Disclaimer: don't own FFXV

Just a one-shot

We've Always Known

Noctis watched as Prompto set the table with the stainless steel cutlery, chatting and laughing with Gladio who smirked, flashing fangs. Ignis was in the kitchen, preparing their dinner and he went to help. The full moon was tomorrow night and he knew Prompto would have some excuse why he couldn't do anything with him for the next two days, it'd been a surprise he had agreed to tonight but a pleasant one, he hoped it meant he was trusting them more. He wished Prompto would feel able to tell them the truth. They'd all worked out his secret, but they also wanted him to feel safe and secure enough to come to them and tell them himself. It had been a shock when he'd worked it out and for one horrible minute he'd been scared and mad, immediately thinking Prompto was there to kill him. He'd had to fight every instinct and shred of training to keep from attacking the boy who had been becoming his best friend. He was grateful he'd managed to fight that reaction because Prompto was not what he'd been taught.

Lucis and Niflheim had been at war for longer than anyone could remember and part of the reason they fought was instinct. He hated being ruled by them and it had taken months for him to fully push away the reactions that were literally in his blood. As soon as he'd realised it had become obvious that Prompto had to be from Niflheim. When Ignis had worked it out he had dug into the Argentum's, a mixed race couple, and there were no records at all of any pregnancy. Prompto's records started from age eight and that wasn't at all suspicious. How had Prompto come to Insomnia? Did it really matter anymore? If he had been sent as a spy or assassin he was a lousy one.

He'd known Prompto for five years now, had known his secret for a bit over four of those years and he trusted him with his life, no matter how crazy others would think he was for doing so. He was always careful to ensure he didn't carry too much of the blonde's scent when he went to the Citadel. While it was possible someone there knew, he would not endanger Prompto by accidentally revealing him. He just wished it could be out in the open, at least amongst the four of them. How did Prompto miss everything they did to help keep his secret? There was not one bit of silver in his apartment, they always showered excessively post training to ensure they didn't bring back a trace of anything like wolfsbane, kept their weapons stored away, never questioned even his most ludicrous of excuses…

Noctis took a deep breath and went to the fridge, getting out a bottle and then four glasses, pouring liquid in each and ignis raised an eyebrow in question so he shrugged as he used a little magic to warm the contents to room temperature. Maybe this would be the push Prom needed? He helped carry the food out and then set a glass beside each plate. Prompto took his seat and then froze for a second as he saw the glass and its contents. They all noticed his nostrils flare slightly at the scent, a hand clench tightly on the table edge before releasing. A predator was a predator, all were attuned to the scent of blood.

"Noct…buddy, uh, I don't drink blood, remember?" his voice was strained and Noctis felt bad, with the full moon so close it would be even harder on him.

Noctis was about to say something when they all saw Prompto's eyes flash wolf gold. Prompto jolted back from the table, breathing heavily, eyes wide with fear and they could all hear his heart pounding. "Easy Prom," Noctis called softly and blue eyes locked on him.

"Noct.." he whimpered and Noctis moved to his side, making sure Prompto saw him coming Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea after all.

"It's okay Prompto," he called, letting his voice drop into a hypnotic tone. "Just breath, calm down, you're safe here." Prompto shuddered and whined softly but some of the tension melted away as he stared at Noctis. Noctis slowly reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered, letting the tone fade away and Prompto shook himself slightly.

"What…you…why…" Prompto stammered, looking between them. "I…go…I need to go," he tried to turn but Noctis tightened his grip. Prompto could break it, he knew he could, but only if he was willing to give more evidence of the truth. No human could break a vampires hold, especially one of the Royal line but a werewolf might, though it was less likely in human form.

"It's okay Prom, we know," Noctis told him and he'd never seen anyone pale so quickly or so much and he moved his other hand to Prompto's elbow to steady him as he swayed. Ignis got up and went into the kitchen while Gladio pointed to the sofa so Noctis steered Prompto over to it. Ignis returned with a mug of hot chocolate which he pressed into Prompto's hands even as Gladio settled a blanket over his shoulders. Noctis steadied the mug and urged Prompto to drink. He knew a lot about killing werewolves, not making sure they didn't go into shock. He watched Prompto drink the chocolate and then he took the mug and set it aside. He moved to sit beside him and then leant in slowly, resting his nose against the hollow of Prompto's throat, breathing in deeply, this close the scent of wolf was much stronger, and he felt his fangs itch to lengthen, to bite down and drain the enemy, but under that was the scent that just said Prompto and he focused on that. He could feel Prompto sitting absolutely still, heart still racing. He licked the too warm skin and then pulled back, knowing his eyes were glowing as he met wide blue/gold eyes. He grinned and he knew his fangs weren't extended, the glow fading from his eyes. "You're safe," he swore.

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Prompto froze as he felt Noctis so close to his throat, hands fisting in his own pants as he fought the urge to snarl, to push him away, to let claws rip into tender flesh. His heart was racing as he fought even a partial shift and then he felt a cool tongue lick the skin before Noctis sat back and he met glowing eyes, knowing his own were a mix of colours as he fought down the instinct to attack. He shouldn't have come tonight, should have stayed away like normal. They knew…how did they know? Who else knew? Was the guard outside to take him away? Would he be publicly executed, or would they allow the kindness of a private one, if only to protect Noct's reputation? Maybe…maybe they'd let Noctis do it. That would be okay, to know his blood was nourishing his best friend. Or any of the guys wouldn't be so bad, he hoped they would do it gently.

"You're safe," Noctis told him with a grin and he wanted so badly to believe him. Was he just saying that so Prompto wouldn't resist?

"Will….will you do it?" he whispered. "I won't fight," he fought back a whine of distress, head lowered, and he heard Iggy gasp overhead.

"No Prom," and then wiry yet strong arms were around him, pulling him close. "No one is going to hurt you; I won't let them. I don't care what you are, you're not a threat. I worked it out within months of becoming friends. I've just been waiting for you to tell me yourself. I'm sorry, I got impatient and pushed and scared you. We all knew."

"Seriously, how you missed the way we've made this place totally wolf friendly I don't understand," Gladio snorted.

Prompto blinked in confusion, lying limp in Noct's hold, head against his shoulder. Wolf friendly? The cutlery…Noct was a Prince, the apartment extravagant…yet they used cheap cutlery when everything else was way nicer, they did that for him? Ever so slowly he raised his arms to wrap around Noct in return, being careful not to squeeze too tight, not when his strength was fluctuating with the approaching moon. He breathed in deeply, taking in Noct's scent. He knew it well, could track Noct across the city if he wanted or needed to, but he never let himself this close, too scared they'd discover his secret, except…they already knew. They knew and had still accepted him into the group…the pack…not that vampires did packs, but wolves did. He'd never had one, until them. It'd been slow work to get his wolf to accept them and he could still startle when they did something very vampiric, swallowing down a snarl or other reaction. It was harder closer to the full moon; wolves just didn't make packs with vampires as far as he'd been able to find in his careful research, but he was nothing if not stubborn. He turned his head, rubbing his nose against Noct's throat, breathing deeply and then he licked slightly cooler than human normal skin. He ever so gently pressed human teeth against the skin and Noctis didn't tense or flinch, a hand shifted to gently run through his hair and he choked back a sob. They knew…they accepted him…it was so tempting to bite down, to truly mark Noct as pack, but he didn't dare, not yet. Maybe one day, when he was calm and the full moon wasn't close, if he could mark them as pack, then he knew his wolf would settle and never try to hurt them.

"I've got you, it's okay," Noctis murmured and he clung to him.

He couldn't help it, soaking up the offered contact. His parents had taken him in, they did their best, but Dad was human, he didn't understand his Mum's instincts at times, and he had grown up in a vampire city, understanding Prompto was beyond anything he had ever expected. Sometimes he wondered if his Dad would have brought him home if he had realised what he was getting into. Most Lucians would have killed him, not brought him home to civilise and raise but while Dad had been wary at first, confronted by a half starved tiny wolf one night…he hadn't tried to hurt him. Instead he had coaxed Prompto closer, fed him and when the sun had risen he had bundled him up in his own clothes and fed him even more. Mum had been shocked and horrified at first, had bared her fangs at him and he had clung to Dad, whimpering in fear. He didn't remember what they'd said, he'd been too scared to listen but eventually Dad had put him down, kneeling beside him and Mum had approached slowly, fangs gone. Dad had later claimed it was his big blue eyes and tears that had gotten to her. She had slowly picked him up and stroked his matted hair and he hadn't cared that his instincts had screamed to run, to shift to defend himself, he'd melted into her. She had done her best to teach him to hunt, to control his instincts, the predator that lived under human skin, but vampires and werewolves were different. They had spent the last twelve years doing their best to protect him, to hide what he was from the rest of the world. His attendance record at school had sucked, thought he'd kept his grades up, because he was often off 'sick' at randomised times to help cover the fact he always missed school over the full moon if it fell on a weekday.

And now he knew he hadn't been as well hidden as he'd thought. Noct had known and been his friend anyway, even when he could have been there to kill him. He didn't remember much of his mad escape and time wandering Lucis, lost and alone, avoiding all contact with people because he was terrified of being found out and killed. He remembered his life before though, raised in a cold lab to become one of Niflheim's mindlessly obedient dogs, an MT, named because they were empty of anything but savage animal instinct, even in human form. They knew he was a wolf, could they accept that he was meant to have been an MT? That he'd been made in a lab? Experimented on, tortured, trained to kill vampires for the first eight years of his life. He was pretty sure he didn't have some kind of implanted orders or anything, surely such a thing would have kicked in years ago, but that didn't make him safe. Vampires were stronger and faster than humans…but in wolf form he was even stronger and faster than a vampire.

He slowly forced himself to pull back and sit up, looking over at Ignis and Gladio who had been sitting quietly, absently biting at his lip. "How long have you known?" he asked them.

Gladio snorted, smirking at him. "Since you tripped two weeks after we met. There was no mistaking the scent of your blood."

"The way you avoided the cutlery on your first visit was rather telling, although I dd not have my suspicion confirmed until you were away from school two months in a row. That was when I made sure to change the silverware to something that would not burn you."

"Oh…" he flushed slightly, embarrassed that he had been found out so easily.

"Prom, we want you to stay here this month," Noctis offered softly and Prompto froze.

"What?"

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Noctis watched Prompto as he made his offer, seeing his eyes go wide.

"What?"

"We want you to stay with us for the full moon," Ignis stated firmly and Prompto shook his head.

"No way! Are you crazy?"

Noctis sighed and grabbed his hands, squeezing gently yet firmly, reminding him of his strength. "We've talked about it for a while Prom. Please, trust us."

"It's not you...it's not safe Noct, the full moon is dangerous."

"My research would suggest that even during the full moon a wolf will not harm those it knows well as a human," Ignis interjected, pushing his glasses up. As a half vampire, he could inherit certain annoying human traits such as vision problems. He was physically the weakest of the three, but he did his best to ensure that did not make him a liability. He had become the most acrobatic and so long as Noctis wasn't warping, he was the fastest.

"Yeah, humans or other wolves," Prompto agreed with the Adviser. "I've never shifted around Mum and I've known her since I was eight. Dad's the only one who's ever been around, and we didn't risk that till I was sixteen. I could never live with hurting you guys."

"Prom, I'm a Lucis Caelum, we're not the average vampire."

"Noct's right, we can handle anything a wolf can do. You can't be all that big as a wolf either, you're just skin and bone," Gladio pointed out.

Noctis frowned as Prompto looked away, playing with his wrist band. It was Royal black, a gift from Noctis for Prompto's eighteenth birthday. It had been his way of helping keep Prompto safe. Even if someone worked out his secret, seeing the black band on his wrist should make them hesitate to do anything. "What is it?" he asked, reaching out to stop the nervous movement and Prompto started.

"I…" he shivered slightly before removing Noctis' hand from his wrist and slowly undoing the buckle on the wrist band. "I'm not just a wolf," he whispered and Noctis saw the other two lean closer to hear.

The band came off and Noctis was left to stare at the bold black lines and numbers glaring up from pale skin. A barcode, he hissed, feeling his fangs extend. Someone had dared to brand Prompto like merchandise, like he wasn't a person!

"I've seen something like that before...in a report," Ignis gasped, eyes wide.

"I don't have biological parents," Prompto admitted, voice shaky. "I was made in a lab…to be a MT."

Noctis saw Gladio jerk at that, Ignis stiffening slightly in alarm but he refused to react other than to be mad on his best friends account. "But you're not. I've seen the footage, you're nothing like an MT."

Prompto nodded, fiddling with the removed band. "I got away. I don't know how I made it out alive, but I eventually got to Lucis, lived out in the wilds cause I was scared of the people. I was starving and I tried to sneak food from a camp, Dad was the camper. He didn't care that I was a wolf, he used food to bring me in, fed me, helped my injuries, gave me a place to sleep and then he brought me here. They taught me how to be around people, to be a person. Doesn't change that I was genetically made to be stronger…more vicious than any normal werewolf."

"Doesn't matter," Noctis told him firmly.

"Noct…"

"I trust you," he promised, pulling Prompto into another hug and after a few seconds of tension, Prompto burrowed in. He liked hugging Prompto, he was so warm, warmer than any vampire or even human. It was rare though, since he knew Prompto had been worried about being revealed. They touched a lot sure, but they were always brief touches, to ensure scent didn't transfer strongly.

"I'm sorry," Prompto mumbled into his shoulder.

"For what? Trying to survive? I can't imagine living in a city full of people who your very nature screams are the enemy."

"I couldn't do it," Gladio offered, arms crossed but he was looking at Prompto with a bit of awe, now that they were thinking about what it must take for him to live in Insomnia.

"Indeed, you are far stronger than you believe," Ignis agreed and Noctis could feel the heat of Prompto's blushing even through his shirt.

"We believe in you, you just need to believe in yourself," Noctis promised and Prompto pulled back to look at them all again before slowly nodding.

"Okay," he whispered and Noctis grinned at him. "But…but you have to promise not to let me hurt any of you. No matter what," he looked at Gladio and Ignis then and Noct knew why, he was telling them as Noct's Shield and Adviser to keep themselves safe, to protect Noct from him if necessary. He hated the idea and it must have shown on his face. "Noct…I might not recognise you; I've never seen you as the wolf. Everything's different as a wolf and right after the shift it might just register vampire and…well I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you."

"We'll be careful," Noctis promised, if Prompto hurt him, even accidentally and someone found out…there'd be nothing he could do to protect him.

"Okay…I'll need stuff from home though."

"I'll drive you," Ignis answered and they both got up to leave.

"You sure about this?" Gladio asked once they were gone.

"Thought we'd agreed?" Noctis glared at him.

"That was before we knew he was meant to be an MT. He'll be more powerful than a normal werewolf."

"What do you think they did to him?" Noctis asked, getting up to put the undrunk blood away, grabbing one of the glasses to drink and Gladio grabbed another.

"Don't know, don't think I want to know. We've both seen the reports of what they're like, the damage they can do. There's nothing human left in them."

"But there's a lot of human in Prompto, more than a lot of full humans I know. Whatever they do, it starts young, but it must take continued work to change them."

"Yeah," Gladio agreed. They finished cleaning up and Noctis went to check the guest room. Prompto had never actually slept over at his apartment before, he'd stayed late playing games but always insisted on going home to sleep. He'd rather put all the bedding on the floor in the lounge room and all sleep together, but he knew that would be pushing too far at the moment. They could work up to that. He knew wolves needed a pack and kind of hoped that they were part of Prompto's.

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Ignis drove easily through the twilight, heading for the residential area where the Argentum's lived. He glanced at Prompto occasionally, seeing the boy resting his head against the window. "I have noticed that you prefer my company at times, especially in small, enclosed spaces," he offered about half way through the drive, feeling Prompto sit up and look at him.

"Does it bother you?" he asked nervously and Ignis turned to smile at him as he stopped at a stoplight.

"Of course not, I was simply curious," he assured him.

"It's your scent," Prompto admitted after a few minutes of silence. "In enclosed spaces the other guys…the smell of vampire gets overwhelming and its hard but…"

"I'm half human," Ignis finished for him. His heritage did not bother him, unlike many half breeds. He had never known his parents, they had died when he was very young, he had been raised by his uncle. His Mother had been human and loved his Father a lot from what he had been told.

"Your scent is different, not as strong as others. It makes it easier."

"That is good to know," if things started to go wrong tomorrow, he may be able to get between Prompto and Noct, distract the wolf with his more human scent. "How dangerous do you believe tomorrow will be?"

Prompto shifted in his seat, looking away. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "I've never been around a vampire when the wolf. I could go right for your throats or I could accept you all. There's no way to know. Sometimes…I have nightmares, of waking up…covered in your blood, the three of you dead. I can't…" he was shaking slightly.

"There are times, when a wolf is to be subdued, not killed. I shall go through the armoury and take some of what is used. Should you attack, we will subdue first and only use full force should that fail. Noctis has been taught to use his hypnotic skills on wolves."

"Like he did on me tonight," Prompto shifted, obviously unnerved. Noctis had never used his abilities on Prompto before, had been careful not to.

"Did that scare you?" Ignis asked gently.

"I..I don't know. I've always known he has abilities. He's never used them on before, has he?"

"Never," Ignis swore, feeling the younger male relax a bit at that. "Noctis only did so tonight to keep you from bolting and to help you calm down before you could push your body into a panicked shift. He has always been very insistent that no one ever try anything on you." He pulled into the driveway and they got out. He noticed Prompto take a deep breath, checking the surrounding scents. His sense of smell was nowhere near as good, he wasn't even as good as most full vampires. Hearing was his best sense and he could hear nothing from the small house.

"No one's home," Prompto muttered, going to open the front door. "Come on in Ignis," he invited him in since Ignis had never been inside before.

The house may be small, but it was obviously well kept. He followed Prompto upstairs and into one of two bedrooms where he dug out a bag and began shoving clothes in. Ignis sighed and took it, pulling the clothing out to fold and Prompto flushed a little. All of the chosen clothing was in soft fabrics, loose fitting, comfortable and he glanced at Prompto who shrugged. "Prompto?"

"My skin gets extra sensitive," he admitted as if ashamed.

"I see," he would change the guestroom sheets when they returned to the apartment, the softest cotton or perhaps silk? He would make sure the softest throws were on the couches too. "There is no shame in any of this, we want you to be at the apartment with us and for you to feel comfortable," he promised and Prompto nodded, going to grab his toiletries. They went back downstairs but not outside, Prompto led him to a door he hadn't noticed, unlocking it to head down into the basement. It was obvious that this was where Prompto spent his time in wolf form. The shelves were high up, nothing at wolf height. Plants were scattered through the room, the floor softened with thick rugs. He took a deep breath, mouth slightly open to help him take in the scents. The room smelt strongly of wolf, of Prompto, greenery, a human male he assumed was Mr Argentum, very slightly of female vampire and of blood, Prompto's blood. "Blood?" he asked, concerned.

"Have you ever seen even a recording of a shift?" he asked and Ignis shook his head. "It's not pretty or painless."

"I see…" they would need to ensure they were all full then before the shift began. Not that he thought any of them would lunge, they had been around Prompto when he'd bled before, but better safe than sorry. "This is a very comfortable room."

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"Thanks, Mum actually set it up. I was tiny when I first came here, half starved, but when I started getting bigger I needed the space."

"The apartment?"

"Is huge," Prompto assured him. "Not like I run around as a wolf." He grabbed a big pillow and blanket from the corner and looked around, chewing at his lip. It was strange, to think of spending the full moon elsewhere, he'd spent years in this room, and it smelt so much like himself, like his Dad…home. Maybe it would be safer for the guys to come here, somewhere his wolf knew and felt safe….or he could become vicious, defending his den…there was no way to know in advance. "Okay, lets go." His parents were out of town and shouldn't be back for at least another week, so he didn't bother leaving a note, besides, he didn't want to panic them with the idea of him shifting around the Prince. They'd panicked enough when they found out the two were attending the same school, sure that someone would realise.

They headed back to the car and drove back to the apartment where Ignis helped him cart his things upstairs, disappearing into the guestroom to ensure it was aired and then make the bed with appropriately soft linen.

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Noctis was surprised to be up before Prompto the next day and he peeked in to see him snuggled under the covers. He slipped into the room and reached out, feeling the heat radiating from his skin before he even touched him. "Prom? You okay? He called softly, sitting on the edge and he heard a groan before Prompto shifted, opening his eyes. "Morning."

"Urgh…" Prompto pushed up to sit, blinking blearily, shivering in the air.

"Cold? You're burning up."

"Normal," he mumbled, stretching lazily.

"Want breakfast? Iggy's cooking," Noctis offered and Prompto groaned but rolled out of bed. He grinned and left him to shower and dress, going to get his own breakfast. He had trouble with food first thing, so he sipped at a mug of warm blood instead. Breakfast was rather meat heavy and he looked at Ignis who plated up bacon.

"I did some further research, it says that werewolves crave more meat the day of the full moon," his Adviser informed him.

Prompto soon staggered out of the guestroom dressed in loos pants and sweater, wearing thick socks as well, as if it was the middle of winter. He slumped into his seat and inhaled the scent of the food, giving Ignis a startled look who smiled gently at him.

"I also acquired the items we spoke of this morning," Ignis offered and Prompto nodded.

"Thanks Iggy."

"What equipment?" Gladio asked.

"Items used when the intent is to subdue a wolf, not kill them. Just in case."

Noctis was not impressed by Ignis' doing that but…it was obvious it made Prompto feel better, so he said nothing. Prompto ate more than normal for breakfast, mainly meat, and then he snuggled up on the couch and Noctis put a movie in for him before going to dress.

"I've got a thing with Dad, but Gladio will stay with you," he knelt by the couch and Prompto nodded. "You'll be okay?"

"Fine," Prompto rolled his eyes. "I'm used to this, go be a Prince."

Noctis chuckled but nodded and straightened up, leaving with Ignis.

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Looking after Prompto for the day wasn't too difficult. Gladio spent most of the time reading while the younger male lay on the couch watching movies or napping. He made sure to keep him hydrated with how high his body temperature had risen. He was moody though, he'd snapped at Gladio once but seconds later he'd been apologising as fast as he could get the words out. Ignis had warned him that mood swings were to be expected thanks to all the changes the kids body was prepping for, but it had still been a shock. The more time passed the more awake Prompto began, eventually getting up to pace. It was distracting but he wasn't going to say anything when he could see the flecks of gold in the blue of his eyes.

"Gladio?"

"Yeah?" he put his book down to look at Prompto.

"Can I...uh…"

"What do you need?"

"A hug?" Prompto whispered, not meeting his eyes.

Gladio hesitated before getting up and slowly approaching the agitated blonde. He opened his arms and Prompto stepped in, pressing his face against Gladio's throat and he could feel and hear him breathing deeply. He felt teeth press against his skin and realised they were sharper than normal. "Prom?" he whispered, making himself stay calm, his heart as slow as ever. This close, Prompto would be able to easily hear it or smell fear in his scent and that was not something he wanted to have happen with him so close to shifting.

"Mmm?"

"What're you doing?" he asked calmly, relieve when teeth moved away from his skin.

"Making sure your scents on me." He rubbed his face against Gladio's shoulder, more cat like than canine.

"Okay," he agreed. "How about we move to the couch?" he offered and when Prompto didn't say no he manoeuvred over to it, sitting with him and putting a new movie in. when Noctis and Ignis returned they piled onto the couch as soon as they had changed and Prompto burrowed between them. They ate an early dinner and after Ignis offered, Prompto ate his meat almost fully raw. Then they settled in to wait for moonrise.

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Noctis watched as more and more gold overtook the blue of Prompto's eyes the later it got. He was fidgety, moody and a seeking more contact than normal. He gently ram his fingers through blonde hair with Prompto pressing into him, breathing deeply. "Okay?" he asked softly, feeling Prom nod against him. he kept up the gentle petting, Ignis running a hand up and down the legs that lay across his lap, trying to soothe tense muscles. Prompto was trembling slightly now and they all assumed it would be soon.

Sure enough, Prompto soon pushed himself out of their laps, moving into the clear space closer to the windows, to collapse on the large pillow. He was panting slightly, eyes fully gold and then he moaned in pain, wrapping his arms around his middle.

"Prom?" Noctis stood, taking a step towards him but Prompto lifted a hand.

"No…" he moaned, obviously in pain. He was sweating heavily now, limbs trembling. He scrambled to pull his shirt off and then paused at his pants.

"It's okay, we're here, you'll be okay," he whispered, hating seeing him in pain and unable to help. A potion couldn't cure this. "We've all showered at the gym, take them off if you want," he offered and Prompto slowly pulled his pant off and pushed the clothes towards Noctis, who took them and set them on the arm of the couch.

Prompto whimpered, falling forward onto his hands, head down. His body was shaking, almost convulsing at times and then they all winced at the first crack of bone. Prompto whimpered again in pain and lifted his head, tears on his face and all Noctis wanted to do was comfort him but he couldn't go near him.

He knelt where he was, making eye contact. "We're here Prom, you'll be okay. Just let it happen, you won't hurt us."

"N…No…No..ct…" he forced out through a jaw that was beginning to change shape.

"I'm here," he promised.

Prompto cried out in pain as more bones cracked, reshaping, fur beginning to erupt from his skin. But he did his best to keep his head up, eyes locked on Noctis, even as he collapsed to lie on the floor. Noctis found he didn't want to look away, to see what was happening to his body as he shifted. The golden eyes change shape slightly, thick fur surrounding them as his mouth and nose changed into a muzzle, the change speeding up until he was staring into the eyes of a panting wolf. He stayed quiet and still, waiting to see what Prompto would do now.

The light silvery grey wolf pushed to its feet, shaking itself off and Noctis could smell Prompto's blood from the shift. The gear needed to subdue him was by Gladio but Noctis was praying it wouldn't be needed. The wolf looked around, taking in the scents and he growled, revealing wicked teeth and Noctis remained still, now not making eye contact, not wanting to be seen to be challenging him. Proms hackles were up as he growled and snarled but it was all a threat, he made no move to attack.

"It's okay Prom," Noctis whispered and the wolf focused fully on him. "You know me Prompto. I won't hurt you and you won't hurt me."

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He growled and snarled, ready to pounce at any sign of danger. He was confused, unsure what to do. Instinct screamed danger, enemy…but the scents said safe, not pack, but maybe? One of them was on the ground nearby and there was noise, soft, gentle. It kept its eyes lowered, not challenging him, the other two kept back, and slowly he stopped growling, listening to the gentle sounds.

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Noctis kept talking, not sure if Prompto could understand him. The books said that every wolf was different in how much of the human mind it retained. He had the sinking feeling Prompto didn't understand what he was saying but the growls slowly tapered off, so his tone seemed to be getting through. He stayed utterly still, appearing as little a threat as possible. Ever so slowly, Prompto came out of his hunched position and straightened up.

"He's bigger than I expected," Gladio murmured and Noctis agreed.

Prompto the human wasn't overly large, he was the shortest of them, muscle wiry. As a wolf he was big, bigger than the ones he'd seen in pictures…part of the MT process? He had to be seven feet from nose to tail, about five feet tall at the shoulder and he didn't think he could guess his weight. He was bulky but it was pure muscle under the fur. No wonder he was worried about hurting them.

He kept talking, about nothing, juts making sure to keep his tone calm and gentle, glad that as a vampire he didn't need to worry about his mouth and throat drying out from talking. The longer he kept going, the more Prompto settled until the wolf slowly took a step towards him before stopping but Noctis just kept talking. Prompto slowly moved ever closer to him as he talked. He was just within reach and Noctis was getting ready to slowly lift his hand, see if he'd let him touch him, when Ignis' phone rang, and they all froze. Prompto stiffened and growled even as Ignis pulled his phone out and silenced it.

"Easy Prom, it's okay. Just focus on me," he let a little of the hypnotic tone slip into his voice and Prompto turned back to him, growls softening a bit. "That's it, I'm here, you're safe." Noctis slowly lifted his arm, holding his hand out, palm out. Prompto stretched his nose out, sniffing and then Noctis stayed still as a cold, wet, nose pressed into his palm. "Your nose is cold for a guy who was burning up earlier," he told him and Prompto whined softly, moving closer. "Good Prompto, so good," he praised, shifting his hand to run along his muzzle and back to his ears, scratching them and Prompto groaned in pleasure, sitting down. "Such a good boy," he couldn't help smiling as Prompto melted under his touch. "Iggy, you want to try coming closer, slowly?"

"Of course," he whispered, slowly dropping to the flour from the couch. Noctis kept talking to and petting Prompto while Ignis took his time approaching until he ended up sitting beside Noctis, Prompto sniffing him, taking to him a little quicker. Gladio only managed to get within three feet but he accepted it and stayed back, none of them wanted to overwhelm Prompto. The wolf ended up sprawled across Noctis and Ignis, not that they minded, they were strong enough to take his weight.

Noctis stiffened as Prompto jerked, whining, and he glanced at the time, he hadn't realised the moon was setting already. His spine bowed and he whimpered, thrashing in Noct's arms as he stroked the fur, whispering words of comfort and encouragement as the wolf began to shrink, bones cracking, fur receding. In the end he had a lap full of naked Prompto, barely conscious and shivering.

"Noct…" he slurred; blue eyes barely open.

"It's okay Prom, you did wonderfully. You can sleep, we'll look after you," he promised, and he felt the last little bit of tension run out of Prompto's body as he surrendered to sleep. Gladio appeared with a blanket and he wrapped it around the blonde before picking him up and carrying him into Noctis' room when Noct motioned for it. They were all exhausted so after Noct got a pair of Prom's short on him, they all climbed into the massive bed with him, lying protectively around him, making sure no one could get to him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto woke slowly, body aching in a way that said he'd shifted recently. He was warm and the bed was softer than normal, leaving him struggling to remember and then it hit him…this wasn't his bed. He had stayed at Noct's. he felt movement and then an arm was slung over his waist, a familiar arm. He twisted his head and forced his eyes open, looking at a sleeping Noctis. He turned back and found himself staring at Ignis who was also asleep, his body close but not quite touching him. Over Iggy's shoulder he could make out Gladio's slumbering form. He felt his breathing hitch and covered his mouth with a hand, trying not to cry but then he felt the arm around his waist tightened, a face pressing against his shoulder.

"S'okay," Noctis mumbled, nuzzling at his bare skin and Prompto slowly tipped his head to the side in silent offering. Noctis froze and he placed his hand over Noct's. "Prom…"

"You trusted me, I trust you," he whispered. He knew werewolf blood was like the chocolate of the vampire world, especially the day after the full moon. He lay still even as he felt sharp fangs drag across sensitive skin, shivering at the sensation.

"Sure?" Noct whispered.

"Yeah," he promised and then he felt Noctis licking at his skin and he closed his eyes, breathing slow and deep. He felt a slight sting as sharp fangs sank in and then an odd pulling sensation as Noctis began to drink. It didn't hurt…he knew his Mum would drink from his Dad, but he'd never asked them about it. Maybe he should have. He sighed, relaxing totally, feeling like he was floating, and he knew that was the venom, to keep prey from fighting back. He trusted Noctis to stop before he took too much. Werewolf healing meant he could lose more than a human could at least.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The smell of blood wore Ignis and he opened his eyes to see Prompto lying utterly relaxed on the bed, Noctis' arm around him…his mouth locked on his throat, drinking. That explained the scent. "Prom?" he called and hazy blue eyes fluttered open, a loopy smile spreading over his face.

"Iggy," he mumbled. "Feels….good," he slurred.

"Noctis, how much have you taken?" He asked and Noctis looked up without removing his mouth, his eyes glowing. "You don't want to hurt him; his body is stressed from shifting remember."

His words had Noctis reluctantly pulling back, licking the wound closed. "Tastes so good," Noctis admitted, nuzzling at Prompto's throat as he lay limp in Noctis' arms, utterly relaxed due to the venom. "Did I take too much?" he asked, moving his hand from Prompto's waist to gently stroke his arm, trying to wake him up a bit more.

"No…felt good."

"It's meant to," Ignis told him, listening intently to his heart but his pulse was steady though slow. "I'll get you some juice. What would you like to eat?" he took the half asleep, slurred, order and slipped from the bed to make sure Prompto was given what his body would need to recover from the shift and Noctis feeding. He didn't know what Noctis was thinking to do that on today of all days….unless Prompto had asked him to? Yes, he could see him doing that to show he trusted them just as much as they had trusted him last night. He did wonder if Prompto remembered any of it.

They spent the day in bed, Ignis pampering them all with their favourite foods as Prompto slowly recovered. He returned home the day after; all four feeling closer than ever.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The next two full moons were spent at the apartment, Gladio finally being allowed close, even petting him. The third they were spending at Prompto's, sprawled in the basement, playing Kings Knight on their phones, which Prompto was losing horribly, obviously distracted.

"What is it?" Gladio finally asked and Prompto blushed, looking away.

"Prom?" Noct reached out to gently stroke his cheek. They were finding adapting to the kind of physical contact the werewolf had spent their entire friendship denying himself very easy.

"Nothing."

"It is hardly nothing, you've been distracted all week," Ignis pointed out, running his fingers through un-styled bright blonde hair, soothing him. "You can tell us anything, we won't be upset."

"I…Iwannamarkyouaspack," he rushed out without breaking between words, leaving them all blinking in confusion.

"What?" Gladio asked.

Noctis slowly worked out the word. "Mark us as pack?" he asked and Prompto blushed but nodded, not looking at them. Noctis looked at the other two, this would have to be a group decision. Would it even work with them being vampires? Prompto had let them all feed from him since that first full moon, almost eager to let them do it….did his wolf see it as them marking him? "What would that take?" he asked when they nodded.

"Biting you," Prompto looked up, seemingly shocked to see no disgust or fear.

"Well we bite you, seems only fair," Gladio shrugged.

"Is there a specific spot?" Ignis asked and Prompto touched along the top of his shoulder and Ignis frowned. "The farther from the throat the better, less chance of it being seen by others. I assume other wolves will be able to tell?" he asked and Prompto nodded. "What about other vampires?"

"There'll be a lot of questions if we all suddenly smell like a wolf. We've been very careful not to carry your scent back to the Citadel."

"It shouldn't, you won't smell like me or anything, not to another vampire."

"That's why you've been asking about how much we can smell!" Noctis suddenly realised and Prompto nodded. Noctis grinned, Prompto had really been thinking about this to have been asking those questions.

"Very well then, what do we need to do?" Ignis asked and Prompto relaxed, though he looked like he couldn't quite believe they would do this for him.

"I need to bite you before moon rise, it's a deep bite," he warned and Noctis simply stripped his shirt off, revealing pale skin. Prompto stared at him with wide eyes before reaching for him and Noctis settled against him, leaning on him as Prompto lowered his mouth to Noctis' shoulder. He ran his nose across cool skin, trying to pick just the right spot and then he opened his mouth, just resting against the skin for a few moments, letting Noctis prepare himself. His teeth were sharper than human norm, his eyes turning gold, but the moon wasn't up just yet. He took a deep breath and then bit down, hard. He felt Noct stiffen, he had no venom to make the bite pleasant. He had his arms wrapped around Noct, stroking his sides, trying to soothe him and Noctis grabbed his hand, holding on. He finally lessened the pressure and lifted his head a bit to lick the wound, lapping up the blood. It tasted a little weird, not like the animal blood he sometimes had when his Mum smuggled in a dead animal for him to eat in wolf form. He pressed his nose to Noct's shoulder, smelling the bite, the slight shift beginning in Noct's scent. "Done."

"Can half vampires be infected?" Gladio asked as Ignis stripped to the waist and Gladio moved to lick the blood that had dripped down Noct's chest.

"Vampirism and Lycanthropy cannot be carried by one person, so no," Ignis assured them all as he moved into Prompto's arms. Feeling sharp teeth slice into his skin had him biting his lip against the pain as he clung to Prompto's hands, his pain threshold was lower than a full vampires and he hated letting Prompto know how much it hurt but he couldn't help it. He felt more than heard the soft whine of distress at hurting him and he loosened his grip, pulling a hand free to gently stroke Prompto's arm, letting him know it was okay.

It was a little more awkward with Gladio considering how much bigger her was but finally, they all had healing bite marks in their shoulders. They left their shirts off as Prompto stripped down for the shift as the moon rose.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Looking forward to the wedding?" Prompto teased as he help Noctis pack up.

"Yeah," Noctis smiled. He was looking forward to it, but he was also nervous. Tenebrae was barely remaining free of the Empire, due to the magic of the land and its ruling family. A marriage between them would ensure that Tenebrae would have defenders if needed. The Fey were easily killed by werewolves so they relied on magic to keep them out, now they would have Lucians willing and able to defend them.

"You sure you want me to come?" Prompto asked softly and Noctis turned to stare at him.

"What? Of course I do!"

"She'll know Noct."

"We're pack and Luna will need to accept that because I am never abandoning you, none of us will," he swore. "Luna will keep your secret; she won't judge you on something you can't help." They exchanged letters when they could, she wouldn't hate Prompto for being a wolf, especially when they explained what had been done to him and how he escaped. The big issue was that he was expected to move into the Citadel when they returned…how could they bring Prompto there? There had been enough trouble getting him added to the wedding party since he wasn't Crownsguard, couldn't be without outing his secret. He had told his Dad he was coming, or he wouldn't go, shocking him, but Regis had given in eventually. They would have to clean the Regalia before returning her and there was a full moon due, but they could do it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis laughed as he ran through the night, hot on Prompto's heels as the wolf ran across the hard ground. He stopped, threw his head back and howled and Noctis stopped beside him. Iggy turned back and grinned almost ferally, all four of them relishing the freedom to run, to hunt. Noctis was shocked to realise he'd never felt so free before. then he was laughing as he went down under Prompto's weight, getting licked before he could push him off.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Lunafreya stood from where she had been sitting as Noctis and his retinue entered the room, taking them all in and freezing as she saw the blonde, instantly knowing what he was. To her surprise the boy looked down, cheeks flushing slightly but Noctis stepped protectively in front of him, gently taking his hand.

"We know Luna. Prompto isn't a threat, he'd never hurt us or you."

This was Prompto? Noctis had written of him over the years but there had been no hint that he was anything other than human. How had they hidden this? She looked to her fiancé, she hadn't seen him since he was a child and had been brought to her Mother for healing. He had nearly been killed by werewolves and yet his best friend was one. If he could accept him, then could she do less? She stepped forward, holding out her hands. "Noctis has often written about you, it is good to finally meet you."

Prompto's head came up, eyes wide in surprise but he slowly approached and took her hands very carefully. "It's good to meet you too," he smiled shakily and was shocked further when she kissed his cheek. Werewolf or not, there was no evil in this boy and that helped her finish relaxing.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto fiddled with the armband, smiling softly. Luna had created it for him, and he would never take it off! It hid his scent, masking him so that he appeared totally human. It was a gift beyond measure, opening up so many doors to him. he could visit the Citadel, join the Crownsguard, get a job anywhere without worrying about bleeding or leaving too much of his scent behind. She was also pack now, she'd explained her git, put it on him and then lowered her shirt and offered her pale skin to him, silvery blue eyes filled with trust. He had a pack!

Noctis had begun planning on ways to stop the MT program, to bring about a peace between the two kingdoms. It would mean outing Prompto, to prove vampires and werewolves could live together in harmony, but if it worked he was willing to do it. It would have to wait until Noctis took the throne, but that was coming ever closer. Regis was old, his health had been failing ever since the death of his Queen. There was talk of him stepping down within the next five years. Many would be unhappy with the idea of seeking peace, but they were hoping they could do it. The Emperor wasn't getting any younger, they were hoping his successor was a better person.

Luna was expecting, some did not like the idea of an heir who wasn't a full vampire, but the Fey were more immortal than any vampire so the child's lifespan would likely be more than any other Lucis Caelum's. They'd already named him Godfather to his shock and honour. He would ensure he was always there for the kid, would help teach them that the races could get along. Noctis would make a great Dad.

Maybe if peace came, if his secret became known…one day he could have a family too? He still saw his parents, spent as much time as possible with them, but he was an adult know, living his own life. He would like to give them grandchildren one day, they would be wonderful grandparents. He just wished it was like the movies, and Mum could turn Dad into a vampire. But it didn't work like that and he was aging before their eyes. Werewolf healing ensure a long lifespan of around three centuries, baring lethal injuries. Vampires could live more than double that and the Fey even longer. Thanks to the pack bonds, his lifespan would likely come closer to Noct's. it meant he would long outlive his Dad and likely his Mum. It wasn't something he liked thinking about.

His life had never been better than it was at the moment. His only wish was that he had been brave enough to speak up long before Noct had given him that glass of blood. He could have saved himself so much stress and had his pack even longer. But he wouldn't trade what he had now for anything.

The End.