Chapter Text
“Where are we going,” an annoyed, and quite annoying voice questioned, likely for the hundredth time. Ignis could only sigh, pushing his glasses up with a knuckle, letting his fingers slide back around the wheel to make a turn. It had been going on like this for quite some time, Ignis had never felt more like an annoyed parent with an insufferable child than this moment. If not Noctis, it was lucky someone here had the patience of a saint.
“Need you ask again, Noct? I told you to trust me, you will surely enjoy the destination.” He’s nearly glad to hear the groan that signals another moment or so of silence before the next questioning. It’s possible they could have avoided the headache of a ‘surprise birthday destination’ by simply...not having it be a surprise. He is almost kicking himself for heeding Gladio’s suggestion on this one. Yet...he almost felt it’d be worth it, if they could at the very least pry one smile out of the...what was the phrasing Prompto had used…
My Chemical Romance reject?
Ignis has to suppress the slight grin that threatens to ghost across his lips, clearing his throat and swiping a thumb across his brow. He turns his head toward the passenger seat as Prompto pulls himself up and turns to the boys in the back, excitedly showing them some of the photos from their last hunt. Apparently, a chocobo had photobombed one of them mid swing, and looked “super fucking impressed” at the “baddassery”.
Did Prompto think he went deaf while he was driving? He gently flicks the exposed calf of said blond, smirking at the outraged squawk. Yet, regardless, he holds on to Prompto’s leg as he makes a turn, protectively. It always gave him anxiety when Prompto did that. He’s lucky the other man allowed him this shred of security, holding on to him like a concerned parent on a roller coaster. He felt as if he could keel over when Noctis rose out of his chair to sit with his entire body out of the car. He always slowed when he did, to the annoyance of the cars behind them.
“It may please you to know we are merely a stop or two away from our destination,” Ignis announces, as they pull in to an outpost. He leaves Noctis to handle filling up the car, heading off to use the restroom, in more of a move to get a moment without the interrogation Noctis was intent on. Returning shortly, he finds Gladio and Noct chatting quietly, Prompto taking a picture of them. It says a lot that despite knowing full well they’re being shot, they take no heed. Prompto had trained them to “look natural”. He wonders what they’re speaking of. Noct seems to be in a teasing mood, if his facial expression was any indication. Gladio was relaxed, warm...so openly fond. He swallows.
He’s not even phased when Prompto all but crashes into his side. Eyebrow rising, he turns to find a camera shutter clicking closed in front of him, his confusion turning to a soft smile as it clicks closed again. Prompto smiles at his camera a moment later, sighing, “You always look so majestic when you’re contemplating. Like a mystical Princess awaiting her steed.” He then turns to the other two, “Guys, fooood!”
Noct calls back with a dry “fooood sounds good, let’s go.”
He catches the soft guiding touch of Gladio’s hand on Noct’s elbow, leading him around the car and letting go only as the other went ahead of him. He has to breathe in the cool air to vent out the warmth that swells in his chest. He waves them ahead, stopping to move the car away from the pump and put the hood up. He takes a moment to get himself together, perhaps too long, as his phone receives three separate messages asking if he’s okay. Glancing at the clock, he raises an eyebrow. It’s only been a few minutes. Silly boys.
He startles when there’s a knock on the car, Prompto making a face into the window. He steps out, smiling fondly. “What is it, couldn’t live without me for a few minutes?”
Prompto gasps, a hand on his heart, “How dare you utter such words! We couldn’t live without you for a second!” It seems that’s it for him, as he’s happily chattering about this or that as he near skips back to the diner, expecting Ignis in tow.
While Prompto seems unphased by his own words, Ignis has to pause a moment. Perhaps he’s taking things too seriously, it was just a quip after all, but...he felt misty at the words. He knew what his boys were feeling, as well. Just a few moments without one of them in his sights or sounds had him instantly searching for them. Conversation always flowed so easily between the four of them that when even one was absent, it felt...incomplete. Like a clipped circuit, an interrupted current. He feels that tension when he sits, too, being enveloped back into the familiar flow of it all. His mind teeters into dangerous territory, and he banishes all thoughts of the ‘what if’ variety.
It’s a lovely meal, served with a side of incessant nagging on Noct’s part. When they finally load back into the car, he could thank the Six that the heavy carbs he’d oh so gently shoehorned Noct into knock him clear out, his snoring the only irksome thing about the now quieted man. Prompto and Gladio, for what it’s worth, only chat sluggishly among themselves. He smirks to himself. While he and Gladio had planned this, it was with the surprise of Prompto and Noct in mind, for Noct’s birthday. Predictably Prompto had latched on quickly, and had to be dissuaded and distracted away from the truth, whilst again predictably, Noct simply whined for ages about not being told.
He knows he’s been found out when Prompto, quietly, exclaims “By. The. Six!” He squirms excitedly, somehow clinging to the manners that dictate he shouldn’t awaken Noct. Perhaps he’s yet to take a snap of the sleeping man, that or he felt the surprise would be better up close. Whatever his reasoning, the gentle vibrating he does sitting in the chair is unreasonably adorable. Ignis nearly wishes he was the camera fanatic in that moment.
They pull up, familiar music playing loudly but distantly. Noct finally stirs, eyes opening and blinking, a fist dragging across his eyes, “Prom’, turn that dow…,” he spots Prompto’s huge grin and nearly shaking state, “H...Huh?” Pulling himself up, he finally notices.
“Chocobo land?!”
Ignis is pleased to note, he’s never seen Noct fly out of the car so fast. When Prompto joins him they both nearly bounce on their heels while waiting for the other two. The two who both nearly die of the pure, adorable childish energy the other two are radiating. Though Noct is still stiff, as he always was, and likely always would be, Ignis and Gladio had learned all the subtleties there were to learn about him. His excitement was obvious to them.
Gladio’s deep, calm laugh rolls out, continuing to spark the warmth quickly growing in Ignis’ chest. Six, would he live through this? Such a calm vacation, no duties nor monsters to attend to? Where would he find distraction? Surely inside such a place he’d find reprieve from his feelings, he mustn't worry himself so much. Nodding to himself he waves the boys to follow him. Now if he can only get them past the security check without a fuss...