This is my entry for the FFXValentineâs exchange! My giftee requested Promptis and Prompto being taken care of and I couldnât have been happier! I had a lot of fun working on this!
âIggy, you donât always gottaâ wear those inside.â
âGladio--â Before Ignis could protest further, he felt his sunglasses being delicately removed from his face. A quiet noise muffled in his throat as he turned away, uneasy glimmers of self-consciousness present in the way he was carrying himself. âWaitâŚâ
The Shield said nothing as he placed the tinted shades aside. There was the subtle click of the frames making gentle contact on the dresser, a sound only truly audible to Ignis.
âIf you must know,â he continued. âI choose to wear them frequently so the sight does not make anyoneâŚuncomfortable.â
âWhat? Iggy.â Ignis practically hear Gladio frowning at his admission. âCome on, donât be doing something like that. It doesnât make anyone uncomfortable.â
âPerhaps not, but I do not wish to take the chance. I am already enough of a distraction, as it is.â
Silence hung between them for a solid moment or two, until Ignis flinched, feeling a warm touch on the side of his face. âGladio?â
âShhh,â the other man demanded in a soft hiss. âYou sure as heck are a distraction, Iggy. To me, at least. And not in a bad way.â
Ignisâ cheeks flushed at the words, the pinkened hue slowly spreading over them. âNonsenseâŚâ
âItâs true.â He placed a tender kiss over each one of his closed eyelids. âI mean, do you think my scars make me unattractive? Weâve all got some battle wounds, and they donât make you any less beautiful.â
A sigh of defeat huffing from him, Ignis finally allowed himself to smile. âYou are impossible, Gladio.â
âYeah,â he agreed, placing another loving kiss on Ignisâ face. âAnd you wouldnât have me any other way.â
All Ignis could do was chuckle. Of course, Gladio was absolutely correct.
Happy Valentineâs Day, @expectogladiolus !!! <3
You were my secret Valentine for the @ffxvalentines exchange and WOW, you have no idea how hard itâs been to keep my mouth shut about this.Â
I hope you love it!Â
(The added drabble happened later for a bit of extra fluff. xo)
A gift fic for the #FFXValentines Exchange for @skrivarmelodi . Sorry Iâm squeaking this in at the last minute, but I hope you enjoy it!
Find it below, or head over to AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/13764441Â .
The clicking of Ignisâ heeled shoes echoed through the corridors of the Citadel, empty at this late hour. He was hurrying towards the infirmary, completely caught up in his thoughts as he rushed to his boyfriendâs side. Gladio.
***
They had only been dating for a few months, and Gladio had planned a special date for them tonight, a holiday set aside for lovers. âDress nice.â Heâd instructed. âMeet me at this address.â It had all been very mysterious, and Ignisâ heart had been fluttering ever since.
So when heâd arrived at the small, upscale restaurant, heâd expected Gladio to be waiting for him. The maitreâd had shown him to a small table, and Ignis had ordered a glass of wine to help calm his nerves. Gladio was usually punctual, and Ignis found his tardiness concerning. He tried texting people down the list; Gladio, Noctis, Cor. No response.
An excruciating amount of time later, his phone rang. It was Noct.
âNoctis? Is everything alright?â
âSpecs, havenât you gotten the alerts? I was attacked this evening. Well, attemââ
Ignis had stood abruptly, nearly knocking over his chair.
âAre you injured?!â
âNo! No, Specs, listen, Iâm fine. Someone came at me with a knife, but Gladio stepped between us. He got cut, but heâs okay too. He should be at the infirmary. They want to keep him overnight for observation.â
Ignis had looked around, suddenly remembering his location. The other patrons were simultaneously not looking, and staring at him. He had tossed some gil on the table, and all but ran from the restaurant, immediately heading for the Citadel.
âI⌠I donât know why I didnât get the alerts, and I havenât been able to get ahold of anyone all evening. Where are you?â
âCor wanted me to stay the night at the Citadel, so Iâm in my old rooms.â
Noctis had recently moved into an apartment outside of the Citadel. Ignis was supposed to move as well, but had yet to find something suitable.
âIââ Ignis couldnât get another word out before Noctis had cut him off.
âShut up and go to him, Specs. Iâm safe. And Promâs here to keep me company.â
Ignis had acquiesced once he had his liegeâs permission to worry about his boyfriend.
âThank you, your Highness.â
***
Now that he was drawing close to the infirmary, doubts swirled in his mind. Why hadnât he gotten an alert that the Prince was in danger? Was his security clearance not high enough? He wasnât sworn in to the Crownsguard yet, heâd only just turned eighteen. Why hadnât Gladio called or texted him? Ignis realized he was further down on Gladioâs priority list, but he thought his boyfriend would have at least tried to contact him. Had he completely forgotten about him in the aftermath of the attack?
Ignisâ heels clicked harder, faster as he approached the infirmary. Only one person would have the answers to his questions. Gladio.
He rounded a corner, and stopped in his tracks. An employee was locking the door to the infirmary, clearly leaving for the night.
âExcuse me, but I was looking for the princeâs Shield, Gladiolus. I was under the impression that he was spending the night in the infirmary.â
The bolts clicked into place as the older gentleman engaged the lock before turning. âMr. Amicitia refused to spend the night as ordered, citing he had urgent business to attend to.â
Ignisâ lips pressed into a thin line, and he nodded at the employee in thanks. âThank you for your assistance, have a good evening.â
Ignis turned on his heel, and rushed away. He pulled his phone from the pocket of his tailored jacket to see one last time if Gladio had tried to contact him, alas the screen was dark. He had no messages waiting. Icy unease coiled in his belly. Worry for his boyfriendâs health. Worry for their relationship.
With a defeated sigh Ignis stepped onto an elevator that would take him up to the residential area of the Citadel. His shoulders slumped the higher up he rose, until finally the elevator dinged and he exited into a dimly lit highway, the bubbling of the lobby fountain providing white noise to his busy mind.
Hands in his pockets and head tucked low, Ignis walked down the hall towards his apartment, counting the tiles that passed beneath his feet to keep himself from overthinking things until he spoke with Gladio.
That was when he nearly tripped over a body holding up the corridor wall. His errant stumble seemed to awaken the man sitting against the polished black marble, long legs splayed across the hallway.
âMy apoloâGladio?â
The large man moaned, lifting his head from where it had slumped forward on his chest. Ignisâ gaze drifted up from the legs heâd nearly fallen over. Dressed in a dark suit, what had once been a crisp white shirt was now rumpled and rusty with dried blood. Alarmed, Ignis looked higher.
âOh, Gods, GladiolusâŚâ
Ignis fell to his knees by his boyfriendâs side, hands lifting to gently cup his face. Gladioâs face was bloodied, and there was a thick gauze pad covering the greater part of the left side of his face. Held in place with gauze wrapped around his temples, the wound it was covering must be serious indeed.
âNng, Iggy.â
Gladio tried to sit up, and Ignis helped get him all the way to his feet.
âMâsorry, IgâŚâ
Ignis ducked under one of Gladioâs arms, shouldering his weight as he unlocked his apartment.
âShh, letâs get you inside.â
Ignis toed the door shut behind them, and got Gladio to the couch. Gladio hissed quietly in pain as he sunk down, causing Ignis to frown. Ignis tried to think things through for a moment before he opened his mouth. Gladio had been sitting in the hallway by his front door, and had appeared to have fallen asleep. He must have been given a sizeable dose of pain killers.
âGladio? Are you alright?â
That was the most important question. He knew Noct was safe already, now he needed to determine the extent of Gladioâs injury.
âNoctâs fine, not even a scratch.â
Gladio slowly slid down further on the couch, until he was half reclined.
âThatâs not what I askedâŚâ
Ignis took one of Gladioâs hands between his own, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Gladio seemed to be nodding back off. Ignis didnât know if the other man had eaten, or if he was thirsty, or what care he needed.
âGladio.â
A soft snore drifted through the apartment. Ignis sighed. It must have been horse tranquilizers theyâd given Gladio. Well, they had expected him to spend the night. But the Princeâs Shield had had âurgent businessâ to attend to. Ignis smiled softly, then. The terrible thoughts that had plagued him all evening, the questions he still didnât have answers to, they all disappeared as he realized that Gladio had come to him as soon as he was able. He had been Gladioâs urgent business.
Ignis reached over to give Gladioâs shoulder a gentle shake.
âGladiolus, come now, letâs get you into bed.â
Gladio shook his head, and immediately regretted it.
âNo. Iggy, I⌠I can make it home.â
Gladio could barely stay awake, never mind make it out of the Citadel to the Amicitia manor.
âDonât be absurd, youâre spending the night and I wonât take no for an answer. Now, off to bed with you.â
Gladio resisted when Ignis tried to pull him upright.
âNo. No, Ig, the couch will be fine. I⌠â
Gladioâs uncovered eye, glassy and half-lidded since Ignisâ arrival, briefly came into focus.
âIggy, please. WeâŚâ
Gladio trailed off, and with great effort pushed himself up straight. Their physical relationship had been pretty tame thus far, and Gladio had certainly never spent the night before, so Ignis appreciated his gentlemanly insistence.
âNonsense. Weâll just be sleeping, Gladio. Iâm not leaving you out here by yourself, doped up half out of your wits. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I left my recently injured partner on the couch? A terrible one, thatâs what. Now, letâs get on with it.â
Ignis stood, and reached his hand down to Gladio. He could see the wheels turning slowly in Gladioâs mind, but the other man finally reached up and allowed Ignis to lead him to his bedroom. He deposited Gladio on the side of the bed, and started rifling through a drawer to find him something to wear.
By the time Ignis turned around, an old T-shirt that was much too big for him, and a pair of cotton sleep pants in hand, Gladio had managed to loosen his tie, and unbutton his dress shirt part way.
Ignis smiled softly, and laid the sleep clothes on the bed. âHere, allow me to assist.â His fingers deftly undid the remaining buttons, and if his fingers lingered slightly on Gladioâs exposed skin, well, the other man didnât complain. âYou are quite handsome all dressed up.â Ignis thought that was the biggest understatement he had ever uttered.
Gladio looked up; face soft, the drugged haze had returned to his eyes.
âIâll make it up to you, Iggy. Promise.â
With no small amount of wrestling, Ignis was able to divest Gladio of his suit, each piece folded into a neat pile on the bed. Getting him into the night clothes heâd prepared was no easy task either. The shirt and sleep pants were both tight, and Gladio grew sleepier by the minute.
Ignis got Gladio under the covers, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He went through the motions of his own nighttime routine, and finally eased in beside his boyfriend. Gladioâs breathing was soft, and the bed was warm. Ignis decided that he very much liked having Gladio in his bed, and found himself lying close to him despite his better judgment. Gladio made him feel comfortable, and safe.
Ignis didnât bother setting an alarm. It had been a long night, and they were both off the next day. It wasnât long before he drifted off to sleep, a smile on his lips, and his fingertips touching Gladioâs back.
 Soft light filtered through the bedroom curtains, teasing Ignis awake. It wasnât the only thing teasing him, however. He let out a quiet gasp. In the night Gladio had snuggled up against his back, and there was now a heavy arm around his waist. There was also the not-so-small matter of his boyfriendâs morning wood pressing against his backside.
Ignis wasnât sure what to do, other than lay there in Gladioâs embrace. He knew Gladioâs erection was perfectly natural, especially given the current state of his own dick, but it did nothing to calm the butterflies in his stomach.
Ignis tried clearing his throat, and shifting his weight, but Gladio didnât budge. He fingered over the muscled forearm pinning him in place, and whispered.
âGladio? Gladio, are you awake?â
There was actually movement, and a small grunt behind him.
âNo.â
Ignis couldnât help but smile. âHow are you feeling?â
âMy face fucking hurts, otherwiseâŚâ Gladioâs voice trailed off, and he pulled Ignis even closer to him. âThis is a pretty nice way to wake up in the morning, Ig.â
Ignis threaded his fingers with the hand on his stomach.
âIggy? Iâm sorry I didnât call you last night. I was trying to call for back up when that prick took a swipe at Noct. I dropped my phone so I could get between them. I took a hit to the face, and my phone got smashed while subduing the guy. I was kinda surprised that you never showed up. A little hurt, too. So I just came to your apartment to wait. Iâm sorry our date was ruined.â
Ignis was overcome with guilt, never once had he considered how Gladio must have felt last night, and now he had his answers.
âOh, Gladiolus, Iâm so sorry.â He wiggled in Gladioâs grasp until he could turn and look him in the eye. âI never got the alert about the attack. I tried contacting you, Noct, and the Marshal while I was waiting on you at the restaurant. Noct finally called to tell me what happened. I rushed back to the Citadel as soon as I found out.â
Ignis reached out and ran his fingertips along the edge of the bandages, concern clearly etched on his face.
âHow bad is it?â
Gladio caught Ignisâ fingers, and brought them to his lips for a kiss.
âI bled like a stuck pig, but itâs actually pretty shallow. My eye is fine, but Iâm cut from about here to here.â He demonstrated with a careful touch to the top of his forehead, and another at the bottom of his cheek, almost down to his jawline. âThe doctor glued the edges of my skin back together, but itâll probably leave a pretty good scar.â
âOh, GladioâŚâ
Ignis laid his hand on the unmarred side of Gladioâs face, and leaned in for a soft kiss. Gladio deepened the kiss in intervals, until he took Ignisâ breath away. When they came up for air, Gladio had a little smirk on his lips.
âIggy, I could have died last night.â
Ignisâ brow creased as the words that came out of Gladioâs mouth belied the expression on his face.
âGladiolus, are⌠are you trying to get sympathy intimacy from me?â
Gladioâs smirk turned into a full grin.
âWell, we are in bed together, and Iâve been pressed up against you since I woke up.â He leaned close, as if to whisper conspiratorially. âI can tell youâre hard up for me.â
Ignis blushed from the tips of his ears to the ends of his toes.
âYou are an incorrigible scoundrel! I have half a mind to poke at your bandages.â Ignisâ eyes narrowed, but there was no venom to his words.
Gladio just smirked again, and leaned in for another kiss. Another deep one that stole Ignisâ breath away, and made the edges of his mind hum with white noise. There was no doubt that his morning erection had become harder as they flirted and kissed.
Rather than justify Gladioâs crass flirting with words, he tangled their legs and pressed the length of his body to his boyfriendâs. Gladio let out a soft moan into Ignisâ mouth. Ignis smiled; maybe their failed date could be redeemed after all.
