Noctis turned around in bed for the umpteenth time, his gaze wandering to the ceiling above him then to the sleeping figure next to him. Prompto was out cold, his face totally relaxed in his sleep, mouth slightly open to prevent himself from snoring. When they stayed in motels he usually ended up sharing the bed with Prompto, while Gladio and Ignis shared the second bed, but as Noctis sat up he noticed that the place next to Gladio was empty. Where was Ignis? A wave of panic washed over him; ever since he had heard about the attack on the citadel and the death of his father the young prince was on edge, always just a second away from a panic attack. And seeing Ignis gone? No, he had to calm down. He had heard Ignis and Gladio talk about working out while the younger two of the four were already getting ready for bed, so the logical explanation was that Ignis was still close. Probably in the shower. He knew how his advisor was, he would never get into bed while he was still sweaty, not like the rest of their group. All of them had been scolded by Ignis countless times for getting into bed all sweaty and sticky, so it was obvious where the other man was.
Quietly Noctis slipped out of bed and out of the room, careful not to wake up his other two sleeping companions, and he made his way down the stairs to where the showers were and sure enough he found Ignis’ clothes in a neat pile next to the sink. His heart beat heavily in his chest, there was no way he would manage to sleep tonight, no matter how much he loved sleeping, because every time he closed his eyes he saw his father die while he could only stand and watch, and only a few heartbeats later it were his friends dropping down around him, and Noctis stood powerless. Again the feeling of panic was filling his chest. The thought of someone else, especially his friends, dying for him, dying because of him was threatening to tear him apart. It was mere instinct that he took off his own clothes, throwing them carelessly to the floor before he slipped into the shower next to his advisor. “Ignis..”, he whispered, his voice barely audible, as he rested his head against the other’s shoulder. Ignis was his advisor, his dearest fried, he had practically raised the prince and in this moment, seeking out his comfort felt like the most natural thing to him. “I don’t mean to bother you, I was just.. scared you were gone.” He barely managed to express these thoughts, he didn’t want to put any more worries on his already stressed friend, but if there was anyone he would be comfortable enough to be vulnerable around it would be Ignis.
