Summary: Dino comes to realize that the four men that he’s grown to know over the last few months, mean something to him. Something more than just friends.
Characters: Dino Ghiranze, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia
Day: 2
Prompt: Night on the town / Day on the battlefield
Warnings: None
Wordcount: 641
Watching them move about like a team rendered him a bit speechless, if he was being honest with himself. And honestly, it made him feel a little jealous. His posture straightened as Noctis rushed in, to be followed by Ignis in a dual attack, rendering their target prone.
Grey eyes darted over to Prompto and Gladio who, with their backs turned to the others, did a dual attack of their own. Dino was in awe at the dynamic, then watched it flip, and he felt his breath hitch.
Gladio moved swiftly, rushing to Noctis’ side to give him cover, and leverage, while Prompto had turned in time to shoot back an enemy that had gotten a bit too close to Ignis’ side. And it happened so fast. So seamlessly. All without a word to each other...and it put a smile on the Jeweler’s lips.
Till that sick twist in his gut grew.
His brows furrowed into a slight scowl, more at himself than anything. He was a grown ass man, there’s no way in Astrals name that he was jealous because of the friendship--no brotherhood they shared.
Was he?
When the four of them started to wander back towards camp, he pushed his hands into his front pockets, and laughed softly...more so at himself.
“Ya looked good out there!”
“H-huh?” Prompto stammered.
“Aw c’mon sunshine! Ya know what I mean.” and Dino smirked as Prompto seemed to blush a bit more.
“N-No actually. I um--I don’t.”
That caused Dino to blink at the young blond before his own smile returned, and he slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Ya fight like a team. I don’t see one of ya not supportin’ the other. It’s like all of ya move, and know almost instantly where the other one is.”
“Oh.” Prompto then blinked, and smiled softly.
“That took us a bit of doing I suppose, but I would have to agree with Mr. Ghiranze, we do fight quite well together.” Ignis remarked.
“How many times do I gotta tell ya Specs? Call me Dino yeah?”
“Perhaps when you call me my correct first name, Mr. Ghiranze,” Ignis smirked a little. “I shall.”
Dino blinked. “Wait, did he just—ya mean to tell me Ignis smiles?”
“Yeah,” Noctis said with a bit of light laughter in his voice. “And he usually only does that if he likes you.”
“Your Highness, please…”
Gladio let out a bark of laughter. “Oh boy, here we go…”
Dino smiled a bit more, that pit in his gut eased by their light banter. Jealous right now though he may be, they were letting him see something that was quite rare in the world.
And honestly, the fact that they’d shared it with him?
His eyes widened a little at the sudden realization that hit him like a swift kick from a Spiracorn to the back of his head.
He wasn’t jealous. He was smitten; with all four of them.
Blinking once, he shook his head a little to clear his thoughts as Prompto patted his shoulder and gestured for him to get closer to take one of the chairs that surrounded the fire at camp.
Ignis had started to prepare the evening meal, and Gladio laugh-snorted at something Noct was doing in King’s Knight with him on his phone.
“Hey, you gonna join us?” Prompto asked with a smile as he settled into his chair and pulled out his phone. Dino smiled as he felt his smitten feelings sort of dissolve into something else. A fondness; and a wish to protect that grew like a white hot fire in his belly.
“Yeah, sure sunshine, m’gonna kick yer ass this time!”
“Haha, yeah right!”
And he swore to himself, then and there, that he’d do his damnedest to protect them; even if that protection came from the sidelines.
