#oops older ask. i gotta go through all of them. sorry for the slow pace

[f1-unpopularopinions]

if max wins the championship, it will be deserved. red bull hasn't been the fastest car *all* season, see: spain, portimao, hungary, italy, russia, turkey where merc were definitely the faster car, despite the results not always being there.

in france, great britain and maybe the usa, rb and merc were arguably on similar pace and it was largely a strategy game, but in bahrain, monaco, azerbaijan, styria, austria, netherlands and mexico rb was faster, even if some of the results weren't there due to external circumstances.

we don't really know how belgium would have gone down, so i dismiss it in my mind.

so that's 6 races where merc had the car advantage, and 7 for red bull. that's pretty even. yes, red bull has arguably had the stronger,more consistent car iver the season, but it's not like max hasn't been putting in the work like lewis has over the course of his previous championships.

it's nowhere near the level of dominance that mercedes has had over the past few years, where lewis has put up a brilliant battle against valtteri in the same car to win 2 or so championships. they were all well deserved, and the epitome of a synergistic relationship between car, team and driver.

max has done extroadinarily well this year, and as much as i don't like him for things he's done in the past, he's definitely had his fair share more of "bad luck" this year than lewis, and has definitely been more consistent; the man hasn't qualified lower than p3 when he's set a time, and he hasn't made some of the unforced errors with big repocussions that lewis has, especially in the first half of the season.

but it's not about the "lost points", but more about how you respond to that loss, and he's done it admirably. lewis too.

i just wish people would appreciate that either driver would be deserving, because it's only about what happens on track, and how far to their car's performance ceiling they can both get on a consistent basis.

anyway... let's prepare for the shitfest of a sprint weekend in sao paulo 🙂🙂🙂

Send us your unpopular F1 opinions!

[shadowsinger11]

You, The Stars And I

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader

Word Count: 3.8k (oops)

Requested by @amira3113: Can I request a fic abt the reader seeing Fred and George comforting a kid after Umbridge punished him and the reader helps them and Fred thinks it's so cute what she is doing and she does the same and extra mega fluff, pls?🥺 you don't gotta do it if u don't want to btw.. so no pressure ;)

Warnings: A bit more angst than intended, Fred being a soft boi™️

A/N: I don't know how to feel, I just roasted myself hardcore with this and I'm feeling even more single. I'm sorry for not being able to use a 'keep reading' tab

Masterlist

The sun fell asleep behind the endless hills, enveloped by dense, opaque darkness. Its golden rays no longer shone through the wide windows of the castle and instead let shadows creep into the long, empty hallways, revealing the ugly truth about what the school had turned into over the past few months.

The naked walls stood tall, towering over you and inching closer with every step you took, and you hung your head low, aiming to block out the singular buzzing thought in your head.

Hogwarts was no longer home.

Your heart ached at the memory of hundreds of students chattering and laughing all day long, freely walking around the school grounds and simply being children. You so terribly missed being careless and having fun without the fear of potentially facing a life-threatening punishment.

But now there was no laughter, only your footsteps echoed in the hallway.

You were headed straight to your common room, determined to go to sleep early. The curfew and the dozens of new restrictions prevented you from meeting your friends, and you hoped that sleep would at least somehow distract you from your worries for a couple of hours.

The deafening silence nearly caused you to miss the muffled sobs and quiet whispering, coming from a turn not far away. It seemed as though there were more than one voice speaking, and your chest clenched with dread.

You hurried your pace until you reached the source of the noise, and peeked from behind the wall.

The sight most definitely surprised you, but the pain in your chest only sharpened.

There, on a bench, Fred and George were sitting, hunched over a small boy, probably no older than a second year. You could tell by his green robes which house he was in, but his red, tear-stained face was what alarmed you.

You immediately approached him and fell to your knees. George was on his left, rubbing slow, soothing circles on his back, while Fred was on the other side, holding his small hand in his, on the back of which a few words glistened with fresh crimson blood.

I must not ask questions.

You sent the twins a questioning look, but Fred dismissed it by shaking his head; clearly that was not the time for an explanation, nor was one necessary to begin with.

You placed a hand on the boy's knee to make your presence known.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

This only caused the child to sob harder and you internally cursed for having to go through this routine.

"It hurts…" he whimpered, "I thought Hogwarts was fun. I met friends last year and it was great. But now… Now I really want to go home."

Your jaw clenched and you swallowed hard, furious about seeing innocent children slowly losing faith and joy in life, turning into hollow shells of the amazing people they could have grown to become.

The horrifying experience would inevitably have a massive impact on them and unexplainable guilt twisted your stomach. And even though the long-term damage had already been done, you could at least take care of the temporary pain.

"It's not going to hurt for long, I promise," Fred whispered, tenderly playing with the boy's trembling fingers. "Ours are already fading."

"That's true, see?" George showed the back of his hand on which you could make out the faint, bloody words 'I must not cause trouble.', and you felt sick. "Soon you won't even remember it was there."

Tears stung in your eyes, but before you gave them a chance to fall, you turned to the redheads.

"I can heal the wound. Well, to an extent. If anything, I can lessen the pain," you began. "But I need to grab something from the Charms classroom."

Fred frowned, confused, "Wouldn't you need a potion for that? Why Charms?"

"Snape isn't the only one armored with potions for just in case things go wrong. And we can't risk going to the dungeons at this hour. It's not wise to tell Madam Pomfrey yet either."

The twins nodded. George said.

"It's not a good idea for all of us to go at once. I suggest one of us returns and covers the others up if necessary."

"I'll go with her," Fred stated without a second thought. "I can get them safely where they need to be, let her do her thing and bring them back."

Fred's eagerness to help filled you with warmth and for once that night you had the strength to smile, even for just a second.

"That sounds like plan then. But you should really take the map," George added, already pulling out the neatly folded Marauder's Map from his backpack. "Don't wanna risk getting caught by the ugly toad, you know."

"As if she'd be strolling down the hallways late at night. Doesn't she have hobbies?"

"Does hanging creepy pictures of cats on pink walls count as such?" you commented and the second year giggled, which made you feel slightly better as well.

Fred took the map from George and you grabbed the boy's hand.

"Good luck, guys. And, like, don't die."

"Woah, greatly encouraging, Georgie," you replied sarcastically, but appreciated it nonetheless. "You sure you'll be fine?"

"Absolutely. I got the route memorized like the back of my hand. I'll be careful."

And with that, George headed towards the Gryffindor Tower while you, Fred and the boy went in the opposite direction - the East Towers.

The night was eerily quiet, only the footsteps and shuddering breaths of the three of you keeping you sane. The soft light, gleaming at the tip of your wands, didn't do much to brighten the empty hallways which now seemed like endless voids of darkness.

Occasionally Fred would warn you about Filch's cat approaching, or Peeves causing trouble nearby, but fortunately, you reached the classroom sooner than expected.

"Alohomora," you whispered, but the door didn't bulge when you tried to open it.

Fred grinned, "Surely a Charms professor wouldn't let such a cliché unlock his own classroom."

"Shut up," you grumbled. "Aberto!"

The door opened. Fred's eyes widened in amusement and you flashed him a charming smile on your way in.

You placed the boy to sit on a desk as you and your friend rushed to look through drawers and chests for something useful. Most of them were full of basic items such as old books and quills, half-full jars of salamander blood, pearl dust and gillyweed, and after long fifteen minutes of not having found anything, you slid your back down against the wall, sighing in frustration.

Sleep-deprivation was kicking in, but your anxiety was getting stronger.

You needed to do something. Fast.

"What about this chest right here?" Fred asked from the other side of the classroom, pointing at something under Flitwick's desk.

You shook your head, "Doesn't open, already tried. Even if the cure is there, we can't get it."

"I take it your brilliant spells don't work anymore?" the redhead teased and you so badly wished to slap away the cocky smirk on his face. Or kiss it. There was something oddly attractive about the way he'd set your nerves on fire, and you hated yourself for enjoying it. Fred seemed to love it too.

"If you're only here to be annoying, just leave."

"I'm here to help too. I can multitask."

You nearly jumped from the ground to strangle him, and he clearly saw through your intentions because his toothy grin almost split his face in two. That bastard.

That super annoying, devilishly handsome bastard.

"Are you gonna keep staring at me, or are you coming? Not that I mind the attention," he shrugged.

You rose to your feet and made your way over to where he was standing, not granting him the pleasure of facing him, "Don't flatter yourself, Weasley. Your stupidity is simply impossible to be unnoticed."

Fred laughed, "Oh, so I was annoying and now I'm stupid too? Make up your mind, woman."

You pulled out your wand and smirked at him over your shoulder.

"You said it yourself that you can multitask. Aberto!"

Nothing.

Fred squinted his eyes as he stared at the wooden chest. What spell could the professor have possibly used? Could you have even heard of it? The chances of ever finding the precious item were becoming grimmer with each passing second and the inevitable sense of dread had started to settle in.

After a minute Fred finally spoke.

"I think your problem is that you're using spells that only work on doors. You need a charm which unlocks containers."

"You might be right. What would that be then?" you enquired, glancing at the redhead. He took his own wand out of his robes.

"I know a spell that's come in handy before. Hopefully it will work now," he wettened his lips and said. "Cistem Aperio!"

Blinding light caused you to cover you eyes,  and the chest opened with a loud thud which could have easily alerted the entire floor of your presence if it wasn't for the silencing charm you were lucky to have used when you first entered the classroom.

You finally dared to open your eyes and kneeled on the ground, carefully rummaging through fancy-looking boxes and vials sparking with liquids that seemed to be quite important.

"What are we looking for?" Fred asked as he crouched next to you.

"Wound-Cleaning Potion. Purple."

It was weird having Fred stand this close to you; sparks of electricity would pierce your heart every time his shoulder brushed against yours, or his fingers would accidentally graze yours. And when they did, they had you longing more and more for their touch, for their warmth.

But this warmth did not belong to you.

You swallowed down the disappointment and instead attempted to focus on the task at hand.

Just as you had expected, the precious crystal bottle was carefully wrapped in sparkling cloth and placed inside a box that was hidden deep in the corner of the chest. You breathed a sigh of relief and got on your feet, determined to stay away from Fred. For his sake and yours.

"Here it is," you smiled at the boy as you walked over to him. "Fred, can you get me some bandages from the drawer in the back?" you asked, pointing right behind him, and he did as he was told.

You took the hand of the young Slytherin and examined it closely - the wound was sure to leave a nasty scar, one that would never heal.

"Can you make it disappear?" he asked, fearfully.

Your heart dropped. But you replied with all the courage you could muster.

"I can try."

Fred was soon by your side and placed the medical items on the desk; a half-full packet of cotton, some bandages and a small box of bandaids. You muttered a 'thanks', not even looking at him, and opened the middle-sized bottle. It spread a characteristic smell of ashes, mint and lemon when you lifted it towards your nose - it was ready to use.

"So what now?" Fred asked.

Not granting him a reply, you simply took a small piece of the cotton and dipped the opening of the bottle into it, soaking it with a generous amount of the purple, dense liquid. The smell grew stronger.

Fred could only watch as you yet again gently grabbed the boy's hand and carefully dabbed the back of it; a thin steam of smoke soared from the contact of wet cotton and wounded flesh, purple mixing with red, and the kid hissed in pain. You worked attentively but quickly, with measured gestures and a straight face, and you missed the way Fred's eyes seemed to soften at the sight of you helping a small kid.

But one thing baffled him - why did you suddenly start acting so emotionless? Even towards the youngling who didn't know a thing. And though your expression seemed calm and collected, the Gryffindor noticed your tensed jaw.

What he wasn't aware of, however, was the racing speed of you heart, increasing each second. He wasn't aware of the short, shallow breaths you were taking because if you had allowed yourself to breathe freely, you'd certainly let out tears along with the deeps sighs.

Every move was calculated, every word and breath.

You pressed a fresh piece of cotton against the now cleaned wound and kept it there as you began to roll the bandage over it, securing it in place. When you were done, you placed a gentle, lingering kiss on the hand.

"There. It should do the trick."

The boy's face lit up and he hugged you, not giving you another choice but to wrap your arms around his small body. At least you had managed to bring him back some of the lost warmth.

"We should get him to his dorm," you told Fred and despite not facing him, he knew the words were directed towards him. That still didn't prevent the stinging pain in his chest from being so effortlessly avoided by you, and he frowned, bewildered by your unexpected coldness towards him.

Had he accidentally done anything to upset you? Were you mad at him? What for?

The boy jumped to his feet, visibly less burdened despite the present tear stains on his puffy cheeks. You hoped he'd be able to get some sleep that night regardless of the circumstances.

The three of you left the classroom as quietly as you had entered it and went in the direction of the dungeons. Fred, as usual, did his job at looking at the map and keeping track of the names, moving on the yellow-ish piece to old parchment.

Fortunately, you reached the Slytherin common room without any disturbances along the way, and the boy went inside, eager to crawl into bed and not think about the ugly lady who had punished him so unfairly just a few hours ago.

The door closed without a sound, leaving you and Fred on your own.

His soft voice broke the burdening silence.

"Are you going to bed?"

If you were being honest, you hadn't even thought about sleep during your secret adventure and though your body was on the verge of giving out, your restless mind was sure to wander all night. And the idea of being alone with your thoughts scared you.

"Actually… I don't think so," you began, fiddling with your fingers in hopes to not let Fred see how much they were trembling. "I doubt I'd be able to get any sleep now."

"Me too, I admit," Fred scratched the back of his neck, uncertain as to how to make the situation less awkward than it was. Trying to get you to talk was hard enough as it was, but your sudden avoidance wasn't helping either. All Fred wished for was to witness the hopeful spark in your eyes, the spark that he had noticed diminish on the first day of school when the unsettling news was announced.

Fred was determined to bring the light back and see your joyous smile again.

Without skipping a beat he said.

"Come with me."

Your eyes shot up in surprise, meeting Fred's for the first time that night. You expected to see the ever-present playful mischief in them, but instead they glistened with something you could not quite recognize. The corners of his mouth had formed a smile, one that didn't intend to mock or provoke in any way, but still contained his usual boyish charm. It was humble and sincere, and along with the anticipating look in his eyes it read.

Trust me.

Your mouth went dry, any and all reasoning to stay vanishing in thin air as you tried to make sense out of your inner conflict. Fred surely wouldn't care if you said no, would he? It's not like he'd be offended that someone like you refused to go with him; why would he even be interested in you in the first place?

But the idea of spending some time alone with him did sound very tempting - you desperately needed some positivity in that moment, feeling exceptionally drained of all your energy after having to witness the emotional and psychological impact of Umbridge's dictatorship. And if there was someone who could lift your spirit even in such dark times, that would be Fred.

Screw the idea of a potential relationship, you needed a friend right now.

"Where to, Weasley?"

Fred grinned at the nickname and shoved hands into his pockets.

"The Astronomy Tower. Are you coming?"

You smiled at him.

"Sure."

It was indeed a brilliant idea to spend the night at the place where anyone rarely ever set a foot. Regardless of it being crowded during classes all day, the Tower wasn't a common choice for students to meet, them much preferring locations like the common rooms, the Great Hall, the school grounds or even the Black Lake. But the Tower did possess a magnetic, obscure charm which many people failed to comprehend and appreciate; charm only meant to lure the wandering souls seeking peace under the stars.

Fred approached the iron railing, breathing in the cold, early spring air, and sat cross-legged on the ground. As he saw you standing a few feet away from him, he patted the empty spot next to him.

"Come on now, don't leave me sitting on my own like that," he joked and his face lit up when he noticed the ghost of a smile on your lips for a brief moment. You joined Fred on the ground, settling on a polite distance from him, and though he was slightly disappointed by the gesture, he was grateful to be in your presence nonetheless.

Silence fell over both of you like soft velvet while you stared off into the horizon; the view reached the Forbidden Forest, the outlines of which had melted into the pitch black sky like ink, the lines between the two practically nonexistent in the dead hours of the night as they blurred into one endless void.

"I don't remember the last time I saw stars on the sky," Fred addressed your ever-listening companions above in a low, hushed voice that caused warmth to blossom within you regardless of the cold surrounding you.

"Me neither," you agreed, nostalgia creeping into you, but you decided you'd welcome it this time. "Such a shame we can't see the moon though."

Your friend nodded, lips pursed into a thin line, "That's because it's currently new moon. We'll need to wait for awhile until it's visible again."

You turned to Fred and the air was knocked out of your lungs. All you could do was silently admire the way the starlight was softening his sharp features and giving his usually flaming red hair a calming shade of copper. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark, and you found yourself coming to the conclusion you had realised long ago.

He was such a beautiful man.

Those glowing eyes landed on yours and you felt your face heat up.

"How are you?" he asked abruptly and you choked out in bafflement.

"Y-You mean, right now? Or in general?..."

"How are you coping?" he rephrased. "You know, with everything going on. I noticed Umbridge bothering you recently."

A shuddering breath.

"I like to think that I'm doing better than others," you nodded hesitantly, finding it hard to sort out your emotions. "I'm more worried about the most vulnerable among us, the youngest students. They're just children. They're the ones that are most terrified. I really hope Dumbledore will be able to do something about it… no matter where he might be right now."

Fred was watching you intently; he did not miss your expression, darkened with concern, nor did he miss your slumped figure, slightly hunched over for a reason he believed was other than exhaustion. Your friend moved closer and nudged your foot with his.

"I don't want you to talk to me about the rest. I want to hear about you. I can clearly see you're being tormented by her."

"As if you're not."

"That's not the point," he insisted and placed a hand on your knee, causing you to face him. His smile was gone. "I need to know how this madness is affecting you."

"I couldn't care less about what that toad puts me through," you shook your head dismissively and shrugged. Why was he getting so worked up about it? "It doesn't matter."

"Of course it does! It matters to me!" Fred hissed in frustration. "Do you think it doesn't hurt me every time I see Umbridge picking at you or calling you for detention? Because it bloody does and you have no idea how horrible it feels to not be able to help you."

He gave your knee a squeeze.

"For once, just for one time, please. Please, stop trying to be the hero of everybody. Believe me, we see- I see how hard you're trying to keep your chin up despite all the shit you're facing, and that's admirable, but right now it's not necessary. Let go. It's just me."

A way too familiar lump formed in your throat and your chest constricted painfully before it harshly dilated, letting out choked breaths. Fred was quick to envelope you in his long arms before your tears even rolled down your cheeks, and when they did, they met his shoulder. Your hands flew around his neck, body falling into his and soaking up his warmth. Fred pressed his soft lips to your temple, calming the racing pulse as you cried freely and unapologetically. Darling, you feel too much.

It's just me.

Your friend didn't let you out of his hold even when your heart-wrenching whimpers were reduced to weak sobs. He continued cradling your exhausted body which was on the verge of completely giving out. But Fred didn't mind, finding astonishing strength in your vulnerability.

After what seemed like hours, you forced yourself to timidly whisper, lip quivering, "I'm scared... And confused."

"Me too, sweetheart," Fred hummed into your ear. "Me too."

You wiped away the trails of dried tears lingering on your face.

"There's just too much going on. Too much that I'm not ready for."

Realization flashed in Fred's brown eyes and they looked down at you with so much longing, sincerity, but also sympathy and understanding.

You weren't angry at him. You were afraid.

And that was alright.

There was enough time, not need for a rush.

Fred had been waiting for years to find out whether his burning feelings for you were reciprocated, constantly suppressing them in fear of scaring you away and losing you. And now that he knew your heart belonged to him like his did to you, all the stars above couldn't contain his untamed happiness, pure and hopeful.

Surely he could wait a little more for you to grow comfortable with your own emotions.

Fred tightened his hold around you and pecked your cheek tenderly, the subtle touch sending a shock throughout your body and subsiding your need for sleep.

"That's alright," he whispered. "Rest now."

@self-ship-love @susceptible-but-siriusexual @hufflexpuff @neovannii

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Masterlist

[bgn846]

Regression FFXV Promptio Fic

Summary: Gladio gets hits with a status effect and becomes 17 again.  This would be somewhat bearable if it weren't for Prompto's terrible crush on the guy. 

--

Hands roughly shoved him, sending Prompto sailing off to the side.   Landing in the dirt he covered his head instinctively to avoid getting clocked by the monster they were fighting.  Gladio was already sprinting after it, yelling like a madman and swinging his great sword at the thing.  Of course, it had to be Gladio that had rescued him this time.   Getting up quickly he ran after his friend to try and help.

Stupid, big, loud, annoyingly handsome Gladio had saved him.  One of these days he was gonna repay the favor. Taking aim with his pistol, Prompto fired off a few shots.  The monster slowed somewhat allowing Ignis and Noct to attack next. This day needed to be over, he was tired and not looking forward to the teasing he’d get later for needing help. Maybe he had gotten distracted, Gladio’s fighting style was hard to ignore after all.  The guy was a wall of muscle and even sweaty he looked good.

Six, he needed to clear his head; this wasn’t the way to think during the heat of battle.  Running closer Prompto took another shot and hollered in glee when the monster fell over.  They were finally getting the upper hand, or so he thought. Sure, the big ugly monster thing had tipped sideways; the only issue now was the plume of yellow-colored gas coming out of its mouth.  

Ignis’ voice rang through air ordering them all to take cover.  He clearly didn’t like the look of the stuff either.  Noct came out of nowhere and tackled him, sending them both behind a rock.  Holding his breath and watching the air around them, Prompto waited for the yellowish tint to disappear.

“Is everyone alright?” Ignis asked from somewhere nearby.

“Good here!” Noct replied as he stood and hauled Prompto up with him.

Emerging from their makeshift hiding spot Prompto realized they’d not heard from Gladio yet. “What about the big guy?” he asked trying not to seem too concerned.  Noct knew about his crush but he didn’t really want to have that rubbed in his face at the moment.

“Shit, you’re right,” Noct supplied nervously as he ran towards Ignis. “Any sign of Gladio?” he checked with worry.

“No, the last I saw him he was over here.” Ignis offered as they ran around the monster.

The weird yellow stuff had literally been his last dying breath.   Prompto never wanted to see another one of those things again; it was aggressive and hard to kill. Ignis’ gasp of surprise when they’d reached the other side of the battleground made Prompto panic slightly.   Running up beside him to get a better view he was left dumbstruck.

A dude was standing there looking around like he was lost.  Once he spotted Ignis he huffed out a breath and ran over.  Prompto felt as though his chest might explode as he watched the guy.  He looked like Gladio in a way, but there were some major differences.  Height wise he’d shrunk and his clothes were baggy, plus his hair was short!  What had happened?

“Iggy, thank the six, what the hell is going on?” This, Gladio look-alike, asked with an air of frustration in a voice that wasn’t the normal deep baritone Prompto was accustomed to. He was scanning the rest of their little group and when he landed on Noct his eyes lit up.   “Shit, Noct’s here too.  Who’s the scrawny kid?” Gladio asked with a nod directed at him.    

Prompto chose to sulk as they picked their way back to the car.  It appeared Gladio had been affected by some weird-ass status effect.  He had been de-aged, to the wonderful age of seventeen.

How charming, in the most terrible way possible.  

Dealing with his feelings for twenty-four-year-old Gladio was hard enough, now he had the pubescent teen version to contend with.  One that kept questioning his skills since they’d never fought together before. This stupid status effect needed to be over, like yesterday.

“So you don’t remember anything that’s happened so far?” Noct asked for the third time as they drove along to the next outpost.

“Seriously, I just remember training like usual along with all the other stuff, like school and then boom there was that gross monster dead in front of me.”

“Huh, that’s strange.”

“Yeah, tell me about it, how do you think I feel?  All of this is new and I’m so confused.  I’m supposed to be twenty-four, right?”

“Yep,” Noct offered without batting an eyelash.  The prince was clearly not bothered by Gladio version 2.0 or was it version 1.0, this was so messed up!

“Damn, never thought you’d be able to look me in the eye princess, it’s weird.”  

Noct laughed and leaned back in his seat. “You’ll need to be careful though, you’ve not had the real-world experience your older self has gained.  Stick close and don’t do anything brash kay?”

“Me?” Gladio scoffed, “Never!”

The day was definitely terrible, it had to be cursed or something because not ten minutes later the stupid empire attacked them.  Two dropships full of those irritating tin cans fell from the sky.  With no other choice than to engage them, they all piled out of the car and prepared for battle.

Teenage Gladio was freaked, it was obvious, but the second one of those things went for Noct, the shield in training sprang into action.   His moves weren’t as polished, but he held his own for the most part.   That is until he got overwhelmed.  Training one on one was good and all but when four MT’s came stomping towards you that was a special kind of hell.

This time Prompto was ready, he didn’t need rescuing he was going to be the one helping.  However, he had to figure out how not to hit Gladio.  The guy wasn’t exactly staying in the clear, that kind of fighting style had been fine-tuned since they’d all left Insomnia.

Running faster to get closer Prompto almost had a heart attack when one of the MT’s took a swing at Gladio.  Thankfully, he ducked and fell to the ground.  Without thinking, Prompto rushed over and fired a shot point-blank into the enemy.  It sputtered and sparked falling in a heap nearby.  Hovering over Gladio’s body Prompto fired his gun at the remaining MT’s.  Each shot rang out loudly as he hit his targets with deadly accuracy.  Maybe Gladio wouldn’t be so unsure of his skills now!

Jumping up in celebration when the last MT fell, Prompto turned his attentions back to Gladio.  The not so big guy was staring up at him in awe.  Oops, perhaps he’d overstepped his place when he’d helped out.   Noct and Ignis hadn’t been that far away, they could have easily stepped in to lend a hand.

Slipping into silence he backed away and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry didn’t mean to freak you out there, figured you could use some backup.”

Gladio was pushing himself up off the pavement, that odd look still plastered on his face. “Nice shot, where’d you learn to shoot so well?”

“Crownsguard training, same as you went through.”

“Nah, I don’t remember anyone being that accurate in the range. Seriously where’d you learn?” He asked walking closer with a raised eyebrow. “That was amazing!”

Taken aback by the compliment Prompto suddenly felt his face heat up.  Great, he was blushing in front of teenage Gladio.  Someone needed to shoot him to put him out of his misery.  Laughing nervously he waved him off, “its just practice I guess.”

“You’ve got skill that was impressive.  Thanks for saving my butt.” Gladio offered with a wink as he sauntered past and got back into the car.

“I’ll remind you Prompto that he is technically underage, don’t do something you’ll regret later,” Ignis added coolly as he walked past a moment later.

“You told him!” Prompto bellowed as he turned and ran after the person he thought was his friend.  Noct, the tricky bastard, warped away and got back to the car without having to answer for his crimes. Grumbling at the injustice of it all Prompto slumped in his seat and scowled at the scenery going by.  

Ignis had cited the concern of getting attacked again for the choice to stay in a hotel for the night.  He didn’t want to risk anything with Gladio, not at his peak performance level.  Praying that Ignis would book two rooms so he could hide in one, Prompto almost yelled when Ignis arrived with one room key once they’d checked in.  This day sucked so bad!

Taking a deep breath he followed his friends to the room.  He could do this; the status effect would only last a couple of days at most.  If they were lucky Gladio would wake up taller and less cocky tomorrow morning. Dinner went without incident; he supposed fighting all day had made them hungry.  You can’t talk much when you’re shoveling food in your mouth.

Once the dishes were cleaned and put in the drying rack of the small kitchen, Gladio began asking questions.  He wanted to know everything that had happened to them.  Why were the niffs around? What had happened to everyone?  That wasn’t a pleasant conversation to have at any time. Ignis took the reins on that one and carefully retold the events they’d all suffered through.

He only explained enough to give Gladio an understanding of why the enemy was out and attacking them.  They didn’t want Noct to marry Luna. Ignis left out the part about Insomnia falling and everyone’s fates.   Gladio didn’t ask for more specifics so Ignis didn’t technically lie, he merely omitted certain facts. There was no need to let Gladio relive that moment again that would have been cruel.

Teenage Gladio shook his head in disbelief at the enemy being brazen enough to attack in broad daylight but didn’t comment further.  Standing up he began pacing the room.  “So what’s next, where are we going?”

“We’ve been en route to meet up with Lady Lunafreya.” Ignis offered.

“Cool, so we’re just waiting here till this funky effect wears off?”

“We can’t risk you getting injured, that wouldn’t be fair as you’ve not trained with us all.”

Sighing Gladio nodded but didn’t look too happy about the idea. “I guess that makes sense, I just don’t like waitin’ around for stuff to happen.  We gotta get out there and show the niffs we mean business.”

“Yes, well, all in due time I’m afraid.  Enjoy the break while we have it, we’ll be on the move again soon.”

Humming in acknowledgment Gladio paused when he passed the mirror above the dresser. “So older me is pretty buff huh?”

Prompto quickly looked away when Gladio began flexing and had to bite his lips to stifle a moan when Gladio took off his jacket.  Dear six, his back was bare. No tattoo, no scars, nothing.  Just smooth skin and muscles.  Apparently even at seventeen Gladio still looked like a freaking supermodel.  Unable to look any longer Prompto bolted up from where he’d been sitting at the table and jogged to the door. “I’m gonna go grab a soda or something. Berightback!” he blurted before throwing himself out into the hallway.

Taking off like a flash Prompto ran all the way to the vending machines.  He had to clear his head, this wasn’t good.  Crushing on regular Gladio was bad enough, this was downright painful.  Ducking his head he sighed heavily and began digging for money in his pockets.

“Need some change sugar?” An unfamiliar voice announced, causing Prompto to whip his head up. Standing a few feet away was another hunter.  The guy looked drunk and had his hand extended holding up some gil. “Come on sweet thing you can take it, I won’t ask for much in return.”

Prompto backed away from the machine like it was on fire. This guy was super creepy and he wasn’t planning on sticking around much longer. “I’m good, thanks,” he managed.

“Don’t get all bent about it, I’m just offering you a good time.”

“I don’t think he wants any kinda time with you buddy.”

Turning around Prompto saw Gladio stalking over like he was on a mission.  Despite the situation, Prompto nearly had another heart attack.  Gladio was wearing a t-shirt now instead of his usual jacket.   The only thing was the shirt was one his.  There, dangerously stretched out over his still developing muscles was Prompto’s moogle t-shirt.

Prompto didn’t have time to react when Gladio stood in front of him and stared down the drunken hunter. He was prepared to fight this guy.

“I suggest you shove off buddy, he’s with me,” Gladio growled, not at all sounding as young as he was.

“What are you gonna do about it?  I saw him first.”

The thing Gladio ended up doing was breaking the guy’s nose.  One minute the dude was mouthing off, and the next he was stumbling backward holding his face. He���d gotten the message this time, and shuffled off swearing about how kids didn’t respect their elders these days.  There was nothing to respect, that guy was a douche.

“You okay?” Gladio asked once it was quiet again.

“Sure, just dandy!” he quipped shakily. “We should get back to the room.”

“Not without our soda!  We had to survive that asshole, we deserve a reward.”

“Fair enough,” Prompto mused as he took out his cash.

“So, uh, do you wanna do something later?” Gladio asked casually as he stepped closer.  

“We could play some kings knight if you want, that mi--.”

Gladio laughed and grinned, “No, I mean like hang out somewhere later, ya know when Iggy and Noct are asleep.”

“And do what?” Prompto squeaked as he was starting to grasp what Gladio really meant.

“I dunno, stuff, we can take it slow,” Gladio smirked with a devilish grin.  “I’m young but I still know how to have a good time.”

This wasn’t happening; Gladio wasn’t hitting on him and suggesting they go do ‘things’ to each other in the middle of the night.  That couldn’t be possible. However, everything seemed to indicate that was the younger man’s intentions.  Gladio was attempting to unleash his un-honed skills of seduction on him.  “I can’t!” Prompto yelped, “You’re only seventeen!”

“Aww come on, you know you want to, besides I’m really twenty-four.”

“I can’t, I just can’t. Ignis told me I couldn’t, earlier.  We can’t make Ignis angry. That would be very bad.” Prompto sputtered as he backed away and bumped into the vending machine.

Gladio pouted but there was a twinkle to his eyes.  He wasn’t upset about how this was going.  The jerk was having fun.  Thinking fast Prompto threw out the only idea he could think of that might save him. “Why don’t we wait until you’re older again, and then you can ask me out?  That way we won’t make Ignis angry and we’ll go have some fun, uh later.”

“So you’ll go out with me?” Gladio checked seriously.  “I just have to wait until I’m back to normal.”

Nodding so fast he gave himself a head rush Prompto agreed. “Yeah for sure, just ask me first and I’m all over that like cheese on pizza.”

Gladio barked out a laugh and reached out to punch Prompto in the arm.  “You got it sunshine, let’s buy these drinks and head back.  I’m gonna ask you out tomorrow and you better be ready.”

Smiling at the statement Prompto got the sodas and the rest of the evening was filled with gaming and talk.  Though he knew nothing would happen in the morning.  Gladio would go back to normal and forget any of this ever happened.  He would never ask him out and Prompto would go back to pining from a distance.

Ignis saved the night so to speak when he announced the sleeping arrangements.  Noct and Gladio would be sharing one bed and he and Ignis the other.  At least he didn’t have to worry about Gladio making a move in the middle of the night.

Sleep didn’t come easily once they’d all turned in.  Prompto kept thinking about what Gladio had said.  Maybe if they’d met under different circumstances things could have worked out.  Gladio was Noct’s shield and he had a duty to uphold.  He wasn’t about to go chasing after him.  That shit didn’t happen in real life.  Finally pushing the thought from his head Prompto fell into a fitful slumber.

Morning came eventually and Prompto had all but forgotten the previous night’s escapades until he opened his eyes.  Flinching in shock he almost fell off the bed.  There lying next to him was older Gladio, watching his every move.

“Easy there sunshine,” he hummed slowly.

“What –what are you doing? Where are the others?”

“They are out getting breakfast.  Ignis said you didn’t sleep well last night so I figured you could use a little extra shut-eye.”

“I can sleep fine without you watching me!”

“Sure, but maybe I wanted to be alone with you, didja ever think of that?”

Prompto couldn’t get a handle on what Gladio was thinking.  Was the man teasing him or being serious?  “Okay we’re alone, so now what?” he spit out helplessly.

“I was thinking we could do something later if you’re up for it.”

Letting out a breath, Prompto groaned. He didn’t want to train with Gladio later that was the worst idea ever.  Figures the big guy turns back to normal and his first thought is training. “I don’t wanna train with you later okay. I’m not re—ompffff.” Prompto’s brain short-circuited. Gladio was kissing him, morning breath and all. Gladio had his hand securely in place at the base of Prompto’s head, keeping him from moving away. When the need to breathe became greater than the desire to continue kissing, Prompto tapped out and Gladio released his hold.

“I never said anything about training,” he offered with a salacious grin. “I thought I was told to ask you out once the status effect had worn off?  Did I misunderstand that request?” Gladio’s teasing tone of voice and smirk wasn’t helping Prompto make sense of what was happening.    

“You remembered?!” he whispered, hardly daring to believe it.

“Sure I remember, sunshine,” he chuckled. “I think the next step is for you to say yes.”

“Om em gee, yes!” Laughing like an idiot Prompto leaned forward again and kissed Gladio a second time.  So maybe de-aged Gladio hadn’t been such a terrible thing to endure; now he just had to figure out what they could do later!