“ ——– then don’t, gladio! i am not FORCING you to divide your attention betwixt myself and his highness! “
gladio is bound by duty only to NOCTIS, and where ignis is concerned, this shouldn’t even be cause for discussion. ignis comes dangerously close to REMINDING the shield of noctis’ crucial importance over the adviser’s— ignis was disposable, and the heir apparent was NOT, but such dark talk would only fuel the fire. he knows gladio’s reasoning comes from the care he houses for the sightless adviser ( and they are MUTUAL, in that regard – how many times has gladio returned, painted in bruises and fresh wounds as if he’s just waltzed with death himself? ), but ignis’ choice had been his own, and he’d sooner give up his life COMPLETELY before removing himself from the picture for the sake of his own ‘ safety. ‘
he refuses to be treated like a charity case. REFUSES.
perhaps it is unfair of him to unleash all that he has unwisely pent up upon gladiolus. ignis is the levelheadedness that diffuses the bomb that is gladio’s emotions, and the shield, in return, serves as the emotionally dodgy adviser’s key, granting freedom to chaotic feelings he, too commonly, tried to lock away and neglect. they balanced each other out, but in times so trying, bleak, and unbalanced, even their relationship had lost its equilibrium.
ignis, now, was the blazing fire, teeth grit and brow furrowed – he’s FRUSTRATED, at himself, at gladio, at their predicament that seems to WORSEN by the hour, but ultimately, he feels trapped and suffocated. hopeless— as if there’s no escape from this seemingly eternal darkness.
“ i haven’t placed an OUNCE of worry towards the thought of myself or my condition, and i beseech you to do the same. focus on NOCTIS. “ a bite, to his words, and in his tone, but behind it, desperation. a plea. the adviser has had so much taken from him already, and only a fool would claim the loss was set to end here. his ability to fight, though hindered, noctis, prompto, and the guilt ridden shield who stood afront him, were all he had left.
and even those were not guaranteed come the morrow.
&& Ignis can’t see the way his expression goes crestfallen, and the way the fury and frustration BITES at Gladio. But it is spoken and told in the sudden muteness in the Shield. The way he bites his tongue and swallows against the closing of his throat. ( They’ve never fought like this. Not ever like this --- small trists, maybe, usually about Gladio’s habits or Ignis overworking himself ... but never like this ... ) The fight leeches out of him, tired. He wants to reach out and TOUCH him, hold him, offer COMFORT because Gladio needs to comfort him -- like second nature. Wants to diffuse it with some promise that things will be okay but he can’t promise anything at all.
“ I ... “ focus on noctis, he insists, and Gladio had never intended NOT to do so. He knows what’s required of him -- he’s known it may one day come to this. To duty and heart and the space between them. But ASTRALS, it’s awful. He cannot win this argument without completely shattering their relationship. Eyes implore silently, memorize and adore in equal measure.
“ I know ... I know Noct comes first, Iggy ... “ It’s soft, spoken SMALL and tender and wounded. As close to BEGGING as Gladio has ever come. “ ... but you’re ... “ EVERYTHING. He wants to say -- Ignis is the whole world to him. Gladio is familiar with fear. Overcoming it has been a part of life since childhood -- He cannot make Ignis stay, so he will have to adapt.
“ ... extra training, every chance we get, Ignis. I won’t go easy on you. If you can’t keep up with me, you’re sure as hell not gonna be able to keep up in a real fight. Got it? We’ll ... we’ll work together, help you get used to it -- “ that’s what he should be doing, isn’t it ? SUPPORT. He can’t fix this -- he can’t give him his sight back and he can’t watch him in the middle of a fight ... but Gladio has always been responsible for training regimens. He can get them READY.
“ ... Iggy, I’m not blamin’ you for a single thing ... I’m sorry, I just ... don’t wanna lose you, you know? But it ... it wasn’t right of me to try make the choice for you ... we’re supposed to be a united front, right ? “ It seems so incredibly selfish now, to realize so belatedly that Ignis is in dire need of his SUPPORT -- not to be PUSHED aside and denied. “ ... I’m not giving up on you, Iggy, I swear. “
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