FFXV: After the Fall

Chapter 16

This time, they did manage to get some sleep.
Kept warm by all the extra body heat, the five friends slept right through until about 8am when Ignis awoke to start looking at breakfast as well as check supplies. He'd always been the earliest riser out of the group, wanting to make each daylight hour count.
The others weren't quite so avid about it, and dozed in the large, improvised bed until roughly nine-thirty, when Noctis' phone alarm went off to signify the more 'official' start of day.
   "...swear you've got that thing too fuckin' loud." Gladiolus grumbled sleepily. "They probly heard it in Altissia."
   "You always say that." Noctis stifled a yawn with his hand, then shifted over a little and sat up. "If I don't make it loud enough, then we'll end up sleepin' right through it."
   "That's not a bad thing."
   "You always say that, too." He grinned. He then got up and kicked Prompto in the ankle. "C'mon pal, you can't fool me. Let's give these two time to wake up a little more."
   "I'm not awake." Prompto replied as he shoved his head under the line of the throw. "It's a cunning illusion."
   "I might believe that...if you'd ever studied magic."
   "I...might have. When you weren't looking."
Noctis laughed. "Nice try. You can either walk out under your own steam, or I'll drag you by whatever body part I get hold of first."
Prompto sighed and got up. "Okay, okay, I'm up. Let's go see what's cookin', I could actually eat a whole cow."
They both left, and Gladiolus looked down to see Helena's head on his chest, looking back up at him with a smile.
   "Hey." He smiled as well. "Sleep okay?"
   "Yeah. Definitely warm. Did you?"
   "Maybe a little too well, heh. Don't wanna get up."
   "That sounds interesting."
   "Thought it might." He grinned. "But, we'll have to can it for the time being. No peace, remember?"
   "Yeah." She said wistfully. "Still have to get out of this place too. Hope we're not in here all day."
   "Be a fair while at it, but should be a little faster cos' there'll now be less Daemons to wade back through. And besides..." He turned towards her and started stroking her face with a fingertip. "...after that, it won't be long until bedtime again...right?"
Her answering smile was quite devious. "...how very true." She almost purred in reply. "Got anything in mind?"
He laughed at that. "...I might."
   "You look as though you do." She turned her head slightly to try and catch his finger in her mouth, but he moved it away and then returned it to her face a second later.
   "You had a bit of a rough day yesterday. So, I think that you could do with a little pampering." He was definitely teasing her with that finger of his now, brushing it over and around her mouth occasionally but always keeping it out of her grasp.
   "Back at the Quay, they've got these rooms." He continued. "They're right at the bottom of the hotel complex. I've never been, but we heard about 'em on our last trip. Quite similar to the ones we've already been in- but- they have a few sweet extras. One of them is a jacuzzi."
He saw her eyes light up even more. "I've never been in one."
   "Neither have I. Not sure if the others have, either. But you, definitely need to get in one after everythin' you've done for us so far. What do you think? We can just relax, grab a hot bath..."
   "I'd...I would actually kill for that right now." She said with a definitive nod. "Specially if you're in there too."
   "Oh, I will be." He grinned. "Wanna be in a lot more than that, too." He leant closer and briefly whispered in her ear.
She listened to his slow explanation- which was very detailed- and as her thoughts almost turned to honey, her eyes briefly closed.
   "...yes please." Her silky voice replied. "Have I ever told you that you're pretty fucking amazing?"
He laughed and looked at her, putting his finger onto her lips.
   "No- you're amazing." He said. "I don't want you to doubt yourself for a single second, okay? I hate seeing you like you were yesterday, and they can't even tell each other the fuckin' truth. I wasn't too far off losin' my shit and goin' over there, and I would have done...but then I'd have lost you. So, once we've gotten outta this shithole and gone to see the two Divines, you and me are gonna take an evening out- for us. Okay?"
She nodded quietly, and he saw a thin line of water starting to form on the bottom half of her eyes.
   "...you're doing it again." He smiled.
   "I'm...I'm happy this time, honest." She insisted as a tear fell.
He watched it travel down to her left cheek. "I guess that's allowed. But...no more sad ones. Okay? Try?"
She nodded. "I will, I promise. I'll try." She smiled at him.
He kissed her cheek, which also removed the tear, then he smiled at her before kissing her mouth.
That quickly grew, and he rolled her fully onto her back before lacing the fingers of his left hand through her right. That then ended up lying by the side of her head as he looked down at her for a moment, then he carried on kissing.
   "...are you..." Prompto gingerly inquired as he poked his head through the tent flap a couple of minutes later.
They both stopped kissing and looked at him, then Helena grabbed one of the small cushions and flung it at his face, using a brief push of force to help it along.
   "Ahh!" Prompto quickly ran away before it connected.
They then both looked back at each other, and laughed.