Prompto lets out a small groan.
"Thanks Wiz." she hears Noct says in the distance. Prompto clench her teeth at the ache in her back.
"How is she?" the older man asks. She tries to move her legs but they ache and feel unnaturally heavy.
"Better. Anything about Gladio and Ignis?" He asks. She decides not to move and instead tries to remember what happened.
"No word. They must have gone deep." Wiz says.
"Thanks again." Noct says. It gets darker so the prince must have closed the door. She must have let out a sound because Noct is by her side in a flash. "Prom, how are you feeling?"
"S-sore. Body a-aches." She stutters.
"Yeah, that's about right." Noct says. She feels something on her back. Noct takes the towel laid on her back to sooth her muscles. The prince moves to take the pot with hot water and pours it on the towel, getting it steaming hot. He puts more water to boil. Then he wrings the towel of the access water. He lays the very hot towel on her back, she lets out a sigh of relief. It feels really good.
"Iggy? Gladio?" she asks.
"They left to search for where the MTs came from." Noct answers
"Together? Alone?" She asks.
"Yeah. They will be fine though. Gladio won't have to worry about me, or Ignis." Noct frowns. He felt useless.
"But you're here with me. Thank you." She smiles at him, and it's all worth it. With the blonde awake now, he can think more clear, not clouded by worry, and Gladio is right. He wouldn't have been able to fight calmly knowing Prompto is injured and hurt. He thought Ignis was going to stay to help her rest but that task was given to him. Which was a shocking because Noct has never taken care of anyone before, he didn't want the blonde to be patient zero. But she's awake now so it's not bad.
"Get some rest." Noct says brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, a smile on his face.
"Don't need to tell me twice." She smiles back. He lets out a snort, watching as her eyes slowly close.
Wiz turns to find Ignis and Gladio walking to the caravan looking worse for wear but neither of them are bleeding so that's good. Ignis looks about ready to rip his skin off and replace it. Gladio looks ready to eat a behemoth down to it's bone.
"What did you learn?" Wiz asks smiling at them. He won't get sappy about them being fine but he is glad to see them okay and back.
"It was a whole drop ship. They rested it far from here but use it as a home base." Gladio tells him frowning.
"It's almost as if they were abandoned here." Ignis adds. "They are no longer a problem though." the advisor informs him, Wiz lets out a breath. He was going to hire a couple hunters to take care of the problem but hearing they got it is a burden off his shoulders.
"It's weird though, right?" Wiz frowns at them.
"How so?" Ignis wonders because this whole situation is weird.
"The war with Niflheim ended what, ten years ago? Twelve? And all through that time not one of those abandoned MTs attacked anyone then your friends show up and they go crazy. Why?" he wonders. Ignis eyes go wide, because that is a very good point. Why would they start attacking? Was it Noct? Maybe they were still under the kill order for the royal family.
"But they weren't trying to kill sunshine, it was almost like they were trying to take her and kill Noct." Gladio says looking at Ignis, his own mind going the same direction as the advisor. The bespectacled man snaps his attention to his lover. The advisor remembering something the prince told him when they washed the blondes bloody back.
"They didn't get rough until Noct showed up and cut one down. They could have attacked in retaliation." Ignis suggests.
"Or they were trying to save Prompto from Noct." Gladio says.
"That doesn't make more sense, MTs are mindless and will attack anything not on their side. Why would they protect Prompto?" Wiz wonders. Ignis nods, agreeing to Wiz statement, both looking at the shield like he just murdered a stable full of chocobo chicks.
"How did you come to that conclusion?" Ignis asks.
"Noct said they didn't attack when they first showed up. They were just staring. Then it got crazy with Cinnamon and they got separated. We haven't heard blondes version of what happened but Noct found her surrounded by MTs, again they weren't threatening her, they weren't even armed. Then Noct shows up swinging his sword. When Noct called you he said he was holding her hand leading her away when the MT tackled her. They aren't trying to hurt her."
"Okay, they don't want to hurt her but they aren't trying to protect her either, they clawed her back. Doesn't sound like protecting to me." Ignis refutes.
"So maybe not protect, maybe kidnap. I don't know but sunshine is on some sort of list."
"With that I agree." Ignis pushes up his glasses.
"Why don't you boys rest up. I'll make you some dinner and drop it off." Wiz offers them with a smile. Ignis nods, now remembering how badly he wants to shower and rest. Gladio nods slightly drooling at the idea of warm food and not those snacks Ignis had packed for them before they went searching. "It's on the house." he tells, then turns to walk back inside so he can cook for them, all four of them.
Ignis and Gladio make their way back to the caravan. Walking in to find it quiet and dark. Gladio turns the light on, they look around until they spot the two they are looking for. Prompto is still on her stomach, shirtless with the towel resting on her back, now she's pressed against Nocts side who lay on his back, one arm raised and angled to support his head, Prom resting her head against his chest, his other arm rest across his stomach, fingers touching the screen of his phone, Prom's arm resting across Nocts stomach, below his phone. Gladio grins from one ear to the other.
"If only our photographer isn't the one I wanted a picture of." Gladio says. Then he hears a click, turning his head to the side he sees Ignis holding a red camera up. "Isn't that...?" Gladio starts, sure he doesn't need to finish that sentence for the other to know where he's going with this.
"It is." Ignis answers, the camera disappearing in the shimmering blue sparkle that their weapons disappear in.
"When did princess put her camera in the armiger?" Gladio wonders.
"On their ride together yesterday. I noticed it this morning before we left." Ignis says walking forward, walking around Nocts leg that is sticking out, since he is laying on the edge of the bed.
"Your highness. Prompto. Dinner will be here, unless you both ate dinner already." Ignis says to them, shaking them awake gently.
"You're back?" the blonde asks, waking up slowly. Ignis smiles.
"How is your back?" he asks watching her sit up slowly, hand rubbing her eye of the sleepiness.
"Not aching. Way better." she smiles at him. He reaches forward, grabbing the fallen towel, Proms eyes follow the movements stopping when she sees she's shirtless. She squeaks and covers her breasts with her arms. "Where did my shirt go?" she asks blushing a deep red.
"Ruined by the MT, we took it off to help your back." Gladio explains, handing her a shirt. She takes it and puts it on, trying to not flash anyone more. Ignis wakes up Noctis just in time for Prom to be moving the t-shirt over her head. Noctis jumps in his skin, slipping off the edge of the bed and falling face first onto the floor. He lets out a groan as he gets up. "Foods here." Gladio says answering the door.
"Enjoy your nap?" Ignis asks the blushing prince.
Choosing to ignore the tone Noct asks instead, "what took you both so long?"
"The MTs has a drop ship as a base. Took a while to get through all of them." Gladio answers.
"Why was there a drop ship off MTs here?" Prompto asks sitting at the table. Noct looks at the other two but they look just as clueless.
