Work

[chocobosnap]

 Prompto was nervous.

That was not the least bit unusual in itself, he had some terrible anxieties that made his life complicated and challenging all at once, all the time, but he'd had a handle on things, at least, he thought so. 

He received a letter and turned his world upside down.

All of that hard work had come to fruition and he was now a new friend to the prince, someone he got along with a lot better than he used to. He'd seen and met some of his retainers, some of the people around him. They all seemed nice, if wary, and huge. 

Prompto had never been tall, and he was slightly shorter than Noct who seemed short beside his bodyguard Gladio. He was kind of hoping he'd get bigger, but he doubted it. 

The longer he spent with Noctis, they'd begun asking him questions about his skills in self-defense, because there could be danger inadvertently. Ignis had been the one to deliver the message that he should learn, and asked him to report to the Citadel one Sunday morning to meet with Cor Leonis - The Marshal - who was going to test him, or teach him, or something. 

He was on time, had been escorted to the gym and, dressed in his gym clothes, he was waiting nervously, pressed against a wall to avoid any looks from any of the Glaives around. He couldn't have looked more out of place if he tried, with his black track pants and dark purple t-shirt with a frolicking cartoon chocobo on it. 

Comments

[immortalmarshal]

If Cor didn't know Prompto well enough by now, he might've bought it. But he does, so he's gently grabbing that hand to tenderly move it, testing his range of mobility with its fingers to see if there's any broken bones.

"This isn't the kind of injury you get just from falling, Prompto," he points out. "It's normally one would get from a fight. Did someone try to jump you while you were running?" Even though a nagging part of him thinks that he might already know who the prime suspect is...

[chocobosnap]

"No, no one." He shook his head.

"I just...banged my chin or something." He was surprised that Cor was fussing over his hand. He did his best to keep from hissing as his fingers were manipulated.

He did have swelling, and pain right in the middle of his hand as though it had been stepped on, but at least the fingers themselves weren't broken, but it was possible the bones in his palm were.

"I really didn't get into a fight. I promise. I wouldn't hurt someone like that."

[immortalmarshal]

"Your chin would be bruised instead of your lip." Cor's looking more and more Displeased over his findings. Prompto's trying to cover for whoever did this to him...even though the older man can tell by the bruises and actions that this was at least an attack.

And at worse...abuse.

"Your hand is broken." He also gently grabs Prompto's chin to get a better look at that split lip. "We'll need to get you to the medical ward to get it in a cast. And I need to know who did this to you, Prompto."

[chocobosnap]

He licked his lips nervously.

"It's...it's nothing. There's nothing that can be done. I mean it's just an accident right?"

Prompto knew Cor cared about him, at least as much as he did any of his recruits, enough to want to apprentice him. He shouldn't be lying to him but he was. He had to.

The last time he'd said something, they called his parents. His parents told them he was making it up and took him home and made it very clear that telling the truth would result in something far worse. Sure, he might be away from them but they'd give him to someone worse, or cycle him through homes, turn him back over to the Niffs...he remembered every nightmare scenario they imposed upon him after the first time he admitted to someone was asking questions. They'd changed his school back then too, to the same one Noctis attended.

It was probably stupid to be afraid, but he was.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor's visibly distressed over Prompto still refusing to tell the truth. This isn't just some random jump-attack; Prompto would've been honest about that, he thinks. No, this is personal...very personal.

"Prompto...I'm not angry at you. And you're not going to get into trouble. But if someone's hurting you like this, it needs to stop. You shouldn't be mistreated like this at all. It's called 'abuse', and it's wrong...and illegal."

He takes a deep breath. "Please. Tell me who did this to you, and I'll make them stop."

[chocobosnap]

"I can't." He said, sucking in a breath. "It's...fine. It's not a big deal. I can take it."

Prompto was a little pale, but he was moving with Cor because medical wasn't in the training room.

"You can't tell him anything, please. He's not home that much, it's not that bad. I don't want to be sent somewhere worse. This is...it's not that bad."

He was babbling, scared Cor would figure it out and scared of the consequences of that.

"I know I'm super weak a-and you must be disappointed. I'm sorry."

[immortalmarshal]

"You don't have to keep taking it anymore!"

Cor notices that, now that they're moving towards the medical ward, they're passing by people. And people are looking - staring, really - at the Marshall being upset over this new blonde kid.

He takes a breath to calm himself a little. Then, he ushers Prompto into the elevator. Thank the Six it's empty except for the two of them. "I'm...shit." He runs his fingers thru his short hair in frustration. "I'm not disappointed in you, and I'm not angry at you. I'm...upset on your behalf. No one should be doing this to you..."

And then Prompto's words finally clicked into place, and that familiar, icy fury flows thru his veins. "...your father. He hurt you...didn't he?"

[chocobosnap]

He flushed a little. "But you're training me and how can I defend Noct if I can't..."

Prompto slumped against the wall of the elevator, and Cor spoke the words he didn't dare.

"Please don't tell him I said so."

It would just be worse for him after the fact.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor steps over to Prompto...and gently pulls him into a protective hug. He tries his best to be mindful of Prompto's broken hand while he does so. "...I swear on my blade...he won't ever hurt you again. Ever."

He is not going to let Prompto go back to that place. That much is now certain. Already, options are popping up in his head on where Prompto could go. Ignis' place? Gladio's? Noct's would be ideal, considering that they're best friends...

Well, maybe Cor's own place if the others somehow aren't somehow able to take him in, for one reason or another...

But when they step out of the elevator, everyone immediately backs away from Cor as he ushers Prompto into the infirmary. A little hard not to want to back away when he looks like he's getting ready to kill someone. "Please contact Monica, and tell her to meet us up here," he tells the desk secretary. "Now, Prompto needs to see a doctor immediately; his hand is broken and needs a cast."

[chocobosnap]

The hug is enough to make him fall apart, a little bit and he lets out a small sniffle into the embrace. He couldn't help it, it was just so nice and comforting. He doubted that would really be true, but Cor didn't lie to him. Ever.

He nodded slightly. "O-Okay."

Hopefully whatever happened wouldn't be too terrible. The doctors at the Citadel were decent enough folk so they shouldn't be too mean about treating him, after all he was treated with surgery before.

Prompto is escorted to a room, and Cor was invited to join them if he liked while the same kind of probing and prodding of his hand would take place. They couldn't just take Cor's word for it.

[immortalmarshal]

The doctor is the same one as before, and she can already tell what might be going on by the look on Cor's face. She simply advised him to not go running off until someone they both trust shows up to take his place.

Which...Cor does agree to. After a tense moment of silence. Still, he does stay by Prompto's side throughout the process. He's not upset that the doctor wants to double-check. He's just impatient to know just how bad the damage is, and how long it will take to put him back together.

It will at least fill the time before Monica shows up, so Cor sits next to Prompto and act as quiet emotional support for the lad.

[chocobosnap]

"We'll take an x-ray to double check, but I'd say it's definitely broken." The doctor commented, watching Prompto's reactions. Aside from light hissing, he was hiding his pain rather well, just like with the appendicitis.

Prompto nodded. "Like a month, right?"

She frowned at him. "If it's broken, yes, you'll need a cast, a month for that and then physiotherapy to fix your muscles."

He nodded again. "Right...yeah, okay." Prompto sighed heavily and waited until the doctor left the room to shake his head a little. "I haven't even paid off my surgery...haven't even started."

[immortalmarshal]

"You don't have to," Cor reminds him quietly. "I asked them to put it on my tab. This will be no different; you don't have to pay for anything while you're being treated here."

He tries his best to sound comforting, despite the fury brewing deep inside of him. It's very irrational, yes, considering that he's only known Prompto for a few months. But he couldn't help it - this kid is full of sunshine and chocobo down. There's no damn good reason for any decent person to be hurting him, Niff blood or not. This is like...like when Noctis got attacked by that gods-cursed daemon years ago.

Cor wants blood. Badly.

But he also has a responsibility to take care of Prompto first. Mr. Argentum can be...dealt with later.

"...I'm not sending you back to them. It'd be unwise to send a victim back to their abuser."

[chocobosnap]

"You shouldn't have to do that for me Cor." Prompto shook his head a little. "I'm supposed to be responsible."

This wasn't something he'd broken in a childish prank though, he was talking about care that his parents should have been giving him.

"Oh, no it's okay!" He said quickly. "You don't have to do that. I don't want to go anywhere else. I don't want to be sent back to Niflheim!"

[immortalmarshal]

"Like hell, they're sending you back there!" Cor growls protectively, almost possessively. "And I'm not letting you get swallowed up by the system, either." Cor's quick thinking when he was 13 saved himself from the foster care system; all he had to do was live in the barracks until he ended up becoming part of Regis' personal retinue. But he's heard enough stories to know that it would be a Bad Fit for the young man, especially given current tensions between Lucis and Niflheim.

He pauses for a brief moment, finally settling on some important decision. "...if none of the others are able to take you in...I'll let you stay with me. At least until we find you a better place."

[chocobosnap]

Prompto looked a bit bewildered and glanced away. "Yeah but...no one else is gonna want me around so I'm not really sure what's going to happen."

He ran his fingers through his hair, nervously.

"So I don't want to impose. I'll be okay here. I look after myself and have for like, years so you don't have to worry. I work and everything."

[immortalmarshal]

"You're not imposing," Cor corrects him. "Not when I'm the one making the offer. You'll be safe, and you wouldn't have to pay rent or any bills. I make enough to support both of us easily." In this case, it's probably a good thing that Regis twisted his arm enough to make Cor accept that last pay raise.

"Besides, even if I'm not around as much, I'll make sure you won't go hungry. And Noctis and the others know where it is." He made damn sure that Noctis and Gladio knew from a young age, in case the worst should ever happen and he had to take any of his friends' kids in.

[chocobosnap]

He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. He hadn't known Cor that long, he was just a kid, the prince's friend, who tried really hard to keep up with his expectations. That wasn't something he would ever change.

"I..." Prompto began, but he wasn't sure where he was going with it.

"Yeah, I mean..." He blushed. "Noct and I hang out a lot, because otherwise I'm just..." He waved his hand. "Here. Alone."

Noctis hadn't known that, but he stayed with him as often as he asked.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor suspects that if Noctis really knew, he would've done something to try and remedy this situation sooner. Their prince cares too much to let something like this slide.

"Well, if you do stay with me, you wouldn't be alone as often. I'll be around - well, when I'm not busy with my duties. But I do expect you to keep your room clean, and to help with chores."

Cor doesn't realize it yet, but he sounded like a real dad in that moment.

[chocobosnap]

He looked rather surprised, because the offer was kind of huge. He pressed his lips together and nodded.

"I can clean the house. I'm pretty good at it. I just wasn't feeling well, I swear, I'll take care of it."

[immortalmarshal]

"It's alright," Cor quickly reassures him, gently squeezing the young man's shoulder. "I'm not worried about it right now. Right now, you just need to focus on taking care of yourself, and resting. We can handle the rest when your hand's on the mend."

Which reminds him...he's still needing to have a Talk with Mr. Argentum. Soon...very soon...

[chocobosnap]

"Okay." Prompto agreed readily. He would be fine under his own care for a few days even though there was the future promise of going off with Cor, to Cor's place. They needed time to coordinate that and contact his father.

He did notify Cor that if he happened to come by three days later, his dad would be there, back from his trip for two nights.

[immortalmarshal]

Arrangements are most certainly being made to help transfer Prompto over to Cor's care. Among them is wrangling certain mutual friends into providing a moving truck and muscle for putting things on and off said truck.

But that morning, on the day that Prompto's father returns, Cor shows up unannounced at the door. He asked Monika to meet him there, but he didn't wait for her as is standard protocol. No, he's already ringing the doorbell, a sterner-than-usual look on his face.

[chocobosnap]

It took a moment for someone to answer the door and it was his father.

"Can I help you?" He asked, brow furrowed at the appearance of a man at his door. He looked familiar didn't he?

There was the sound of a door closing, as Prompto hid away in his room.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor nods in solemn greetings to Prompto's father. "I'm Cor Leonis. I wish to speak to you regarding your son. May I come in?"

His ears do pick up on the slamming of the door, and he does wonder if Prompto's not already hurt any further by this man. The thought alone sets him on edge a little, but he forces it down. Not yet...not until he gets verbal proof...