Liz's Apartment Above the Photo Hut - Saturday Afternoon

[flamesburned]

When Liz had gone to the Perk
this morning, thinking that Prompto hated her and she had made a mess of everything - she didn’t think it would have ended with them coming back round to her place for coffee and to talk because Prompto needed to talk to her. She was a bit nervous but he wanted to talk and after the other day, she wanted to be there for him and listen like he had done for her.

At least her apartment was kept neat and tidy, admittedly she didn’t have a lot of possessions to worry about that so much but it was one less thing about having to worry about.

“It’s not much,” she said, almost apologetically and indicated the sparsely decorated living room when they entered the apartment, her photo board on full display in the living room. If Prompto looked closely there were definitely a few photos of him on there.

Rain came bounding up to meet them and was definitely excited to see Prompto, she started purring.

[for Prompto and their conversation is NFB please!]

Comments

[flamesburned]

Liz didn’t really have anything to add, she let out a murmur of contentment when Prompto placed the kiss on her head and she didn’t want the moment to stop either, so she just continued to have her arms wrapped around him and have her head rest against his chest.

[hashtag_chocobro]

Prompto never had been good at still and quiet, even in the best of times, so it was kind of impressive, that he was able to just hold onto that moment for as long as he had. But even if the fidgeting didn't start to take over, the multitude of thoughts swirling in his head now became louder in the quiet.

"I think," he said softly, eventually, when he knew he'd have to sacrifice either the stillness or the quiet and decided to go with the latter, and there was a sigh in there from him, "you should go to that Thanksgiving thing. Back home. I...I know it won't be easy, but....people like us...we have to hold onto the friends we manage to get. And who know? You might regret it if you don't...."

And that was definitely coming from a place of his own regrets.

[flamesburned]

Liz trembled against
Prompto but she took a deep breath to steady herself and lifted her head to look up at him, “okay,” she said finally, softly, “I’ll go …I mean it’s just for a few days right? Um…” her voice trailed off.

Part of her was tempted to ask him to come with her but she was pretty sure that it was way to soon in their relationship to bring him home with her, she should probably clear it with Professor Bruttenholm first and then there was that tiny matter of Prompto meeting Hellboy and …she was pretty sure he was already way to anxious at the idea of her being friends with him than what would happen if he suddenly met him in person.

[hashtag_chocobro]

Prompto waited a moment, feeling like that um was meant to lead into something more, but when that didn't seem to come...

"Just a few days," he agreed. "Besides, you...you've got to miss them, right? Your friends?"

Even if things were probably a little awkward between them at the moment.

He almost thought of offering to go with her, for support, but if that wasn't the most presumptuous thing ever, he didn't know what would be! Plus, he definitely did not relish the idea of being face to face with her actual straight-up daemon friend. If this whole thing between them got any traction, he supposed he'd have to, sooner or later, but that was not an encounter he was looking to just rush into!

[flamesburned]

“Yeah, I do,” she said softly, looking down at his chest and then back up at him, hesitating again before she finally took the plunge, “if…if I got it cleared with Professor Broom, um you don’t have to …I know this is very sudden …would …you consider coming with me? I mean if you didn’t already have plans that is …I mean…” it came out in a nervous rush.

[hashtag_chocobro]

"I don't have any plans," said Prompto, quickly, maybe a little too quickly, but he didn't want to give himself any room to start second-guessing and self-doubting and backing out. Just the fact that it almost felt as if he'd read his mind...he let out a soft laugh. "I don't even celebrate this thing. Ignis'll probably throw something together just because it's a food thing, but it's fine. I'm sure there'll be leftovers."

[flamesburned]

Liz had half expected a refusal because this was all so new and she wasn’t sure if this was rushing things so she gave a nervous laugh, “oh um…I’d really appreciate it if you could …um I’ll clear it with Professor Broom, it shouldn’t be a problem but well it is supposed to be a secret government agency I’m sure they’d like the heads up I’m bringing a guy home,” it all came out in a nervous excited babble and she wasn’t sure if Prompto followed any of that - then she was definitely going to have to give Hellboy the “I really like him please don’t give him a nervous breakdown” warning.

[hashtag_chocobro]

Oh, Hellboy's mere existence was going to give Prompto a nervous breakdown regardless, but, thankfully, he was a verifiable expert in keeping all that healthily bottled up inside on lockdown.

But the whole prospect of needing approval (understandably so, all things considered) and the easy out that would come with possibly not getting it helped stave off any such breakdowns for the time being, and he chuckled a little.

"I mean," he offered, "I am an elite member of an actual alien military force. That's got to earn me some kind of ambassador credentials, or something, right?"

He had no idea of that was how any of this worked, but maybe?

[flamesburned]

“I’ll definitely make sure sure to mention that,” she beamed and laughed, “I know Professor Broom will love to meet you,” also there was the fact that Prompto was the first person Liz had ever brought home with her …he was definitely going to be curious about that.

“Also …um,” she hesitated, “remember my friend Abe, who’s psychic? He can be kind of intense and he may start telling you facts about you and I’ll try to warn him not to do it but sometimes he can’t help it, it’s just natural to him that he knows stuff about people he meets,” she knew based on their conversation how that would be more than unsettling to Prompto, she felt it was only fair to warn him.

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Uhhhhh..."

Damn. Had Liz mentioned a psychic friend? Prompto tried to remember, all he could recall was focusing on the amphibious part, so it probably, unfortunately, slipped right under his radar, and he was glad for how they were positioned right now so that Liz couldn't see the dread draining his face right now.

But at least he didn't have to worry about the clone stuff coming out as a surprise to her now! And maybe this Abe guy would take one look at the absolute mess of jumbled thoughts that was Prompto's brain and promptly nope the hell right out of there!

Like, seriously. Good luck in there, buddy!

"...sure," he finally managed, hoping it sounded more casual than it felt. "Yeah. Of course. I'll...try and remember that..."

Which meant he was now likely just going to get hit with an obsessive wall of Prompto reminding himself remember this guy's psychic, don't think any embarrassing thoughts. Don't think any embarrassing thoughts...

Which would, naturally, just usher in a flood of said embarrassing thoughts.

Yaaaaay.

[flamesburned]

Liz had half expected Promoto to back out so the fact he hadn’t was rather a relief. She had no idea about the narrative struggle right now or she’d feel rather bad about mentioning Abe.

“I…I think that’s everything other than …” her voice trailed off, she knew Hellboy freaked him out so she tried not to mention the elephant in the room and instead decided to try and focus on something that hopefully wouldn’t stress him out about this visit, “you can meet all the cats,” she told him with a smile. “Rain can visit her brothers and sisters as well,”

[hashtag_chocobro]

Yup. That'll do it.

"Oh, hey, that's right!" Liz could probably feel Prompto brightening up at that. "I forgot about all the cats!"

Did you want him to spend the whole time clinging to cats, Liz? Because that was definitely how you got him to spend the whole time clinging to cats.

Or as much time as he could manage.

[flamesburned]

“Well there are 20 of them,” she grinned at Prompto’s reaction, hopefully Hellboy would not mind that he was probably going to lose access to his cats for a few days, “and there are so many different kinds as well,” she added, “they’re not all tabby’s like Rain is,”