A/B/O Promptis Ball/Teach me to dance

[starless_sky]

The newspapers and the internet alike were abuzz with the news about the red carpet gala happening at the the Citadel. It was some charity ball but the tabloids and entertainment news didn't waste a chance to gush about the celebrities who were already confirmed to be attending. The dignitaries, the CEO's, the movie stars, singers, the socialites... and of course the royal family. It was so rare that Prince Noctis showed his face at such events it was an event in and of itself to see him shined up like a new crown and MAN was he a HUNK now. Right ladies? What is he going to wear? YSL? Burberry? Take a look at this edition of Elle~

That garbage was why Noct ignored the news. He stayed offline, didn't have a twitter account, didn't post photos of himself ever. He was comfortable that way. It was just him and Prompto and he needed little else. Things were great at home. They had school and all but they worked on their studies... on Ignis' orders. And they had each other. Noctis couldn't put to words how nice it was to have someone to look forward to seeing, someone to come home to. He had his best friend and his lover all in one and he never knew how lonely he'd been until he wasn't alone anymore. He had Prompto. Not just for sex but to curl up with and to talk to and to laugh with. He was his person. 

His father was well aware of the changes in him and Noctis hadn't made it a secret that he'd taken a mate. Regis wasn't exactly thrilled with his son's choices in bonding so young wihout consulting anyone but he did not say much on the matter. It was done, unable to be undone now. And Regis did not dislike Prompto, quite the opposite. But he wished... he wished for a lot of things. That they had been older, that it had been under less dire circumstances, that they'd talked about it beforehand... but he couldn't regret the marriage. He could not, as a father, regret anything that made his son so happy. 

It was Regis' idea that they hold the charity ball and that Noctis should attend. With Prompto. Officially. It was a positive way to bring Prompto out to the public, it would be a lovely way to take control of the PR moment and stage it in a nice light... and also not allow the reporters to eat Prompto alive. It was a perfect opportunity. Noctis couldn't deny it, but that required getting Prompto Ball-Ready which.... was why he was sitting flipping through music and wondering how he could teach his mate to dance. He didn't know how to dance, he just did it on command, he didn't think about it. How could he explain it? 

He'd tried to get Ignis to teach Prompto only to be shot down. 'He is your mate, you will be the one leading him, he needs to learn how to read you, Noct, not any lead but you.' 

And so here he was trying to figure out how to start this at home. Just them with some music. He had pushed the couch to the windows, the dining table too. The floor was wide open and before he saw Prompto, Noctis just wanted to get the steps in his head. He started a waltz and began stepping across the floor, arms out for an invisible partner. Expertly he danced alone but he was trying to mind his own movements and try to find words to explain them to his mate.

Comments

[everatyourside]

Prompto, on the other hand, had been avid about following several social media platforms. He kept up an Instagram that he used for his photography here and there, but he was pretty careful about leaving the prince out of his pictures, just in case.

He'd taken a few breaks from it lately though, with the event coming up. The whole thing made him nervous as hell, finally coming out to the public like this. Every other news article was about Noct and what he'd be wearing or who he'd be going with, or what kind of girl he probably preferred. Prompto knew that the moment their relationship became public, their lives would be under constant scrutiny, he would be under constant scrutiny. Measured against every possible mate that Noct could have chosen; everything from his appearance to his grades to his social standing would be on display and judged mercilessly.

He'd been keeping a more careful eye on his weight than usual, refusing sweets, counting calories; at least the training sessions with Gladio helped. While he was nowhere near Noct's level, Gladio ran him ragged several times a week. He'd been paranoid enough to wait years to even befriend Noct til he was a more acceptable size, the idea of becoming a target for possible press or news? He had to be perfect, he couldn't disappoint Noct.

Prompto took a long shower, trying to calm his nerves, taking time to go through the familiar motions. He knew Noct would love him no matter what, but if any of his actions or appearance reflected badly on the prince, Prompto wouldn't be able to forgive himself. If he made Noct's life harder by not being enough? He didn't want to think about it.

He toweled off, drying his hair and dressing in his jogging shorts and a loose tanktop. It showed a lot of the marks Noct had given him, long scarred-over now, but they weren't leaving the apartment for the night, so he wasn't worried about dressing a little casually.

What he wasn't expecting though, when he walked out of the bathroom, was to see Noct dancing alone, moving with an almost ethereal grace and beauty. Prompto watched in awed silence, entranced and smiling softly. Noct wasn't prone to displays like this, while Prompto frequently enjoyed bopping along to the radio or the latest hits from his favorite bands. He was nothing like this, of course, and Prompto quietly smiled as he watched.

[starless_sky]

The articles were wild. It was easy to tell a story about prince Noctis bringing a date to the ball. And then going on about the possibility of the reader being that person, what would it be like to be a princess? What sort of etiquette is required? What kind of tiara do you wear to a ball?

Noctis ignored it. The worst part of this was that the girls at school were practically salivating when they laid eyes on him. They were bunched up talking in groups that woild hush and stare at him when he walked past so he knew they were talking about him. He tried to ignore it but it annoyed him. He wasn't a person to most of them, just a projection of whatever they thought a prince should be. They'd be disappointed when they learned he was a quiet kid who preferred every day life to being a royal.

He took Prompto to their hiding spot nearly every break at school lately. He needed the quiet away from all the whispers and giggling. And also to try to make Prompto eat something from the vending machine. Something sugary. He knew what is Omega was doing and he didn't like it.

"You don't have to be any type of way for the ball. Just be who you are now. None of that matters." he'd been telling Prompto that for days at their meal times. No matter what judgments were passed, only Prompto and Noct's opinion mattered. The prince had already decided and made his claim. He public was going to be exposed to it but their response changed nothing. Good or bad. It didn't seem to be helping his mate's anxiety so Noctis had no other recourse than to support him. He didn't like the dirt restrictions and wearing himself out exercising but...he could only stand by him and assure him that he loved him unconditionally.

He didn't notice at first that Prompto was watching him dance. He was lost in thought trying to figure out how to word this for a follower position. The music slowed and came to a close. Noctis finished too, facing the hallway. He jerked when he saw Prompto.

"I... How long were you standing there!?" he blushed bright red. Oh gods. How embarrassing.

[everatyourside]

Maybe someday Prompto would be more at ease with how the world saw him; it was no lie that Noct's opinion was the one that mattered most, but it was impossible for him to completely ignore everything else around them. Especially when it could reflect poorly on Noct.

He tried to keep his mind off those articles, or at least stay away from the especially click-bait-ey ones. "10 ways to please your prince," was a little too close to home, but he hoped he could do enough to not embarrass him, at least.

Prompto startled as he was caught watching, and tucked a strand of hair nervously behind his ear. He smiled though, Noct didn't get flustered easily, and it was... completely adorable.

"Oh- um! Sorry, I- you just looked like you were having so much fun," he gave a short laugh, stepping closer to brush a hand over Noct's arm. "You see me dancing to my headphones all the time, it's only fair I get to watch you once in a while. Though... not the sort of music I thought you were into."

[starless_sky]

Maybe after this ball it would get easier for him. Surely most people would just be excited the prince had someone. It was a sign of stability after all.

Noctis deflated a bit. "I don't like this music. This is just something to dance to." he liked it a bit... In his own way.

"I uh... Was just warming up. I was gonna work with you on how to ballroom dance... If you want. We don't have to." Prompto was in those bitty shorts and the tank top that made him feel a certain way. He could see some of his bites and suddenly he'd rather just go to bed than dance.

[everatyourside]

Prompto felt a pang of guilt when Noct's enthusiasm withered. He hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. It was the last thing he'd wish for. Especially hearing that Noct had... done all this for him?

"I'm no good at that sorta dancing," he glanced down, flushing a little. Noct had looked so perfectly graceful. He'd look... like a fish out of water, flopping around clumsily at his side. But if Noct had set all this out, it was important to him for Prompto to learn, right?

"B-but I'll try it. Just... just here, right?" he looked down. If it was just the two of them, he kind of liked the idea, trying to keep up with Noct's steps, learning his movements better, it was almost like an extension of sparring or training, right?

[starless_sky]

He felt more at fault. He hadn't exactly made it clear he was planning this for them. But he thought it might go as well as the restaurant had. They'd practice in private and Prompto would pick it up faster than he gave himself credit for. He was smart after all,

"You can do it. If you can keep up with Gladio's agility training this will be no sweat." Prompto didn't see himself training. He was graceful as a dancer, fast as a coeurl. He honestly wondered if his mate would surpass him on the dance floor once he mastered this.

"I was hoping... We could dance at the ball. But if you want I can forget that." he extended his hand to Prompto. "Just here. Just us."

[everatyourside]

If Noct believed he could, he'd certainly try. He didn't see himself as all that great in training. He got knocked down just as often as anyone else. How Gladio could manage to be so quick and so big was a mystery, but the years of experience he had on Prompto meant lots of hard knocks and learning by doing.

"Barely. He knocked me flat last time," Prompto gave a short laugh.

Noct didn't ask him for much, not compared to everything he was given in return. Prompto would be a terrible mate if he didn't at least try to fulfill his Alpha's wishes. The idea of dancing in front of a room full of people; people who would already be set on judging him for his every action and flaw? It was terrifying. But letting Noct down? So much worse. He'd do his best and hope it was enough.

"I..." he started, taking Noct's outstretched hand and stepping closer. "I'll do my best, just... don't be disappointed if... if I'm no good, okay?"

[starless_sky]

He did believe it. He knew Prompto could do it and he did better in training than he thought. Even Gladio admitted Prompto was improving a lot. But training involved a lot of hard knocks and making mistakes. Noctis made a ton.

"He was being an ass. He knocks everyone flat. Don't let it get to you. He likes to throw his weight around."

He understood it was a lot to ask for. Even if Prompto thought it wasn't. He didn't like crowds or being in front of people. He loathed having to give speeches. Dancing? He'd never done it at a ball before other than with Iris one time when she was like, nine and begged him.

"That's fine. Just try with me ok?" and they can just slow dance at first. In fact they can just start with that.

"I want to take you by the fingers... And you just follow me. If I go right you go left with me. Ok?"

[everatyourside]

Prompto smirked at that; Noct was always so positive, making sure he didn't get discouraged, even when training was difficult and he wanted to give up. Gladio could easily best them, sure, but it was also his job, and he took it seriously. Prompto was glad he did. It meant there was someone strong enough to watch Noct's back, to keep him safe.

"Sure," he tried to push those intrusive thoughts away and focus on what Noct was saying. Just try, he reminded himself.

"Like... like a mirror, right?" Prompto tried. Okay, that wasn't too bad. It was just, trying to anticipate which way Noct would move so he didn't accidentally do the opposite.

[starless_sky]

Well, it was the truth. Gladio was serious about his job but he also liked to be the best and he wasn't above using his physical size to gain the upper hand. Noct was glad he was on their side. And... honestly, they needed to get glaives in order to watch after Prompto. He'd be a prince someday and needed guarding.

"Exactly. So... just walk with me." he tugged Prompto back, then to the right, back, then to the left. Before he hit the couch he turned and pulled Prompto along. He changed direction and pushed forward, gently moving Prompto backward. There was no rhyme or reason to it, just getting Prompto used to follow his lead.

"When we dance, I lead. You follow where I go, this is the basics. If you can follow me even if you get off-step you can correct it and you won't fall."

[everatyourside]

"Okay..."

He let Noct take his hand and pull him along, but his gaze dropped to their feet, watching where Noct stepped and trying to move along. He stumbles a couple times, taking a stuttered step to catch up, but more or less following along. It's not graceful, not like how Noct was moving on his own, but he manages, more or less.

"R-right," Prompto replied, feeling pretty far out of his depth. He feels like a new baby chocobo, wobbling around on unsteady legs, and the thought of looking this inept in front of a crowd has him feeling just as shaky inside as out. His nerves cause a mis-step, right on Noct's toes, and he stumbles back to correct it, losing his balance as he tries to pull back.

"Oh- I- Gods, Noct, I'm sorry, I- Is your foot okay?"

[starless_sky]

He may be going too fast but he had to start Prompto somewhere. They didn't have forever until the ball. Didn't they teach people in a week on Dancing with the Stars? He could do this... Right? He and Prompto had longer than that!

"Don't look at your feet, look at me." looking at his feet is going to get him off... Aaaand he was right. The way he stumbled was kind of artful. It was like a dance all on its own. Noct darted forward, curling an arm around Prompto to catch him before he fell.

"Woah... You ok?" he smiled gently. "It's alright. You want to try again? I'll go slow. "

[everatyourside]

Prompto was pretty skeptical that it would help to look at Noct instead of his feet. At least his feet gave some indication of where he might move next. But looking into Noct's eyes was just going to get him flustered for a whole other reason.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, I- sorry," he mumbled, at least Noct had caught him so he wasn't falling all over the floor, but his confidence took a knock and it wasn't terribly high to begin with. He knew he needed to calm down and maybe going slower would help. It was impossible to say no to Noct when he smiled like that.

"I'll do better," he promised. Maybe not immediately, but hopefully they had enough time to practice til he got it right

[starless_sky]

He had to get over that too. But it was like watching your fingers when playing piano. It just made you trip up when your fingers knew where to go and you thought too much about it. Prompto would get used to it.

"I went too fast. It's my fault. Come on." he held Prompto close before starting again. He knew this was asking a lot for him to master a new skill and demonstrate it for the world to see in just a few weeks. He ought to spoil Prompto more...

"Just a few minutes and then we can call it quits for tonight. I'll take you to look at cameras." because he felt like a demanding mate asking him to do this.

[everatyourside]

Noct took the blame, but Prompto wasn't entirely sure he agreed. All the same, he nodded, willing to keep trying. The position was closer this time, he was almost sure, but he took a breath and tried not to look down.

"You don't... have to. I want to learn it," Prompto insisted. If he wasn't watching Noct's feet, he'd have to pay attention to other tells. With how close they'd gotten, both on the training grounds and in the bedroom, he knew Noct's movements intimately. It was just a matter of equating that to a dance floor.

[starless_sky]

He was the lead and in dancing if the follow falls it is the lead's fault. He had to give Prompto ample opportunity to get used to the newness of all this.

"Alright then, we can try this and look at cameras tomorrow." he had promised it now so they had to. Besides, Prompto was going through a lot of adjustment so well. He deserved a treat.

"You'll do great. I know you will. Just look at me. We'll go slow, just straight... okay?" and across the room he went. "Okay, now let's go to the right.... now the left... I'm gonna go backwards ok? We can do this a few times and when you are ready I want to try it without cues."

[everatyourside]

Cameras tomorrow sounded fun, Prompto loved going to see what the latest lenses and filters looked like, thought about how it might be to set up a nice studio somewhere someday. Backdrops and lightboxes, the works. Outdoor stuff was his passion, sure, but he liked learning about all the equipment, and being able to control his lighting and effects was fun too.

"Ooh, I wanted to look at some of the gels they got for the latest Lokton model..."

Prompto followed along much better the second time, finding it was easier if he put his weight more in the balls of his feet so he could pivot and move with more agility and without stumbling quite as much. He had to focus on the small things, the way Noct's hand seemed to cue him to the direction they'd move, with a slight push or pull. The way his eyes flicked for a moment here or there, making sure their path was clear. He wasn't sure he could do it without the verbal cues yet, but the other cues were slowly becoming more obvious.

"Y-yeah, I think- I- maybe..."

[starless_sky]

He knew Prompto went a bit gaga over things like that. He didn't necessarily understand the difference between... any of them... but he just went along and let Prompto browse as long as he wanted. He couldn't tell the things apart so Prompto had to pick out what he wanted if he wanted an upgrade. One lens looked the same as another to Noctis. Maybe when they were older Noctis would turn this apartment into an indoor studio for Prompto or designate a room in the citadel for him to transform as he wished... maybe as a wedding gift.

"They use gel? Isn't that bad for cameras?" he was clueless about them. He was still trying to wrap his mind around what a lens pen was.

Noctis praised him for his good routines. He hadn't even thought to tell Prompto that he ought to look for the pull or push in his hand. Again, it was all automatic. He would glance in the direction they needed to go and that subtle hand would be Prompto's lifeline.

"This hand." he squeezed him. "Never lets go of mine, the other you can let go for spins or something. But I always guide you with this one." it came to him belatedly. He was a bit embarrassed. He wasn't the best teacher, Prompto was an apt pupil though.

"You're doing really well. Do you want to try it without cues? Same path, same timing, you can do it."

[everatyourside]

"N-not that kind of gel," Prompto explained, "it's more like, it lets me use color in a lot of different ways, kind of like a filter? They're basically sheets of thick colored plastic. You uh- you bounce light with one and..." he trailed off, somewhat self-conscious about getting too technical. He didn't want to bore Noct with the details. And with photography a lot of time it was more about showing the result than talking shop.

It was a relief to know that the hand-holding part was something he was supposed to catch on to. And knowing he only had to worry about the one was helpful as well. He wasn't sure he was ready for spins, but he nodded to show he understood, all the same.

"Yeah! Why don't we try it?" Prompto agreed. If he could follow okay talking photography without stumbling, if he was concentrating, he could probably do it without the verbal cues, right? Hopefully? Noct said he was doing alright, and he hadn't fallen since the first one. Or stepped on Noct's foot again.

[starless_sky]

"Oh. That makes sense." he felt a bit foolish not knowing a damn thing about cameras. He tried but there was just so much and honestly, it was overwhelming. He had no idea where to start. Sometimes when Prompto talked about it he was already lost but he wanted to be a good mate so he just smiled and nodded along... like a complete ass. "Go on, I want to hear." he had to learn at some point.

Prompto was lucky he was as smart as he was. Noctis was a bit bone-headed about how to explain things he'd done without thinking for so long. He wasn't the best teacher either. If Prompto was a poor student on top of that they'd be in need of Ignis as an intervention.

"Alright, same as the other times, come with me." and Noct started backward, then to the right, then the left, and pushing Prompto back. He only pushed him with his hand as a warning beforehand. Teaching him the signal now while he was expecting it so later when he wasn't he could recognize it. Hopefully.

"Wasn't so bad, was it?"

[everatyourside]

"Yeah?"

Prompto perked up immediately when Noct showed interest, unable to keep a smile from his lips. His folks had never cared much about his photography, so he mostly kept it to himself. But the topic brought him endless excitement.

"Mm, okay, so you know how some cameras have a flash, right? They also have lights you can trigger to flash in time with the one on your camera, kinda like... remote? Or you set them to go off one after the other real fast. It lets you have like, absolute control of what the light looks like when you do things like portraits," he started, hardly even aware that Noct had started leading him.

"So if you use gels with it, you can also throw color on the subject, it like... it's like shining a really soft light on them in just the right places, so you get all the artsy stuff."

Before he knew it, he'd finished, and he blinked a few times, back in starting position. Had he done okay? He hadn't stepped on Noct that round, and he hadn't fallen over. But when his attention was focused on something else, it was a lot easier to just let Noct lead and his body react and follow. His mouth fell slightly open in surprise.

"How did you do that?" he gaped, one brow raising in a teasing pout, "magic? hypnotism? a blessing from the gods?"

[starless_sky]

The way Prompto lit up was worth every bit of Noct's confusion. He loved the way his mate lit up when he blathered on. He just wanted to know what he was going on about. But as Prompto continued he understood it just fine.

"Sounds like you can customize exactly how your photo would look. And you'd have a lot of options to customize." hell, you could get lost in just the options alone if there were a lot of choices for flashes, lights, and gels. Did Prompto... need more of those things? Noctis didn't really know what he was looking at and thus had no clue what Prompto had or needed. If he was going to surprise Prompto with camera goodies he couldn't just peek at his stash and buy something.

But before he knew it they were finished with their lap around the living room and Prompto had done perfectly. So that was it. Distraction. Of course, he knew that Prompto overthought stuff... so he had to busy his brain and he'd do it. Of course... so he could just talk with him. Easy.

"You did it. Not me." he smiled at him. "Do you want to go again or... try a few steps?"

[everatyourside]

"I..."

Prompto still wasn't sure how he'd done it. Or if he could do it again. But he was pretty sure it had a lot more to do with Noct being a good lead than it did with anything he'd done. Doubt crept in, urging him that if he couldn't replicate the result, it was probably just a fluke.

"Can I try again?" Prompto looked down, flustered by the praise he wasn't sure he deserved. "I just... I wanna be sure I have it right."

Especially if they were going to be doing this in front of all those important people, maybe in front of cameras or press? It was easy to let Noct distract him into doing it right when it was just the two of them, but it would be so different at the event.

[starless_sky]

"Sure. Alright... Ready?" slowly he'd start same as before. But this time he just started talking.

"So... Those gels. Do you have a lot of them? Do they come in a lot of shades?" this could pull double duty as Prompto's distraction and his way to discover cameras. In fact... This might be the subject that could distract Prompto even in a ballroom full of people. He fully expected this to be a game changer now. Prompto could just dance like it was effortless and discuss his favorite hobby at the same time. He'd rather talk while dancing anyway. And maybe he would figure out what to buy for Prompto's birthday.

[everatyourside]

"Um... I think so," he said after a moment, brows knitting together in concentration. Prompto was expecting the talk this time, but tried to force himself to pay attention to both, rather than let them flow naturally. But Noct hadn't started moving either; was he interested, or trying to distract him? Could it be that easy? What if he tripped up during a crucial moment?

"Oh, u-um. I don't. That is. Have any, I mean. I tried them at school a few times, but I don't own any."

He found his gaze dropping from Noct's eyes to their feet, worried for when they might start moving again. Was it back and then left? No, he was sure it was right, not left.

"I... yeah, they come in every color. Most photographers just get the basics though. Red, yellow, blue," he explained before trailing off.

"Sorry, I... is everything okay?"