Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting (Bless her soul, lol, I have her reading almost constantly.)
I wanted to try something a bit more light-hearted for once, so if the style that I usually do seems a bit different, that's why. Again, like most one-shots, this was done straight through, not really looking over things. Basically filler for the the betweens of the chapter ones. o3o
He sank farther down in his seat, letting the warm leather consume him as he slid; the warmth glossed over his arms and rubbed against them uncomfortably. A few pleading glances were occasionally delivered towards the driver, none of them lingering for long before they shot back to his hands fiddling in his lap. Because of his inability to catch Ignis' attention with body language alone, he resorted to becoming more vocal, and less importantly, annoying with his desperate attempts as a stretched groan sounded out. Another feeble try. The blond sighed heavily and proceeded to drop down even more so until he was almost seated on the floor.
An eyebrow twitch and finger tap later, "What do you want, Prompto? You know, you have vocal cords for a reason, and I can't read your mind," the adviser snapped a fleeting look over, now even more annoyed at finding the younger not wearing a seat belt.
Now that he had the attention he sought, Prompto quickly pulled himself back up to sit properly, "Man, I'm starving over here. When are we stopping?" His head careened to the side, falling against the door in an over exaggerated manner, "We haven't had anything all da-" he was cut off with a thump and a short exclaim of pain. Cradling the side of his head, he spun it towards the other, "Jeez man, are ya trying to kill me?"
"Sorry, pothole," he grinned slyly, "You know how they are, they come out of nowhere. But, I'm sure sitting like you're supposed to just might prevent further accidents such as that one from occurring."
He rolled his eyes, "I'm sure," and sat back up, straightening himself up and positioning himself as intended, "Happy now?"
"Quite," Ignis rolled his shoulder back, trying to work out the stiffness that settled in them to no avail, "We can stop at the next outpost we come across." The muscles in his arms and back were now pestering him for some much needed alleviation, much in the same way the gunslinger had been. Both seemed to be a thorn in his side at the moment, but at least he would be able to kill two birds with one stone.
A grumble filtered through from the backseat, Gladio lowering his reading material finally at the mention of making a quick pit stop, "Good, I've been holding it in since an hour ago."
"It's like driving a bunch of overgrown children sometimes," the bespectacled man mumbled, peering into the rear view mirror and catching sight of a certain napping prince, "Every single one of you, swear to the gods."
Prompto smiled at the man, "You love us though," he spoke coyly leaning his head to the side, closer to him.
"That's debatable," Ignis took his right hand off the steering wheel just long enough to shove the invading blond away. He focused his eyes back on the road, looking further ahead for any appropriate stopping places, or anything that provided them with what they needed. "Hope you guys aren't too picky about what you eat," he pondered, seeing a small outcrop of structures up ahead. From this distance he could only make out a gas station, a general store, and what he assumed to be a few residential buildings. Must have been houses of the owners of these places. "I don't think I'd touch this place with a ten foot pole," he murmured under his breath, rust becoming visible on the sides of some of the structures.
Prompto leaned his elbow against the door, head in hand. "I honestly couldn't care less what we get at this point," he blew out a quick puff of air, "Anything will do." Surprisingly, and for once, he was the first to depart, stretching his arms up and backwards with a small moan of pleasure, "Feels like we've been stuck in there forever, thought I was fused to the seat for a while there." Spinning around, he pranced over to Noctis' side, leaning over the door and tapped him on the shoulder. The taps soon advanced into minor pushes and shoves until the raven finally stirred sluggishly, slapping feebly at the invading limb.
"G'away," he slurred, trying to turn to his other side, not getting far due to the position he had been sleeping in.
"C'mon, if you don't hurry up, I'm buying you the grossest thing I see, so get up," he poked again, this time directing it at the prince's face, "Nooooooooct."
He cracked an eye open, flinching when he didn't expect Prompto to be as close as he was, "Is a nap seriously too much to ask for?" he asked rhetorically, slowly leaning to the side to work out a few kinks in his back and neck. His hand rubbed at the muscles in his neck absentmindedly, "Where are we?" He pushed his door open, the blond having to jump back to avoid being knocked over from the sudden force of it.
Prompto stood back, allowing the door to fully open and for Noctis to step out with relative ease. "You two want anything?" he asked the others, who were just now getting out, both headed towards the gas station.
"I'll pass," Ignis waved a hand, never turning his head.
"And I'm just going to pick a little something up in here," Gladio kindly declined the offer, running off ahead of the adviser, desperate to get to a bathroom.
The gunner crossed his arms, turning his attention back to the other, "Guess it's just us then," he sighed out, "Let's get going then, want to get something before I die."
"I'm pretty sure you'll live," Noctis assured, taking his time in sauntering his way towards the store, half dragging his legs in his still half-asleep state. As he drew closer, he was able to get a good look at the place; it looked almost to be in shambles, paint peeling, revealing the rust infestation residing underneath. "This place looks disgusting."
"Well, we aren't here for sight-seeing," Prompto reminded, opening the door for the other and bowing his head, "After you." After receiving a nod of thanks and acknowledgement, the blond followed after, hesitating for a moment as he scanned over the place shocked that it highly contrasted the outside. It was by no means nice, but it appeared pretty decent considering how poorly the exterior was being maintained. It didn't take long of searching before he spotted the hot bar, again, it wasn't anything fancy, but the stuff looked edible enough. Noctis was already over there, seemingly ordering his own food.
He strolled up and peered down, looking from one item to the next. Nothing really stuck out as appetizing if he were being honest, but it was good enough. "What is that?" he asked, question coming out a bit more rude than he intended as he didn't attempt to hide his confusion as to what he was looking at.
Eyes following the finger aimed at the glass, the woman behind the counter shifted her weight to one foot, clearly out of annoyance, "Have you never seen meat loaf before?"
That was meat loaf? "Oh, uh, yeah sorry. I'm sure it's amazing," He flashed an apologetic, yet awkward smile. Clearing his throat, he turned towards something he could actually recognize, "I think I'll just take a fish fillet sandwich." Noctis gave him a skeptical look out of the corner of his eye; that definitely wouldn't have been his first choice, but he wasn't about to tell him what he should prefer.
Things paid for, the two of them stepped outside, eating their respective meals next to the Regalia, knowing Ignis would have both their heads if they were to get even a crumb on the inside. "Not the best," Prompto stated in the middle of chewing, "but not terrible either. I'd give it about a five."
"You're actually rating this garbage?" Noctis asked incredulously, taking small bites out of his own slice of pizza. The blond shrugged, taking another bite of his own. Half-way through, the others stepped out of the gas station, Ignis carrying a small bag, most likely little necessities they were running low on. "We good to go now?" he glanced towards the sky, just now noticing how late it was getting.
"Yes," the adviser replied, climbing in, "I suggest we stop at the next motel we come across, there may not be any others for a while." They quickly finished off the remainder of their food, joining the others before they were back on the road.
Sun now peeking over the horizon, barely within view as it left behind its warm colors and hues in its wake, they pulled over into the parking lot. Red letters shone out, signalling the availability of rooms. "You three can grab anything out of the trunk. In the meantime, I'll go ahead and pay for the room," Ignis walked off, leaving them behind. It took no time for him to return, key in hand as he flashed it to the others before strolling in the direction of their designated housing.
He pushed the door open, scanning over the quaint, yet homey decor. Something about it just read, 'comfort' to him, but wasn't sure what it was about it. Stepping further inside, he could now make out the rest of the room, and again, it was moderately cozy; the walls were a warm and welcoming shade of beige, small embellishments lining the tops of them.
"I call dibs on first shower," the blond bounded over the threshold, yanking Ignis from his moment of peace and quiet. Prompto made a beeline for the bathroom, effectively shutting down anyone else's hopes of entering with the closing and locking of the door. At least, a much needed steamy shower to wash away the days of grime and dirt; it was something that felt long overdue. He wasted no time in getting his clothes off and getting the water running.
He sighed as the heat ran down, washing off dried sweat as it discolored the tiles at his feet. Running his hands through his hair, ridding it of any lingering suds, there was this slight feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it felt...off. It was like a soft fluttering on the inside. He shook his head, ignoring the sensation and swiftly finished rinsing off; maybe it was just the heat getting to him. Stepping out, a wave of nausea washed over him, it wasn't by any means intense or demanding, but it was just enough for him to have to bite his lip in order to will it away.
Just as quickly as it hit him, it faded away. 'That was weird,' he thought to himself, drying off quickly and getting dressed. A shiver ran through him once he had the last article of clothing now, and there was now an incessant need to just lie down and huddle up under the blankets and pass out. He didn't exactly feel tired or bad in any way, just wanted to curl up for some reason.
Stepping out, steam spilling into the other room, he strolled over and slinked into one of the beds. The door immediately closed again when one of the others took the opportunity while they could. Looking around quickly, he realized it was Noctis. The sheets practically drained any remaining energy he had; his eyes lids tugged, commanding him to go to sleep. It didn't take long for him to give in, letting his body indulge in its needs and willingly closed his eyes. Gladio's and Ignis' voices merged into a jumble of words and noises, gradually drifting off into the back of his mind as nothing more than white noise.
After a few minutes, he wondered where the voices went, silence now greeting his ears instead of the familiar tones. He guessed he must had fallen asleep, and now everyone else had followed suit, but he had no idea what time it was anymore. Disoriented, he turned to his side, failing at stifling a gasp when the muscles in his abdomen tightened painfully. Knowing what was coming next, he clumsily clambered out of bed, not bothering being mindful of whoever it was that had decided to sleep next to him. He was rewarded with a couple groans of displeasure when he nearly fumbled over them.
'Shit, shit, shit,' kept replaying over and over in his mind, fearing he wouldn't make it there in time. There was no time to shut the door behind him before his body started expelling its contents. With each heave, he cringed inwardly, embarrassment clutching at him at the knowledge that there was nothing between him and the others as he threw up, and they were most likely hearing everything. His fears came to life when a blinding light flicked on to his right, fluttering a bit as someone moved in front of it and shielded him from the brightness.
He didn't risk turning to see how it was yet since his stomach was still threatening to clench again at any given moment. But, if the footsteps had anything to do with it, he would have guessed Gladio. Maybe that was the person he clambered over and rudely woken up. There were still no words spoken, but his hair was gently held back, making sure no stray locks fell before his face. For that, he was thankful for, though it did nothing to quell his shame. With another few seconds of retching, followed by a few gags, he was left nearly breathless and coated in a sheen of sweat. His arms trembled weakly as he pushed himself away from the toilet, and away from the mess to lean against the man behind him.
"You done?" the shield asked, not a hint of annoyance in his voice. He placed a careful yet supportive hand on his back, patiently waiting for a response.
Prompto slowly nodded, afraid to do so any faster, "I-I think?" He took the man's offered hand and uneasily got to his feet, and with his help, made it over to the sink. Offering a quick and quiet, 'thanks,' he hastily rinsed his mouth out and splashed some cool water on his face, washing away a good amount of the perspiration.
Gradually and tentatively, he worked his way back to the bed, casting a fleeting glance at the other two in the other bed, both were still lying there. But, he did catch a glimpse of Ignis, eyes now open as he remained still. Most likely since he knew Gladio had already gone to investigate. He didn't check to see if Noctis was awake, knowing him, it took a lot more than someone getting sick to disrupt his slumber.
"Don't go to sleep yet, I'm getting you some water. I want you to try to drink some before you go out again." The blond responded by groaning and closing his eyes. Consuming anything, regardless of what that something was, was the last thing he wanted to do right now.
The larger man offered a sympathetic smile, knowing full well how Prompto was feeling right about now. With a pat on the shoulder, he turned to head towards the kitchen. While he waited, the gunslinger curled up on his side, grabbing Gladio's pillow in order to hug it against him. Luckily, it helped, only marginally, but it helped. His head buried in it, he was startled back into the moment as the other cleared his throat. Peeking up, he was met with an extended glass of water, "Drink slowly."
He nodded again, still not wanting to open his mouth out of fear that more might come up, ignoring the fact that he was about to do just that anyway. His hand brushed over the container before he eventually took it in his grasp, grabbing it with both hands and sitting up slightly. Cautiously, he took a testing sip, grateful for the chilled temperature of it as it assisted in soothing his burning throat. It was tempting to take a full swallow of the liquid now, yet he was fully aware of what a huge mistake that would have been and fought against the urge. He merely took a couple more meager sips and sat it on the table next to him.
Satisfied that the younger was situated and taken care of the time being, Gladio went back to his side of the bed, lying on his own side after switching the lamp off. He immediately realized his pillow was missing, but decided to let it be, it wasn't too much of a nuisance. Though, as tired as he was, he was finding it difficult to get back to sleep and he blamed it on his big brother instincts kicking in. Behind him was continuous shuffling as the blond attempted desperately to get comfortable, murmuring occasionally as the movements brought nothing but further displeasure and upset. Neither of them were going to get any rest at this rate. Just as he turned to check on him, he was fumbling out of bed once again, wasting no time in scampering back to the bathroom. This time, however, he had enough time to shut the door behind him.
Gladio winced at the noises the sounded out from there, violent and more than a little forceful. There was quite the level of pity he felt for him. Sighing in defeat, seeing as he was up for the night now, he turned the side lamp back on, and this time he found Ignis sitting up as well. "Guess we're in for a long night," he shrugged at the adviser as he pushed himself up and made his way over to his own things. Retrieving his book, he strolled back over with it in hand and sat back down. "You can go back to sleep if you want, I'll take care of this one," he realized it sounded like he were talking with a spouse about taking care of a child.
Not a moment too soon after that was said, another rough retch could be heard, "I doubt I'll be able to." He rubbed at his eyes tiredly and grabbed his glasses from his own table. Grabbing his phone next, he checked the time and swore under his breath. Two forty-three. "No places are going to be open at this time." He brushed his fingers through his tousled hair, glancing towards the bathroom door when it finally opened back up revealing a sweaty and pale Prompto as he leaned against the door frame.
He blinked lazily a couple of times, eventually shoving himself away as he dragged his feet back over to his bed. Without a word or any sign of acknowledgement, he fell onto the mattress, groaning and yanking the cover around himself until he was hidden from view. Saying he felt awful was an understatement, he felt like death. He was exhausted and desperate for sleep, but every time he closed his eyes there was this unsettling feeling and dizziness that washed over him. Wishing he could just snap his fingers and be out, he turned over again, now facing towards the others, yet still hidden beneath the blanket.
Gladio lightly poked the small lump, "You alright under there?" He received a small movement, which he assumed to be the shaking of his head. "You need anything?" he asked softly, pulling his hand away, and again he got the same reaction. "Ok, well if you change your mind, don't hesitate."
This time he was given a muffled, "Mmhmm," and the bundled up blond shivered slightly, coiling up even further.
"Just try and get some sleep," Gladio leaned back, opening his book to where he left off, preparing himself should he be needed any time soon. "Also don't forget to drink some more water. Trust me, you may not like it, but you'll be glad you did," he added before he got too invested in his pages.
Prompto whimpered pitifully under his little makeshift shelter, "Don't think I can."
"Do it anyway, I promise you, throwing up water beats the hell out of dry heaving," he gave a tender nudge with his elbow, "That means drink the water."
He whined lightly at the gesture, the disturbance making his nausea worsen by a small degree. Luckily, though, he didn't feel the need to vomit again. So, in a way, that was kind of a plus. Even though the other man did have a rather valid point, he still didn't want anything to do with anything. But, against his protesting stomach, he emerged from his warm haven and took a few more sips of water before replacing it back on the table and retreating back into his cave. To Gladio it reminded him somewhat of a trapdoor spider, springing out of hiding long enough to do what it needed to do.
The shield glanced away from his book to see another shiver go through the cover and sighed as he placed it to his side. Reaching under, he gently placed the back of his hand against the blond's cheek and made a small noise of displeasure. He didn't feel terribly hot, though he felt warm enough to be minutely concerning. "How ya feeling?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
Prompto cleared his throat, "Terrible and gross," he answered vaguely yet honestly.
"Gotta give me more than that, Prom. I need to know all your symptoms," he peeled back the blanket just enough to make out his face, which shone with dampness, hair stuck to various parts of his face. "I already know about the puking and fever."
He instantly turned his head to bury it deeper into his own pillow, letting out an annoyed and miserable moan, "Stomach hurts, head hurts. Um, yeah, I think that...covers it," he swallowed hard, attempting to stifle his sick feeling as he felt it rising again. Gladio's pillow now abandoned, thrust off to the side, he restored to wrapping his own arms around himself, hoping that would have more effect than a flimsy chunk of material.
The larger man picked his book back up, scanning over the words, but never really comprehending what he was reading. He was far too distracted by the occasional groaning and gagging next to him. Before he could say anything, the other was already dragging himself back out of bed, struggling with the covers as they tangled around his legs. With one swift and strong tug, he was able to free the poor thing from his prison, but there was no time for thanking as he half stumbled, half ran back to the bathroom.
For a bit, Gladio thought nothing of it as he was at last lost in his reading and just now getting into the story, "He's been in there a while, about thirty minutes now. Think we ought to check on him?" He cut his eyes over at Ignis' voice, and it wasn't until then that he realized he had heard nothing coming from the other side of the door. With a sigh, he got up again, this turning into a frequent thing now. And, he wondered why he didn't just stay on his feet.
Knocking softly, he leaned his head closer to the wood, "Hey, you didn't pass out, did you?" For a moment he was met with silence, and he felt his concerns rising with it. Still getting no response, he grabbed the door knob and went to turn it, jumping slightly when he opened without his doing so.
It barely cracked open, Prompto peaking through, "Nothing came up," he stated flatly, sounding a little disappointed with that outcome. Which he kind of was, at least if he did he would have felt better for a short time. "I've been waiting, for so lo-" he slammed the door back closed, almost catching the other's nose on it and spun around back to the toilet, finally getting the relief he was hoping for. All the while, Gladio was left on the other side, flinching away from the now closed door and wincing from the sounds of the blond getting sick. Most of which he assumed was dry heaving seeing as he shouldn't have anything left in him at this point.
This time, he stayed back a couple feet, waiting until he was done or until he was needed, whichever one came first. And, about a minute after the noises ceased, he heard the sink turn on and off before he once again eased his way out, gladly letting himself be helped back to the bed. "I think I'm dying," I whispered, sounding genuine about that claim.
"You're not dying," Gladio reassured, "It's most likely just food poisoning. Which, are you really surprised after eating something from a place that looked like that one did?"
Prompto tried rolling his eyes, instantly regretting it when the room spun with them. "I hate this," he whined, collapsing onto the mattress as soon as he was close enough. "I'd rather be dead," he hid his head back under the covers, not bothering to cover the rest of his body up this time for fear he would become trapped again.
"Quit being dramatic and go to sleep. Can't feel bad if you're knocked out through the whole thing," he yanked the cover off in order to straighten it out and draped it over the other, ignoring his complaining about it, "Just try not to think about it."
At this time, Ignis was getting up himself, making his way towards the kitchen area in order to make himself some coffee. He may be stuck staying awake as well, but he wasn't about to be exhausted because of it. "Sometimes I do envy Noct's ability to sleep through the most violent of storms," he sighed as he started the pot, "Alas, I am not so lucky." He cut his eyes over to the prince, still in the same position and spot he was when he first fell asleep.
"Me too," came Prompto's small and cracked voice, distorted from the filter of cloth.
"Less whining, more sleeping," Gladio chastised, giving up on getting any reading done now. He glanced back when he heard the adviser walk over, damp cloth in hand and held it out for him to take. "Thanks," the shield nodded, taking the offered rag and folded it up. Without a word of warning, he slipped it under the blanket and tried his best to wipe the younger's face off, cleaning it of most of the sweat. He was a bit surprised to see him not trying to fight against it though. Once he was done, he felt his face again, noticing that it was significantly warmer than it had been previously. Still not enough to be alarming, but there was an obvious change in it. "Maybe we should keep your face uncovered," he suggested, slowly lifting the blanket back, revealing Prompto's pale and grimacing features.
He shuddered as another cramp gripped at his abdominal muscles, tightening painfully. A small whimper escaped as a result, "Whyyyyyyyyy," he stretched out his wail, turning over to his other side.
"Maybe because you ate fish from a rundown general store?" Gladio proposed, amusement in his voice.
The blond mocked laughter, "Wasn't looking for an answer." He took a couple deep breaths until the onslaught subsided, leaving him more than a little hot and uncomfortable. In a hopeless attempt to cool off, he kicked the covers away, earning an irritated huff from the other man after having just fixed it.
After some time passed, he carefully leaned over Prompto, relief flooding through him at seeing his eyes closed and his breathing evened out. Finally, he was asleep. Turning to Ignis, he gave a small nod and the latter took that as a sign that he could turn his own light off now and get back to sleep. The brute followed soon after, slowly sliding down until he was lying down. For a few moments, he just stayed still as he stared up at the ceiling, expecting the other to get up again at any minute. His own need for rest now catching up and pulling him further under with each passing second. Closing his eyes, he decided he's at least let them get a little alleviation. And, soon enough, the urge was too tempting as he rather quickly was thrust back under.
He wasn't sure which of the two it was that yanked him from his dreams. Both sounds seemed to hit at once; one of those being an audible and defined 'thud,' and the other being the harsh and agonizing sound of someone retching just a few feet away. Either way, it was far from a pleasant wake up call. Noctis leaned up just enough to scan around the room, gaze instantly landing on the culprit. "Prom?" he croaked out voice still laced with sleep, "What are yo-" he stopped midway through when he spotted the small puddled mess next to him on the floor. "What the hell is going on?"
Not a moment later, Gladio was up and on his way over, "Come on," he spoke as he lifted the gunslinger off the floor, leaving the cover behind as it fell off his legs.
"I-I'm sorry," he tried to apologize, cheeks flushing a deeper shade in his embarrassment, "I tripped, and couldn't make it." The larger said nothing as he carefully placed him back in bed.
Once he was positioned well enough, he turned to pick the cover up, checking it over to make sure it was clear of any of the mess, "Don't worry about it, it happens. Noct, can you go get a some toilet paper, or paper towels or something?"
"Y-yeah," the prince stuttered, still in shock at what he woke up to, and it wasn't until then that he realized the absence of the fourth man, "Where's specs?" He glanced around, looking to each corner and coming up empty.
Honestly, he hadn't even noticed he wasn't there before it had been pointed out, "I don't know, if I had to guess, I'd say out getting medicine or something of the sort." His voice faded subtly when he disappeared around the corner, coming back with a fresh wet rag. Taking it next to Prompto, he crouched down, swabbing it over his face and mopping away any remnants left behind.
"I can do that myself," the blond slurred out, successfully snatching the rag away to clean himself off. He did a quick once over and dropped it off the side of the bed. Again, Gladio found himself checking his temperature with the back of his hand. It had risen quite a decent amount since last night, now climbing into the territory of actually being a bit of a problem.
"Feeling any worse?" he asked, pulling his hand away and taking the paper towels from Noctis' outstretched grip.
Prompto nodded slowly and carefully, even that small amount causing him some dizziness, "Yeah." He licked his dry lips, clearing his throat along with it, "Dying of thirst, but can't keep it down," he whined, shifting himself to attempt to find some comfort.
"Remember what I said, keep drinking the water, even if you don't feel up to it," He dropped a heavy and supportive hand on the young man's shoulder as he stood back straight, picking up the cast aside rag with him and strolled over to where he found him in a heap. Breathing out, he knelt down and, folding the towels as thickly as he could, began patting them onto the puddle, getting as much of it up as he could. Fortunately, it mostly consisted of water, so there wasn't much to actually wipe up.
"Maybe later," he grumbled, turning his face to hide it from the other two as humiliation still clung to his chest. Once he was given a moment to sulk, he felt the mattress shift and knew Gladio had seated himself back on it.
"Never answered my question," Noctis reminded, staring over at the continuously moving and fidgeting blond, "What the hell is going on?"
The shield only stared at him for a few seconds, a look of astonishment on his face, "You just saw for yourself what's going on, it should be pretty clear that he's sick." He spoke in a tone that one would use when explaining something to a child.
"Well, I could have figured that much out," the prince retorted, snapping a little. He didn't mean to come off as harshly as he did, but the sounds he woke up to were still fresh in his mind.
There was a defined and echoed 'click' of the door opening and closing back, following that was the precise and fluid steps of Ignis strolling through, small bag in hand. He turned it over on the bedside table, depositing its contents slowly so as not to dump any on the floor. The others scanned over the items, aside from Prompto, and both immediately spotted the same things. One of which being a thermometer, and another that stuck out was an ice pack. And, of course, a few bottles of varying medication, and they couldn't help but feel as though the man went a bit overboard with the supplies. He caught the looks they cave him and nonchalantly cleared his throat, "Better safe than sorry," he quickly defended.
"Damn, Specs, did you buy the whole pharmacy?" Noctis asked, stepping over to dig through the stuff, some of it looking like pain alleviation, and others for nausea, and something else that looked like sleeping meds. He picked up the container and rolled it over in his hand, "We could just knock him out for a couple days," he teasingly suggested, placing it back down.
That's when Prompto decided now that he wanted in on the conversation, "Please do, I won't mind. Just let me sleep until this is over." Reaching over, he grabbed the same bottle off the table, taking a look at it himself, "How many do I take?"
"Not so fast," Ignis plucked the medicine from his trembling hand, "First I want to check things out. I want to wait until you can at least keep something down, or else taking anything will be pointless and agonizing." He traded the pills out for the thermometer, "We should probably check your fever before anything else." Ripping open the box, he turned it over and removed the device, pressing it on as a single shrill 'beep' sounded out. "Alright, you know the drill." The blond begrudgingly opened his mouth, just enough for the thermometer and bite down on it. The feeling of it made him want to gag as it seemed like an intruder. With the second sound, it was removed and Ignis scanned over the reading, humming to himself with it. "A hundred and one point seven."
"Exactly how bad is that?" Noctis asked, reaching for the device and almost snatching it from the other's hand to read it for himself.
Ignis merely let the prince take it without protest, "Calm down, it's not that bad." He picked up the pack, handing it over to Gladio, "Go ahead and fill it with ice." As he carried out with his given task, the other sat down on the edge of the bed, reading over the labels one by one just to be on the safe side and making sure they wouldn't cause any further issues. So far everything seemed alright enough, nothing that sprung up as dangerous or sketchy. "You don't have any allergies that we aren't aware of, do you?"
"Nah, not that I know of," Prompto mumbled, muscles starting to constrict once again. At that time, the shield returned, gently placing the pack on the blond as he strolled by, earning a shiver when the chill hit him. He relaxed a bit when the contrast in temperature stifled some of his revolt, easing his urge to become sick enough for him to not worry about throwing up on the spot. "Thanks," he mumbled, letting his eyes close half way.
The adviser put all the items back, sighing silently to himself, "Drink something, and if you can go at least an hour without incident, then you can take something." He handed the glass over, removing the ice so it wouldn't fall on the floor as he sat up. The younger did as he was asked and took another few sips, wincing in anticipation for what he knew would come after not too much longer.
"I can already tell you, that's not happening," he whined, feeling his body disagreeing with the intake almost immediately, but he tried his best to quell it and will it away. He slowly lied back down, afraid that moving any faster would cause his entire being to crumble with the motion. "Just one hour, huh?" he laughed nervously under his breath.
Gladio had himself perched in a chair by the window, "So, think it's food poisoning then? That's what it seems like to me anyway."
"Think? No, I'm fairly positive that's exactly what it is," he pushed his glasses up an inch, "Unless there's other symptoms we don't know of, then it's most probable." He cut his eyes over to the patient, waiting to see if there was a reaction to that statement, but getting none, he assumed his guess to be right.
Waiting for some time to pass to deem it safe, Noctis finally decided he would be able to go to the bathroom, already having waited twenty odd minutes since waking up. Carefully, he got to his feet and began making his way over, only making it a few steps before he heard Prompto swiftly stumbling to his feet. The raven-haired had zero time to react as he was quite roughly shoved to the side with a fleeting, 'move,' blurted out between clasped fingers. It didn't take long for the grotesque noises to follow, and he found himself nearly gagging now, "I gotta get out," he held up a hand in a small wave and power walked towards the door.
"Never saw you as one to have a week stomach for these sort of things," Gladio smirked, fully enjoying the prince's own internal struggle. Noctis didn't reply to that, only waved once more before he disappeared, pulling the door shut behind him. "Guess we won't be seeing him for a while."
Ignis shrugged, "I'm sure he'll be back once he gets hungry."
"Like a cat," Gladio observed, "Feed it once, and they always come back." He paused and glanced towards the bathroom, "It's how we got stuck with him, I'm sure." The man let out a small and quiet laugh at that, but the other failed to find much amusement in the joke. Probably just wasn't his taste in humor.
The room quieted after a moment, being broken by the exiting of the blond, and then his footsteps as he trudged back into bed. "Again, nothing," he murmured, huddling under the cover, "So, can I take something now?" He turned his head just enough to lock eyes with the adviser, giving the most pathetic look he could muster.
With a sigh, he made his way back over, "I suppose, but only if you're sure you can keep it down long enough for your body to at least absorb some of it." He rummaged around for the nausea medication, and poured out the labeled amount into his palm. "Here," they were deposited into Prompto's already waiting hand and, without delay, tossed into his mouth. Next was the water, which he only drank enough to wash the pills down with, not wanting to risk any more than that.
The younger lied there for a moment, making sure everything was calm enough before he allowed himself to relax against the sheets. Once satisfied that he was alright for the time being, he slowly let himself sink into their coolness. He was only still for a few seconds before the realization hit him, "Where's Noct?" he asked, doing a quick glance in the area in front of him.
"He went for a little walk," Gladio answered plainly, "Guess he can't handle being around sick people."
"Oh," he dropped his head back against his pillow, reaching a hand behind him and feeling around. It didn't take the other long to know exactly what he was looking for, and the other pillow was then placed in against his searching fingers. "Thanks," he pulled it back in front of him and started embracing the object just like he had earlier. He got a hum in response, immediately followed by the chill of the ice being plopped back on his head.
Neither of the others permitted themselves to take it easy yet, not while Prompto was still awake that is, they would relax once he was properly resting and they didn't worry when he would be bolting again. So far, it seemed promising enough, he only turned occasionally, but immediately ceased each time when the twisting brought discomfort. Waiting a little while longer, his movements stopped altogether and his breathing finally evened out. With a quick peek, Ignis came to the conclusion that he was out at last. He decided he would give him a little bit before checking his temperature again, not wanting to let it get too high just to be on the safe side.
In the meantime, the man desperately wanted a shower, and wasn't sure how long he would have to wait if he didn't take this opportunity now. But, as he relished in this luxury, he made certain to leave the door unlocked should the toilet be needed while he was in there. Unlike his normal cleaning, he tried to keep this one quick to get out as soon as he was able, taking up as little time as possible while still getting washed enough to be presentable. And this way, the gunslinger would have had time to fall into a deep enough sleep to not be disturbed by his checking up on him.
Walking out, he strode right past the first bed, tossing a quick glance over at it and discovering the shield passed out on it, snoring lightly. So much for him taking care of things. Ignoring it, he crouched in front of Prompto, taking a quick look over his features, which seemed relaxed enough. But, he was a tad on the pale side aside from the slight flush decorating his cheeks. Taking the thermometer, he prepared it and as carefully as he could, slipped it into place. As it beeped, he kept his eyes on the blonds, looking for any signs of waking. Coast clear, he removed it and scanned over the number. One hundred and two even. He sighed heavily and moved the pack back onto his forehead, seeing as it slid off at some point during his tossing and turning.
Since everything was calm for the moment, he checked the time, realizing just now that it was near noon and remembered that no one had eaten that day and now it was nearly around lunch time. After thinking about it, he thought it better to send the other two to dine out somewhere, since he didn't feel right cooking and filling the room with smells that would most likely disrupt the blond's stomach. Then once they got back, he might have to trust them long enough for him to go out. But, for now, he'd just make himself comfortable until Noctis decided he wanted to come back.
He was so hot, it was almost unbearable and the only thing making it worse was this strangely heavy weight on him. It took him a second to realize that that was the source of the heat. In an attempt to rid himself of it, he kicked his feet and waved his arms, but that only seemed to make matters more complicated and he could feel himself begin to panic at the sensation of being trapped in this cloth prison. After his futile struggles went unrewarded, without warning, the encasement was lifted away and not a moment later he felt something brush over his face. At that, he became slightly confused and forced an eye to crack open.
"You done freaking out?" Gladio asked, wiping a damp cloth over his face and brushing the blond strands away from his eyes. "Thought you were having a freaking panic attack for a minute there."
Prompto stared back, bewilderment clouding his eyes. "Nah, I wasn't," he slurred, gaze drifting off to the side, grimacing a bit as his memories caught up with him with the sickness that waved through him. He groaned and closed his eyes tightly, "This sucks."
"Yeah, I know, but on the bright side, I think the worst of it is finally over," he offered with a warm smile, "You haven't vomited in a quite a few hours at least."
He blinked up at the man lazily a couple of times, "Well, I still feel like crap," he half whined, burying his face in his pillow which he now realized was rather damp. In the few seconds of silence that ensued next stuck out to him, "Are the others gone?"
"Yeah, they went to go eat, Ignis thought that doing that would probably be best for everyone," he shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed, causing it to dip with his weight. "Anyway, how ya holdin' up? Still feel like throwing up any time soon?"
The other slowly shook his head, "Not at the moment." He paused and waited for another cascade of nausea to pass. "No promises though," he strained against the words, almost biting down on them. Luckily this onslaught didn't stay long before departing and he could speak without fear of more than words escaping, "Can I...can I get some water?"
The man obliged, standing and taking the almost empty glass with him, "Yeah, I'll get you some fresh, this has been sitting out for a while now. And I imagine lukewarm water might not be the best." The blond waited patiently for his return, not that he had much choice in the matter, afraid that sitting up would cause his monetary state of wellness fall apart. He could feel sleep pulling at him again by the time Gladio came back with his beverage, but he refused to go back under until he was able to quench his thirst at least a little, knowing that if it went unattended, it would only be more intolerable by the next time he woke up. He nodded his thanks and took a decent swallow this time, tossing all precautions out the window.
"Easy," Gladio warned, "Small sips for now." Prompto looked annoyed by that bit of advice, but headed the suggestion. "If that stays down, then you can have more, bur for now, just a little bit."
Prompto nodded mid sip, and begrudgingly placed the glass down, but kept his gaze on it longingly, "Fine." He didn't like it, but he figured it best to listen. "How long do I have to wait?"
"Not long, just wanna make sure you're not gonna spew up what you got now," he glanced over and watched how the other was staring at the liquid and actually felt slightly guilty at denying him the relief of it. "Just wait for a couple minutes, then you can have more," he gave in to the pitiful expression plastered on his face. "Think you'll last that long?"
"Guess I'll have to," Prompto breathed out heavily, wrapping himself around his stolen pillow ad hiding his face against it. "Has it been a couple minutes yet?" came his muffled and muted question.
"It's only been a few seconds," the other informed, "Only about a hundred or so more to go."
The blond grumbled audibly, not attempting to hide his displeasure and frustration at the limitations; this had to be torture, there was nothing more to it than that. Gladio was officially tormenting him. Obviously, he didn't really believe that, but it sure felt like it. The thirst was arguably worse than the nausea in his opinion. But he could do it, he could muster the will power to control himself if he had to. At this point, he didn't even care if it did come back up, at least he would have a few moments of contentment before he would come to regret it.
"Ok, I think it's safe enough to have some more, just keep the sips small and wait a few seconds between them if you can," Gladio handed the water back to him, keeping a close eye on him as he didn't trust him not to guzzle the whole glass right there on the spot. Surprisingly, he did as instructed and kept his intake reasonable and sparing, taking quite a while before he drank a decent amount. "Need anything else, or are you good to go for now?"
"Is killing me an option?" he joked, giving the other man a sideways grin, "I'm serious." The second part was deadpanned, all jest fleeing his features as another shiver ran through him.
Gladio offered him a small chuckle, "Afraid not, The others would have my head, and it's just not worth hearing their lectures." He let himself fall backwards, lying himself across Prompto's legs, who in turn didn't complain; it didn't particularly bother him, and he didn't feel like he would need to get up anytime soon, so there was no worries there. "Hey, on the bright side, you being sick means the rest of us get some time to take it easy for a couple days or so."
Prompto mumbled something incoherent, "Glad I could be of service and take one for the team," Gladio could hear the eye roll in his voice.
"Hey, you have it the best out of all of us," he shot back, honesty lazing his words.
It couldn't be seen, but Prompto pursed his lips at that, and actually did roll his eyes this time, "And how is that? I've been reduced to a sprinkler."
Gladio had to think about that comparison for a moment, "Wha- never mind," he shook his head, "Think about it, if you're sick, then you don't have to do anything, and now one expects anything from you, so enjoy it while you can."
"Hard to enjoy this."
"Well, try harder."
Both of their attentions snapped over to the door as it slowly creaked open, Ignis carefully stepping through with caution so as not to disturb anyone. But, upon spotting the two sets of eyes staring back, he abandoned all gentleness and stepped all the way in, followed by Noctis who never even attempted to carry any grace upon his entrance. "Ah, I see you're finally feeling better, I assume?" the adviser guessed by the position the two of them were in.
"Eh, that's debatable," Prompto retorted, "Do I feeling throwing up? No. Do I still feel like dying would be more enjoyable? Definitely." Even though his tone was filled with obvious humor, it still sounded forced and small to the others. Could be that he really did feel like garbage, or maybe his throat was just sore, which either was strongly possible.
"Everything staying down?" he asked next, being the motherly man he was and acting on those instincts of his the moment he was back.
Prompto only nodded as a response this time, deeming that as answer enough. The exhaustion he felt earlier was slowly creeping back up again after leaving him alone for a few minutes. But now, it came back full force. Gladio shot a look over at him, "You know you can go back to sleep if you want, you don't have to fight it."
"I know," the blond drawled tiredly, nodding off as he spoke. Soon the voices around him faded into a jumbled heap of noises and volumes, turning into nothing more than white noise and assisting in relaxing him further and easing him deeper into his need for slumber. And, without resistance, he gave his body what it so desperately craved and demanded, finally falling back under for just a while longer.
Waking up this time came a bit more naturally and a lot less agonizing than the last time. He didn't feel as though he were dying of heat stroke, nor did he fear being constricted by his own blanketed cocoon. The first thing he noticed was the lack of light penetrating his eye lids, and that alone served to confuse and disorient; it wasn't that late in the day when he had fallen asleep, was it? Sleeping as long as he had was not something he had expected, at most he was hoping for a nap that lasted a few hours. But, it was a hibernation he had received. Though, he had to admit, it did seem to work a few wonders. Sure, he still felt drained a slightly sick to his stomach, but it was nothing like it was.
Light snoring next to him dragged his focus over to Gladio, out cold next to him. And, now that he looked around, not a single light was on. He really had slept all day, and who knows how long into the night. He reached over for his phone, pulling it under the cover so the light wouldn't wake any of the others. Almost three in the morning. He slowly sank in that he slept for nearly twelve hours.
Part of him was enjoying the solitude, but the other half was begging for someone to wake up and give him some sort of company. It felt selfish to think like that, and he chose to blame it on his illness for his neediness, but he wasn't going to deny it. Completely forgetting his compassion for the others, he decided that he didn't want to wait another few hours for companionship. He turned over, making sure to do so over dramatically, hoping the sudden movement would help to kick start the waking of Gladio.
Success. The single and subtle hiccup in his breathing was sign enough that he was slowly coming around. To make sure his fate was sealed he cleared his throat a bit more loudly and harshly than was probably necessary. The other shifted lightly in reply, and after another moment, gradually opened his eyes. "Sorry, did I wake you?" Prompto asked quietly, amusement dripping off the question. "I'll try to keep my movement to a minimum."
"You're fine," Gladio waved a hand as he groggily spoke, "Everything alright?"
Prompto hummed at him, "Yeah."
There was a hand pressed against his forehead anyway, despite his words, "Still feel pretty warm to me," he whispered, "Still feeling nauseous? Or has that mostly gone away?"
The blond thought about it for a moment, "Just a little, but it's mostly tolerable now." As he relaxed back, he felt the other get up, grabbing something that was lying next to him when he did. At the sound of clanking he figured out he must have been refilling the ice pack, that suspicion being confirmed when he came back and less than gently placed it on his face.
"Oh, sorry, kinda hard to see, ya know," the smile could be heard in the way he spoke, "Need some more water, or anything?"
He hated to ask, now feeling a little remorseful about being waited on in the manner that he was, but he could still feel the dryness in his throat and mouth and accepted the offer without much thought. And to him, that part that just made this even harder, was their willingness to lend a hand without complaint. Despite him knowing them to be better than that, he half expected them to see this as more of a burden than anything. "Thanks," he said for the millionth time in the passed twenty-four hours and took a few greedy swallows. He assumed it to be safe enough to cast all restraint aside, and the other didn't bother to chastise him this time around.
"Ignis brought some crackers back if you feel up to trying to eat something," Gladio tossed a thumb over, one that Prompto could barely see now that his eyes were adjusted to the darkness, "Only if you feel like it."
"I think I'll wait a little while," he raised the glass, telling the other silently that he wanted to make sure everything settled well enough before he tried that.
Gladio understood, "Alright, if that goes well, then I still want you to at least try, it has been long enough since anything happened.
"Right," Prompto downed the last of his water, setting the empty glass aside. There was some slight cramping in his abdomen from that, though it was something he could ignore, being more of a nuisance than anything now. He looked over to the others who still appeared to be fast asleep, even Ignis, which seemed odd to him. That man was normally all over everything like a hawk. Then he realized that Gladio was there, and that allowed the man to relax, the knowledge that someone capable was there to handle things while he slept. "Are we leaving tomorrow? You know, since the Regalia isn't at risk of being puked in anymore."
The larger man set him with an incredulous look, "You're kidding, right? Do you honestly think Ignis is letting you go anywhere until he gives the health seal of approval?" He had a point, he did tend to take these types of things far more seriously than any of them did, but then who would make sure they were in top condition of not for him. They sure as hell weren't going to look after themselves. "I can almost guarantee we'll be here for at least another day. So, like I said, enjoy it while it lasts."
The relief he felt was more than pleasant. Deep down he was hoping they wouldn't be leaving so soon, at least not this time. Though, he still felt bad about postponing their little road trip, and if it was up to him, they would be leaving right now, sick or not. He sighed heavily, might as well not cause them further obstacles, "Ok, I think I'll try those crackers now." The least he could do is try to get some of his strength back up, the sooner the better for everyone. "Just one though," he quickly verified.
"Good enough for me," Gladio once again got back up and made his way into the other room for the third time since waking up, not that he minded though, not like this was a reoccurring thing. So, a little pampering was alright to indulge in every once in a while, as long as he didn't make a habit of getting ill like that anyway. Well, maybe just as long as he stayed away form sketchy foods, then all would be well in the future, but this was Prompto. He didn't seem to learn form mistakes very well, so there was no telling when this would happen again.
Ok, so the next chapter one is the one that is going pretty dark...like really dark. That one I will actually be putting genuine effort into, meaning it may take some time between chapters.