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The first time it happens, Prompto doesn't think anything of it. It's raining, and he left his jacket in the trunk of the car, and he whines, "Man, it's freezing out here!"
Noct shrugs out of his jacket and tosses it to him. "Here, use mine. I'm not cold."
Noct's jacket is warm, and it smells a little like him. As a beta, Prompto doesn't have the great sense of smell that the other guys do, so he doesn't usually notice if things smell like Noct or Gladio or Ignis unless someone's been sweating up a storm and they haven't done laundry recently. Noct's jacket is just a tiny bit ripe -- probably they'll wash it next time they get to a big enough town.
"Warm enough now?" Noct asks.
Prompto gives him a thumbs up. "Way better, thanks dude!"
*
The second time, Prompto is bracing himself for attack from the voretooth that got too close when Noct leaps in front of him and blocks it. Prompto's thrown back onto the ground and can only watch as Noct throws his full force into the parry, sending the creature flying. He executes a fancy warp strike combo involving three mid-air weapon exchanges, finally landing with a javelin piercing straight through the voretooth's head.
"You're on fire today!" Gladio yells, and Ignis adds his own, "Brilliant."
"Can't stop Noct," Prompto says weakly, a little dazed by the display of skill. When Noct pulls out all the stops Prompto gets a big dose of holy shit he really is a king and has to take a second to get a hold of himself because damn, it's really hot.
Not like Noct isn't hot all the time, but Prompto is really good at ignoring it. He's had years of practice.
Noct comes over to him, grinning. He doesn't preen exactly, but he looks awfully pleased with himself. "No big deal," he says, reaching a hand out to pull Prompto up. "You okay?"
Prompto nods, brushing himself off. "Yup! Never better!"
*
The third time it happens, they're in Lestallum. They've just finished shopping and Gladio slings an arm around Prompto's shoulders, steering him toward a shop that he says has the best skewers. That sounds great, because Prompto is absolutely starving.
They've only taken two steps before Noct somehow wedges his way in between them, knocking Gladio's arm away. Gladio takes a step back, muttering, "What the hell, Noct."
Noct's face is a little red. "Just making sure Prompto has some space. I'm sure he doesn't need you hanging your big alpha arms all over him and stinking him up."
Gladio just snorts and continues talking about the skewers to Ignis. Prompto looks sideways at Noct, who's walking closer to him than usual. "Uh, you don't need to protect me, bro, I can handle Gladio."
Noct shrugs, not meeting his eyes. "If you didn't have a beta nose you'd know how much Gladio stinks," he says. "Come on, let's eat."
*
There's no real alternative explanation for the fourth time. Prompto is chilling in a camp chair playing a mindless game on his phone, when Noct comes up behind him and sniffs him, full on face-in-the-neck-long-inhale sniffs.
"Uh, Noct? What are you doing?"
He twists around so he can see Noct's face. His eyebrows are doing some kind of a thing, mouth twisted halfway between embarrassment and something else. "Sorry, I just-- I don't--"
"Ah," Ignis says from behind the camp stove. "It all becomes clear."
"Uh, what?" Nothing has become clear to Prompto.
"Apparently, His Highness is going into rut," Ignis says. Noct groans in embarrassment, burying his face in Prompto's shoulder.
"Rut?" Prompto repeats. It's not that he doesn't know that alphas have ruts, it's just not exactly something that happens every day. In fact, he has no idea when the last time it happened for Noct was. "What does that mean? I mean, I know what it means, but like."
Noct buries his face further in Prompto's shoulder. Prompto reaches up and pats him on the head, because it feels like the right thing to do.
"It means that once the rut hits its peak, Noct will be indisposed for a while." Ignis looks at the two of them consideringly. "If we were back at home, beta guards would be posted on his room for the duration."
Gladio picks his moment to come out of the tent. "Last time we had to take all his weapons away after he tried to warp-strike me in his living room," he says. "Hope you're not planning on trying that again, since we can't exactly take away your armiger."
Noct lifts his head off Prompto's shoulder and glares at Gladio. "Don't try to mess with my stuff and I won't have any reason to." Gosh, there's a little bit of a growl in his voice, a low throaty timbre to his speech that makes Prompto's whole body vibrate. He's no omega, but that doesn't mean he's entirely insensible to the influence of an alpha.
"And here we come to the crux of the matter," Ignis says mildly. "We can't leave Noct alone entirely; it wouldn't be safe. And it appears, Prompto, that Noct has decided that for the time being, you are 'his stuff.'"
"He-- What??"
"Sorry," Noct says, chagrined.
Oh gods, that means what Ignis is saying is true. Noct really-- "Wait, is that why you shoved Gladio yesterday?"
Gladio barks a loud laugh, which earns him another glare from Noct. "So what's the plan, Iggy? We just leave Noct and Prompto here at the haven for a couple days?"
Ignis adjusts his glasses. "I don't like it. Not that I don't trust you to protect the prince, Prompto, but if you were to be set upon by a magitek unit with Noct not operating at his peak… And besides, I'm not sure whether I trust Noct to… take care of his things, as it were."
"I'm not gonna hurt Prompto," Noct says. "And if anyone tries I'll blast them with the circular saw until there's nothing left."
"Wait, why can't you guys stay too? I don't understand." Noct's cheeks are getting redder as the conversation goes on and Prompto feels like he's missing something obvious here. Just because Noct has decided Prompto's his new security blanket or whatever…
"Because Noctis will not tolerate the presence of another alpha while he's in rut, Prompto. That's why we always post beta guards, though admittedly we haven't dealt with this particular situation before. This is the first time Noctis has selected a partner for his rut."
"A…partner?" Prompto's mind is spinning. He's heard about alphas gone crazy with rut, fighting off anyone they see as a threat to their omega. And, his brain helpfully supplies, fucking said omega silly, until the hormones run their course. "But there aren't any omegas here."
"Congrats," Gladio says. "You're an honorary omega for the next few days."
Prompto's jaw drops. "I'm what?!" His voice maybe comes out as kind of a shriek.
Noct winces. "I'm not gonna-- I wouldn't, I mean…"
"What his highness means to say is that the degree to which alphas lose their faculties during rut is somewhat overstated. Also, since you are not, in fact, an omega, there's no chance of you losing your faculties." Ignis looks uncomfortable as he says it, because they all know he's talking about sex without actually saying the words. Not like Prompto wouldn't want to have sex with Noct, because holy gods he definitely would, but he's still trying to process that any of this is happening.
"Besides," Gladio adds, "rut makes an alpha want to protect the one they pick. That's more important than anything else." He comes over and claps Prompto on the shoulder, ignoring the way Noct glares at him for it. "You got nothing to worry about." Turning to Noct, he asks, "Think you can make it till tomorrow before it really hits? I just finished setting up my sleeping bag and I don't want to have to pack up again."
"Yeah," Noct says sullenly. "I'm fine. Can we stop talking about this and eat dinner already?"
*
Ignis pulls Prompto aside early the next morning, while Noct is still asleep. "Prompto," he begins, "I just wanted to make sure you're really alright with this. An alpha in rut can be a bit much to deal with."
"Buddy, I have no idea what I'm doing," Prompto replies. "Deal with how?"
Ignis looks uncomfortable. "Well, I don't believe Noctis would force himself on you, but he may…make advances. I admit I didn't expect he would develop an attachment of this sort, but here we are. You may rebuff his advances and he will respect it, but he may look a bit like a kicked puppy. I assure you he'll get over it when he's back in his right mind."
Prompto looks down at his hands, picking at a nail. "What if I don't want to rebuff his advances? Would that be-- taking advantage?"
Ignis blinks a few times, then adjusts his glasses and clears his throat. "Well. I can't speak for Noctis, but I've never had any difference in feelings in and out of a rut, merely a difference in urgency, as it were. I'd advise you to speak to him about it, though. He should be waking up any moment."
As if on cue, Noct peers out of the tent opening. His head swivels around to face them, brows drawing together, and then suddenly he's right in front of Prompto, the knife he'd thrown to warp still in his hand.
Ignis takes a step back, hands raised in a placating gesture. "Not to worry, Your Highness, we were merely discussing arrangements for while Gladio and I are gone. Prompto, there's plenty of food in the cooler, and if all else fails we have quite a stock of cup noodles. Please give us a call if you have any problems. And Noct," he says, giving Noct a stern look, "please put the knife down and stop scaring Prompto."
The knife disappears in a shimmer of blue sparks and Noct turns to face Prompto, apology written on his face. "Um," he says. "Sorry. Got a little carried away. Where's Gladio?"
"He's waiting at the car. We'll turn in the hunts we have and visit with Iris in Lestallum until you're done."
"Right. Thanks, Specs."
Ignis leaves, and Prompto decides that being aggressively normal is the only way he can deal with the situation. "So! Breakfast?"
*
The morning is pretty normal, to start off with at least. There's some good lighting so Noct gamely accompanies Prompto to take a few landscape photos, then they harvest some wild onions. Noct is still acting kind of weird, leaving Prompto feeling like he's waiting for the other shoe to drop.
When they come back to camp, Noct disappears into the tent for a while. Prompto gives him his privacy, and is glad for it when he recognizes the distinctly rhythmic rustling coming from inside. He pops in his headphones and listens to some music, trying to pretend he doesn't know what Noct's up to in there, though it's not like he can forget.
Noct emerges again before Prompto's even finished the first song. "Uh, wanna play King's Knight?" Noct asks sheepishly.
*
Noct has to go into the tent two more times before lunch, and it's starting to drive Prompto a little crazy. He's so fast about it that there's no way Prompto would have the time to jerk off himself before Noct was back again. Instead he's stuck half hard all morning, wondering if Noct is ever going to make those advances Iggy was talking about.
When Prompto's done packing away the leftovers from their lunch, he turns around and finds Noct right behind him, a little glassy-eyed. "Whoa!" he yelps, jumping a little. "You scared me, dude."
"Prompto…" Noct begins, then stops. Then he tries again: "Can I scent you?"
Scenting isn't a thing betas really do, but Prompto knows it's a capital-T Thing for alphas. "Sure, buddy," he says. It's not like he'd refuse Noct anything in any case, but this is harmless enough.
Noct reaches out and pulls Prompto to him, back to Noct's chest, then buries his face in his neck. It's kind of like last night, only this time Noct doesn't stop at that big, slow inhale. This time he leans in further and rubs his cheek along Prompto's neck, rubs his scent all over Prompto. Marking his territory, or something like that, gods.
Noct makes a little sound, a pleased, growly sort of sound, and presses closer -- close enough that Prompto can feel what he assumes must be Noct's sizable erection pressing into his ass. There's no way Noct can miss the way Prompto's heart rate jumps, is there? Not when Noct's lips are now touching his pulse point.
"Uh, Noct?" Prompto says. "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just really happy to see me?"
Noct presses his forehead to Prompto's shoulder, hands tightening on Prompto's hips. "Sorry," he says miserably.
"Don't be sorry." Prompto takes a breath. It's now or never, he supposes. He takes one of Noct's hands and pulls it around and down, so that Noct can feel how hard Prompto is too.
Noct inhales sharply and grinds himself into Prompto's ass. "Prom, you--"
"Is this just a rut thing?" It's so much easier to have this conversation when he's not looking Noct in the eyes. "Is this like. Do you only want me because of the rut?"
"No," Noct confesses quietly. "I always want you."
Prompto laughs shakily. "Thank the six," he says, then turns around. "Noct, buddy, I've wanted you since we were sixteen."
Then Noct is kissing him, and Prompto forgets to care about anything else.
*
Because Prompto isn't an omega, he's not physically built for getting fucked repeatedly for two days straight or for taking a knot. They make do, though, lazy handjobs and blowjobs between bouts of Noct fucking Prompto's thighs. Noct is far more aggressive than Prompto imagined he would be, and when he points it out, Noct admits that that part, at least, is mostly because of the rut.
Prompto doesn't mind, though. He likes having Noct heavy on top of him, breathing down the back of his neck and scraping teeth across his shoulder. He likes the way Noct growls his name, and he likes the way Noct looks at him like he's something precious.
He also likes it when Noct lays back and opens his legs and lets Prompto fuck him, until he's writhing and gasping and Prompto has to get a hand around the base of Noct's cock and squeeze to give his knot something to push against.
"Think it's over," Noct says the next afternoon, spent and boneless on top of Prompto.
"Mmm," is all Prompto can manage. They'd laid down some towels but the sleeping bags are a mess regardless, and the floor of the tent didn't escape unscathed. "How can you tell?"
Noct laughs, a low chuckle against the back of Prompto's neck that vibrates pleasantly through him. "Because I only want to fuck you a normal amount. Don't think I can get it up again until tomorrow, anyway."
Prompto wriggles until Noct slides off of him, then turns to face him. "Hey," he says.
"Hey yourself."
"If you didn't go into rut, were you ever gonna say anything?"
Noct stretches lazily. There are hickeys all over him, though not as many as there are on Prompto. "Were you?"
"Touché. In my defense, you're a king and an alpha and I'm just a common beta, so you can't really blame me for thinking I didn't have a chance."
"Omegas are overrated," Noct says with a grin. He leans in and kisses Prompto again; Prompto thinks he'll never get enough of that. "We should probably clean up and let the guys know it's safe to come back."
"Not feeling like stabbing them anymore?" Prompto jokes, but he does start cleaning up.
Noct looks at him, his eyes searching Prompto's body and lingering on the bite mark on his neck. "I think I've marked my territory pretty well. Besides, I have to thank whichever one of them left that giant container of lube for us."
Prompto dissolves into helpless giggles. Maybe a rut isn't so bad, after all.