Chapter Text
“Look at all the lights!” cheered Prompto as he twirled, trying to take it all in.
The sun was only moments away from setting. The city’s lights illuminated the streets and created a delightful ambiance. Jared and Talcott stayed behind, but Iris joined the group in their stead. Had she been alone, Astra didn’t think she would have been able to enjoy the festival as much, but Prompto pulled her every which way to ensure she didn’t miss a single detail, allowing her to enjoy the festivities to the fullest. Finally at the food court, the group managed to snag a table although it was the type with no seats and was too small for all of them.
“It’s alright. You all enjoy the food,” said Ignis as he readjusted his glasses. “I had an early dinner. Instead, I’ll use this time to buy our missing necessary procurements for tomorrow. I will need an extra pair of hands, however.”
“Is this just your roundabout way of asking me to help you buy the groceries?” asked Noctis.
“You are, essentially, our wallet,” reasoned Astra. “Even mine.”
“Aw, come on. Noct’s more than that,” said Iris. “Come on, Noct. It’ll be fun. I’ll join!”
Begrudgingly so, Noctis followed Ignis with Iris at his side, leaving Gladio, Prompto, and Astra behind. Astra looked at the various food stalls, each with their enticing food options. She couldn’t decide and refused to wait in a long line; she was far too hungry for that.
“You pick. I can’t,” Astra told Gladio as Prompto nodded in agreement.
“You already know where I’m going,” said Gladio, already eyeing the food stall with the most meat dishes. “Come on, Prompto.”
Taking Prompto with him, Gladio left Astra behind at the table. All the tables were placed near each other to save space. Astra could hear the conversations of those near her— all their jokes, all their stories, all their songs. She liked it; it was oddly comforting. However, the moment didn’t last. A group of loud men roamed through the food court; not only did they look it, but they also smelled of booze and other substances. Having locked onto their prey, they worked their way to Astra.
“What’s a pretty girl like you doing all by herself?” asked one of the men.
He stood the closest to Astra, clearly the leader, and wore a tank top, allowing her to see scars stretched along his arms. The two other men with him carried themselves just like he did and appeared to share similar scars. They were hunters. Astra ignored them, hoping they’d think she was either deaf or blind, but the man waved his hand alarmingly close to her face, making her flinch out of surprise.
“There you are!” laughed the man.
She turned to look at him. Her disgust must have been evident because the men laughed.
“That’s a nice look you got there. Real intense.” The man touched her hair. “And exotic.”
Even though she moved her head away, she wanted to throw up, but she had to hold it back. The food court was too crowded, and today was too important to cause such a commotion. But if he touched her one more time— no, if he looked at her with such disgusting eyes again, she’d ensure it would be the last thing he saw. However, a large familiar shadow appeared behind the men carrying meaty food.
“There a problem?” asked Gladio to Astra, not even acknowledging the men’s existence.
Prompto stood beside him, looking even more enraged than Gladio.
“No, they were just leaving,” answered Astra.
The men took one last look at her; this time they looked disappointed and angry. But they left either way. Astra would be lying if she said that she wasn’t disappointed that the men left after seeing the mere presence of Gladio and Prompto, but she knew men like that would never take her seriously unless she beat them to a pulp. Gladio and Prompto set down the food on the table, looking more upset than Astra.
“The gall of those guys,” said Prompto with frustration.
“There’s always losers like that causing trouble at places like these,” said Gladio. He pointed to the scar on his face. “It’s how I got this scar.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s fine. I mean, you shouldn’t have to deal with guys like that! You’re a princess!”
“I mean, I’ve dealt with people like that before both inside the Crown City and on the frontlines. It’s nothing new,” explained Astra.
“Still,” muttered Prompto as he played with his food.
Even though she hated what she had just gone through, she appreciated the care Gladio and Prompto had for her. It made her feel nice and warm inside.
Noticing she had no napkins, Astra asked Prompto, “Hey, can you hand me a—”
A voice overpowering not only hers but everyone else’s sounded from across the seating section, “Can you believe that hag tempted us when she already had two guys with her!”
Astra’s entire table froze. Everyone else in the food court ignored the drunk men, knowing that giving them any attention would prove regretful. But, the drunk men’s eyes didn’t leave Astra even with Gladio’s intense glare.
“But, hey. If she’s got two, doesn’t that mean she knows how to have fun with a group?” added one of the drunk men with an obscene laugh. “Who knows? Maybe the guys would let us play around with her, and she might even like it—”
Gladio slammed his hands on the table, creating a deafening sound throughout the entire food court. The drunk men who had been paying attention to Astra and those at her table noticed this and watched expectantly for Gladio’s next move.
“Enough of this! I’m gonna wipe their smiles off their faces!” yelled Gladio.
Astra could see the protruding veins on Gladio’s face. If looks could kill, Gladio would have already butchered the men with his alone. Leaving the table, Gladio stepped forward with curled fists, but Astra held him back and placed herself before him.
“Gladio—”
“You’re gonna let this go?” interrupted Gladio, attempting to slip out of Astra’s grip.
“I don’t want to. But look around,” explained Astra. “This is hardly the place for a fight.”
Gladio took in a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Astra wasn’t sure it worked, but he did stop trying to escape her grip. He looked at Astra with sad eyes and patted her head. Something behind Astra must have caught his attention because he suddenly looked up with a surprised expression that quickly shifted to satisfaction.
“You should’ve probably told blondie that,” said Gladio, smiling.
Astra turned around to look at the drunk men. One was already on the ground, and another was getting his face punched by none other than Prompto. She had never seen Prompto look that enraged before. Prompto's eyes were far more intense than Gladio's, and they were filled with endless hate. Veins popped on his face and arms; his knuckles were already tinted red. The man that had touched Astra's hair attempted to punch Prompto, but he was able to easily dodge and punch him instead. Even if he was less skilled when compared to Gladio or Ignis, as a member of the Crownsguard, Prompto was an incredibly skilled marksman and hand-to-hand combatant, more than capable of keeping up with his royal friends.
The food court formed an invisible bubble around Prompto and the drunk men. They had no intention of getting involved. Gladio joined the fight and helped Prompto beat the guys up. Astra watched, attempting to figure out what their next course of action should be, but she saw a new group of men arrive with weapons. They were looking for someone, and Astra knew exactly who before they even said anything.
The newly arrived group made their way to Gladio and Prompto; they readied their bats and brass knuckles. One of the men picked up a bottle from someone's table and raised it, ready to hit Prompto from behind. But Astra warped to him and caught his arm before he could hurt Prompto.
Astra didn't waste any time and punched him in the gut, watching him fall in pain. Gladio and Prompto ran to Astra' side and helped her fight off the men. In the middle of the fight, Gladio pulled Astra aside and threw her onto Prompto, surprising them both.
“Get yourselves out of here. I’ll take it from here,” said Gladio. “We can’t have Lestallum’s idol caught in this mess when the authorities show up!”
“What about you?” asked Astra. “Not to be that person, but you don’t appear to be the most trustworthy citizen.”
Laughing, Gladio punched one of the men, “Don’t worry. I’ll make it out before they catch me. Go!”
Hesitantly, Astra and Prompto ran from the scene, leaving Gladio behind; the fight didn’t worry Astra. It was Gladio’s future escape, but alas, she had to trust him and have faith. Prompto held tightly onto Astra’s hand as they ran with some men following them. They ducked through alleys and tight corners until they finally decided to hide behind a large trash bin. From the abandoned alley where they hid, Astra could only hear the distant music from the plaza and no longer heard the grunts and pants of the men that followed them. She peeked out from beside the trash bin, but Prompto pulled her back instantly.
“Wha—”
Prompto covered her mouth with his hand and motioned to the other side of the alley behind her with his head, “Not yet.”
Astra turned her head, escaping the hand on her mouth, and lightly peeked to see what made Prompto so worried. In the distance, she could see a few men amidst a crowd. Astra wouldn’t have recognized them if it weren’t for the vague tattoos that peeked out from their clothes. Actually, she could barely even see them, but then again, as a marksman, Prompto always had good eyes.. Turning back to Prompto, she observed his face. He had a small cut on his bottom lip and on his left brow, and his cheek was bruised. His eyes were focused on the men he saw; even now when it was night, the blue in his eyes were brilliant and beaming. She didn't know why, but she had the sudden urge to visit the sea.