Renovating the Heart (FFXV)

LXVI) Together

"It's been raining all week and you want to hammock?"

Rayne stared at Rue in disbelief as she watched her friend shimmy out of her narrow hallway closet clutching a cylinder of wrapped cotton cloth. Rue grinned, kicking the closet shut and hoisting the twisted hammock onto her shoulder.

"It's summer, Rayne. Besides, it's sunny today. Why the heck wouldn't you want to be outside?"

"Because it's damp?"

"#$%^, thought you were an outdoorsman," Rue huffed, kicking her shoes off and waiting for Rayne to slide open the glass door to the patio outside.

"I'm not Gladio."

"Sometimes I forget."

Prompto ran over to them, nearly slipping on the wet grass. Gladio caught his arm with a smug grin.

"Watch yourself."

"Yeah, yeah." He snatched the hammock from Rue's hands and thrust it toward Gladio. "Here, help us out, big guy."

"Why can't you do it yourself?" The king's shield raised an eyebrow, taking a long drink from the glass bottle in his hand. "Have Rayne help."

"I'm done babysitting," Rayne huffed, flopping down on one of the lawn chairs and closing her eyes. The early summer sun heated her face and soothed her soul like nothing else in the world could.

"Fine."

Prompto laughed, resting an elbow on Rue's shoulder. She rolled her eyes, turning when she heard the back door open again. Ignis stepped outside, adjusting his glasses. He frowned at Gladio, watching him loop rope up on the trunks of the trees in Rue's backyard. Shoving Prompto away, she headed toward the advisor and rested her head on his shoulder. I'm lucky I live on the edge of town.

"You do realize it's muddy over there," Ignis warned her. She shrugged.

"That's okay, I'll be above the mud."

"If you can stay inside."

"Do you doubt my skill in laying in down?" She raised an eyebrow, lifting her head to shoot him a pointed look. He shook his head.

"It's your primary talent. I'm only concerned about balance with the both you in there."

"The #$%^?" She laughed, shaking her head.

"Good enough?" Gladio asked, ducking under the low hanging branches of the trees and standing back to eye his handiwork. With a single nod and a grunt, he turned back to the patio. "Good enough."

"Whoo!" Prompto cheered, running toward the hammock and falling into the cocoon of warmth in the shade.

"Idiot," Rue muttered, grabbing her book and walking much more carefully through the slick grass. "Move over."

Prompto wiggled for a moment, struggling to make room. He gave up with a laugh.

"I can't. You just have to get in."

"Hold this."

Rue tossed her book at him and kicked her shoes off, holding onto the rough tree trunks for support. Awkwardly, she sat onto the edge of the hammock, trying to swing her legs inside. Her weight turned the hammock to the side and Prompto clung to the material, laughing until he wheezed as Rue jumped inside.

"See, it wasn't—"

The instant she let go to the trees, the hammock tipped sharply to the side, twisting under the weight of the both of them sitting in one half. Rue landed on her hands and knees in the mud puddle beneath the hammock, a sour expression crossing her face as the dirt splashed up across her face. Rayne howled, slapping Gladio's back as she gasped for air.