Rain beat a steady tattoo on the windows, sluicing down in torrents that could barely be kept back by the windshield wipers. Not that there was much to see anyway. This stretch of highway had streetlights few and far between. The Regalia's high beams revealed little as they disappeared into the night. There didn't seem to be anyone else on the road. Who could blame them in a storm like this? If it hadn't been absolutely necessary to reach Lestallum, they would have holed up in a caravan for a few days. Even though Ignis had become more confident about driving at night, now sure they could take on anything that would cross them, his hands were tight on the wheel.
Prompto was bored. It was close to 4 AM and he should have been sleeping, but he just couldn't get comfortable. Normally he leaned on the windowsill, but as the roof was up, he couldn't get the purchase to pillow his head. He'd tried leaning back the seat for a while, but Gladio had eventually gotten so irritated by his new lack of space that it was just easier to sit up. If he closed his eyes now, he could doze a little, but then every time something would wake him... the flash of the headlights on a sign, a sigh from Ignis - who had to be as tired as the rest of them, Gladio snoring...
Well, it was quiet for the moment but for the rain. He tried to imagine riding his chocobo, Nikon, over the hills under a big blue sky. It was sunny and warm, with a lovely breeze. Everything was perfect. He could feel the warm embrace of the dream rising over his consciousness... and then there was another sound that popped his lovely fantasy like a needle in a balloon. He frowned and rubbed his eyes.
"What was that?" he mumbled. Ignis cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Noct, are you awake?"
There was a long pause before Noctis volunteered an acknowledgement, voice heavy with sleep. Then the sound came again. It was a kind of breathy, pitched little sound, like a-
"Bless you," said Ignis.
-like a cat sneezing. Prompto frowned, confused, and then turned in his chair. "Dude, was that a sneeze? Really?" He scrutinized Noctis. The prince's hair gel had cracked out from a long day of travel, his eyes were heavy-lidded, his nose... pink. Noctis gave him a weak glare and opened his mouth for a response, but instead had to duck into the cup of his hand.
"Itschh! ...Hh-itchiu!"
"Bless again," said Ignis. "Are you coming down with something?" His gaze was concerned in the rearview. "There should be tissues somewhere in the center console. Prompto, would you-"
"Yeah, I got you." Prompto opened it and rummaged around past the antacids and the mints and the odd bits of receipts and rubber bands until he found a travel pack of tissues, which he handed back. A little bit gleefully.
"Don't say anything," said Noctis, his cheeks now also pink. He pulled a tissue to blow his nose weakly. "I've heard it all already."
"Aww," said Prompto. "I was just going to say it's cute." He finds himself now blushing a little, too. Noctis does lots of adorable things, from falling asleep with a little head nod to, well, existing, but Prompto never says anything.
"It's not," said Noctis, who looks ready to put an end to it. Then his nose scrunches, his long eyelashes flutter, and he sneezes again. "Hitschiu!"
"Sure," said Prompto, sliding around to sit properly again, hoping Noctis can't see his expression. "Keep telling yourself that, oh Your Highness."
"We can pick up some cold medicine in Lestallum," Ignis sighs, already calculating the lost time they might face if a cold were to pass through the lot of them. Given that they still have hours to go, trapped in a car, the likelihood is all too high.
"Thanks," mutters Noctis, blowing his nose again. They settle again.
Prompto falls asleep listening to the rain and Noctis's quiet sniffles, his mind drawn to a cozy hotel room and maybe a kiss followed by a kitten sneeze.
Fill: Bless Mew (Promptis) 1/1
Prompto was bored. It was close to 4 AM and he should have been sleeping, but he just couldn't get comfortable. Normally he leaned on the windowsill, but as the roof was up, he couldn't get the purchase to pillow his head. He'd tried leaning back the seat for a while, but Gladio had eventually gotten so irritated by his new lack of space that it was just easier to sit up. If he closed his eyes now, he could doze a little, but then every time something would wake him... the flash of the headlights on a sign, a sigh from Ignis - who had to be as tired as the rest of them, Gladio snoring...
Well, it was quiet for the moment but for the rain. He tried to imagine riding his chocobo, Nikon, over the hills under a big blue sky. It was sunny and warm, with a lovely breeze. Everything was perfect. He could feel the warm embrace of the dream rising over his consciousness... and then there was another sound that popped his lovely fantasy like a needle in a balloon. He frowned and rubbed his eyes.
"What was that?" he mumbled. Ignis cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Noct, are you awake?"
There was a long pause before Noctis volunteered an acknowledgement, voice heavy with sleep. Then the sound came again. It was a kind of breathy, pitched little sound, like a-
"Bless you," said Ignis.
-like a cat sneezing. Prompto frowned, confused, and then turned in his chair. "Dude, was that a sneeze? Really?" He scrutinized Noctis. The prince's hair gel had cracked out from a long day of travel, his eyes were heavy-lidded, his nose... pink. Noctis gave him a weak glare and opened his mouth for a response, but instead had to duck into the cup of his hand.
"Itschh! ...Hh-itchiu!"
"Bless again," said Ignis. "Are you coming down with something?" His gaze was concerned in the rearview. "There should be tissues somewhere in the center console. Prompto, would you-"
"Yeah, I got you." Prompto opened it and rummaged around past the antacids and the mints and the odd bits of receipts and rubber bands until he found a travel pack of tissues, which he handed back. A little bit gleefully.
"Don't say anything," said Noctis, his cheeks now also pink. He pulled a tissue to blow his nose weakly. "I've heard it all already."
"Aww," said Prompto. "I was just going to say it's cute." He finds himself now blushing a little, too. Noctis does lots of adorable things, from falling asleep with a little head nod to, well, existing, but Prompto never says anything.
"It's not," said Noctis, who looks ready to put an end to it. Then his nose scrunches, his long eyelashes flutter, and he sneezes again. "Hitschiu!"
"Sure," said Prompto, sliding around to sit properly again, hoping Noctis can't see his expression. "Keep telling yourself that, oh Your Highness."
"We can pick up some cold medicine in Lestallum," Ignis sighs, already calculating the lost time they might face if a cold were to pass through the lot of them. Given that they still have hours to go, trapped in a car, the likelihood is all too high.
"Thanks," mutters Noctis, blowing his nose again. They settle again.
Prompto falls asleep listening to the rain and Noctis's quiet sniffles, his mind drawn to a cozy hotel room and maybe a kiss followed by a kitten sneeze.