adelphoi | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ would that she had made it sooner..

ten years seems not so very long a time, but for alisaie is has been as a lifetime. so much has happened, so much has changed, she has lost, and grown, and changed, she has faced endless threats to her home, and the perils and tribulations of motherhood. she has lived.

but she has never, ever forgotten her promise. she would find him. she would reach him. and so she has. she can only hope that she has not come too late.

securing a path to eos was not so difficult, but learning how to travel that path without giving up her life had taken years to unravel, and even having survived the storm, hydaelyn is ever a world in chaos. crisis after crisis, primal after primal, the battles never cease, and alisaie cannot well abandon her duty to the scions for her own personal endeavors. still, she works hard, she sleeps little, every spare moment is spent in research, poring over sharlayan's libraries, speaking with ul'dah's leading aetherologists, studying the paths of aether that connected hydaelyn to its shattered echoes and devising a way to travel those paths without becoming lost, undone by the lifestream. that she will be taking a very precious passenger is all the more reason she needs to be sure of it. risking her own life is one thing, but she will not risk louisoix's. it may take decades to secure her way to eos, for alisaie's recklessness does not extend to her son.

the last year is the hardest. they are so close, picking apart the details had taken agonizingly long, and those last few months seemed to stretch into centuries before at last, at last the path was ready.

it would seem that she has arrived none too soon. the world is black, and the journey dangerous, but she remembered prompto's tales of daemons and these ten years have only seen her grow her strength. she cuts down those in her path and pushes chobi hard, and it is weeks before she is at last able to trace prompto's steps to hammerhead, and then, to insomnia. the sky is alive over the city, flashing blue and red so brightly it can be seen from hammerhead. she leaves louisoix there, exhausted from the road, to sleep deeply while she rides hard to the crown city, fueled by desperation and adrenaline alone. she will not have worked so hard and come so very far to lose him, not now, not like this, not after all they have been through, how long they have waited.

the lights in the sky have quieted by the time she arrives, but alisaie knows not what that means - she knows only what she must do. keeping to the lights, she follows the trails of black blood and ichor toward what can only be the palace, and when they reach the stairs she leaps from chobi's back, rapier in hand, to dash up the main thoroughfare, her hair wild and her breath quick and her clothing torn and filthy.

please. please. let her not be too late. ]

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[ For his part, Prompto can't think it anything but fate that would bring her here now, at this particular time and place, at the end and the beginning. Of course, he'd always believed in fate, from the moment they had been pulled from different worlds, perfectly matched despite the distance they had crossed to be together. How could it be anything but fate, to have her here with him now, her gentle kisses tickling his palm, reassuring him this is real?

They have waited for this moment for so long.

He exhales a shuddering breath, leaning forward to kiss her mouth again, feeling weightless and dizzy in her arms. Distantly, he recalls he was in the middle of something, though the Glaives will surely understand what has happened with the rising of the sun. Gladio and Ignis will no doubt be along shortly, too, and might have questions about finding Prompto kissing an elf woman in the ruined streets, but he can't bring himself to pull away or detach himself from her. But then again, he probably won't ever be able to let her go willingly again. ]

You're so...tall.

[ He mumbles into her mouth, his lips curling. ]

[ he kisses her again, and alisaie is sure that she will never be able to achieve anything else in life when all she wants is this - his arms, his skin, the press of his mouth. nothing else matters.

but of course, he's at last commenting on what she knew he inevitably would, and alisaie is pulling back enough to cock a brow, the edge of her smile sharp. ]

Are you sure you have not shrunk?

[ He levels her with a look, but of course, there's no real malice in it. He'd known the eventuality of her growthspurt would happen someday, he just happened expected it to be quite so...drastic. (He'd also hoped to be together with her while it happened, but—well, they're together now, at least.)

He nudges his nose playfully to hers, still speaking against her mouth. ]

Mm...hey, I did some growing, too! [ He chuckles, and it feels so good. ] Speaking of...you haven't mentioned the beard. What do you think of the beard? Huh? Alisaie?

[ He needs her full review. ]

[ he certainly has. prompto may not have grown much in terms of height, but he is.. broader, somehow, he has filled in, and while he remains slim he is more.. solid. stronger. even his face is more angular, a bit less round and soft.

and, of course, there's that. ]

Beard?

[ she crows, incredulous. ]

Is that what you call this little tuft? Is that not being a bit generous?

[ her fingertips drop to his chin, scratching through the coarse hair. ]

[ Try as he might, he can't suppress a grin—it's hardly surprising that she's teasing him about his beard, but it took a lot of work, okay! Let him have this! It feels nice to have her scratching at it, like a pup being scratched behind the ears, and he nips playfully at her thumb. ]

Hey, it's more beard than not, isn't it? Anyyyyway, you didn't answer the question!

[ Does that mean she hates it?? Because he'll shave if she does, but...that's ten years worth of work down the drain... ]

[ """beard"""

he's really giving it a lot of credit here.. nevertheless, she cannot help her smile. ]

It is.. strange, to be sure, but I think that it suits you.

[ it's a hallmark, perhaps, of how very long it has been, how much time they have spent apart, how much both of them have changed, inside and out. gods, she has so much to tell him.. and he to tell her, like as not. ]

I have left my things at Hammerhead. There is.. much that we must discuss, when you have the time to meet me there.

[ though the last thing she wants to do is leave his side, she has interrupted him at a very important time, and she cannot leave louis alone for too long - he is a capable boy, but he has been through much these last weeks, and to be alone on a strange world is much to ask of a young boy. ]

[ Immediately, he opens his mouth to protest, because as it is for Alisaie, the last thing Prompto wants now that she has returned is to let her out of his sight once more. When she leaves, will he realize this was all just some sweet hallucination? That she never truly returned at all? The thought of parting from her now is unbearable, and his brow pulls tight in concern. ]

W-won't you stay? I-it....it might be awhile longer, but I...I just...

[ His eyes meet hers, searching. ]

I'm not ready to let you go again.

[ Not now, and not ever. ]

[ of course she understands. alisaie hardly wants to be apart from him any more than he wants to be apart from her, but more important than both of them, is louisoix. she could tell him here, and now, but it does not seem.. quite right. prompto has much to do, it is better saved for when they return to hammerhead.

a soft sigh, and she relents. how can she not? besides, no doubt louis continues to sleep, exhausting as their journey had been, she has some time yet left to spare. dipping her head in a nod, alisaie weaves her fingers through his, squeezing gently. ]

All right, you win. But we must needs be quick about it.

[ His relief is instant, his smile brightening once more, as he squeezes her hand in his. Maybe this is some kind of dream, some sort of delusion brought on by the exhaustion and euphoria and grief, but all the same, he will not choose to end it. She feels so real, she's warm and near and her eyes are just as beautiful as he remembers. He wouldn't trade her presence with him right now for anything in the world.

So he leans in to press another soft kiss to her lips — he's going to have to get used to leaning up now — before stepping back, starting to walk so he can lead her towards where the Glaives will be waiting for his instruction. ]

Why, you got a hot date waitin' for you?

[ is it cindy

because, hot ]

[ sorry prompto your girl on girl dreams will have to wait for another time to be fulfilled..

but alisaie does smile in a knowing sort of way in reply, her fingers slipping into his while they walk. it's so easy to fall right back into, as if no time has passed at all. ]

.. something like that.

[ What's that supposed to mean?!?!

Unless he's the hot date, and she has some...plans for when they get back to where she's staying, wink wonk. It's truly remarkable, how much time has passed, and yet they step back into the same place they occupied like it was only yesterday they'd seen each other last. Alisaie had carved out a spot in his life at his side, and since they had parted, that space has remained empty, unoccupied, simply waiting to be filled by her again. So much has changed—they've changed—but it so quickly becomes apparent that the love between them has not, and Prompto can't help but smile, despite everything.

His thumb brushes her knuckles as they walk, gentle and sure, as he steals glances her way every few moments as if to just remind himself that this is real, and she is here. They see to several things in the city before they at last depart for Hammerhead, and in truth, there's so, so much more to be done. But Prompto is bone-tired and spent and gods, when was the last time he showered? They're dusty and sore both, and so, once the immediate plans have been made and they can cut away, Prompto walks out of Insomnia and back towards Hammerhead with Alisaie at his side.

For all he has lost...for all Eos has lost, the future is bright once more. ]

[ for her part, alisaie does not know how to be of assistance beyond simply following orders - this world is new and strange to her, and so very much has happened in so short a time period. the culture shock is enough to have her head spinning.

but prompto knows what he is doing, this is his home, his realm, and she is more than happy to simply follow his lead. in some ways it almost feels as if she is intruding on something private, that she cannot fully grasp the incredible meaning of this day, and how impossibly, painfully wonderful it is to feel the sun on her face. she has been here only two weeks and it feels like a relief - how could she possibly understand what it had been like to endure ten years?

nevertheless, she does what she can, in what small ways she is able.

by the time they ride back to hammerhead, with the sun high over their heads, she is weary down to her bones, but there is not yet time to rest, and.. still so much more to explain. though nothing could please her more than to introduce prompto to his son, reunite louis with his father, she still cannot help the way her stomach tightens into a knot when they at last retire to the small apartment above the garage that cindy had graciously offered, where, just behind the door, louisoix sleeps soundly on an old sofa.

alisaie hesitates by the door, linking her fingers together with anxious uncertainty, her heart kicking up into her throat. ]

Before we go in, please try to lower your voice. I do not want to wake him..

[ wake who?? her new lover, clearly. ]

[ For all his life has radically changed so far today, Prompto is completely oblivious to how much it is about to change again, as soon as they head through that door.

At this point, however, he's so ready to just collapse into bed and hold her close and fall asleep to the sound of her breathing and the scent of her skin that he hardly notices that she seems...nervous. What could she have to be nervous about now? They're together again, the sun has risen, and the Starscourge is gone. Eos can begin to rebuild and thrive once more. In light of that...there could be nothing to be nervous about in the whole world.

Wearily, one side of his mouth tugs up into a smile as he leans close to the door, trying to discern any sound coming from the other side, but there's nothing. Nothing but the distant sounds from Cindy's garage below, and while Alisaie hadn't made any mention of anyone else making the journey with her, there could perhaps be a few people on the other side of this door that he can think of.

He nudges her jaw playfully with a knuckle. ]

Him? Letting Alphie get his beauty sleep, huh? Pretty thoughtful of you. Have you gone soft in your old age?

[ ...Because if it's not Alphinaud, who is it? Urianger? ]

[ that broad, sweet, silly smile is enough to ease her heart, and alisaie exhales softly, a weary smile curving her mouth. she's still nervous, for how.. incredibly intense this is like to be, but she has waited ten years for this. they both have.

so she summons her courage and at last twists the knob, slowly, carefully pulling the door open so as not to wake the boy. like as not he will want to sleep for many more hours, the trip has been hard on him, and while he is growing fast, he is still so young, and she has asked so very much of him.. ]

I would like you to meet.. my son.

[ louisoix sleeps soundly on the sofa, sprawled on his side, completely undisturbed by the movement and soft voices. he's a slim young boy, long-limbed and fair like his mother, but his hair is a soft, pale blonde, his ears not quite long and not quite pointed yet not entirely human either, and his young face is scattered with freckles, bright for how much time he has spent in the sun. well. before arriving here, at least.

but alisaie's eyes move away from the boy quickly enough, fixing on prompto's profile, watching with bated breath. ]

[ Way to bury the lead, Alisaie.

There's really no preparing him for those words, for the shock, no cushion to catch his halting heart on. Her...son? Alisaie had...a son?

Before he even fully steps into the room, a million and a half ideas begin to form in his mind, his stomach twisting up into anxious knots that had been absent only moments before. Of course...Prompto shouldn't have been so presumptuous to assume that Alisaie wouldn't...that's to say, ten years is an awfully long time to go without companionship, without love, and Alisaie has so much of it to give. Prompto was all but gone to her for such a long time, their meeting again only a faint dream, and impossible thing. It only...makes sense that she might've taken a new lover. It's okay. It's—she's here now, and at his side, and that's what matters most, and this child, whoever his father is, Prompto will love him, because he's hers. It aches—oh, how it aches when he recalls how badly they'd wanted children but been denied the ability by the Natha's hand, and in many ways, they were probably right to do so. But they'd cried and railed and mourned the family they would never have, for those unborn children. He's glad, at least, that Alisaie was at last able to have that joy in her life. She deserves it more than anything.

But as he steps further into the room, absolutely trembling from head to toe as he approaches the young boy, his thoughts begin to coalesce, even if they do so in a way that seems impossible. In the sunlight that filters in through the shaded window, Prompto can make out the child's features. His blonde hair, the short ears, the freckles. He is, as ever, keen on picking out features, and in this boy...he can...

He can see himself.

Before he can think better of it, Prompto kneels at the side of the couch, reaching out a hand to gently ruffle the boy's soft hair. The room is near silent, except for the quiet sleep sounds of this child, and Prompto's own quavering breath. ]

He's...he's perfect.

[ He can hardly bear to tear his eyes away, but he manages to do so for a moment, to turn a look of awe and wonder on Alisaie, his cheeks glistening with tears.

Can it be...? But...how? ]

[ wow shutup??

she can see it though, the moment he realizes, when it dawns over his face, conflicted and amazed and uncertain. she had been just as astonished as he is now, and for a long time, mournful - they had wanted so badly to build a family together, to have at last been blessed with it only after being separated had been a fierce, cruel irony.

but she would not trade this boy for anything in the world, not to erase all the anguish she has ever felt. ornery and difficult though he might sometimes be, he is the light of her world, the motivation that had kept her moving forward when all had seemed so bleak, so impossible. would she have even made it here, if not for him? she cannot begin to guess.

alisaie quietly closes the door, then follows behind when prompto moves forward, and though louisoix stirs when prompto's fingers brush his hair, he does not entirely wake, exhausted as he is. not only that, he has clearly inherited his mother's.. sleeping habits. ]

Yes, he is.

[ easing to sit on the arm of the sofa, alisaie drops her eyes to the boy's mussed hair. ]

He could hardly wait to meet you.

[ A sob rubs against a disbelieving laugh in his throat, as the boy begins to stir. This child...this beautiful child, that bears the parentage of them both, that sleeps deep just as deep as his mother, that breathes in the same rhythm as his father, occupies Prompto's entire world in that moment. He yearned to be a father for so long, inadequate as he may have felt he fit the role, he dreamed of it all the same. Of filling a home with children and building a loving family that he had never been a part of growing up. Those dreams had shattered before they'd even left El Nysa, and after...well, what hope could he have then, when even seeing Alisaie again seemed like an impossibility?

But now...the boy doesn't look a full ten years grown but he's close enough for Prompto to believe that somehow, Alisaie had become pregnant before they'd parted ways, that somehow, the Natha or the gods or whoever saw it fit to give her this soul as a parting gift, something to remember him by. In a way, he's grateful, that somehow a part of him had been there to watch over her, when he himself could not. He might have only just laid eyes on this child, and they have yet to properly meet, but..

He's already proud of him, and for the light he must have been in his mother's life. Prompto has no doubts about that.

As the boy continues to stir, he asks breathlessly: ]

What's his name?

[ What is the name of his beautiful, wonderful, perfect son? ]

[ there's something so wonderful about watching prompto react to this, watching the love and adoration wash over his features all but immediately. though he'd only just learned about this boy mere moments ago, she can see already how much prompto loves him, and for that.. for this simple, fleeting moment and nothing else, all of her struggling has been worth it. every moment spent weeping and shouting and working, every sleepless night and sore muscle and headache, she would take none of them back. seeing prompto behold his son for the first time brings a joy to her weary heart that she has not felt in years. ]

I named him for my grandfather. Louisoix.

[ her eyes flicker to his face again. ]

I considered naming him for you, but that felt too much like giving up.

I'm...glad you didn't.

[ Not because he wouldn't have been touched, but because it's just as she's said. Naming their son after his father would have seemed like too much of a memorial, and neither of them had wanted to give up on the idea that they might see each other again someday, not matter how unlikely it may have seemed at times. And...it seemed very unlikely. But now, being here with her, their child sleeping before him in the light of the still-rising sun, it's like anything he could have ever wanted is coming together at last. It's not without pain and suffering, for they have been through so much, and Prompto hasn't been there for his son. He's missed...so much.

But he's here now, their family reunited at last, and they can only move forward from here.

Louisoix...their little Louie. ]

A-Alisaie, I-I...I can't believe it, I...I'm...a dad. I'm a dad!

[ He exclaims that last be a little too loudly, and Louisoix starts to stir in earnest, his dark eyes cracking open to find the source of that unfamiliar voice. Mystefied, they land on Prompto. As sharp as his mother, it doesn't take the young boy long to identify who it is that's kneeling in front of him.

And all at once, Prompto is paralyzed, his breath catching in his throat, uncertain of what to say. What could possibly suffice as his first words to the son he never knew he had, after ten long years of being absent from his life? ]

[ well, it was only a matter of time, really, before prompto got noisy enough to wake him.. honestly, she's surprised he lasted even this long. she knows full well how important family is to prompto, how very much he had wanted to have children, to built up the family unit that they had both been so desperate for. in many ways, this must be a dream come true for him. a simple dream, but a dream nonetheless.

gods, what a day it has been for him.. ]

You most certainly are.

[ alisaie chuckles softly, fondly, gently skimming her fingertips along prompto's cheek before dropping them to louisoix's fair hair, scratching at his scalp. ]

Say hello to your father, my love.

[ It's unreal. The idea of having children had all but left him, a distant thought in the back of his head, when even being with Alisaie again seemed to be such an impossible thing. As such, he hadn't...thought much about what it would be like, especially in recent times, when he's grown and changed and matured. But even if he had, it couldn't have prepared him for this. For finding he's had a child this whole time, that Alisaie has brought him with her here, and that that child is now peering at him with sleepy, curious eyes, a mumbled "dad?" rolling off his tongue.

His heart soars, when Louis calls him that, and all at once, Prompto remembers how to move, how to think.

Quickly, he leans forward, hands cupping Louisoix's cheeks, meeting his son's bright eyes with his own as he swallows against a thick knot in his throat. ] Yeah. It's me, buddy. It's me. I'm here. [ He draws in a shuddering breath as he smooths his thumbs over Louisoix's cheekbones. ] And I...

[ He pulls the boy against him in a powerful, fierce hug. ]

I-I'm never gonna let you go again.

[ it feels quite strange to be on the outside looking in for once, but alisaie could not be happier than to see, at last, her son reunited with his father. she has told him so very many stories, and as he'd gotten older, louisoix had asked only more and more questions, eager to know everything he could about this man he had never known, but that his mother had loved so very, very much. she told him of their adventures, how they met, the silly things they did - anything she could think of to keep the memory alive, and give her son at least a little hint of just who his father was. he had been eager to meet him nearly from the moment he could understand just what the word meant, and he has been no small help, either, keeping her on track, focused, driven.

how could she disappoint this boy, after all? how could she deny him a chance to meet his own father? how could she deny prompto the same?

and so here they are, and while alisaie is not wont to cry as easily as prompto does, it nevertheless brings hot tears to pricking at the corners of her eyes to see the boy swept up in his arms. to witness the raw emotion in this perfect, wonderful moment. she's quick to swipe the wetness from her eyes and sit up straight again after a moment - someone has to stay on task, after all, and there's no doubt that prompto is in dire need of rest, and louisoix as well. after several long moments she reaches to filter her fingers through her son's hair again. ]

You worked hard for this, dearest, we shall never needs be apart again. But you must rest again soon, and your father as well.

[ it has been such a very, very long day for him. ]

[ Prompto could have continued to hug Louis for hours and days and weeks and still it would not be enough to satisfy him, to make up for the ten long years he wasn't absent from this child's life. They have a long road ahead of them in actually getting to know one another, in bonding and forming a relationship that should have been there long ago, but when Prompto pulls back to peer into his son's face again, he knows it's going to be okay. That they're going to get along just fine, and at last their little family will become what it should have been long ago.

But Alisaie is right. They're all exhausted and overwhelmed and he needs some time to digest this new, unexpected turn in his life. It's a lot to take in and digest and there's a lot he wants to need and ask, but for now, his parting words are simple, straightforward. ]

I love you, Lou. [ He squeezes the boy's shoulders, nothing but genuine pride in his tone. ] Tomorrow...we're going to spend the whole day together, okay? I promise.

[ They have so much catching up to do.

But for now, he stands, his hand slipping into Alisaie's once more to give it a gentle squeeze. ]

[ for all the stories she has told louisoix about prompto, all the details and descriptions, first and foremost she had always been sure to affirm and drive home his kindness, his warmth and smile, his loving heart. part of it had been to assure her son that no matter what, prompto would love and adore him, and be so very happy to see him, but also in an attempt to nurture that same kindness in him. most boys want to be like their fathers, after all, and nothing would please her more than to watch him grow up in the image of the man she loves most in all the worlds.

it makes it all the easier for louisoix to accept it at face value, immediately, when prompto says it, his face lighting up ith glee behind a mask of shyness. they still need to get to know one another, to learn who they are as people, individuals, but alisaie has no worries whatsoever about whether or not they will get along. there is no doubt in her mind.

but she's switching into mom mode soon enough, fussing the boy back down onto the sofa and tucking the blankets back up around his chin, though only after slipping his favorite, worn old chocobo plush back into his arms. brushing the hair from his eyes, alisaie leans to press a kiss to his brow before at last she is standing, her fingers weaving through prompto's. ]

We will be right over there, should you need anything. Sleep well, my prince.

[ Though it's difficult to step away now, after they've been reunited at last, Prompto's made his promise and he can't wait for tomorrow to come, to spend as much time as possible with his son, getting to know him and learning everything about him, his favorite foods, his favorite things, whether he likes photography, how he laughs. There's so much, and he can't wait to get to it.

It will all come tomorrow. Giving Alisaie a soft, tender look, he steps back towards the bedroom, but not before adding a few final words before they slip through the door: ]

Goodnight...son.

[ He can still hardly believe those words just left his mouth. But they did, and a smile cracks wide across his lips as he shuts the door behind them.

He doesn't say anything—doesn't even know what he would say. Instead, he meets Alisaie's eyes, taking in the sight of her once more, taking in everything that has happened in the last 24 hours.

He has never felt so lucky, so loved, as he does in this moment. ]