FFXV: After the Fall

Chapter 23

   "Man, I am wrecked." Prompto groaned as he carefully made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen where the others were at roughly eleven, the last to rise. "I don't think a word has been invented for how fucking wrecked I am."
Noctis beamed at him. "So sit that wrecked ass down and get some of this into it, c'mon." He indicated a couple hair next to him at the large table, and Prompto plopped himself into it with a sigh.
Ignis was prepared and handed him some painkillers, a mug of coffee and two rounds of fresh, thick-cut toast.
The painkillers instantly got shovelled in with a couple of big swigs of coffee, then Prompto smelt the melted butter and groped around for a slice of toast while keeping his eyes shut.
Ignis rolled his own, sighed and put a piece into the man's hand.
   "Cheers, bro." Prompto then started eating. "Please tell me I'm not the only one sufferin' here." He then said a few seconds later.
   "We're all a bit woolly." Gladiolus told him. "Had a headache too, before you came down."
At that point, Helena walked into the room and went to the kettle to get herself a coffee. "Hey, guys." She said. "Hope you've recovered a bit by now?"
Prompto heard her voice, and half-turned to smile at her. "Heyyy, lady." He said. "Where've you been?"
Gladiolus instantly took it upon himself to cover for her. "Didn't you hear her come in, bro?" He asked the suffering blonde.
   "I doubt he heard much of anything last night." Ignis said. "Not with the state he was in."
   "Good point."
   "Are you in the wrecked club too?" Prompto tried again.
She shook her head. "Nah. Bit tired, got...a little bit of a headache, but I'm not suffering." She said as she lifted up her mug and leant over to grab a piece of toast.
   "I fucking well am. I'm tellin' ya, it's gotta be that Rakkash. Nyx was right, it's a silent killer."
   "Where is he, by the way?" Noctis asked. "Anyone seen him?"
   "He's gone to see the Elder." Helena told him. "Wanted to say goodbye for us before we left."
   "Ah, right. Good idea. Don't think I'm awake enough for that yet. So then what, back to the castle?"
   "Yep." Gladiolus nodded. "See what Roc's got for us."
   "Are there any more painkillers going?" Helena asked then. "It's not really bad, but it's one of those ones that gets a little bit worse when you sit down and stuff?"
   "Ugh, I hate those." Noctis sympathised.
   "Me too, don't wanna let it build."
   "There's some more in my pack," Ignis told her, "feel free."
   "C'mon." Gladiolus said. "Think I need some more too." He walked out of the kitchen with Helena in tow, heading for the living room where their belongings were stored, then he started looking for the small bottle in Ignis' backpack.
   "...you okay?" He then said to her.
She nodded, and gave him a smile. "Yeah. You?"
   "Not too bad."
   "Thanks for...covering for me."
He found the bottle, briefly opening it to give her two tablets which she instantly swallowed, then he put the bottle away and moved to hold her when he saw her arm reach towards him.
   "It's alright." He smiled. "I'm just glad you're back. Missed ya."
   "I missed you too." She said just before he kissed her. "Feel kinda awkward now, mostly."
   "You're bound to," he said as he kissed the side of her forehead, "but don't worry. Just go along like you always did- he'll do exactly the same, y'know. You'll see. So will I, it's all gone back to how it was before now. That's it."
She felt reassured by that, and she smiled at him. "Yeah."
He stroked her face, then they shared more kisses for a few moments before heading back into the kitchen.

Nyx was now there as well, they both instantly saw him when Gladiolus reopened the living room door, and he gave them both a quick salute with one finger while he finished his swig of coffee.
   "Hey there, guys." He smiled afterwards.
   "You need any painkillers too?" Gladiolus asked.
   "Uh...well...yeah, go on then." Nyx agreed after debating it.
   "I'll get 'em." Helena turned and went back for the bottle.
   "Might as well keep 'em on us." Gladiolus called to her. "Just in case we need more in a few hours."
   "Okay!" She called back.
Gladiolus then smiled at Nyx. "Is the Elder pleased?" He asked.
Nyx nodded as he took some offered toast from Ignis. "More than." He told them all. "He's like, fifty-eight, so he barely remembers the last time this place got blessed. Couldn't even remember who'd done it- but he knew for sure that it hadn't involved Bahamut. After seein' that? Jewel in his crown, man."
   "That's great." Noctis smiled at him.
   "He's really grateful...thanks, babe." He briefly paused as Helena handed him two tablets. "...and he said that all you guys are welcome to stay here any time you want. He's, uh...also glad that we liked the Rakkash he gave us."
Prompto looked at him. "He gave us that stuff? I didn't get the bottle from that guy, though."
   "You got given it by one of his retainers. He described him to me- head shorter than I am, twice as round, brown mohawk?"
   "...yeah, that rings a bell. That's the guy."
   "So, that was from the Elder. He was busy at the time havin' his own little party with his family, so he sent that guy with the Rakkash to help along with ours."
Prompto grinned. "I may be wrecked, but...I like that guy."
Nyx chuckled. "Yeah, he's pretty cool. Like everyone's Uncle." He paused to drink more coffee. "Asked if I was gonna stay."
   "And are you?" Noctis asked.
   "Thought about it, while we were all out...but no. Not yet. World's still not too settled right now, plus I got my hands full helpin' all you sexy bastards. After that? We'll see." He smiled at them all in turn, looking at Helena last of all and adding a wink.
She smiled back at him, feeling happiness inside her.
   "Can't keep away, huh." Noctis grinned.
   "S'right. You guys are stuck with me for a while, I'm afraid. Fuckin' Niffs won't know what hit 'em." He then looked back at Prompto. "How's our star drinker doin'? Still alive, bro?"
Prompto rolled his eyes. "Just about. Bro, you were right. You were so right about that stuff. I'm slayed, y'know? If I go near the castle fireplace I'll probly fuckin' explode."
That made them all laugh.
   "Least you know how to take defeat gracefully." Nyx smiled.
   "Ha, defeat. I think I did pretty well, thanks!"
   "I'd say so too. But next time? More food breaks. That's what me, Noct and Elle did, and sure enough, we came first."
   "I thought you said you weren't gonna gloat?" Noctis reminded him. "You know, not shovin' your ten Gil in, like I said?"
Nyx briefly pointed his mug at him. "You said it, I just decided to not do it as much as I'd been plannin' to."
Noctis laughed. "You hound."
   "Speaking of which..." Helena then moved towards the table for a few seconds, holding out a note towards the seated Prince.
He smiled at her, then pocketed it without saying a word.
   "...oh yeah!" Prompto remembered. "That bet! Changed your mind have we, Hel?"
   "Accepting defeat gracefully." She said to him with a smile.
   "What's this?" Nyx was intensely curious.
Prompto pointed a thumb at Helena. "Before we all took it to Norduscen, Noct bet this one that she'd change her mind about you once it was all over."
   "And sure enough," Noctis smiled, "I won. Easy money."
Helena gave him a look. "Yeah, that's right, laugh it up."
Nyx chuckled. "Still havin' fights, though. What's changed?"
   "She won't call her dad on you, for starters." Prompto said. "Probably won't punch you now, either."
Nyx smiled. "I guess that'll do...far as starters go." He briefly looked at her again, then put his empty mug down. "So what's the plan now, boys? And- girl, of course."
She smiled at him. "You remembered. Congratulations."
   "You're sposed to like me now, less of the mouth."
   "I'll run less of mine, if you run less of yours. Deal?"
   "Works for me." He grinned cheekily.
   "Gonna head back to the castle." Gladiolus then told him.
   "Ugh, not sure if I'm up to dealin' with Roc just yet. How bout we go get some proper food first? It's almost noon, now."
   "Ooh, fooood." Prompto crooned.
   "I think we could do with some." Ignis agreed. "Specially for this one, here. I'm not entirely sure he's sober just yet."
   "Hair of the Bandersnatch."
   "Oh no, you are not drinking any more until you've processed the vat-full you drowned yourself in last night."
   "Come on then, dad, let's get some chow."
He got out of his chair along with Ignis and Noctis, and they all went to grab their packs from the other room with Gladiolus.
Helena caught Nyx staring at her out of one corner of her eye, and her head turned to see a certain look on his face.
Nyx would have said something but then the others came back before he had a chance, then they all started filing out of the open door that led to the outside.
He walked over to her and extended his arm. "Ladies first." He said with a sly smile. "Again." He then added quietly.
   "Thanks." She turned and walked through the door, feeling him briefly touch her back before he smiled and followed her.