A/N: I just can't get enough of these two! I love Prompto! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story idea, in conjunction with Milaya Milen Zeal. She wrote Noctis's parts.

Prove Yourself

Chapter 1

X*X(15 Years Ago)X*X

King Regis surveyed the area the fire had blazed through, sadness reflected in his eyes as he lowered his head in respect for the lives lost. It was such a shame to see all the destruction caused by the lightning storm. All it took was for one spark to hit a dead tree, and the whole area had been caught ablaze. He sighed heavily; such was the case sometimes with Mother Nature. She could be kind at times, and cruel the rest.

Pitiful, squeaky crying suddenly grabbed the wolf's attention, and his ears twitched, trying to track the source before looking for it. He soon discovered where it was coming from: a hole hidden beneath a rocky den meant for foxes. Regis padded over to the den carefully, desperate to not scare the noise-maker away. If there was a life left after this devastating fire, he wanted to save it. As he got close, however, the crying stopped, to be replaced by a tiny whimper. Regis sat back on his haunches and fixed his gaze on the hole before speaking.

"It's okay, little one. You're safe," he said soothingly, a kind smile curving along his muzzle. Sniffles sounded from the hole, followed by a couple of hiccups, before a little blonde male fox kit emerged shakily from the hole, appearing terrified. "There, there. I won't hurt you," the graying wolf promised gently. The kit watched Regis for a few seconds, appearing uncertain, before rushing to him and sobbing into his fur.

"Poor little tyke must've lost his family in the fire," Cor, the king's best friend and bodyguard, guessed softly, joining Regis.

"I would assume so. We're not going to leave him out here, though. There's no chance he'll survive on his own," the older wolf told his friend.

"But, with all due respect, sir, do you really think it's wise to do that?" Cor frowned, his ears going back with concern. "I'm not sure anyone will take to him."

"My son will be good for him. Besides, this little one needs help, and I refuse to abandon him now that I know he survived," Regis stated firmly. "Gather the others, and we'll head out for home. I'm sure Noctis is worried about us."

"Yes, sir," the brown-furred wolf nodded, and began to assemble their group before they headed out. Regis carried the kit with him, and at some point along the way, he realized he should at least learn the kit's name.

"What is your name, little one?" he asked, looking back at the blonde, who rested on his back. After all, he was too small to keep up with the group's pace. The three year old kit looked blankly at Regis for a moment, unsure if he should say. After several minutes, he spoke.

"Prompto," he whispered. Regis smiled softly at the shy kit.

"Well, Prompto, my name is Regis. It's nice to meet you," he told Prompto. The blonde gave a nervous smile back, making the king chuckle.

"Where are we going?" Prompto asked after a few minutes.

"I'm taking you with me to my home, in Insomnia," the graying wolf answered kindly. "It will be your new home." The kit's bright blue eyes widened in shock. He'd only ever heard of wolves living in Insomnia, but never a fox.

"Y...you mean that?" he squeaked.

"Of course," Regis chuckled. "I couldn't leave you to fend for yourself, after all."

"Thank you, sir…" Prompto murmured gratefully.

"No need to thank me, Prompto. I would do the same for any abandoned pup or kit," the older wolf assured him. The kit then yawned widely, suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the recent events hitting him hard. "Get some sleep, little one. When you wake up, we'll be home."

"O...kay…" the blonde mumbled, yawning mid-word. And with that, Prompto fell asleep, nestled into Regis's fur.

X*X(Present Day)X*X

"Chop-chop, Prompto!" Noctis called to his friend with a chuckle, his ears up but relaxed as he waved to the smaller male, who had fallen behind as they walked to the castle.

"There in a jiffy!" Prompto answered back, soon joining his friends. Gladio laughed as he ruffled the fox's hair and ears playfully, making the blonde swat his hands away with an indignant squeal.

"Were you spacing out again?" the brunette teased, his tail wagging slightly in amusement.

"No, I was thinking!" Prompto huffed.

"Are you sure? You seemed quite distracted," Ignis frowned, his sandy blonde ears twitching thoughtfully. The remark made their friend pout, and Ignis apologized. "Sorry, you know we care about you, Prompto."

"I know, I know," the smaller male said, not wanting to tell them what he'd been thinking about. He'd been thinking about his best friend, Noctis.

"What had you so engrossed in your thoughts, then?" Ignis inquired, curious. Prompto quickly thought of an excuse.

"I was just wondering what the task is that King Regis is gonna give us," the blonde lied easily, and his friends seemed to accept his answer.

"Yeah, really. I hope it's something good," Gladio said eagerly.

"What do you think, Noct?" Prompto asked as the tip of his fluffy fox tail flicked, thankful for the change in subject.

"Who can really say?" Noctis said with a chuckle. "Though, yes, I would like to know what Father has to say…"

"Well, we'll find out soon enough," Ignis pointed out. And once they were with King Regis in his throne room, they did.

"Boys," he greeted, and the four bowed respectfully. "This task I have prepared for you will not be easy. It will be a dangerous one, as it involves entering Niflheim's territory." He paused, waiting for any objections. "Your task is to enter Niflheim and escort Lady Lunafreya back to Insomnia for her safety. I fear she has not been treated well in Niflheim."

At those words, Noctis frowned darkly and he growled, his ears folding back. "Why? What happened, Father?"

"I'm not entirely certain, but her brother Ravus has asked us to bring her here for her safety," Regis replied. "I will trust you four to use any means necessary to bring her here safely."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto nodded in unison. Noctis, however, merely bowed his head in understanding, before he turned and headed off, gesturing for the others to follow. Prompto was quick to comply, Ignis and Gladio following at a slower pace. When they got outside, the fox looked at his best friend worriedly.

"Do ya think she's okay?" he asked the raven, folding his ears back.

"She better be…or Niflheim's going to have to answer to us…" Noctis snarled angrily.

"She's an Oracle, so I highly doubt they'd do her much harm, but I'm surprised that Ravus asked for us to save her," Ignis frowned.

"We can handle whatever those bastards throw at us," Gladio smirked, cracking his knuckles. Prompto nodded eagerly, more than ready to prove himself to Noctis. He had fallen in love with his best friend over the years they'd spent growing up together, the feelings developing fully for him when he hit puberty.

Everyone who had tried to get close to Noctis emotionally, though, always got turned down. So Prompto had almost been discouraged. But knowing he wasn't like the others made him feel like he might just have a chance with the wolf prince. Besides, he'd once heard Regis speaking with Noctis, saying that whoever his son chose as his mate, he'd approve. That at least alleviated his fears of the king's disapproval.

X*X*X*X*X*X

After speaking on things, the group decided to leave at dawn the next morning, so as to get an early start. Prompto was ready and waiting at the gates to Insomnia, almost excited, but nervous at the same time. He just hoped he could show Noctis he wasn't like those other people who wanted to be with royalty. Especially seeing as he's a lowly fox, he wasn't too sure. After all, foxes were looked down upon by many.

Soon enough, he heard his friends approaching, and he looked at them with a grin, his tail waving in the early morning breeze.

"Hey guys!" he greeted.

Noctis groaned a bit as he stretched his arms over his head, before he nodded and said, "Morning."

"You're here early," Gladio commented, nodding at Prompto.

"Ah, well, I was just getting antsy while waiting," the smaller male replied. "Are you guys ready?"

"As long as Noctis is," Ignis shrugged.

Noctis nodded his head silently, before he told his friends simply, "Let's go." With that said, the group shifted into their animal counterparts, Prompto still being the smallest, of course, they headed out, their packs strapped on their backs as they ran. Once they were a few miles out of the city, though, they chose to take a break by a nearby river to drink and rest.

"Already my paws are getting a bit sore," Prompto whined, soaking them in the river.

"Don't push yourself if it becomes too much, Prompto. We don't want you to fall behind," Ignis warned.

"Especially when night starts to set in," Gladio added.

"I can keep up easily!" the fox huffed indignantly.

"Just be careful, Prom," Noctis called out to him. It wasn't meant as a jab; more of a request from one friend to another.

"All right… I will," Prompto mumbled. He hated almost being seen as a weak link in their group, but he technically was the weakest, considering his weapon usage. He couldn't use a sword, so he used guns. His ears soon twitched, however, as he heard the faint sound of a twig snapping a short distance away. Looking at his friends with a frown, he realized they hadn't heard anything. He waded out of the river, shaking water off of his paws as he went. He let out a warning growl as he sniffed the air, smelling a few voltooths prowling around nearby them, quickly gaining his friends' attention.

Noctis heard it first, and when he spotted the beasts, he gave a threatening growl as he moved over to his friend's side. Gladio and Ignis were quick to join, but Prompto could see them the best, and lunged as soon as one launched itself at them, blocking its path in midair. He snarled and snapped, quickly killing the beast on his own with a sharp crunch to its throat, before glaring at the remaining voltooths.

The next few began to attack as well, and Prompto was swift to get back up and help his friends. The wolves fought their own opponents, but when the blonde spotted one sneaking up behind Noctis to attack from behind, he gasped before leaping into its path. He was struck by it, yelping painfully as its claws dug into his shoulder.

"Prompto!" Noctis cried in alarm, quickly dispatching the voltooth he'd been fighting, before he lunged at the other. And with a furious snarl, he snapped his jaws shut on its neck before throwing it aside. This quickly drew Gladio's and Ignis's attentions, too, and they swiftly finished off the rest of the voltooths before joining their friends.

"What happened?" Gladio demanded.

Noctis briefly shifted back to his more human form so he could use his hands to cover the injury on Prompto's shoulder as he spoke. "One of them snuck up on me…and Prompto jumped in front of it."

"Damn," Ignis growled, shifting back as well. He quickly retrieved the medical kit from his pack, and began to clean and bandage the wound. Once it was fully bandaged, he sighed as he sat back. "That's the best I can do for now. He'll need to rest for at least a day now so he can run without making the injury worse."

"Looks like we're staying here for the night, then," Gladio remarked. A faint whine escaped the fox, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Ow…" he whimpered, trying to reach for it with his other paw.

Noctis lightly swatted the paw away, though. "Off. You'll only aggravate it further," he pointed out.

"Must've got me pretty good, huh?" the blonde chuckled, but the sound was strained.

"Don't talk," the prince said firmly. "Just rest up. You can't run around with an injury like that." The smaller male nodded, going quiet.

"Can you carry him to the tent, Noct?" Gladio asked. "After all, you two share the same one."

"Right, coming," Noctis said, lifting the fox up and moving over quietly. Over the course of the evening, the wolves tended to Prompto, who had gone unusually quiet after Noctis had asked him not to talk. Ignis and Gladio decided to let Noctis ask him any questions he had, so as not to upset their friend. Eventually, Prompto was left to rest in the tent after eating, but woke up when Noctis joined him.

"Hey," he whispered, smiling slightly.

"Hey," Noctis echoed as he walked over and sat down. "You feeling okay?"

"As okay as I can be," Prompto chuckled.

"Let me see," the wolf urged as he moved over. After getting the smaller male's permission, Noctis carefully looked over the injury and the bandages that were holding back the bleeding. "…why'd you do it?"

Surprised, Prompto didn't answer immediately. After about a minute, though, he did. "…I don't like seeing you hurt, regardless of if it's physical or emotional pain," he murmured. "I want to protect you…"

"…" Though he clearly hadn't expected those words, it took the prince only a moment to reply. "So don't do that again… You'll end up making me worry about you."

As he secured the bandages better, though, something tugged at the back of his mind. Of course he hated seeing his friends get hurt; he'd feel the same about Ignis and Gladio. But Prompto's words got him thinking…would he really have reacted the same as he had with Prompto?

He almost flinched when he felt an unfamiliar flutter in his stomach, but he quickly shook it off.

"Next time just shout out to warn me, alright?"

"Sometimes there's not enough time, Noct, you know that," the fox pouted, his ears folding back. "But I'll try." He then yawned widely, feeling the tiredness returning.

Noctis chuckled softly. "Get some rest. Your body needs to heal, and it needs its rest."

"All right… Goodnight, Noct," the blonde mumbled, snuggling into the warmth of his sleeping bag before soon drifting off. The wolf prince chuckled softly as he lay down in his own sleeping bag. He didn't go to sleep right away, though; he stayed up for a few hours more, just thinking.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

The next morning, Prompto felt much better. He yawned widely, waking himself up, before limping out of his and Noctis's tent to watch the sunrise. As he was about to leave the campsite, though…

"Prompto!"

When the blonde whirled around, Noctis had just burst out from the tent, looking more than a little frazzled. When he spotted his friend, the wolf immediately relaxed. "Oh for… DON'T do that, will ya?!"

"I was just going to go watch the sunrise, Noct…" Prompto pouted. "Would you feel better if you came with me?"

Noctis gave the fox a dry look, almost as if trying to say "You gotta ask?" without actually saying anything, before he walked over. As they headed to the hill nearby, Prompto eventually had to almost lean on Noctis for support, as his shoulder was starting to ache again.

"S-sorry…" he stuttered, blushing faintly at the contact.

Rather than respond to the apology, though, Noctis seemed more worried about his stumble as he reached out and steadied him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it still hurts a bit, that's all," the smaller male assured him with a smile. "I just want to see the sunrise."

Noctis nodded softly, before he suddenly shifted into his wolf form and moved under Prompto so that he could carry the fox on his back. "Well let's move, or we're gonna miss it," he said as he started up the hill again. The fox yipped in surprise at the movement, but settled against the wolf, vaguely reminded of when Regis first found him. He settled himself in the warmth of Noctis's fur, unable to help himself.

"Thanks, Noct," he murmured as they got close.

Noctis glanced over his shoulder, before nodding as he hopped up along a few rocks before he came to the hill. "Right, here we are," he said as he lowered himself down to let Prompto get off.

Prompto slid off of Noctis's back, landing with a small stumble on the ground from the injury to his shoulder. He soon sat at the edge, his tail swishing back and forth in his excitement at watching the sun emerge on the horizon. Noctis chuckled as he moved over and sat down next to him quietly.

The fox sighed, content with the moment. The only thing that would make it better would be having the wolf by his side as his mate, but that would take some time. Eventually, the sun had fully risen, and Prompto smiled at his crush.

"We'd better head back before Ignis and Gladio freak out," he snickered.

"Might be smart… Let's go."

When the pair returned, Ignis was just emerging from the tent he had shared with Gladio, while the larger wolf had just returned from hunting.

"Where did you two run off to this morning?" the brown furred wolf asked.

"We went to see the sunrise," Prompto grinned.

"You shouldn't be going anywhere yet with that shoulder, Prompto," Ignis scolded. "Let me check it."

"But Noct checked it last night!" the fox whined, but let himself get checked anyway.

"That was before your little excursion," the sandy blonde scoffed. After checking the bandage, he said, "You're lucky there's no additional damage." The remark made Prompto pout, but he said nothing more. Noctis merely chuckled before he turned serious. "Right…so anyway, let's eat something and then be on our way, alright?"

"Yes, but we're gonna be going a bit slower for Prompto's sake," Gladio warned, making the blonde sigh. Again, he hates being the weak link…

Noctis spotted the look from the corner of his eyes, and he frowned in thought. And finally he said, "I could just carry him, that way we won't lose any time."

"Good idea," Ignis nodded. Prompto blushed beneath his fur, grateful for the furry cover, but he was still surprised by the suggestion.

"I'll carry your pack then, Noct," Gladio said.

"But for now, we need to eat. Or else we'll drop from lack of energy," the sandy blonde wolf pointed out. The group nodded, and then began to eat Gladio's catch, each of them getting their fill. Once they had finished, they began to pack up, Prompto trying to help where he could. The blonde couldn't do much, though, seeing as he was stuck in his fox form until the bandage could come off. Soon enough, they were ready to set out. Once they'd packed up, Noctis turned to Prompto and then lowered himself down so the fox could climb on.

"Thanks again, Noct," Prompto murmured as he climbed onto Noctis's back, pressing himself into the raven-furred wolf's warmth. Noctis merely nodded his head as he stood up again. After giving a nod to Ignis and Gladio, the prince went ahead of them, with his two friends following close behind. And the group of four travelled on, making their way to Niflheim once more. As they ran, Prompto hoped Noctis didn't see him as weak because of his injury, or he would be devastated. Only time would tell for this fox.