Thanks for the comments and glad everyone seems to be enjoying this little story. The final chapter should be finished and posted over the weekend sometime. This chapter is a little shorter than the last but hope you all enjoy.
It was two days later that Gladiolus started to suspect something was up with the energetic blonde punk. He was first one up, he and Ignis usually were the first two up in the mornings. Every second day however Gladio was up before even the prince's advisor, readying for his early morning run. This morning was no different at least it hadn't seemed at first, he had woken up crept quietly from the tent and was now halfway through his pre-run stretch as he heard the tent unzip once more.
Looking over he expected to find the bespectacled man, instead spotting a familiar tuff of blonde emerge.
"You're up early." He stated, snorting a laugh as the younger jumped in surprise at the sound of his voice.
"Oh, ah morning." The blonde yawned back as he stepped fully from the tent. "Thought I'd go for a bit of a run, its a nice day."
"You're welcome to join me I was just about to head off." He invited, he had managed to convince Noctis to join one of his runs a couple days back and the company had been nice. So he didn't mind having another tag along.
Gladio frowned at Prompto's sad excuse of a pre-run stretch, though he didn't say anything as the kid finished up with a slap to his thighs as he said. "Well are we going to run or not."
The kid wasn't that half bad he easily kept pace though that shouldn't have been to hard to believe, Prompto was like an ever lasting ball of energy. He never stopped moving and Gladio had the inkling if he was ever to be completely strapped down so as not to move a single part of his body, the kid would in fact explode. They ran four laps around the haven making sure not to stray too far before he slowed to a walk.
"Better head back Ignis will likely have breakfast almost done by now." He said thumbing towards camp. Raising a brow as the younger slowed his pace but showed no sign of heading back.
"You go I just want to get in another lap or two." The blonde called continuing past.
Gladio frowned, while it was good to see the blonde so into his run they also had another full day ahead of themselves. A day likely full of as much unwanted surprise as any other in recent weeks, so he didn't want the kid over doing it.
"Okay, just don't over work yourself." He called after Prompto's fading form before heading back.
It wasn't so much the fact that the boy was up and out for a run that seemed to itch at him. It was no secret the kid ran almost daily ever since he and Noct became friends in high school. It was more the fact that Prompto had slowed down since then, since they started this trip. Their days were often so full of action it was no surprise he didn't always have the energy for a run. While their days were still just as hectic Gladio was starting to notice Prompto seemed to somehow be finding the energy to put in a couple extra miles each day.
Hell the other day after the incident at the fishing hole the kid was gone half a day before returning at sunset claiming to have been off on a run. And come to think of it Prompto had seemed kind of red in the face and out of breath when he returned to camp after going to snap a couple of photo's yesterday evening.
The following morning was no different, the kid was up bright and early once again and Gladio farrowed his brows. "You sure you're up to this kid? Yesterday was chaotic and you and Noct barely stayed awake long enough to even get dinner down."
This trip was proving to wear hardest on the two youngest members, who were both usually first to call it a night and last up come morning. Though the blonde was usually up before the prince. After yesterdays battle with a behemoth he certainly hadn't been expecting the kid up and running. Even Gladio himself was taking the morning off to rest up, the sharpshooter might spend most his time shooting down the enemy from the fringes of the battle but even still that didn't mean the battles wore him any less. The kid was constantly moving darting and rolling about- a little more than necessary in his opinion- and more often than he'd like he found the blonde right in the middle of the fray with everyone else.
As healthy as regular exercise is for you, over exerting yourself was never good. They usually got more than enough exercise, what with all the running around and fighting of beasts and imperial magitek troopers. Gladiolus worried, all this extra exercise could start to prove detrimental to the kid's health. He figured he'd stay quiet for the time being however, watch and observe, though if Prompto didn't slow down soon he would have no choice but to intervene. The last thing they needed was one of them working themselves to exhaustion.
Ignis had had his suspicions that something was amiss with their youngest member for little over a week now. He was quieter than usual, though he kept up his usual energetic and cheerfully rowdy routine, Ignis found it usually slipped at times. He noticed it most on drives, any other time he'd have to tie the freckled youth to the chair to keep him seated and facing forward but this past week he has hardly spun on his knees to converse with the two in the back.
In fact he barely shifts about in his seat at all, he isn't nearly as fidgety either, he doesn't play with his phone as much nor drum along to whatever tune is playing on the radio. He doesn't even pick the stones and pebbles from the tread of his boots, which Ignis is actually thankful for as it was a pain trying to clean those from the cars interior. He still fidgets a little though his fingers at least, Prompto is never completely still after all. Still it is concerning all the same, especially seeing as he has noticed those thin pale fingers seem to spend a lot of time playing with his belly.
Then there is the running, every day this week no matter how exhausting their day might be. He worried it wasn't healthy, even Gladio didn't run that often and while the prince's shield might regulate between morning runs and his rigorous morning workout. He knew that there were some days when you're body benefited more from a reprieve. Prompto however either didn't understand this or was just ignoring his bodies need for rest. He was quickly working himself to exhaustion if the growlingly dark rings around his eyes said anything.
He knew Noct had spoken with his friend a few nights back, confronted him about an incident while the two and Gladiolus were mucking about. The prince had later informed them that the young blonde wasn't comfortable removing his shirt around others, which wasn't a problem. Ignis himself was also a little more modest about his body. The fact that Noctis had still seemed somewhat concerned and had been keeping a watchful eye on his friend since however was cause for concern.
Along with the blondes decline in appetite, he was still eating but not as much as usual. Ignis had been sneaking in more of the younger's preferred foods, trying to get him eating more without being too obvious about it. He had the inkling suspicion the kid was only eating as much as he was to try and avoid suspicion, offering excuses of upset tummy or turning in early. But Ignis wasn't buying it, Prompto had almost been cut down by a magitek axman today. Distracted with adjusting his pants, had he not embedded his daggers in the MT's neck, Prompto may not be standing right now. He had noticed the kid tugging his waistband up a little too often of late and it had alarm bells ringing.
And when Gladio had come over and expressed his own growing concern about the youth while Ignis was preparing dinner it was the final straw. They were not going to sit silently on this any more, it was time to intervene.
"Noctis." He called to the prince who paced by the seats outside the caravan. "Where is prompto?"
Their prince turned to him features twisted in concern. "Gone for another run. Ignis I think we need-"
"To have a serious talk when he returns" Ignis finished, covering the ingredients he had started preparing so far. Dinner could wait. "I agree wholly."