Healing Wounds [Final Fantasy XV]

|VI|

As she continued to scan the collection of stuffed animals, Prompto suddenly asked a question that was the last thing she thought of.

"Hey, Ava, how come you only talk to me and not the others?"

She froze a moment, trying to find words. She didn't even turn to look at him as she shrugged. "Because we're friends." she said, matter of faculty. 

"Well, why can't you be friends with Iggy, Gladio and Noct?" he then asked.

She looked at him and tilted her head to the side. "But I'm already friends with you. Am I allowed to have more than one friend?"

Prompto laughed at her cute confused demeanor. "Of coarse you're allowed to have more than one friend Ava. I'm friends with the other three. And you're friends with Cindy aren't you?" 

"I mostly considered Cindy a big sister more than anything else." she then said.

"Tell ya what," he suggested. "Why don't you try and make friends with the other three, on your own." 

"How..." she didn't exactly know how to ask. "How do you make friends?" 

The blonde thought a moment. "You could start by talking for one." "Oh no! I can't do that, I can't talk. What if they don't like my voice? What if they think its high pitched and annoying? Or that I sound like a dying cat. Or that I...."

"They're not gonna think that." he cut her off, getting worried again. She had the same look on her face that night when she begged him not to hit her. "Why would you assume that? We're not that bad y'know."

"I know, I know just..... Y'know what? It's nothing. Forget I said anything," she quickly replied. "Anyway, you were saying?" 

Prompto didn't push matters. He just grinned, "You have to talk Ava, your voice is beautiful. Anyone would fall for you just by you saying hello."

"Fall for me?" she gave him a confused glance, then panicked again. "I don't want anyone to fall for me! What if they get hurt? They could fall really really hard and get seriously hurt! Then it would be my fault. I don't want that! That settles it, I won't talk."

The blonde groaned, "Ava, I don't mean it in that way. They won't actually fall... y'know what? You'll figure it out. Anyway, how about you start with something small. Here." he got a random chibi plushie and handed it to her. "Pretend I'm Noct then give me the gift and say 'let's be friends.' try it."

Hesitantly, Avalon took the stuffed doll and imagined giving it to the prince. She held it out and bowed then said just above a whisper. "L-l-lets be...... f-friends N-Noct..... Prince Noctis..... Noct?" 

"He prefers Noct. That was good, try again." he encouraged with a smile. She performed the routine over and over until she said it as though she'd memorized a script. Then their attention diverted back to plushie hunting. 

Avalon took several plushies and posed with them while Prompto snapped shots of her from all angles. She looked so happy, he couldn't resist. She was a walking talking photo op in his eyes. A picture perfect moment was every moment with her.

"You look so happy." Prompto randomly voiced when her back was turned. "I am!" she happily chirped. 

"The last time I had this much fun was when on my tenth birthday when Dad brought me to a plushie store and told me I could get any 7 plushies I wanted. But then I ended up with 15. He was against me getting all of them but he paid for them anyway so." she shrugged and smiled at the memory. 

"Dad? You mean Cor the Immortal right?" the blonde clarified.

"Yeah, the Marshal. Who else would I mean?" she unconsciously asked in reply.

"Your real father?" he blurted.

Avalon froze and tensed up at the words. Prompto noticed this and quickly tried to fix the situation. "N-no, not what I meant! Sorry, that was random and rude. If you don't want to talk about it it's fine."

The girl turned to him and smiled. "I really don't want to talk about it, Prompto. Thanks for understanding. Cor's been more of a father to me than my real one. So I'd rather not dwell on that."

"Right." he nodded in understanding.

There was a short silence before something caught Avalon's eye. A pure white chocobo plushie that had some sort of glimmer to it in the light. It was at the top most shelf, way beyond out of her reach but she tried to grab it anyway."

"Prompto! Look at that one! It's so cute! I want that one!" she cried.

"What about the one on your head?" Prompto asked, raising a brow.

Within a fraction of a second, the ordinary chocobo was back perfectly on its shelf and she was jumping, trying to garb the new one again.

"Chocobo! Won't you come down?" she tried to call, although her and the plushie both knew it wasn't moving. "Come on! Prom! Help me!" she cried.

Just then, as if on cue, a pair of two large arms wrapped around her waist and hoisted her up into the air with little to no difficulty. She didn't even pay attention to her helper, assuming it was her blonde friend. Once she obtained it, she was let down and she spun around in pure glee.

"Prompto! I got it, look! Isn't it so cute?" 

She jumped up and down happily and giggling then posed, knowing he'd want a shot. She smiled brightly, waiting for the flash. Once it passed, she continued to rejoice. "I chose my new plushie! I wonder what I'm gonna name it." she giggled. "What do you think I should name it Prom?"

"So you can talk."

She froze mid- jump and the new voice, which caused her to land clumsily and land on her butt. She focused her gaze only to come face to face with the prince's shield. He held his hand out to her and she stared at it, unsure.

Prompto sighed but his amused smile stayed. "He's not gonna hurt you Ava. You should know that by now." He mused.

With those words, she put her hand- tiny compared to his- in Galdio's hand and he hoisted her up. "There ya go," he gave a small grin. She bowed a thank you. "Ignis sent me, said you two were taking too long."

"Is that the time!?" Prompto exclaimed, looking at his phone. "Damn it! We lost track of time Ava!" 

The girl also started to panic along with him, silently of coarse, but she was cut off by the shield's next remark...

"Well, I knew your voice would be cute, but I didn't think it would be that mesmerizing." Gladio smirked.

Suddenly, a warm feeling made its way to Avalon's cheeks. Compliments were so rare to her, she wondered if they were actually true.

Still refusing to meet his gaze, she shook her head to deny his words.

"Oh come on. You talk to Prom, why not to me?" he asked. She didn't respond so Prompto- in all his bubbly blonde glory- took it upon himself to explain the situation.

"Ava is afraid that if she talks, people will find her voice annoying."

"Well you're not being fair to yourself," Gladio frowned. "Now why would anyone find such a pretty voice annoying, huh?" 

Slowly, she raised her head to look at him only to find a small kind smile plastered across his features. 

"Come on, say something at least." the brunette urged.

Avalon pondered a moment before she finally thought of something. Taking a very deep breath, she said just above a whisper but loud enough for both men to hear....

"Can we......... be friends?"

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