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grains_of_saturn ([personal profile] grains_of_saturn) wrote in [community profile] fandomweekly2020-10-26 11:49 pm

[#022] Limited Edition (Final Fantasy XV)

Theme Prompt: #022: Changing seasons
Title: Limited Edition
Fandom: Final Fantasy XV
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: No
Word Count: 990
Summary: That time of year rolls around again.


"You know time's marching on when they start getting the seasonal drinks in, huh."

Perched on the edge of the bus shelter's seat, Prompto had both of his hands wrapped around the takeaway cup; printed with a stylized falling leaf, the insulation was enough to prevent any danger of it being carried while still imparting some warmth to the person holding it. Neither Prompto nor Noctis would have said that the day was especially cold on having met up that morning - but each passing day brought sunset a little sooner, left a brisk chill in the air to catch out unsuspecting teenagers who had perhaps neglected to bring their winter jackets to a weekend hang-out.

Holding his own hot drink - the usual - in a similar fashion, Noctis couldn't help but glance at Prompto's own with some curiosity. Other than its cute design, however, it gave little away as to what its contents actually were. "... I didn't realize they made so many. Didn't realize they had that one until you bought it. Maybe I should get something different next time..."

"Something for every season, dude! Don't you remember all those sakura things they had in the spring? Pink-flavored everything, as far as the eye can see."

"R-right, but--... that was spring. This is autumn..."

"... So it's time for the autumn drinks!" Settled into waiting for the next bus, Prompto took his first sip from the cup. "If you want my opinion, this season has the best ones."

"Hmm..." Noctis narrowed his eyes, still staring at Prompto's cup. "Can I... try some?"

"Huh?" Prompto switched his gaze rapidly between Noctis and the cup, then held it in one hand as he wiped at the plastic cover with the wrist of his jacket. "Sure, go--... go ahead." He offered the cup over, watching intently as it was taken, and as Noctis lifted it to his lips briefly. "... What do you think?"

Having taken enough to satisfy his curiosity for that moment, Noctis nodded, handing the cup back. "Yeah, that's pretty good...! Maybe I'll get that one, next time."

Once again holding the warm cup in his hands, Prompto noticed how quickly Noctis went back to his own drink. Do people actually care about indirect kisses in real life?... I guess Noct doesn't. He brought it back up to his own lips, wondering how much thought was appropriate to dedicate to that sort of thing. The drink would have been warm and sweet regardless, but--...

"How long will they have them? They're not around for long, right?"

However much thought Prompto was giving the matter, it was clear that that kind of thing was clearly not on Noctis's radar in the slightest. Any blushes could be attributed to the occasionally cold breeze, another reminder of the time of year. Noctis continuing on the conversation gave a convenient out to stop thinking about it, Prompto. C'mon.

"Y-yeah, they are. Uh--... I don't remember how long they'll have them, though. It'll say in the store, though... and on their website, I guess?"

"Oh, right." Holding his cup in one hand, Noctis brought out his phone and thumbed his way to the desired information. "Wow, that really is limited."

"Well, people wouldn't get as excited about something that was available all the time, would they? You gotta have that, you know, anticipation, thinking about how it's getting to be that time of year, right?... And it is, and it's there, but only until the end of the month--!... Or whatever. That's how they get you."

"Weren't you the one all excited for them in the first place?"

"General 'you'. Hey, I'm not above getting got by marketing. Isn't that the point?"

"... I guess. Anyway, we're going back there next week. For definite." Noctis took a sip from his own drink, as if underlining the matter.

There was something very reassuringly normal about being able to sit there, talking over take-out drinks, waiting on public transport at the end of a relaxing day. It wasn't that Prompto had entirely managed to shake the residual is this okay, though? Asking Noct to do things like this? Asking a prince to do things like this?! from his thoughts, but the more time they spent together, the less frequently those thoughts occurred. Maybe it was okay to ask Noctis to do that kind of thing. Maybe princes liked the seasonal drinks, too.

"I mean--... we don't gotta wait until the weekend...?"

"Hm?"

"We could... go after school sometime? If you wanted." That particular coffee shop held locations across the city, but still lay slightly out of the way compared to their respective home routes. Not enough to make it any real obstacle, but enough that, clearly, Noctis hadn't entertained the possibility until Prompto raised it.

"... I suppose we could?" (Prompto could see a gleam in his eye, as if suddenly realizing the opportunities open to them.) "Won't it... be busy, though?"

"Sure, but it's gonna be busy anytime. If I was gonna guess how much money they're rakin' in from students, I'd say it's probably a lot. Why fight the tide?"

"Right. Right...! We're definitely going."

It seemed like the most normal thing for two students to do, but it hadn't been that long since their first visit together - Prompto, nervous about going somewhere like that with Noct and Noctis himself seeming surprisingly reserved, "I don't--... come to places like this very often." It had taken time for Prompto to realize that that was his code for maybe he's not been to places like this before...? To Prompto, going alone had been nothing unusual - swinging by on the way back from school - but to go with Noctis was still new enough to be exciting, and Noctis's own excitement for those things never stopped being endearing.

Raising the cup to his mouth once more, Prompto quietly smiled against it. You really get determined about the weirdest things.