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It was offensive, really, to think that anyone could prefer this over actual food. He lofts his own cup in one hand, eyeing it dubiously. It's not as though he hasn't eaten them himself plenty of times, but it always seemed to him the sort of thing you turned to if you had no other option. Gladio certainly did not lack for those.
He sighs, setting the cup down beside the campstove to let the water do its work, reaching for his mug as he casts Gladio the most doubtful look he can muster.
"I simply don't understand your fascination with them. I was ready and willing, as ever, to prepare a real dinner."
He sighs, setting the cup down beside the campstove to let the water do its work, reaching for his mug as he casts Gladio the most doubtful look he can muster.
"I simply don't understand your fascination with them. I was ready and willing, as ever, to prepare a real dinner."
"Hey, now." Gladio sounds mildly offended as he glances over his shoulder from where he crouches over a tent stake, securing it into the ground of the campsite. His fingers casually flip the hammer in the air, end over end, before catching the handle again with a careless ease.
"This counts as a real dinner. Besides, you've been driving nonstop since dawn. I figured you'd enjoy the break. It won't kill you to sit down and relax for the span of an evening, you know."
"This counts as a real dinner. Besides, you've been driving nonstop since dawn. I figured you'd enjoy the break. It won't kill you to sit down and relax for the span of an evening, you know."
"It might," Ignis counters, though he does so with a rueful smile. The thought, at least, was appreciated. That said, it was incredibly difficult for him to take a break from looking after the rest of their band, even when out on the field.
"Well. If you collapse in the field tomorrow due to malnutrition, it won't be my fault," he goes on, his tone having warmed considerably, teasing.
"Well. If you collapse in the field tomorrow due to malnutrition, it won't be my fault," he goes on, his tone having warmed considerably, teasing.
"Oh ho," he chuckles, going back to his task for a moment, checking that the stake will hold firm before pushing to his feet once more and strolling over towards the other man. "That just means I'll have to be twice as impressive tomorrow to prove you wrong."
Ignis lets out a brief, derisive snort, smiling knowingly as he props a hand against one hip and raises his mug of coffee to his lips.
"Don't go to any trouble. You wouldn't want to strain yourself," he remarks mildly, his expression otherwise carefully blank.
"Don't go to any trouble. You wouldn't want to strain yourself," he remarks mildly, his expression otherwise carefully blank.
"It won't be any trouble," Gladio counters mildly, coming up beside him before reaching around to snag a bottle of water from the cooler they carried with them.
"Besides. Our Prince has a tendency to tumble headfirst into plenty of opportunities for me to get a workout in on a daily basis."
"Besides. Our Prince has a tendency to tumble headfirst into plenty of opportunities for me to get a workout in on a daily basis."
"It's good for him," the answer is grinned as fingers deftly twist off the cap of the bottle. "If we didn't give him a push now and then, he'd just nap in the backseat of the Regalia all day."
Gladio pauses to take a deep swallow before shooting a sideways glance over at the other man, still casually sipping his coffee. "Not all of us are inclined to fuss over him like a mother hen, after all," he adds with deceptive mildness, hiding his smile behind another drink of water.
Gladio pauses to take a deep swallow before shooting a sideways glance over at the other man, still casually sipping his coffee. "Not all of us are inclined to fuss over him like a mother hen, after all," he adds with deceptive mildness, hiding his smile behind another drink of water.
Ignis arches a fine brow in response, his stance stiffening ever so slightly. Of course, he's well aware of just how much clucking he seems to do on a daily basis, though he would argue that a great deal of it has to do with trying to push the prince to take better care of himself, at least to a certain degree.
"I was entrusted with his care," he says in counterpoint. "I don't believe in leaving any job half-done, as you well know."
"I was entrusted with his care," he says in counterpoint. "I don't believe in leaving any job half-done, as you well know."
Gladio's grin widens a hint when Ignis stiffens beside him, but he doesn't look bothered by the response he'd elicited in the other man. "Oh, I'm well aware. You're very dedicated; no one with eyes in their head would ever deny that. But I still think you coddle him too much."
"I'm not too harsh," Gladio argues, his voice gruff as he shakes his head. But he lets the subject drop at that, because it's an old argument and one they'll probably never agree on. Then again, Ignis has always seen the Prince and his needs differently than Gladio has. In that, in the balance they created between them, they made it work somehow. Ignis was right about that, at least.
"I don't leave any job half-assed either. And Noct isn't the only one who can benefit from a few workouts while we're out here."
"I don't leave any job half-assed either. And Noct isn't the only one who can benefit from a few workouts while we're out here."
It was an argument neither of them would ever win, for all the times they'd rehashed it over the years-- too many to ever dig into it in earnest now. They both knew precisely where the other stood on that particular matter. He raises a brow once more over his mug, questioning.
"Are you referring to me?" he asks, dubious. "I assure you, I'm in excellent physical condition."
"Are you referring to me?" he asks, dubious. "I assure you, I'm in excellent physical condition."
[ ignis has been nagging him about putting his jacket on all day. ... and noctis has been ignoring him resolutely, because he's Enough Of An Adult to decide when he should put on his own jacket, dammit. so despite the fact that it's been drizzling nonstop, despite the fact that he's shivering, despite the fact that he doesn't even have a good or sensible reason for not putting his jacket on (except that ignis told him to), he sticks resolutely to his t-shirt and short sleeves.
they're lucky that the drizzle tapers off by the time they make camp, so that they're able to sit comfortably around the campfire after dinner. ... but now noctis' throat is scratchy, his nose is stuffy, and his head is throbbing in a way that warns of an oncoming cold. great. just great.
and when he finally sneezes, he shoots ignis a Look. ]
... I don't want to hear it. [ kings don't have to listen to i told you so!!! ]
they're lucky that the drizzle tapers off by the time they make camp, so that they're able to sit comfortably around the campfire after dinner. ... but now noctis' throat is scratchy, his nose is stuffy, and his head is throbbing in a way that warns of an oncoming cold. great. just great.
and when he finally sneezes, he shoots ignis a Look. ]
... I don't want to hear it. [ kings don't have to listen to i told you so!!! ]
[Fortunately, Ignis doesn't even have to utter the words for Noctis to understand his meaning. He levels a grim and knowing look at his royal charge, eyes full of concern rather than smugness.]
I said nothing.
[Except for the countless times he'd told Noctis to put on a jacket throughout the course of the day, but he's unfortunately used to his concerns going unheeded.]
Something hot to eat, perhaps?
[He told you so. He told you so.]
I said nothing.
[Except for the countless times he'd told Noctis to put on a jacket throughout the course of the day, but he's unfortunately used to his concerns going unheeded.]
Something hot to eat, perhaps?
[He told you so. He told you so.]
[ he would like to say!! that he doesn't need soup!! because he isn't sick!! because he didn't need his jacket!! because he is an adult capable of making his own wardrobe decisions!! ... but ignis makes damn good soups and stews (and just about everything else), and this gross icky feeling is already begging for something warm and comforting to eat.
he is Weak. ]
... is it gonna have vegetables?
he is Weak. ]
... is it gonna have vegetables?
A negligible amount.
[Any kind of soup or stew without vegetables is just woefully underdressed, but getting something hot into Noct's system is, at the moment, more important than quibbling about nutrition.]
Nothing you'll find terribly offensive, I promise. The aim is for you to eat it, after all.
[Any kind of soup or stew without vegetables is just woefully underdressed, but getting something hot into Noct's system is, at the moment, more important than quibbling about nutrition.]
Nothing you'll find terribly offensive, I promise. The aim is for you to eat it, after all.
[ more suspicious squinting follows this claim, because noctis suspects that he and ignis might have very different ideas about what counts as a negligible amount of vegetables. ... but, in the end, his stomach wins out. if ignis tries sneaking too much healthy stuff in there, after all, noctis can always pick it back out. ]
... I guess that's okay, then. [ punctuated by another sneeze. ]
As long as you don't try sneaking those green beans that guy gave us in there.
... I guess that's okay, then. [ punctuated by another sneeze. ]
As long as you don't try sneaking those green beans that guy gave us in there.
No beans this time.
[He cannot make such promises about the future, but at least when he sneaks those in, they'll be so well-disguised that Noctis is, at least, likely to accidentally ingest a few before he catches wise and eats around them.
Let him be. He can dream.]
You'll thank yourself for eating something before you sleep, regardless. [Even as he talks, Ignis goes about firing up the camp stove, the movements involved second-nature by now.] Your sleep will be more restful if you're well-nourished.
[He cannot make such promises about the future, but at least when he sneaks those in, they'll be so well-disguised that Noctis is, at least, likely to accidentally ingest a few before he catches wise and eats around them.
Let him be. He can dream.]
You'll thank yourself for eating something before you sleep, regardless. [Even as he talks, Ignis goes about firing up the camp stove, the movements involved second-nature by now.] Your sleep will be more restful if you're well-nourished.
Mm.
[ ... which isn't an entirely convinced noise. and, after a few minutes of lingering in his chair, noctis decides to get to his feet, shuffle right on over to ignis, and lean against his back. he's just tall enough to prop his chin comfortably on the other man's shoulder; there's always been something oddly comforting about watching ignis cook, maybe because it's a throwback to memories of a simpler childhood.
besides, from here, he can keep an eye on the amount of vegetables that are being added to his soup. it's a win-win. ]
[ ... which isn't an entirely convinced noise. and, after a few minutes of lingering in his chair, noctis decides to get to his feet, shuffle right on over to ignis, and lean against his back. he's just tall enough to prop his chin comfortably on the other man's shoulder; there's always been something oddly comforting about watching ignis cook, maybe because it's a throwback to memories of a simpler childhood.
besides, from here, he can keep an eye on the amount of vegetables that are being added to his soup. it's a win-win. ]
[Ignis stiffens slightly, his shoulders going tense, having been so focused on his work that he hadn't realized he was being crept up on. He relaxes almost immediately; familiarity, after all, was never out of place with the pair of them.]
Comfortable?
[He neatly slices funguar for the soup, prepared to defend his decision on account of their not, technically, being vegetables.]
Comfortable?
[He neatly slices funguar for the soup, prepared to defend his decision on account of their not, technically, being vegetables.]
[ fortunately, ignis lucks out -- mushrooms don't rank all that high on noctis' list of Most Offensive Foods, so. for now, he's content to close his eyes and turn his face a little further into the crook of his advisor's neck, breathing out in a worn-out sigh. ignis' skin feels pleasantly cool against his own; he's probably already managed to spike a low fever, which would explain the throbbing ache that persists at his temples. ]
... nn. You're warm.
[ yes. ]
... nn. You're warm.
[ yes. ]
[He exhales softly. While he is loathe to interrupt this particular moment, the burning heat of Noct's forehead against the crook of his neck is impossible to ignore. He leaves his work forgotten for the time being, the beginnings of the soup being left to simmer over a low heat, carefully turning to take hold of Noct's shoulders without putting too much distance between them.
Rather than softly rebuke him for inappropriate public behavior, however, he simply presses the back of one ungloved hand to the prince's brow, giving a decided frown.]
You have a fever already.
[That won't do.]
Come. You shouldn't be on your feet, Noct.
Rather than softly rebuke him for inappropriate public behavior, however, he simply presses the back of one ungloved hand to the prince's brow, giving a decided frown.]
You have a fever already.
[That won't do.]
Come. You shouldn't be on your feet, Noct.
[ he makes a soft noise of complaint when ignis shifts away from him, loathe to lose his warm pillar of support. but the hand against his forehead is a nice compromise, and he's more than happy to lean into it, ignis' skin pleasantly cool against his flushed forehead. ]
You make it sound like I'm about to keel over. [ with a little snort, letting his eyes close. ] It's not that bad.
You make it sound like I'm about to keel over. [ with a little snort, letting his eyes close. ] It's not that bad.
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