nocts | Chapter ??: Winding Roads

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Chapter ??: Winding Roads

In these endless days of pain and haunting nights, Noctis wondered how he was so lucky to have Ignis by his side.

Usually, when Noctis complains about getting up early in the morning, it doesn't have a very specific reason except- it's too early for anyone to be up and his soul is still sleeping. His mind is awake but his body sluggish and still craving a nap. Which is why Ignis drives most of the time. Noct likes to fill in the sleeping gap with naps in the car.

Today, however, it is not because he's sleepy that he didn't want to get up. In fact, he was awake for hours now but kept his eyes closed and back turned to the rest of the guys in the tent.

The damn headaches are getting worse and he has no clue what to do about them. There is another painful throb when he hears soft shuffling in the corner of the tent- someone trying to be considerate and let him sleep for another few minutes- and Noctis bit his lip. He needs to put these under control before they interfere with the hunts and battles. The moment he made a complaint about them, it instantly turned Gladio's mood into annoyingly grumpy and Ignis became increasingly worried.

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Noctis tries to hide it all, but Ignis knows. Ignis always knows.

At first he'd put it down to the oppressive heat in Lestallum, gods above and below know that he'd suffered his own mal de tete from the lack of humidity, the first night there. The supernatural aspect, he hadn't given much credence to. Sure, of course, everybody says that Titan causes earthquakes. But that wasn't a physical thing. Earthquakes were caused by proven scientific phenomena. Attributing them to a god was ancient superstition.

And yet, more and more, the evidence of 'ancient superstition' was winning out.

Gladio's doing a few pushups on the other side of the haven, shirtless as always, while Prompto managed to quietly-but-loudly rustle his way out of the tent, still pulling on one boot as he went.

"Morning, Iggy!" he chirps cheerfully, only to be silenced by Ignis stuffing his face with a spoonful of porridge.

"Morning," he murmurs back, much, much quieter. "Noct awake yet?"

Prompto shakes his head around that sticky spoonful, unable to speak just yet, which was as planned. Ignis sighs, and grabs Noct's breakfast, slides into the tent. He tries to do it in such a way that the bright sunlight of Ausace Haven didn't blast its way into the small vinyl tent.

He doesn't say a word, just gently puts the bowl down near Noct's head, and gently rubs a hand along Noct's shoulder blades and back.

Noctis loves Prompto dearly, but the pitch of his voice he used to greet Ignis was on a scale too high and blond was lucky he was out of the tent, otherwise, Noctis would've flung his phone at him. No. Boot. The phone would break.

But it was instantly silenced and Noctis suspected that Ignis interfered. His eyes moved from the front of the tent to stare at his bag against the wall. It's not that he doesn't want to get up. He can't.

He closes his eyes again and tries to focus and push a headache away with magic- he uses it constantly to support the guys when they end up being dizzy in the battlefield, so it should work for him too, right?

His focus was so intense that he didn't hear Ignis slip inside and the only moment he became aware of him was when he felt a hand on his shoulder. With a stifled groan, he turned his head to blink up at him blearily.

"...mmm?"

Noctis can only pray that he's gotten better at masking the pain but- Ignis sees through him. He always has and always will.

"Another headache."

It's not a question; Ignis can see Noct's pupils are closed almost impossibly tight, pinpricks in a sea of blue. Which, in the dim light of the tent, is an obvious sign. His voice is low, just barely above a whisper, and that soothing hand on Noct's shoulders turns into a tentative, gentle touch to his temples. Just a light circling there with thumb and forefinger.

"Can I get you a potion? Would that help?"

He doesn't expect a cognizant reply from his ailing prince, but the question has to be asked. Their supply of curatives is running a touch low. He'd hoped they'd get out to Hammerhead today, after Wiz had asked them to find a wounded chocobo. Prompto had been all for it, naturally, but the bird would also require a curative.

Which, if Noct got it first? Fine by him. The bird could bloody well go hang.

Noctis just grunts and shuts his eyes tightly for a second, an attempt to steady the throbbing, before lifting himself up a bit on his forearms. Ignis' hand is cool against his temples and it's like a small blessing. Would Ignis refuse to cast blizzara on him? It would be awesome.

"No, 's fine." He knows how low on curatives they are. And they are supposed to head back to Hammerhead for them as well to get some stuff for Regalia. But he can sense from Ignis' tone of voice that he's internally debating whether to go through with this previously set up plan or no.

"-going to Hammerhead?"

Don't hang the bird, Ignis, it is very innocent and didn't deserve it.

"...That's up to you."

It always is, when it comes right down to it. Noctis is the king. For all that Gladio rattles his impressive sabers when it comes to moving forward, in the end, Noct is the driving force, and the decision maker. Always moving forward...

"There's breakfast, if you think you've the stomach for it."

He tilts his head in the direction of the bowl of porridge, still slightly steaming and glistening with melted brown sugar, just the way Noct likes it.

So that's the wonderful smell he felt. His headache was so distracting he didn't even notice the bowl. With some more shifting, he sits up properly, legs crossed underneath him and he picks up the bowl. He's actually hungry, despite the headache and doing something is helping him focus away from it for a bit.

There's just only one problem with moving onward today- if he's going to be in condition to battle the Magitek if they interfere with their drive. If he flails even for a little bit, Gladio won't get off his case the entire day. And while he counts on them and knows they are fully capable of defending themselves, Noctis will feel terrible if he's incapacitated and unable to help them.

"...we go." There's a small pause where he takes a spoonful of breakfast and sighs softly.

"You-" Noct pokes at the brown sugar and looks over at Ignis, "-won't mind driving all the way there?" He's been taking the wheel halfway on the long trips not to get Ignis tired but today he probably won't be able to.

Ignis sighs, barely noticeable. Gods, he loves this man, he admires him endlessly, but he also wishes he could take Gladio out behind a Coernix and slap some sense into his pointy, mulleted head. It's obvious that Noct will push himself to the edge, just to keep Gladio from riding his ass. ....In the unfun way.

He's the only one allowed to do it the fun way.

...At least until Noctis marries Lady Lunafreya.

"Of course I don't mind."

He will gladly drive Noctis anywhere on the planet. If Noct asked him to figure out a way to drive to Altissia, Ignis would do it.

"We'll need to make a brief stop in Hammerhead to pick up more supplies. You can wait in the car, if you wish."

Them not going would make the other two fuss around in very different ways and Noct can't deal with it right now. And sometimes, even Ignis' words don't reach them (especially Gladio- his skull is as thick as Disc of Cauthess).

Pushing onward is the only way to keep Noctis from overthinking about things. Like the marriage. He always had a feeling that he will end up marrying Lunafreya, but the feelings he had for her and the feelings he has for Ignis are two completely separate things.

"Thanks."

...in moments like these when he feels stuck, Noctis realizes that he doesn't thank Ignis enough for covering for him like this. He's halfway through the bowl- leave it to Ignis' cooking to always make him feel better.

"No. I should be fine by the time we arrive." Or at least presentable enough. He's prince, right? If he doesn't keep himself in check, Cid will whip him into shape, whether Noct asked for it or no.

The fact that Noct is eating eases a knot in Ignis' heart, and the slightest of smiles tilts up his lips. Hardly noticeable, unless one was looking closely.

"Of course."

It was always of course. Of course he'd follow Noct to this or that or the other place, of course he'd always cook for him, tidy up for him, plan his entire life if need be. Ignis has nothing but of course in his heart for Noct. In any and all things.

"I'm going to get more food into Gladio and Prompto. Take your time getting up. We have plenty of daylight ahead."

Getting Ignis to smile is always nice and if downing all the food he prepared then he will do it. Of course, it helps that he's preparing all the stuff Noct likes.

He gives Ignis a nod and returns to finish his bowl. If he didn't have this massive headache, he'd ask for seconds even. But he didn't want to make himself nauseous. Ignis is outside by the time Noct finishes up his food and he places the bowl close to the exit so he doesn't kick it while he moves around to get dressed.

There's a still a bit of a throb but it is more manageable than when he woke up earlier. Not in perfect health but something he can work with. With boots in one hand and bowl in other, dressed, Noct nudges the wing of the tent and steps out.

"Hey, Iggy. The bowl." Help a guy out, he needs to put boots on.

"Ah, just a moment."

He's up to his elbows in dishwater, having already broken down the Coleman grill and burner. He's scouring out the porridge pot in their collapsable basin. Still dripping wet from the forearms, Ignis goes to fetch the dish, only to be blocked by the massive form of Gladio.

"Too good to wash your own dish, Princess?" the Shield says, his voice just on the other side of good-natured teasing, and edging into genuine annoyance. Ignis huffs loudly, nudging past him and taking the proffered dish from Noctis' hand.

"Enough, Gladiolus."

"Ooooh, full name," sing-songs Prompto.

The tease gets a scowl out of Noctis in a blink of an eye. The headache doesn't prevent him to scowl. In fact- it enables him to give a rather badass, mean scowl. And the only thing he offers Gladio is grumpy, sleepy: "Shut up."

He might not be doing dishes, but he always helps with packing them. And fishing up a storm to put on the plates too!

...maybe fishing for a few hours could ease away the headache. That's a thought.

Then he pulls on the boots and ties them, finally stepping outside in the blaring sun. He's on the verge of groaning.

"Sun is too bright," he grumbles, rubbing at his face. And then giving Prompto playful nudge in the shoulder.

"No kidding!" says the blonde cheerfully, nudging Noct back. Gently, surprisingly enough. Prompto is surprisingly sensitive to emotional states, especially when it comes to Noct.

Gladio rolls his eyes at Noct and Ignis, with some ready quip on his tongue about how Ignis mothers the prince, but Ignis cuts him off before he can even start.

"We're heading to Hammerhead today, then to Liede to see if we can find that injured chocobo that Wiz told us about."

"Woo hoo!" yells Prompto, jumping up to his feet suddenly. "Shotgun!"

Wow, he must look like the deepest pit of hell if even Prompto can tell. Usually he's successful at keeping stuff behind a mask to not make his friends worry but apparently, today is not the day for that.

Noctis also sends a mental thank you to Ignis for interrupting Gladio. He's always up for going back and forth with his shield but not today.

"Yeah. Can't leave our bird friend injured for too long," Noct says. After a small "nudging session" with Prompto, he walks over to Ignis to help him out with packing the stuff up. Gladio will have to deal with the tent by himself. Hmpf.

Which Gladio does, after giving Noct one last up and down. He's starting to suspect as well, but isn't saying anything. Yet.

Shoulder to shoulder with Noctis, Ignis offers him another one of those rare, small smiles, and allows his wet hand to gently brush against the side of Noct's hand. A small attempt at both reassurance and flirtation.

"And perhaps we can find that fishing spot by the old industrial road outside Ins-...Hammerhead."

He's learned that mentioning the name of their ruined and conquered city could plunge the whole group into depression. So he's carefully editing it out, for all their sakes.

Gods, he just wants to grab Ignis' hand right now. The brush is indeed comforting and gets a twitch of a smile from Noct as well. For briefest of moments.

A fishing spot near Hammerhead... Right. The one close to Insomnia. Just the thought of his ruined city and being close to it makes Noct's stomach drop through the ground. But- Noctis still wants to go there. He places the washed (and now also dried) plates in the bag carefully, thinking about it.

"Thinking of grilling some Barramundi for dinner Specs?" he asks, zipping up the bag.

"Catch me one, and I'll grill it up for the halibut."

And now he's definitely suppressing a giant smirk, his lips almost puckering with his amusement. If there's one thing he absolutely loves, it's dropping a terrible stinker of an awful pun on Noct when he least expects it.

Anything to distract from the headache.

Noctis rolls his eyes at the pun but it is Prompto that actually has a louder complaint from the looks of it. And Gladio just snorts.

Ignis gets a bit of a nudge from Noct and a small smile:"I'm looking forward to the fish feast."

With packed plates, he has nothing else to do, but he's lingering around Ignis. For some reason, it's a habit he developed- whenever he's in any kind of pain, it was Ignis that fixed it.

"If you do well, we could fill our larder to the bream."

"Iggy!" groans Prompto, flapping a hand in his general direction. "That was awful!"

"Apologies, I didn't mean to make you flounder."

That one gets even Gladio to groan, and flip Ignis the finger. Success. Feeling far too smug for his own good, Ignis dumps the basin of tepid, filthy dishwater off the edge of the haven. (He's a stickler for buying biodegradable soap, so it'll just filter away and not leave a permanent mark.)

"Three puns in fifteen seconds," groans Prompto. "I think I might go throw myself into the Slough."

"You do realize you're just setting yourself up for further punishment, yes?"

"I will give you all the gil I have if you stop."

After the third one, the only thing Noct muttered was "Six help us..."

Ignis had outdone himself. This is a record no one will ever be able to match him at. And he's not sure whether it's funny, amazing or annoying. Perhaps it's all three. The sigh is somewhere between a groan and a chuckle.

"We should set up a pun jar," he offers with a small smirk. "Whenever pun is made, the person contributes to the jar."

Yeah, he's poking a bit of fun at you Specs, but all in good nature.

The wry smirk that graces his expression is matched by a pointedly raised eyebrow.

"And considering that I'm the one who's been appointed ad hoc treasurer on this little adventure, it wouldn't last all of thirty seconds."

Gladio snorts.

"He's got a point."

Ignis crosses his arms over his chest and cops a little bit of a triumphant pose, before winking cheekily at Noctis.

"Besides, we need every gil we can get our hands on for curatives."

Ah, there was the old stick up his ass making an appearance.

Ignis needs to stop looking so stupidly sexy when he smirks. Noct is having a hard time saying 'no' to him as it is. This is just unfair.

"Don't worry, we have enough saved up for them," Noct nods, rubbing back of his neck. They have been camping for the last few days and saved up a nice sum from the hunts they did. They should be fine even if they rent a motel room or trailer.

...motel room sounds like heaven because of the shower though. But- that comes later.

"Let's pack up and head out." Chocobo won't save itself. Also, he's craving that nap already in the back of the car. The headache is exhausting.

Getting all of them into the Regalia is like herding cats, and it's a good ten minutes later before they're actually on the road. Not for the first time does Ignis regret the seating arrangements. Yes, of course, Gladio next to Noct makes the most sense from a strategic standpoint. But he wants to hold Noct's hand while they drive, wants to pet his knee and stroke his thigh with lazy fingers.

Not that he ever would. Hands at ten and two, Scientia. Ahem.

They're about a mile down the road when Prompto reaches over and snaps on the radio. There's literally two seconds of music, rather loudly playing, before Ignis reaches over and snaps it back off, pinning the blond with a glare.

"Aheh, oops. Sorry, Iggy," says Prompto sheepishly. Well, if Prompto wasn't aware of Noct's headache before, he certainly is now.

If he were to sit next to Ignis, no sleeping ever would be achieved. There's a soft sigh as he settles in behind his advisor, slipping down a bit in his seat and catching a glimpse of Ignis' eye in the rearview mirror. Seriously, someone bless this man. He needs only good stuff in life to happen to him, not this... endless travel into the unknown.

Five minutes in and Noct already slips off into a light nap, his mind still focused on Ignis. And on gathering magic to heal up the headache. Yes, this will be fine. By the time they reach Hammerhead, he should be a bit better.

The music makes him open one eye for a second, but he closes it again and leans on the palm of his hand when Ignis turns it off again.

He glances in the rearview every so often, not just to check the traffic, but to keep an eye on Noct. Ah, of course, he's napping. Heh. Ignis rather suspects that Noctis would sleep through the end of the world.

The weather goes from the cool humidity of the Slough to the parched heat of Leide as they climb the canyon hill toward Longwythe. Prompto is the one to pull out the tube of chapstick, and offers it to Ignis without even thinking about it. He takes the balm with a small smile and a nod of thanks.

The Crow's Nest flies past them soon, and then they're on their way to Hammerhead. Clear skies, with the temperature rising.

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