Ah... a long while. [It's hard to confess, but he wants to believe that his honesty is helping her at least a little. Maybe it's good for both of them to get it out there.] I didn't really notice when it happened, but the payoff was a heck of a long game. Took about seven years to make a friend who hadn't started out as getting paid for it.

[He bears no grudge towards Gladio or Ignis for that, obviously. Their friendships are no less real or valued to him. But they were given to him, by the king, by family duty, by promises made at birth or as children. To them he wasn't just Noctis, he was also the prince, and their job was to look after him. They would be by his side whether they befriended one another or not; that was a nice side-effect but not the instigation.

Prompto's different, in a way that is uniquely him: he doesn't care that Noct is a prince, and never showed him fealty or loyalty as an heir to the crown. He didn't bow or use titles or remind him of his duties. He worked through his old issues and insecurities to finally approach Noctis as a person rather than a public figure.

It was... nice. To just be himself, without that underlying layer of his position getting in the way of things.]

It'd be different for everybody, but that's okay. I just had to be honest with myself about it before I could be the same way with other people. I'm still kinda learning that part.