Time passed but their relationship didn't seem to get any better. Usually Noctis just needed time to brood and things slowly but surely returned to normal (even if Ignis had to help it along some). This was not one of those times.
While Noctis was pulling away from him, Prompto was getting closer to Ignis. The bespectacled man wasn't sure if it was out of misplaced guilt. Nonetheless, it was nice to have the constant chatter in his ears to distract him from his thoughts.
And Gladiolus? He seemed to be weathering the situation better than all of them. Although at times it looked like he would snap at Noctis, he held it back and ruffled the blue-black locks a bit more forcefully than normal.
…Actually, it'd been awhile since Prompto fell quiet. Ignis turned to look at the blonde and was confronted with the smushed face of his. He'd pushed his cheeks together to make a 'fishy face' as he'd so called it, and was staring Ignis down with very serious-looking eyes.
For once, Ignis laughed.
At that, Prompto grinned for second, then continued to make even weirder faces.
"What are you doing?" He managed to gasp out. "Please, spare me, I can't."
The other giggled while he was trying maintain a new expression, one that featured him pulling his nostrils up and sticking his tongue out.
Of course, this didn't go unnoticed by the others. As Noctis simply looked confused and only the slightest bit irritated, Gladio decided to join in on the fun and compete with Prompto in what had turned into a weird face-off. Ignis laughed again and pushed them away playfully, adjusting his glasses.
"Why do I have to deal with you man-children?"
"Cuz my good looks trumps all," Prompto grinned, taking the time to wink at Ignis. Gladio thankfully shoved him to the side to boast.
"Please, they don't trump this," and proceeded to flex.
Finally, finally, Noctis chuckled lowly. Ignis smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.
Sadly, they'd already arrived at the car, and the fun was cut to a minimum. They got down to business as the four packed their stuff in the most efficient manner possible, leaving little room in the trunk. Frankly, they could afford to put a bag or two in the backseat, but Noctis complained he already had a titan sitting with him to deal with, and couldn't spare anymore space.
Once everything was settled they took off, heading to the nearest tipster. It seemed they were all still in high spirits, especially Prompto. After the third flash of light directed at him, Ignis started to feel a bit self-conscious. He pushed the camera aside without taking his eyes off the road, the corners of his lips tugging up.
"I'm not the only attraction here," Ignis gestured at the green wilderness around them. "Take pictures of something a bit more impressive."
"But I've already got like ten million scenic pics!"
"And you've got twenty million pictures of Iggy," Gladio interjected, laughing when Prompto turned in his seat to swat at him.
"N-no I don't! Shut up Gladio!"
"Prompto, please, it's dangerous," The advisor warned sternly, even if he was still fighting a grin.
Chocobo-butt huffed and plopped back down in his seat. At this point, the crew seemed to run out of energy, letting the constant hum of the engine calm them down. Ignis took this time to look in the rear-view mirror to see Noctis frowning once more. He seemed almost distraught.
Shit. While Ignis had been having fun in his own little world, he hadn't noticed when his charge took a turn for the worse.
At the next stop, most definitely. This needed to be confronted.