Chapter Text
Ardyn was never one to be fond of children. It wasn’t as if he hated them or that he despised him, they were just never his goal. At least that’s what he thought. Aera wanted so much more, to build a family with him, to live a long happy life with her husband and future children. Oh how the gods were so cruel.
Ardyn stared at the many clones, the same pale faces and freckled cheeks. Though he had no heart he had a mind, one smart enough to know all these clones could be different but were never allowed to be. Forced into a fate decided for them and spearheaded by science. Ardyn never had the intention on ever bothering these poor souls, knowing their fate and not caring to change them. Of course he tried to ignore the crying, the loud noises emitted from the tiny boy in front of him annoying him to no end. It just wouldn’t stop.
He was never one to take such matters into his own hands, leaving it up to the mothers and fathers of children to deal with their own brat’s crying. It just so happens this child has no mother and his father is quite absent. So Ardyn picked it up. He picked the boy up, effectively tainting him, knowing that Chief Besthia would not be so ecstatic that he did. He stared at the boy’s gaping hole, his cheeks stained with tears and his eyes covered with his fists.
“I know you may not understand me but you might as well be fluent in tone at this age.” He sneered at the boy, causing the boy to quiet just for a moment. “And understand this, if you do not permanently cease this crying right this moment I will kill you and put you out of your pathetic misery.” The boy’s blue eyes stared up at him, glistening with old tears and youth. His quietness was short lived as his eyes sparked with sadness and his lips curled. The crying started again leaving a worse headache for Ardyn to deal with. He held tightly onto the boy’s throat, annoyance spilling over and starting to stain his face black. It dripped onto the child’s face and struck fear into him, tears and cries quickly stopping as a result.
Ardyn watched as his face blues due to lack of oxygen and he tries to gasp for air. Pity dwells in his stomach, like a little imp gnawing at his stomach. It consumed him til i felt him go, making him close his eyes in frustration and hold tighter onto the boy. “Damn you…” Ardyn breathed in and stared back at the blue eyes.
The child’s blue eyes stared up at him, a smile creating the boys face as he stared at his handiwork. Despite all that drained him of healing he continued to pull the darkness out of this mother, feeling the hands of Aera on his shoulders and the boy’s hands on his arm. Ardyn crumpled in on himself as the last of the sickness seeps out of the woman and into himself.
“Mister are you okay?” The boy next to him gently squeezed his arm as he worried his lip. “I am…as well as can be.” He grunted as he lifted his head up to look the boy in his eyes. “Thank you Mister. For saving my mother and giving her your blessing.” Aera smiled and the boy and squeezed Ardyn’s shoulder. “Your gratitude is appreciated, we have no need for you to pay us back. We wish to do this for good.” She helped Ardyn to his feet and said their goodbyes.
Ardyn sighed and leaned against Aera, letting her comforting presence bathe over him. “Darling, I know that you don’t exactly…enjoy children, but I’ve always thought…” She went quiet, piquing Ardyn’s curiosity. “Free your mind from worries dear, I wish to hear your words, to hear your beautiful voice express those thoughts of yours.” Aera’s laugh was light, worries slowly dissipating with his words. “I wish that one day we will have offspring of our own. I hope for a boy and a girl. I think of our life when we settle down we’ll have two precious children running through our home, enjoying themselves.” She smiled and turned her head towards him.
Ardyn hummed and slowly nodded. “If you wish. Two kids it is. A precious little girl and a brave little boy.” He leaned in and kissed Aera, smiles splayed on their faces. Looks like they had their lives set.
Ardyn groaned and gently held the boy to his chest, feeling a calm wash over him, the warm weight of the child against his chest. Slowly the boy calmed and gripped his coat and laid his head down onto his chest. Ardyn sighed and gently rubbed the boy’s back, feeling his breathing against his. “I must say that I apologize for my actions against you. I let my anger and frustrations get the best of me.” He slowly held the boy up to his face and stared into his eyes. “I have a feeling you don’t understand a word coming out of my mouth.” The boy giggled at the frown on his face and the residue goop in his cheeks, rubbing the mixture around and eventually tugging at some of his beard.
Ardyn scowled and began wiping the child hands on his coat and scolding him for touching the scourge. “I believe if you were to come with me we will have to…acquire more appropriate clothing yes? Cannot have you freezing your ‘ass’ off.” He held the boy close to his body and covered him with his coat, standing up to walk out of the cloning room. “I believe I owe you an apology Aera. It seems the gods haven’t bestowed us two.”
It wasn’t the longest walk to Chief Besithia’s, but he still found it quite amusing to startle the man by simply warping to his room. The gasp that emitted through the room and the sound of a table moving brought joy to his heart. “Izunia.” The man’s voice dripped with annoyance from the sudden appearance. “Chief Besithia, how are you this fine morning?” Ardyn stands over the man, inspecting his work with mild interest. There was less genuine curiosity and more of seeing how far he’s willing to go. “What do you want. If you cannot see I am working on a very delicate experiment and cannot afford to have my time wasted on your musings.”
Ardyn grinned and sighed dramatically. “Oh to know that my own bestest friend sees me as just another lowly burden to take care of is truly so heart breaking.” He pressed against his side, making sure to put his full body weight onto him. The gray chair began to slide under Ardyn’s weight and Verstael had to push back against him to prevent the inevitable fall. “Does one like you ever stop talking!” His voice raised causing the baby clinging to his chest to stir, an annoyed cry coming from him. “Well now you’ve done it Besithia!” The man’s eye twitched as he fully turned to Ardyn now, scowl etching his aged features. “Izunia.”
“Besithia.”
Their eyes met, amused on one end and frustrated on the other. “Unhand it.” Ardyn adamantly refused but still pulled the boy from his coat. “He looks exactly like you.” Verstael frowned harder and turned over the baby’s fist with little protest, looking at the number. “05953234…” He said the number with malice. “I’ll have it disposed of.” Ardyn quickly pulled the boy away, feeling as if he needed to protect this child. “You will not. I have my own plans for him.” Verstael snorted and turned back to his work. “Plans for an MT like it? It’s bold to even call that clone a him. Do tell what you think it can do. Perhaps you’ll use it as a personal guard, as if you needed one. Maybe you’ll use it for personal pleasures.” Ardyn scowled at the suggestion holding the boy closer. “These things are only built to train, serve, kill, and die. You are a fool to think anything else of it.” Ardyn stared down at the boy, inspecting his soft face conveying some happiness. “I am keeping him for myself, that is final.”
Verstael gripped tightly on the paper he held, obviously thinking over what Ardyn said. “Fine, I’m curious of what your plans are. You may keep it, but I will be watching it closely.” He snarled and turned to Ardyn again. “I assume you aren’t going to call it by a code every time. Do you have a name for easier reference.” Ardyn hummed and stroked the boy’s head. He closed his eyes and breathed in listening to the hum of the overhead lights. “Prompto.” He reopened his eyes and stared down a Prompto his big blue eyes staring back at him. He made grabby hands and Ardyn brought up his finger for him to hold onto. The faintest smiles grace his lips, which was quickly tarnished by disgust as Prompto shoved his finger into his mouth. “Absolutely appalling. Very unsanitary.” Verstael glowered at the two.
“I’ll send make sure you get a few books. To at least learn how to feed it. We have the supplies so don’t bother me about it. Now if you’ll be on your way.” Ardyn left without protest, too focused on Prompto to care that Besithia had growled that last part out. “You’re going to be a brave boy, I can just tell. Perhaps a riot too.”
₊ ⊹
A riot that boy is. Ardyn sighed as he held the mushy peaches to Prompto’s mouth and grumbled. He has tried everything, pretending the spoon was an airplane, trying to fake him out, even attempting to force it into his mouth. “You are being such a brat .” He scowled at him and put down the spoon. “What do you want from me boy! I feed you, I clothe you, I even entertain you!” Ardyn sighed and closed his eyes, thinking of the times when he didn’t have to deal with a child. A hand patted his face and rubbed his beard, eventually traveling up to his eyes and pulling them open. Slowly Ardyn sighed and sat back up, picking up the spoon one more time. “Eat.”
“Bah.”
He was given a face full of peaches as Prompto picked them up and smeared them onto his face. His loud giggles filled the room and Ardyn tried to reel away. He stared at Prompto with a sneer before watching him grab at the rest of the peaches in the packet and smearing it on his own face. He stuck his own hand into his mouth and began to eat the peaches, grabbing multiple handfuls. Ardyn shook his head and sighed, smile splayed on his lips. “You’re an odd little boy, my little chocobo.”
Once Prompto finished eating Ardyn cleaned up, wiping both of their faces while quietly reprimanding Prompto for the mess. He picked him up and patted his back, listening to his fits before the small burp that came after. “Let’s wash you, can’t have you being all dirty before your check up.” He kissed his forehead and brought him over to the washroom, running a bath and bringing out the bucket of rubber chocobos.
He would like to say he doesn’t spoil Prompto but it’s hard with how much he demands. His room decked out in illegally imported chocobo products. He’s glad he didn’t babble for the chocobo scented soap, that would’ve been just horrible! He only allowed him to pick three of the toys anyway, he always got the same two colors, red and yellow. It’s obvious what he was thinking, he often pointed to the red chocobo and back to him. It was quite cute when he wasn’t squeezing it out of frustration sometimes.
As ardyn turned off the water he carefully undressed Prompto and put him in the tub, watching him go through the routine of picking out the two chocobos, choose whatever soap was the most colorful, and finally relaxing as Ardyn gently washed him. He hummed as he worked and listened to babble on senseless. “Gah!” Ardyn nodded and rinsed off the soap. “Dah.” He paused for a moment and held up the red chocobo. “Dah! Dah!” Ardyn raised and eyebrow before piecing the words together. “Dad?” Prompto kept repeating the word excitedly and splashed the water around.
Ardyn smiled and picked up a dripping wet prompto, swaddling him in a towel and holding him to his chest. “Yes, I am you dah.” There was happiness in his voice, no matter how much the daemons and brother sneered at him in his mind he enjoyed this moment. He patted Prompto’s back and kissed the top of his head. “My little chocobo.” He smiled into his hair and squeezed him slightly.
The moment was ruined by the sound of an alarm blaring, a warning of the inevitable doctor’s appointment. He sighed and started the quick process of cleaning up, taking out the toys to dry and draining the water. He brought Prompto into the bedroom and dried him off, dressing him carefully in the plain clothes he was given. He really needed to expand this boy’s wardrobe. “Now when we get to the doctors you mustn’t fight, yes it will be dreadful and very boring but it’s only a few shots and a check up.” Prompto babbled back and pulled at Ardyn’s lips.
Ardyn accepted it as an agreement and made his way to the clinical side of the base, being led to the actual room by an assistant. The doctor stood in the room quietly talking to Verstael. Ardyn didn’t bother to knock, just opening the door and siting on the nearby chair. “Izunia.” Ardyn grunts in response and focuses on Prompto who giggled and drooled on Ardyn’s finger. “Good morning Mr.Izunia, this must be…”
“Prompto Izunia.”
“Prompto.” The doctor nods and pulls out a clipboard writing something down on it. “It’s nice to meet you. I am Dr.Faust and I’ll be your doctor today. Chief Besithia has informed me that Prompto is a…early exposed MT for lack of a better term, correct?” Ardyn nodded and held Prompto closer to him. “As he was taken out early we will have to run a few tests on him.” Ardyn’s head snapped up and he frowned. “Tests?” Foster or whatever ever his name was calmly nodded his head and looked over to Verstael. “Ardyn, as you know MTs work differently than us, not only are they cloned they are programmed and for newer models like it.” The implications made Ardyn’s head pound and grind his teeth. “Fluids and injections are needed to…help them on their feet.”
“No.”
Verstael frowned and stepped closer to Ardyn. “You don’t understand-“ Ardyn snarled and held even tighter on Prompto. “I will not let you perform those experiments on my son like some cattle waiting for slaughter!” His voice roared out, causing Prompto to cry and Verstael to blink. “I have no ill intent Ardyn.” He shook his head and sat next to him. “Then tell be the truth, why are you so interested.” Verstael scowled and opened his mouth, clearly thinking for a second. “I know my own science better than anyone, I know that if… Prompto isn’t given the right treatment his life will not turn out well. I do have my curiosities but won’t act on them during this.” Ardyn grimaced at the use of this time, as if the man had plans. “It will only be a few minutes, I will simply be in the same room as Dr. Faust to make sure everything goes well and as planned.”
Ardyn stared down at Verstael, expression unreadable. “Will you let that child cry forever? Give him to me, I’ll keep him quiet while you think.” Ardyn snapped back to reality and growled at him, pressing Prompto into his chest. Slowly he began to comfort him, his cries dying out and into low sniffles. The room was silent, waiting for Ardyn to decide what to say.
“You are not to hurt, tamper, or even dare experiment on my boy. He is not some toy or pet, he is my son.” Verstael grumbled at his words but nodded. “Do not worry about it, Ardyn, it will be taken care of well.” Ardyn stared at Prompto and sighed. “Be kind to him, unless he’s unkind to you.” He slowly handed him over and watched as he stared up curiously at Verstael and giggled. He clutched his beard and tugged causing him to groan in pain. “Is it always like this?” Ardyn nodded proudly and patted Verstael’s shoulder. “Good luck Besithia, I assume you three should be on your way. I suspect I am not the only patient.” The room went quiet as they made their way to a separate one, leaving Ardyn with his thoughts.
It didn’t take long for the voices to become apparent without Prompto. Most of them hissing on about him “Never being able to be a father,” or that he’s “A true monster without a heart who shouldn’t be acting like he isn’t now.” Ardyn found it easy to ignore those jabs, at least until his brother spoke. His voice looked over him in malice and was louder than any other daemon running through his blood. “Pathetic. Perhaps taking in this boys was yet another sad attempt to bring back your Aera. To think of you as a father is asinine.” Ardyn attempted to calm his breathing, scourge beginning to drip down to his lips. “ Perhaps you’ll kill the boy more easily this time, less of a struggle than with your wife.” a growl emitted from his throat and he clutched tightly onto the chair.
“Or maybe the only thing that will make you act on your urges is when you grow tired of it. It’s laughable really, such a poor attempt to salvage a son who isn’t even human. Just another monster like you.”
Ardyn growled and broke off the chair handle, face now dripping wet with scourge. He stood up abruptly and sunk his nails deep into the wall next to him, a trail of black sludge and miasma in its wake. He muttered to himself, demanding that the voices just shut up! Eventually he was able to calm himself and slightly air out the room before Verstael and Dr.Faustus' return. He was rigid as Prompto was returned to him with a haste. “He is a nightmare to do with Ardyn. You must train that thing properly!” Verstael rubbed his chin, grumbling in pain. “He has the grip of some sort of professional fighter!”
Ardyn let out a dry laugh and began checking over the very tired Prompto in his arms. a few bandages littered his arms and legs but nothing more. The clicking of a pen made him finally break his attention away. “Don’t worry Mr.Izunia, all his shots were given without a hitch. He took a liking to Chief Verstael’s beard as comfort. He will tired for a bit so I recommend you let him rest as soon as you get back to your quarters and make sure he’s fed and hydrated after the well needed rest.”
Ardyn nodded and began to make his wait out of the door before another word could be spoken but Verstael began to walk with him. “Ardyn. Just a bit more of your time.” It was a demand. Despite the man being not that intimidating to him he had to listen. “I wish to schedule some time with you, perhaps a dinner if you will. To help clean up the bad blood between us. I will even make sure there is food appetizing enough for Prompto.” Ardyn’s mouth twitched and he began to walk a little faster. “Your efforts will be nothing but a drop in the ocean. You have much to fix and doesn’t seem like you truly care all too much.”
Verstael sighed and stayed silent for the rest of the speed walk to his quarters, opening the doors for Ardyn along the way. As they got to the door he finally spoke again. “I hope to see you another time, I will have someone deliver the time and date to you tomorrow as I have much work to do.” Ardyn finally faced Verstael and frowned. Prompto stirred and babbled tiredly at Verstael, making grabby hands for him and whining. “I believe he wishes to tug on your beard but perhaps another time.” Blue eyes stared into another expanse of blue, inspecting one another. “Perhaps another time…” He repeated before leaving Ardyn at his door.
He sighed as he headed into the room and began to prepare Prompto for a nap, trying and failing to get him to eat. He decided to keep Prompto out of the crib for now, laying down next to him and watching him sleep with a chocobo plushie in his arms. He ran a hand atop his head and smiled lightly. No matter what Prompto was a joy to have in his life, he’d make sure to raise him right, to give him a better life than his doomed brethren. He knows his fate, and eventually he’ll have to fulfill it. He doesn’t know if he’s ready for that though.
For now he gets to hold his little chocobo close and keep him safe from everything, even if that meant himself.