#so Noct's is last to be found

[cup1d-ends-here]

Heat Between the Lines | Gladio x Reader Smut

Summary: You and Gladio have been going back and forth for weeks. The heat gets to you both and you have to sort it out.

Warnings: smut, swearing, jealousy

Word Count: 7.3k

The Regalia was silent, save for the low thrum of the engine and the breeze running through your hair.

You sat in the back, wedged between Prompto, who’d thankfully passed out with his head against the door, and Gladio, whose thigh had been pressed against yours for the last two hours.

Two hours.

Two hours of stolen glances, that stupid smirk he gave you when you caught him looking, and the slow burn crawling up your spine every time your knees bumped on a sharp turn.

You swore the man was doing it on purpose.

"Hot there?" Gladio’s voice was low, teasing.

You didn’t look at him. "It’s summer. Of course it’s hot."

He chuckled. "Didn’t mean the weather."

You definitely didn’t look at him then.

"Maybe if you didn't man-spread I'd have more room to air out," You scoffed at him and Gladio chuckled deeply.

"Sorry, babe, it's not my fault I have big ba-"

Ignis cleared his throat from the front seat. "We’ll be arriving soon. Best prepare for nightfall. We’ll need to make camp before we get too close to the nest."

“Great,” Noct muttered, eyes still half-lidded behind his shades. “I could sleep for a week.”

“I could eat for a week,” Prompto said, somehow awake again. “Please tell me we have Cup Noodles.”

You blinked at the window, trying to will your pulse to slow. Almost there. Then you could breathe again. Maybe.

Or maybe not.

× •-•-•-•⟮ ◆ ⟯•-•-•-• ×

The fire crackled, throwing long, golden shadows across the edge of the clearing. The tents were pitched, bellies full, the rest of the guys already turning in.

You sat outside a while longer, poking at the fire with a stick, lost in thought — until you heard his footsteps behind you.

"You always this quiet after a hunt?"

You glanced up. Gladio stood just behind you, firelight licking up his skin like it wanted to taste him too. He was shirtless, of course he was. A towel slung over one shoulder from the nearby stream.

“I’m tired,” you lied.

He stepped around the fire, crouching next to you. "Bullshit."

Your eyes met, and that was the worst mistake yet. His gaze was heavy, searching, like he knew.

"You keep looking at me like you want something,” he said, voice low, rough. “But then you keep pulling away."

You swallowed. “You’re imagining things.”

"Am I?"

His hand found your knee. You didn’t stop him.

"I don’t do casual," you whispered, voice breaking before you could stop it.

"And I don’t start something I can’t finish," he said.

Silence stretched, and then—

"Then why haven’t you started?" you said.

That was all it took.

Gladio leaned in, one hand braced in the dirt beside your thigh, the other coming up to brush your cheek. You thought he might kiss you, finally, but instead he whispered against your skin:

"You’re the one holding the match. Just say the word."

Gladio’s breath lingered against your skin. Your heart pounded, hands twitching with the urge to grab his face and just do something about it already.

You parted your lips.

"Gladio, I—"

“Dinner is ready,” came Ignis’ calm, precise voice from behind you — far too close for comfort.

You jumped like you’d been caught doing something illegal.

Gladio, to his credit, didn’t even flinch. He sighed, low and long, like it physically hurt to be interrupted. “Timing’s a goddamn art form with you, Specs.”

Ignis raised a single brow. “Forgive me for fulfilling my role as camp cook. We can’t all make a meal out of tension and unfinished sentences.”

You opened your mouth, then closed it again. Great. Now everyone knew.

As Gladio stood, stretching to his full height, Ignis added casually, “Also—slight tenting issue.”

You blinked. “Tenting issue?”

Ignis adjusted his glasses. “There was a pole missing from the extra tent. Noctis insisted it’d be fine sharing with you two. So. You’ll be bunking with him tonight.”

You stared.

“Sharing. A tent.”

“With Noctis.”

“Correct.”

Gladio ran a hand through his hair, clearly holding back a groan. “Hope His Highness doesn’t mind a little heat.”

You elbowed him. Hard.

× •-•-•-•⟮ ◆ ⟯•-•-•-• ×

The smell of Ignis’s stew filled the camp like a promise. Savory, rich, and comforting. It pulled everyone in, even the ones who barely had energy to sit up straight.

You took a seat across from Prompto, who was already halfway through his first bowl and making dramatic sounds of delight.

“No offence to every diner in Lucis,” he said, mouth full, “but Specs could make Cup Noodles taste gourmet.”

Ignis didn’t look up from his bowl. “I have.”

Gladio sat beside you again, of course. His arm brushed yours as he leaned forward to grab the ladle, then stayed just close enough to make your nerves fray like overused thread.

You didn’t move away. Neither did he.

Noctis sat nearby, poking lazily at his stew. “We making a plan for the daemon nest tomorrow?”

“After dessert,” Prompto said, lifting his bowl dramatically. “This deserves my full focus.”

You tried to focus too — on anything but the heat of Gladio’s thigh next to yours, or the way your knee kept bumping his under the table. That little moment earlier at the fire still lingered in your blood, sticky and unresolved.

Gladio ate slow, quiet for once. You caught him glancing at you over the rim of his bowl more than once. Like he wanted to say something.

Prompto noticed, of course.

“So…” Prompto said with a sly smile, gaze bouncing between the two of you. “Anyone else feel like the temperature around here jumped a bit since sundown?”

You stiffened.

Ignis didn’t miss a beat. “Campfires tend to generate heat. Shocking, I know.”

Prompto grinned. “Sure, sure. Couldn’t possibly be tension or anything.”

Noctis raised an eyebrow, finally engaged. “Tension?”

You tried to drink from your cup and nearly choked.

Gladio, unbothered, leaned back with a smirk and threw his arm along the back of your chair. “Prompto’s got a wild imagination. Doesn’t know the difference between weather and body heat.”

You gave him a sharp look. He just smirked deeper.

Ignis cleared his throat. “Regardless, finish eating. We’ll be waking early — and you three will be sharing the main tent.”

“I could sleep under the stars,” you offered quickly. Too quickly.

“No,” Gladio said at the exact same time as Ignis.

The silence that followed was thick.

Prompto snorted into his stew.

“You okay sharing, Noct?” you asked, trying to play it cool.

“Sure,” he shrugged. “Just try not to kill each other in your sleep.”

“Or worse,” Prompto whispered, just loud enough for you to hear.

Gladio’s hand settled on your lower back as he stood to clear his bowl. You flinched — not from the touch, but from how much you didn’t want to move away from it.

He leaned down as he passed behind you and murmured near your ear, “still your move, sweetheart.”

You sat frozen, cheeks burning hotter than the stew.

And of course, Prompto noticed that too.

× •-•-•-•⟮ ◆ ⟯•-•-•-• ×

After dinner, the sky deepened into a thick navy hue, and the stars blinked into view overhead. The fire crackled low now, reduced to embers. The others had already retreated to their tents, Ignis to his pristine setup, Prompto curled up with a blanket half off his face in the Chocobo-stamped tent nearby.

You stood awkwardly just outside the large tent you were sharing. The flap was open. Inside, a sleeping bag on each side, and one in the middle.

Of course.

Noctis was already sprawled across his, half-changed into a ratty old t-shirt and sweats, blinking up at the roof like he was trying to disappear. “I call left side,” he mumbled.

“That’s not how shared spaces work,” you said, stepping in. He didn’t move. Gladio ducked in behind you, ducking slightly to fit through the flap �� shirt already off, because of course it was. You tried not to stare. Failed. Looked down.

“Middle’s mine,” he said simply, tossing his jacket off into the corner and kicking off his boots.

Your jaw dropped. “Why the middle?”

“Because Noct’s dead weight and you toss like a storm at sea. I’ll survive between you.”

You tossed a pillow at him. “You just want to crowd both of us.”

He caught it easily and threw it onto his bag. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Noctis rolled over and muttered into his pillow, “Can you two flirt more quietly? Some of us are trying to pretend we’re already asleep.”

You flushed. “We’re not flirting.”

Gladio raised an eyebrow at you — and said absolutely nothing. The silence was louder than words.

You knelt to unzip your bag and changed into your sleep shirt under your blanket, trying to move fast and not make a scene of it. Your limbs felt too warm. Too aware. Gladio’s presence radiated like a hearth behind you.

By the time you slipped into your bag, he was already lying down, arms folded behind his head, gaze fixed on the canvas ceiling.

You were so close.

Close enough to feel the heat of his skin through the sleeping bags.

Close enough that one small shift in your sleep would have your hand landing across his chest.

He let out a slow breath, voice low enough that only you could hear:

“You always this jumpy when someone lies next to you?”

Your throat went dry. “Only when they look like you.”

His head turned toward you, slow.

And there it was again — that look. Molten, deliberate, full of something that felt dangerous to touch. You held it. You shouldn’t have.

But you did.

Noctis coughed pointedly. “Still here, you know.”

You broke the stare, curling in on your side. “Goodnight, Your Highness.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled.

You closed your eyes. You didn’t sleep.

Not really.

Not with Gladio’s breath so steady beside you, not with the phantom feeling of his hand almost brushing yours between your bags, not with the fire in your chest that refused to die out.

Not with the memory of his words: Still your move, sweetheart.

× •-•-•-•⟮ ◆ ⟯•-•-•-• ×

You weren’t sure what woke you.

The wind had died down, the air inside the tent still and warm. Noctis snored softly a few feet away, wrapped like a burrito in his sleeping bag. The camp was quiet — but your heart wasn’t. It hadn’t slowed down once since you lay down beside Gladio.

You’d rolled onto your back sometime in the night, the thin barrier of your sleeping bag twisted low around your hips. The material clung to your skin, warm and uncomfortable. You turned your head slightly—and caught Gladio already looking at you.

He hadn’t slept either.

His eyes were half-lidded, gold in the moonlight bleeding through the canvas, sharp even in the dark. You could barely breathe.

“You’re awake,” you whispered.

“So are you,” he murmured, voice low and rough like gravel underfoot. “Didn’t think you were gonna sleep with all that tension between us.”

You tried to laugh it off, but it came out as a shaky exhale. “This is a really bad idea.”

“I know.”

His hand slid across the space between your bags — slow, deliberate — and settled on your hip. You sucked in a breath, the heat of it lighting a fuse straight through you.

“You gonna stop me?” he asked, voice just above a breath, his palm dragging slowly up your waist.

You didn’t answer.

You didn’t want to.

Instead, you shifted toward him, the sound of fabric whispering under your movement. His hand flattened against your side, drawing you close until your noses nearly brushed.

“Gladio,” you breathed.

“I’ve been patient,” he said, voice low and dangerous, “but you’re driving me crazy, you know that?”

“I noticed,” you said, and your hand found his chest — solid, warm, steady under your palm.

“Then do something about it.”

And gods help you, you did.

You leaned in, finally, letting your lips find his in the dark. It was slow at first — a testing kind of kiss — but he didn’t stay soft for long. He gripped your waist and pulled you in hard against him, kissing you like he’d waited years. Like it would never be enough.

Your hands tangled in his hair, in the sheets, in anything that could anchor you to reality. Every sound had to be bitten back, every breath stolen through the kiss. His mouth moved to your jaw, then your neck, each brush of his lips stoking the fire higher.

“Still think this is a bad idea?” he murmured against your throat.

“Absolutely,” you gasped, fingers tightening in his hair.

“Then we better make it worth it.”

He rolled on top of you, slow and careful to avoid waking Noct — but that hardly softened the weight of him pressing you down, the feeling of skin and heat and tension finally breaking loose. Your legs wrapped around his thick waist, breath hitching as your hips met his—

“—Hey.”

You both froze.

Noctis groaned groggily from the other side of the tent. “If you’re gonna do that, leave the tent. Some of us are trying to sleep.”

You slapped a hand over your face.

Gladio just laughed, low and unrepentant. “Guess that’s my cue to take you outside.”

“You’re not taking me outside!”

Gladio grinned like the bastard he was — and didn’t hesitate. His thick arms wrapped around your back and beneath your knees before you could stop him, the motion so fast and smooth you let out a surprised yelp as he stood up, hauling you right off your sleeping bag like you weighed nothing.

“Put me down, you fucker!” you hissed, trying to squirm out of his grip as he shoved open the tent flap with one arm.

“Language, sweetheart,” he said, barely keeping his voice down. “There’s royalty present.”

“You are so dead—”

“Mmhm.”

You thumped your fist against his shoulder as he carried you past the campfire, now reduced to soft embers. The cold air bit at your skin, but he was warm and solid and infuriatingly smug beneath your hands. You weren’t exactly struggling hard.

“You’re gonna wake Ignis,” you snapped.

“Too late for that. I’m pretty sure Noctis already did.”

“You’re gonna wake Prompto.”

Gladio barked out a laugh. “Pretty sure he’s rooting for us.”

You opened your mouth to argue — and then shut it as he turned off the path and into the trees, stepping over roots and brushing past branches like this was some casual moonlit stroll. The dim light filtered through the canopy above, throwing silver patterns over his bare chest, his arms tight around you, his grin unshakable.

Your pulse was chaos.

Finally, he stopped. A small clearing, soft moss underfoot. Still within earshot of the camp — just enough to be reckless.

He didn’t let you down.

Instead, he lowered you slow, your back grazing the bark of a tree as he caged you in with one arm braced beside your head. His hips pressed into yours, heat blazing through your sleepwear, his face barely an inch from yours.

“Comfy?” he asked, voice low and rough.

You stared at him, chest heaving. “You’re insane.”

“You didn’t say no.”

Your fingers slid up his sides, slow, and hooked into his waistband. “That’s because I hate how much I want this.”

“Good,” he growled, leaning in to kiss you again — slower this time, deeper. His hands mapped every inch of your body like he already knew it in a past life. His lips traveled down your jaw, your throat, your collarbone, each kiss setting your skin on fire.

Your back arched, hands fisting in his hair, your mind somewhere between “this is so wrong” and “please don’t stop.”

When he lifted his head again, his eyes were molten. “Say the word and I’ll take you apart right here.”

You bit your lip.

“Do it,” you whispered , breathless, needy, not even pretending anymore.

Gladio didn’t hesitate.

His mouth crashed into yours, not gentle this time, not patient. It was hunger, full and raw, weeks of tension, of brushes and banter and heat and almost , breaking all at once. His hands slid under your thighs, lifting you, pinning your back against the rough bark of the tree as your legs wrapped around his waist.

Your fingers tangled in his hair, dragging a low groan from his chest as he kissed you deeper, teeth catching your lower lip. He tasted like smoke and fire and something sweeter, like you’d already ruined him just by saying yes.

He kissed down your neck, biting softly at your pulse, and your head fell back with a gasp. The night air was cool, but his hands were fire on your skin, dragging under your sleep shirt, tracing your ribs, your sides, every inch of you like he wanted to memorize it.

“I’ve thought about this,” he murmured against your throat. “So many times.”

“Me too,” you admitted, voice shaking. “So much it drove me insane.”

He pulled back just enough to look at you — his expression dark, full of something dangerously close to affection.

“Good,” he said, hoarse. “Then I won’t hold back.”

You didn’t want him to.

Clothes became obstacles, tugged and shoved and half-removed in the rush. You moaned into his mouth when he finally pressed against you fully, no layers left between you — every part of you aching with how close he was. How much you’d needed this.

And gods, he felt so good — his hands on your hips, his breath warm in your ear, his body pushing you higher with every slow, grinding motion. He took his time, savoring every sound you made, every shiver, every whispered plea.

“Look at me,” he said lowly, forehead against yours, eyes locked to yours even as he rocked into you. “I want to see you.”

And you did, held his gaze through every rising wave, lost in the heat and pressure and the way he touched you like you were something sacred and wild all at once.

You felt yourself coming apart, breath hitching, nails biting into his shoulders. And when it finally hit, sharp and overwhelming and perfect, he held you through it, kissing you like you were the last thing left in the world.

He wasn’t far behind, groaning your name into your neck like it was a prayer he couldn’t stop saying.

The quiet after was almost louder than the act itself.

You were still wrapped around him, both of you panting, foreheads pressed together, hands trembling slightly in each other’s hair.

“Still think this was a bad idea?” he whispered.

You swallowed hard. “Definitely.”

He laughed, warm, low, and satisfied. “Good.”

“...You’re gonna have to carry me back, you know.”

“Oh, I plan to.”

× •-•-•-•⟮ ◆ ⟯•-•-•-• ×

You could barely catch your breath as Gladio gently set you back on your feet after that moment of sheer heat. Your skin felt flushed and electrified, every inch of you hyperaware of what just happened.

His chest heaved in tandem with yours, but he was already moving. His large hand found your wrist, pulling you with surprising care toward the edge of the clearing. The camp was still, but you could hear the faint rustling of the others, Noct’s barely audible snoring from his tent, and the faint sound of Ignis making breakfast.

"Stay close," Gladio murmured, his voice low but intense, a subtle edge of mischief threading through. He leaned down, brushing his lips over your ear, sending a shiver through your spine. "Don’t want anyone waking up just yet."

You nodded, still trying to regain some semblance of control over your body. Every step was unsteady, your legs still sore and a little wobbly, but you forced yourself to keep up.

You both moved quietly, too quietly, as Gladio pulled you deeper into the trees. The moonlight filtered through the canopy above, making the shadows feel like they were closing in. Your heart pounded in your chest as you finally saw the entrance to the tent ahead.

“Almost there,” Gladio muttered, his grip on your waist tightening, but in a way that made you feel like the only thing between him and losing control was a hair’s breadth.

The closer you got, the harder it was to pretend this wasn’t all far too obvious. But you were too close to the finish line now. Just a few more steps.

“Careful,” you warned in a barely audible whisper, hoping your feet wouldn’t betray you.

“Don’t worry,” he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “I’ve got this.”

When you reached the tent, you exhaled — but the relief was short-lived. You turned to him, eyes wide, and he held a finger up to his lips, signaling you to be quiet.

He crouched, slipping inside the tent first and then reaching out for you. You hesitated, eyes darting back toward the campfire, but then you took his hand and slipped inside, the fabric of the tent closing softly behind you.

The tent was still warm from earlier, the dim light of the morning filtering in through the small gaps. Noctis was still snoring lightly a few feet away, blissfully unaware of the chaos that had just unfolded.

You let out a shaky breath, trying to steady your racing heart as you lowered yourself back onto the sleeping bag. Gladio followed suit, carefully unzipping his jacket and letting it fall beside him.

For a moment, it was just the two of you — silent, hearts pounding, as the night’s events still lingered heavily in the air.

But then you heard a low, grumbling voice from the other side of the tent.

“…I know what you two were up to.”

It was Noctis.

You shot a panicked look at Gladio, who just smirked, leaning back with a cocky grin.

“Ignis is gonna kill us,” you muttered, your heart sinking as you heard the sounds of movement from Noctis’ side of the tent.

“Nope.” Gladio chuckled low in his chest, leaning in toward you, his face just inches from yours. “You’re my problem now.”

Before you could respond, you heard Noctis’ voice again, this time with a faint chuckle.

“I’m just glad you two finally figured it out.”

Gladio’s grin only widened, his fingers brushing against yours once more.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice full of smug satisfaction. “Took us long enough, didn’t it?”

× •-•-•-•⟮ ◆ ⟯•-•-•-• ×

The moment you stirred awake, you knew something was off. It wasn’t just the low hum of the morning; it was the distinct feel of eyes on you. Gladio was still lying next to you, his large frame stretched out in his usual relaxed manner, but your skin was burning. And not from the warmth of the tent.

You hesitated, glancing up at him. His eyes were closed, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips. He knew you were both busted, but he was enjoying every second of it.

A sound from outside the tent caused your heart to skip — footsteps, and then the unmistakable sound of snickering.

The tent flap pulled back with little warning.

“Well, well, well… look who finally got some action,” came Prompto’s voice, loud and impossibly cheerful.

You froze. Nope. No way.

“Prompto!” you hissed, your face heating up as you quickly scrambled to cover yourself with the nearest blanket.

He leaned casually in the entrance, looking far too pleased with himself. “I mean, I’m glad to see you two finally took the plunge.” He gave a dramatic wink, leaning in as if to whisper to you. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. I’m not gonna tell anyone… unless I can get a free photo op.”

“Prompto, for the love of—” Gladio groaned, half-awake and still trying to pull the blanket over his head, but it was too late. The damage was done.

“Too late, man,” Prompto interrupted, practically beaming with amusement. “I saw your faces last night when you two thought nobody was watching. You guys were way too obvious.”

"You pervert!" You hissed.

“Ignore him,” Gladio mumbled, but you could see the smirk tugging at his lips, clearly enjoying the chaos.

“Yeah, yeah,” you muttered, pulling the blanket up higher, desperate to avoid more teasing. “But seriously, if you tell anyone…”

Noctis woke up, glancing over at you both with half-lidded eyes. “You were practically screaming in the trees.”

“Noct, shut up!” You snapped, embarrassed beyond belief.

Prompto was absolutely howling now. “Oh my god, you two were loud? I knew it. I KNEW IT!”

“Shut it, Prompto!” Gladio barked, sitting up with a scowl, but even he couldn’t hide the small grin on his face. The morning-after smugness was infectious.

"Seriously," Noctis continued with a lazy smile, "at least wait until we’re asleep. It’s a little rude."

You were ready to curl up and die. “This is why I didn’t want to sneak back in here.”

Prompto jumped onto the bed with you and Gladio. “Oh, come on, you can’t be embarrassed now. We’re all friends here,” he teased, poking you in the ribs. “Now, tell me everything! How was it? Was he as good as he looks?”

“Nope.” Gladio grinned, his voice low and teasing. “Better.”

You kicked him lightly in retaliation, but it only made the whole thing worse. Ignis’ voice, cold and calculating, cut through the chaos like a knife.

“Will you all shut up already?” Ignis said, his patience clearly running out as he emerged from his tent, adjusting his glasses. “I’m trying to cook breakfast here, and you’re all making a scene.”

You managed to stammer, still covering your face in humiliation, “We didn’t do anything…”

“Sure,” Ignis said, clearly not buying it, his eyebrow arching. “And I suppose I didn’t hear the two of you sneaking back in here last night either.”

“Ugh,” you groaned, wishing the earth would just swallow you up right there.

Prompto was on the floor now, laughing uncontrollably. “Oh, I love this so much.”

“Well, at least we’re not sleeping through it like someone else,” Gladio said, poking Noctis in the side. “I don’t know how you can sleep through the noise, man.”

Noctis just waved it off with a smirk. “I’ve got a talent for it.”

“But we’re not talking about this anymore, got it?” You shot back, your face still burning, trying to shift the topic before things got even worse.

Prompto was still grinning. “Oh, we’re talking about it all day long, trust me. Just wait ‘til we get to the diner later, you two.” He waggled his eyebrows, and you could’ve sworn you saw Gladio’s smirk widen.

"Anyway," Gladio said, clearly enjoying the banter far more than you were, "you guys hungry?"

Noctis gave him an exaggerated sigh. “Are you really changing the subject right now, Gladio? After all the teasing?”

“What teasing?” Gladio chuckled. “There’s no teasing happening here. Just truth.”

You buried your face in your hands. "I can’t believe this is happening."

"Alright, we're hitting the road soon." Ignis shouts as he walks away.

× •-•-•-•⟮ ◆ ⟯•-•-•-• ×

The bell rang as you and the Chocobros entered a diner. It was a cozy little spot on the side of the road, always a welcome place to rest after a long trek. The atmosphere inside was inviting, the hum of conversation and the clinking of plates filling the air. But as soon as you stepped in, you felt the tension coil in your chest. You all sit down at a table and a waitress approches.

The waitress , tall, blonde, and absolutely radiating confidence, was immediately there, practically gliding over to your table like a predator circling its prey. Her eyes landed on Gladio, and you could already tell she was interested.

“Hey there, handsome,” she purred as she leaned over the table, just a bit too close to Gladio. “What can I get for you today?”

You glanced over at Gladio, who was blissfully unaware of the flirtation. He shot her a charming grin, stretching his long legs out beneath the table, looking relaxed and completely at ease.

“Prairie-style skewers, thanks,” Gladio said, his voice smooth and casual, not realising the attention he was drawing.

The waitress flashed him a smile that could’ve melted steel. "Coming right up. I’ll be sure to make it extra special for you." She lingered, eyes flicking between Gladio and you, and you felt your stomach twist.

You clenched your fists under the table, a sharp wave of jealousy washing over you. She was way too close. And Gladio—he wasn’t noticing how obvious she was being. Not at all.

“Anything else I can get for you, hon?” she added, her voice dripping with flirtation.

Before you could open your mouth to respond, a voice from across the table interrupted.

“Oh my God, again?” Prompto let out a dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes. “Gladio, you’re making it way too easy for her.”

You could see the waitress’ eyes flick to Prompto with a slight glare, but she quickly went back to focusing on Gladio.

You swallowed, trying to suppress the rising irritation in your chest. "I’ll have the skewers, too," you said, your voice sharp, the words coming out before you could stop them.

The waitress finally turned her attention to you, her gaze briefly cold, and you could feel her sizing you up, a clear sense of superiority in her eyes. You didn’t miss the way she lingered on Gladio, almost completely ignoring you as she scribbled something down. She got the others' meals as well.

“Got it,” she said before turning to walk away. The sway of her hips was way too exaggerated, and you couldn’t help but feel the frustration build inside.

As she walked off, you glared at her retreating figure, your face burning. You felt a tight knot in your stomach as you crossed your arms, doing everything you could to keep your cool.

“What’s up with you?” Gladio asked, finally noticing the shift in your mood. He was still relaxed, clearly unaware of the obvious reason you were upset. "You’ve gone quiet all of a sudden."

Prompto grinned from across the table, his eyes glinting mischievously. “Uh-oh, looks like someone’s a little jealous.”

“What? No!” You quickly shot back, your tone a little too defensive. You knew you were being obvious, but you couldn’t help it. She was all over him, and he was acting like it was nothing. It was making your blood boil.

“Don’t even try to lie, [Y/N],” Prompto teased. “I saw the way you were glaring at her. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.” He shot Gladio a wink. “But Gladio, man, I think you’ve got a bit of a fan club here.”

Noctis, who had been quietly sipping his drink, shot a knowing look your way before shrugging. “Honestly, it's not a big deal. Gladio gets hit on all the time. You should be used to it by now.”

That did not help your mood.

“Yeah, but it’s not just about the hitting on,” you muttered, trying to keep your tone steady. “It’s the way she was... hanging on him. A little too much for my liking.”

“Hey,” Gladio said, leaning forward now, his voice softer, “if it’s bothering you, I’ll make sure to keep my distance. I didn’t think it’d get to you.”

The sincerity in his voice made your heart skip a beat, but the green-eyed monster inside you wasn’t backing down that easily. You were still frustrated, but you couldn’t deny that Gladio was trying to make it right.

“It's not about keeping your distance,” you said, your voice quieter now, "It’s just... I don’t like the way she was acting like that with you.”

“Well,” Ignis chimed in, his voice calm but sharp as ever, “perhaps if you two were less obvious about it, no one would notice.” He adjusted his glasses and gave you both a pointed look, clearly fed up with the whole situation. “We’re trying to eat breakfast here, not make a spectacle.”

You felt your cheeks flush with embarrassment. Great, now Ignis was calling you out in front of everyone.

Before you could respond, Prompto burst out laughing, doubling over in his seat. “Honestly, this is the best thing to happen all week.”

“You’re a real pain, Prompto,” you muttered, shaking your head. "Seriously."

But Gladio just chuckled, his hand reaching over to gently squeeze yours under the table. “I get it, [Y/N]. I really do. You don’t have to worry about her. You’re the only one I’m interested in.”

You looked at him, the tension slowly starting to ease as you met his gaze. “Thanks.”

“I’d take it easy on the jealousy though,” Gladio teased, his grin returning. “It doesn’t look good on you, babe.”

“No, you’re not helping,” you muttered, though the warmth in your chest made it clear you weren’t actually mad anymore.

“Well, I think we’ve had enough fun for now,” Noctis said, his usual indifference masking the slight smirk tugging at his lips. “Let’s just eat before we start really embarrassing ourselves.”

× •-•-•-•⟮ ◆ ⟯•-•-•-• ×

The day had worn on, and the sun was beginning its descent as the group walked through the quiet town, searching for a place to relax and grab a drink. Everyone was in good spirits, though you couldn’t shake the memory of the earlier encounter. It had seemed like an endless stream of women looking Gladio up and down. It was something you'd gotten used to, but it was still grating.

You hadn’t let it show much, but now, it seemed like the universe was determined to test your patience.

You and the gang had stopped by a small, rustic bar. The mood was casual and relaxed, and everyone was enjoying a round of drinks. The guys were having a good time, joking around with each other, but your attention had wandered to the bartender, a tall, dark-haired man who had a certain... charm. You hadn't meant to notice him, but when his eyes met yours, he gave you an unmistakable once-over.

He flashed you a smile, one that seemed to linger just a little too long for your liking.

"Hey there," he greeted, voice smooth and almost seductive as he made his way over to you, leaning on the counter. "What’s a beautiful lady like you doing in a place like this?"

You gave him a polite, but tight-lipped smile, trying to keep the situation neutral. “Just enjoying the company of some friends.”

Glancing back at the Chocobros, you caught Gladio’s eye. He was mid-laugh with Prompto, but the moment his gaze met yours, something in his expression shifted. It was subtle but unmistakable—his eyes darkened slightly, his jaw setting in a tense line.

The bartender leaned in a little closer, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he addressed you again, completely ignoring the presence of your companions.

"You sure you don’t want to get away from all this noise?" he suggested, voice dripping with charm. "I could show you a better time."

At that, your patience finally snapped. You weren’t used to this kind of attention, especially not in front of Gladio. You weren’t interested in this guy in the slightest, but you weren’t going to let him flirt so shamelessly either. Before you could respond, Gladio stood up from his spot at the table, his posture stiff and his movements deliberate.

The energy shifted. You could feel it—the subtle but unmistakable possessiveness radiating off him. His footsteps were heavier as he approached, and you could feel his presence behind you like a looming shadow.

“Is there a problem here?” Gladio’s voice was deep and steady, but there was a razor’s edge to it.

The bartender straightened up immediately, visibly caught off guard by the sudden shift in atmosphere. He managed a nervous chuckle. “N-No, not at all. Just—just talking.”

You didn’t need to look at Gladio to feel the intensity building. It was like a storm brewing, his body so close now that you could feel the heat radiating from him, the barely contained tension in every muscle. You were surprised he didn’t just outright drag you away.

“Yeah, I think you should back off,” Gladio continued, his tone low and commanding. He gave the bartender a look that was so intense it could’ve set fire to the whole room. “This one’s taken.”

The bartender quickly backed away, muttering an apology under his breath, but Gladio wasn’t finished. He turned to you, his eyes full of that dark, possessive heat that sent a thrill straight through your chest.

“Come on,” he muttered under his breath, taking your arm and leading you away from the bar, away from the prying eyes of the others.

Once you were out of the bar, Gladio pulled you into the alleyway next to the building, his hand gripping your wrist firmly but gently enough not to hurt. He didn’t give you a chance to say anything. He just backed you up against the brick wall, the cool surface pressing against your back as he hovered in front of you.

His breath was heavy, his eyes searching yours like he was trying to read something you weren’t saying.

“I hate it when people look at you like that,” he growled, the words coming out in a rush. His face was inches from yours, his breath warm against your lips. “You don’t deserve to be treated like some prize to be won.”

You swallowed hard, feeling your pulse quicken. His anger—mixed with something else—was like a fire that fueled your own desire. It wasn’t just jealousy you were seeing; it was raw, unfiltered need.

"I’m not some fragile thing," you said, the words coming out sharper than you intended. “And you can’t just—”

Before you could finish, his lips were on yours, cutting off the words you didn’t want to say anyway. The kiss was rough, urgent, almost desperate as he pulled you closer, his hand tangling in your hair. His other hand pressed against the wall beside your head, caging you in.

It took you a moment to respond, but once you did, the spark turned into an inferno. You kissed him back with just as much intensity, your hands roaming over his chest, pulling him closer, feeling the heat of his body against yours.

"Gladio," you whispered breathlessly, your voice full of tension.

His grip tightened on your waist, and he pulled back just enough to look you in the eyes. “I don’t want anyone else looking at you like that. No one else is allowed to touch you, [Y/N].”

The possessiveness in his words made something inside you snap. You wanted this. All of it.

You smirk, "now you know how I felt earlier."

Without another word, Gladio kissed you again, more demanding this time, his hands quickly finding their way beneath your clothes, the heat of his skin against yours driving you both toward the edge.

It didn’t take long before you were both caught in the whirlwind of your desire, the world outside of this alleyway no longer existing. There was only the burning need between you, the heady mix of jealousy and passion that had been simmering all day finally reaching its boiling point.

He hiked your skirt up and pulled your panties to the side.

"Fuck, [Y/N], wet already?" He teased.

"Jealousy looks so good on you." You smirk and his fingers dip into your pussy. You moan and he covers your mouth with his hand.

"Don't want anyone disrupting us." He mumers and he works his fingers in and out of your dripping hole, swirling your clit with his thumb.

Your nails dug into his exposed abs. "Gladio..." You whine.

"I know, babe." He huffs as he unzips his leather pants and pulls his boxers down, his giant member slapping against his muscles. He slides his member along your slit as you whine at the sensation. He slowly pushes into you as you gasp and he groans deeply. "Fuck." He holds you tightly around your waist as he thrusts into you, your breasts bouncing at the motion against the brick wall.

"Baby," You whine as your hands settle on his face as he plays with your clit and you rub his cheek. You kiss him deeply. He groans into the kiss. "Im close" you breathe as he chuckles.

"Me too." He thruts a few more times and you both reach your high. You tilt your head back as you see stars. Gladio buries his face into your neck and bites down as he fills you up. After a few moments he pulls back and tucks himself back in and kisses your face gently.

"It's so hot knowing your filled with my cum." He bites your ear and you giggle.

× •-•-•-•⟮ ◆ ⟯•-•-•-• ×

The evening air was cooler now, tinged with salt and heat from the pavement. After the long day, the Chocobros decided to forgo camping for once and check into a modest hotel on the edge of town. The neon sign flickered lazily as Ignis handled the front desk, making sure everyone had a room.

“Noct, you’re with me,” Prompto said, stretching his arms with a yawn. “Try not to snore like a behemoth this time.”

Noctis rolled his eyes. “You’re the one who sleep-talks.”

Gladio was quiet beside you, the tension from earlier replaced by something calmer—but not quite gone. He kept a protective hand on your lower back as everyone made their way down the hall with keys in hand.

You were about to follow Noct and Prompto to your shared room when Gladio’s grip tightened slightly.

“Switch with me,” he said quietly to Ignis, who raised a brow behind his glasses. A knowing flicker of amusement flashed in his eyes, but he said nothing.

“Very well,” Ignis replied smoothly, offering Gladio a different keycard.

You raised an eyebrow. “What was that about?”

Gladio leaned close, murmuring just loud enough for you to hear. “After earlier, you really think I’m lettin’ you out of my sight tonight?”

You felt a blush rise in your cheeks, but didn’t argue.

The room was simple: a king bed, crisp sheets, and warm lighting from a small lamp in the corner. The curtains were drawn, and the muffled sounds of the town buzzed faintly beyond the windows. You kicked off your shoes, toes grateful to breathe again, while Gladio peeled off his jacket and tossed it over a chair.

The silence wasn’t awkward—it was comfortable. Grounding. His eyes found yours in the soft lamplight as you sat at the edge of the bed.

“Earlier... that guy didn’t stand a chance,” you said, half-teasing, half-serious.

Gladio chuckled, walking over to you and brushing his fingers gently along your jaw. “Still got under my skin. Guess I don’t like sharing what’s mine.”

You leaned into his touch, your voice quieter now. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

He kissed your temple, arms wrapping around your waist from behind as he pulled you into him, your backs swaying slightly in a private rhythm only you two knew.

“You wore me out today,” you said with a mock scowl.

He grinned, voice low. “Yeah? Let’s sleep, then.”

You changed into something comfortable while Gladio stripped down to his boxers. As you both settled under the covers, his warmth against your back, his arm looped snugly around your waist, you let out a soft, content sigh.

“You really gonna behave tonight?” you teased, nuzzling into the pillow.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, his lips brushed your ear.

“Only if you stop makin’ those little noises when you stretch.”

You smacked his arm, laughing. “You’re the worst.”

“And you’re perfect.”

With that, he kissed the back of your shoulder and finally relaxed, his chest rising and falling evenly against your spine.

You closed your eyes to the sound of his breathing, the quiet hum of the hotel, and the comfort of knowing you were exactly where you were supposed to be.

[zeroth-writes]

Healing Red -Noctis Lucis Caelum-

masterlist | request

Prompt: i have a request bout noct where the reader is a white magician, however her powers turn red n strong when shes angry or sad (like scarlet witch), that happens sumtimes and then, when noct is in great danger, she cant control it and unleashes a massive amount of power and saves him, the rest is up to u :)

Pairing: Noctis Lucis Caelum / Reader

Summary:

Word Count: 900 A/N: I haven’t seen the wandavision series or anything else besides the main marvel movies, so the beginning scene is kinda ‘inspired’ from the age of ultron movie.

For a split second, your heart stopped. In front of you was Noctis, lying face down in the dirt. A Yojimbo stood over him. His sword raised far over and behind his head, ready to strike the fallen prince.

Your muscles exhausted from the endless battle. All attempts to stand quickly halted. Either by an enemy striking you or your own body giving out.

You glance up just in time to see the deamons sword begin it’s long decent down. From your position on the ground your arm reaches forward, hoping to summon a barrier or something protective. 

Yet nothing happened.

Your body ached with each movement you made. Even the attempt to use magic drained all the energy you had.

With your last bit of strength you managed to pull yourself up to your knees. Head hung low, long panicked breaths. With one final burst of energy, you let out a scream.

Nothing else could be heard over the loud screech released from your mouth. Around you the enemies begin to fall. Their weapons and armor hitting the ground with a loud clank of metal slamming against various materials and objects.

Once the noise you were creating stopped, Everything went dark.

♡♡♡♡♡

For what felt like hours, you felt yourself slipping in and out of consciousness. Drifting into the darkness only to feel yourself constantly being moved. Body carried in someone arms, resting on a leather seat, gently placed on a soft sofa.

Slowly you begin to wake up. The silent void replaced with distant. Voices became clearer as words started to connect. You were able to recognize the tones and place them to a person. Ignis.

“I’m not sure on their situation. They’ve been out since we found them.” For a minute he was silent before speaking again. “Yes. I’ll keep you updated, Goodbye.”

Your heart almost broke at the sad tone within his voice. The royal retainer let out a long sigh, likely pinching the bridge of his nose. Before anymore could be said the sound of a door opening came.

“Any updates?” Ignis asked the new person. “Nope, I’m guessing nothing from you.” A deep voice answered. “They haven’t made a peep since we got them here. Prompto has yet to return.”

A creak filled the room before footsteps became louder then stopped in front of you. A hand found itself on your head while a voice softly whispered to you.

You stir slightly at the contact, causing the person touching you to jump back.

“Y/n” Ignis spoke half worried and half excited. Slowly you begin to open your eyes as they adjust to the bright light surrounding you.

In front of you stood 2 different men, both looking with different expressions. Ignis stood worried as he was unaware of how you were feeling while Gladio was excited with a small smirk resting on his bearded face.

“Glad to see you awake”

Gladio spoke first while moving to sit next to you while Ignis began hounding you with various questions.

A loud gasp caught all of you attention. Turning toward the doorway a smile similar to before spreads across your face. Standing by the opening, still in his winter coat, stood Prompto. Tears filled his eyes as he rushes to you with open arms.

“Does that mean Noct is also awake?” He whispered

You quickly pulled away with a worried and shocked expression. Even though you’ve only been awake for a few minuets, you failed to worry about the missing person.

“What wrong with Noc?” You questioned looking in everyone’s direction for an answer. Simultaneously everyone glanced toward the closed door.

As you walked toward it, reasons began to spill out

“He never woke up. We found the both of you alone in a field. He had wounds all over him. You, not so much but still unconscious.”

You closed your eyes and remembered back to that night. 

You and Noctis surrounded by enemies. You defeat one and two more materialize in its place. Before you knew it, you were completely swarmed. Everywhere you look was covered by the unmistakable purple haze of a deamon. 

While they weren’t attacked you physically. The magic usage itself was tiring enough to make it difficult to stand on your own.

Soon you fall to your knees in exhaustion, causing all but a handful of enemies to turn their attention towards Noctis - who is just as exhausted as you.

As the hoard of enemies begin to clear away from the prince, you glance up to see the damage only to see him lying on the ground.

Your eyes snap open at the memory of your power blast filling your head. Your heart begins to ache once you realize, you did this to him. Not only did you kill the the enemies, you also hurt the one you were trying to protect and save.

In a rush, you hurl yourself on the floor to kneel in front of the sleeping prince. You hand clasps around his. The other stood back with a confused look resting on their faces at your sudden outburst.

That shocked turned to amazement as both your hands and his begin to glow and red hue. Silent filled the room as everyone observed your actions from a distance.

The long silent finally lifted as a long groan filled the room as Noctis sat up rubbing his head.

[veryace-ficrecs]

Prompto/Ignis Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

third time's the charm by greyskiesblack - Rated T

The last thing Prompto expects when he finds a Mr Flopsy toy is a date, but that's exactly what he gets.

For What It's Worth by saisei - Rated T

Genetically engineered clones weren't made to live long. When Prompto finds out he has just months to live, he calls Ignis. Ignis will know what to do.

Come Find Me by saisei - Rated T

Prompto sees Ignis' soul-light the moment they first meet; Ignis doesn't. Prompto knows that not everyone's guaranteed a happy life with their soul-partner, but he's glad to be able to be friends. He doesn't mind knowing he can never have more.

i saw you in the stars by chthonicheart - Rated T

To: Noctis 11:02 AM did i happen to get married to anyone last night? To: Noctis 11:02 AM particularly, ignis?

The Train by Selador - Rated T

Someone summons daemons in the middle of the train in Insomnia, and Ignis isn't sure if he wants to date the blond guy who helps out or recruit him. Fortunately, he's good at multitasking.

Momentum by Asidian - Rated T

Just the sight of him, standing there holding a cup of coffee, barrels through Prompto's brain like a puppy excited about going out for a walk – and before he even realizes what he's doing, he's fumbling for the camera. He snaps five shots, in quick succession: Ignis looking into the distance, expression soft and preoccupied. Ignis lifting the coffee. Ignis with his lips on the rim, taking a tentative taste. Ignis closing his eyes as though to savor it. Ignis with his eyes open again, looking directly toward the camera. Wait, thinks Prompto, as the last one burrows its way into his thoughts and starts setting off alarm bells. What?

Dragon Blush by Selador - Rated G

Dragons always protect their hoard.

You Say Rotato (and I Say I Love You) by lithos_saeculum - Rated G

Prompto, brainwashed by late-night infomercials, starts buying Ignis useless kitchen gadgets. Surely this can't end well. Or can it?

until you make me move by taizi - Rated T

This moment is one Ignis will keep until it sits in his memory the way Prompto’s camera sits in his hands; well-loved and weathered from being picked up and admired over and over and over again.

How to Break a Deal With the Devil by ohmyfae - Rated T

Prompto Argentum was cursed at birth by a bored trickster god, giving him inhuman, glowing red eyes. His curse earned him censure and ostracism from the town in which he grew up, but he stubbornly refused the god every time he appeared to offer Prompto a wager as a way out.

Then Prompto met Ignis Scientia, a blind traveler from Insomnia with secrets of his own, and with their burgeoning friendship, Prompto found that he suddenly had much more to lose...

Hold Me Tight, Or Don't by countingpaperstars - Rated T

It was then that he saw him - the most gorgeous person he’d ever laid eyes on, leaning against the bar and laughing openly at something his friend next to him was saying. His hair was spiked up, like many of the other patrons', and he’d somehow squeezed into the tightest pair of jeans ever created, a purple coeurl-print shirt stretched across his broad shoulders like sin.   In which Prompto finally meets Noctis' advisor Ignis, but to both of their surprise, they've met before.

The Short Double-Life Of Ignis Scientia by ohmyfae - Rated T

Ignis Scientia has promised Noct that he'll go out and meet his new friend, Prompto Argentum. Just for an afternoon, of course, to make sure that the strange, disconcertingly cheerful teenager is truly everything he seems to be.

Eight hours later, Ignis is sitting in Clarus Amicitia's office, covered in glitter and body paint. How the hell did it end up like this?

Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive by whimsicottly - Rated G

“Give it to me straight. Does Ignis hate me?” “Yep,” Noctis says. “Wait, what?!” Prompto struggles to not fall out of his chair. It takes him a second to recompose himself. “I mean, of course! I knew that.” “That explains why he watches out for you in battle, takes the time to learn about your interests, and makes excuses to spend time with you,” Noctis, the traitor, continues. “Good job figuring it out.” “When you put it that way… “

If the Strain Proves too Much by saltslimes - Rated T

Prompto knows, on some sort of principle, that Ignis will not kill him. Consciously, unconsciously, whatever. But practice and principle are two different things.

[shadowreader23]

Final Fantasy Replay part 2

It was time to head to Golden Quay. Noctis mentally prepared himself as he got in the regallia not noticing the concerned look on Gladios face. He woukd be meeting Ardyn face to face for the first time. Shoulf he act as he did the first time? Should he be a bit more friendly to Ardyn? Woukd he be able to hild hinself back? He understood ardyn now and he knew why the man had done what he did bit that didnt mean noctos had to forgive him for all the pain and suffering he had caused. All this overthinking was giving noctis a headache. 

"Noct?"

Huh. He must have beem to lost in his thoughts to hear the question prompto asked

"Sorry prompto could you say that again?"

"I asked if we coukd stop here to take a photo with the chocobos" promoto smiled.

Right the chocobos. Prompto loved the animals. They did this the first time around as well.

"Of course" Noctos smiled as ignis stopped the car and they walked over to the group of wild chocobos prompto had spotted. Noctos missed seeing his friend like this. So young, happy and carefree this was the prompto he wanted to save. They stayed for around an hour as prompto got his photos and they sat down taking a short break and sharing some of the snacks they had packed for the journey. They hadnt done this the first time around.... it was nice but ended all to fast. They got back into the Regallia and finished their trip to Golden Quay. ___________

Ignis pulled into the parking spot with a sigh. Golden qualy finally they had arrived.  He was still concerned about Noctis. While he hadnt had anymore episodes he still seemed off. Ihnis just hoped the prince wasnt attempting to conceal an illness of some kind. He refilled the regallia while Noctis amd prompto had a chat looking at the beach.

"You're worried about him as well" Gladio said knowingly recognising the look that meant ignis was deep in thought.

"Yes hes been off ever since the incident" Ignis pondered

"Maybe the crystal triggered something?" Gladio suggested

Finished filling the regallia ignis paid and they proceeded down the bridge to the restaurant. __________

"If you're here to catch the ship im afraid your out of luck"

That voice. Ardyn. Ardyn. Noctis took a deep breath to keep his cool and decided to go off script slightly.

"Why's that?" He asked playing the part of spoiled prince

"No ships in or out on order of niffleheim" ardyn rolled a coin between his fingers before throwing it at noctis who caugh it. "You can use it on your travels" then Ardyn walked away. Very short very breif encounter he didnt attack ardyn or yell at him mayve he could do this after all.

In the relm of the Astrals Shiva smiled.

"We should check anyway" Ignis said and lead the group through the restaurant to the dock where sure enough there was no boat in sight. Dino was sat there but after they found out about the boat Noct decided they wouldnt go on his silly quest and instead they spend the afternoon doing hunts. They needed to get stronger and soon. So they backtracked to the chocobo ranch and took care of the monster in the area meaning they could now rent out chocobos and they all got some practice in. Noctis had really held back he was readjusting to fighting the way he used to it was just taking a while he was happy the arminger followed him back though it would save him so much time by not having to find all the royal tombs.

After dealing with the Monster they hedded back to Golden QUay and spent the night in the luxury room. It would be the last time they had such fine accomidations for a while.

As soon as his head hit the pillow Noct was out like a light. He had a room of his own but decided Prompto could share with him and Ignis and Gladio could share the other room.

Prompto was going to feel loved this time. He was going to know noctis was his friend no matter what and the even though he was a MT noctis didnt care. Prompto was his friend and deserved so much better than he got last time around.

_______ "Prompto had no idea why Noctis was suddenly acting a lot nicer to him but he didnt mind. The prince was less angry and standoffish agreed to his photo ideas and was more than happy to listen to him talk about chocobos and help take photos with him and now instead of sharring with gladio and iggy he was here sharing with noctis! The prince had insisted. What had happend? How had he got so lucky? Were he and Noctis best friends after all? How had that happend? When had that happend and how hadnt he noticed?

The bed really was comfy..... with that thought prompto also fell asleep.

______ Anyone want Part 3?

[aoife-asturmaux]

Thrillseeker

Ended up with many more pics that I liked from this shoot than usual, ehehe

Have had Noct's outfit since the last time the event ran but never found a use for the shirt, so I wanted to try making something with it! I ended up incorporating the Paglth'an pants as another piece I've had for ages and hadn't used.

I don't know what the vibe is with this look but I really dig it - so much so that I went and swapped her hair back to early to rise for real after taking these lmao. we'll see how long before i swap back to fluffy again, but at least I know this glam also looks good with fluffy hair...

[cloggedarteri]

♡midnight thoughts i wanna share with you good people

♡i love putting the characters i love in shitty situations so hear me out okay but like what if ignis is pursuing higher education (b/c he's a go-getter and he wanna add as many qualifications he can to his resume) and the boys and regis are completely supportive of his decision and try to encourage him to prioritize his studies and fully immerse himself in college life so he does. ignis gets the full experience. he gets the late night studying and the overwhelming feeling of loneliness and the over-caffeinated anxiety and the shitty dorms with even shitter roommates (emphasis on the shitty roommate). ignis' roommate isnt shitty in the sense that they leave a plate unattended for too long or are inconsiderate of their shared space no. this particualar roommate is shitty because they're a lil pervert that likes to watch ignis whenever hes in the same room, likes to raid through his dirty laundry when ignis is gone, likes to sift through his dressers to find belongings they could 'bond' over in conversation and every time ignis turns his attention to them they're able to avoid suspicion but in his gut ignis knows that something is wrong. so ignis starts to distance himself, he starts to spend more time off campus and commute to school even if the travel is inconvenient but there are times when he needs to be on campus and thats when the roommate gets their long-awaited fix of iggy musk (ew). a few days before a school break the boys come down to campus to help take ignis' things before they steal him away for a trip so before he finishes up his reports in the library ignis hands his room key to gladio (he loves noct and prom but they cant be trusted w/ key) and upon opening the door to the dorm they see the roommate rummaging through ignis' luggage and when they notice that they have company they try to use the excuse of trying to find something he'd misplaced. the boys are on edge but prompto tries to smooth it over by asking if he'd found what he was looking for and the only answer he gets is this sly smile that grows on their face along with a nod in confirmation. gladio goes to take some of the bags back to the car but wordlessly orders the boys to still in the room with the roommate and as they try to engage in conversation with them they can't ignore the weird feeling they get, not only have they found the roommate in a compromising position but they spoke rather possessively of ignis. like 'i hope you're not keeping him for too long' and 'i wouldn't know what id do without him' ya know little comments that when said in normal context wouldn't be too concerning but when you find someone digging in your friends luggage you can't help but worry about their intentions. when gladio comes back for the last bag ignis accompanies him chattering and laughing at whatever nonsense gladio's talking about (my boy missed his found family so much omg), ready to start their trip but he stops in his tracks when he sees the roommate in the room and hes surprised because he could have sworn they'd been expelled. ignis asks 'why did you come back?' and the roommate says "to see you" and they just stare. okay, im done torturing ignis now.  by the end of their trip the boys find out the roommates had been arrested for stalking, harassment, and a slew of other violations. 

[operaghostnocturne]

Hello! Regulus here.

You may be wondering where I've been.

Stuck in the depression cycle.

Long story short, a combination of Art School Bullshit, Covid, an abusive boss, and no job or housing security, led to a pretty bad mental health situation. Plus moving back in with my parents. Not a safe living environment for me, but I didn't really have a choice. Cuz I wanted to try mental health meds, and have a history of intrusive thoughts. In the unalive direction.

My intrusive thoughts are the boy with the horn. And I am the girl covering her ears.

I ended up in a pretty bad burnout too. I ended up stuck in a very judgemental and harsh mental state when I did art. Mostly due to art school bullshit. Lotta teachers and students ragged on my work for being digital, and DnD esc. I ended up internalizing a bunch of what people said. It's been a slow journey getting back to even being able to do sketches.

So! 4 meds, one service dog, consistent therapy, and a better living situation, I'm starting to get back to the point where I can do art again. Woo!

So what about this project? Well! I'm still a Phantom of the Opera Nerd. I actually went to the Broadway Production last February before it closed. That was amazing. Anywho, I absolutely want to continue working on this!

Buuuuut. There's been a slight shift in the way I am thinking about it, and want to do it. As in. What if Phantom of the Opera? But in Dungeons and Dragons?

I'm currently throwing the idea of making a short campaign/one shot out of this story. Or writing something based on DND elements.

A thing to note: I'm not 100% back. I'm working on this, and also trying to deal with wildly fluctuating mental health states. I'm also working on other things. See my main blog for my obsession with Critical Role and Avatar (Cameron.) I'll share sketches if I make them.

Mostly just wanted to let you guys know I'm still alive and haven't forgotten about this project.

Thanks for reading.

Here is a picture of the aforementioned service dog. Her name is Tarot Moondrop Esmeralda Phoenix Shinobi Blused-Marshmallow Diva Cooper. Nocturne (pronounced noct turn neigh. Cuz I only found out recently that that Isn't How that word is pronounced.)

[librarysrestrictedsection]

Hello, watching Twitter I came across this and I thought that you and other people might be interested, I didn't know this mod existed, I don't know if you knew, I'm still sharing this, you can get the mod on Steam just search Speedo Noctis por Prompto, The creator of this mod also has several other Final Fantasy XV mods, but the one I liked the most apart from this one I'm sharing is Noctis with a black kimono and Noctis with a Victorian suit.

For the people who want to know what Ignis and Prompto were doing in the caravan in the last photo, this is the link to the Twitter post where I found out about this: https://twitter.com/Suiton00_nsfw/status/1706739645898281111?t=BgnNGaVdUg2wQDBlwn75ag&s=19

Seeing this I couldn't help but imagine the headcanon that while the four of them are making the trip, Noctis avoids looking at the semi-naked figure and the cocks of his friends who only wear speedos (he fails miserably) while Gladio, Ignis and Prompto make sexy and lewd poses every chance they can. while they flex their muscles while telling Noctis how good he looks in a kimono 👘 and how this is incredibly useful to hide the bite marks and kisses that are on his body in addition to preventing people from seeing how the semen comes out of his anus (I imagine Gladio saying this to Noctis with a smile while making lewd comments about how it makes him hard to know that he is wearing nothing under his kimono and how he, Prompto and Ignis will have to bother him to clean their cocks from the semen and kept it inside their ass because if their speedos are filled with semen it would be too difficult to explain why their speedos are wet if it hasn't rained and they haven't been to any lake or beach, plus people would notice the stain)

Oh I didn't see this ask pop up in my feed! So sorry about that!

But I am always a fan of the bodyguards were next to nothing while the one they are guarding wearing something to hide what they have done to him. I even have a print of Noct in Cloud's black and blue dress that would be perfect for such a scenario. Because, like you said, it can hide just how debauched he is. While also hiding just how turned on he is.

Maybe the guys also touch themselves and each other to really tease the hell out of Noct for later.

[crackshots-a]

( this is from last year but it's CUTE so we're ANSWERING IT HAPPY BIRTHDAY PROMPTO!!! | @luciscael )

though their friendship didn't begin til later in high school it felt as if noctis had known prompto for years longer. there would be more years to come he hoped. today was the day to commemorate that long friendship: prompto's birthday ! hardly was noctis one to go out of his way for most occasions regarding himself. it was different for others. this was his best friend after all. thinking of what to do for prompto took long as it felt every year he would wonder how to outdo himself from the years before, but he was determined. this morning ( could you believe it, the morning ? ) a vehicle arrived in front of prompto's humble abode. a chauffer up front no doubt. but this wasn't no typical vehicle... it was a chocobo carriage ! with 6 beautiful white chocobo pulling the black carriage. out came noctis from the inside of it and playfully bowing inviting prompto inside the carriage. " hey birthday boy, need a ride?" a playful smile teetered on his features. " hop in. we got some reservations to eat at. the guys should meet us there too, oh, and happy birthday !" noct would allow prompto to get in first. inside the carriage would be a big wrapped gift where he encouraged prompto to open it now. It was quite a hefty gift as well... the suspense was killing noctis actually and it showed int he way he leaned forward in his seat. inside would be a expensive professional photographer photo printer. once prompto opened it, noctis found himself smiling with his teeth. "now no running to get your photos printed. you can get all your memories done at your place."

prompto had thought for sure that he was still dreaming when he got noctis' 'on my way' text. it was no secret that noctis wasn't a morning person, but there was no denying that the text had come from his phone. though prompto considered that ignis may have sent it, he couldn't prove it, & so the only thing he could do was get up & get ready. he had already suspected that it would be some sort of surprise, but he didn't think there was any way noctis could do better than he had last year.

he had been so wrong.

he stood in his doorway slackjawed, waiting for the inevitable moment when he woke up, but it never came. there, in front of him, was a chocobo carriage. a real life chocobo carriage! he felt like a little kid on christmas morning & would have bolted for the carriage door had noctis not opened it first.

❝ as if i would ever say no to riding in a chocobo carriage! dude, this is so awesome! ❞

&, with that, he was running. stopping for just a moment to take a few pictures of the carriage ( & several more of the chocobo that pulled it ) before he finally allowed himself to enter & sit down.

❝ this is the coolest thing i've ever seen. thank you, noct! the guys are gonna be so jealous when we pull up in this!❞ & then, he caught sight of the gift, & that stopped him in his tracks.

❝ you got me a present, too? this is way too much, you're gonna spoil me! people are gonna think i'm the prince! ❞ he had stalled enough. it was clear noctis was excited for him to open his present. he'd clearly put a lot of thought into it, & prompto was curious. hardly had he begun tearing the wrapping paper before he realized what he'd received.

❝ no way. ❞

he'd talked about looking into a professional printer for years, but it had never been in his budget. he'd thought everyone had just written it off as more of his photography rambling, but the fact that this was proof that noctis had clearly been listening was more touching than the actual, physical gift in his lap.

❝ you are gonna be so sick of me printing pictures. they're gonna be everywhere. i can't wait to get home & print out all the ones i take today! ooh, maybe i'll start a scrapbook! ❞

ideas were already swirling in his brain, but they all came to a halt when he saw noctis' smile. he tried to be still, to convey the sincerity in his tone as he spoke again.

❝ thank you, dude. seriously. best birthday ever. like, ever ever. ❞

[writtenxbeginnings]

It had been a long few weeks. Crownsguard Training had been kicking Prompto's ass, not that he would change it for anything. It was all he had considered doing, since getting as close to Noctis as he did. It only made sense, after all. But it hurt, each day giving him more bruises and banged up shins than he had ever experienced in his life - and he was bullied for a good amount of his childhood. When all he wanted to do was go to his apartment and sleep, he knew that it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to his friends, and it wasn't fair to Gladio. Besides, Prompto wanted to see the Shield.

He had started to read some of his boyfriends romance books, still not fully sold on what he was already reading, but it had given the blonde an idea. It had took a few days of revisions, but he had delivered the letter this morning, asking Ignis if he would mind passing it along since he wouldn't see Gladio till tomorrow, and the advisor easily accepted. A small part of the teen felt bad about deceiving his friend, but it had to be done for his.... plan.

That was what found him then at his Noct's apartment, fidgeting where he sat at the kitchen table. He wanted to be a little more brave, but he supposed doing this at all in the first place showed that he was at least attempting to be more forward. RIght? It was when he heard the jingle of keys outside the front door, heard the latch sliding open to allow it to open, that he finally stilled, hands resting on his knees as he took one deep breath. Then another. When the door opened, he let the breath out, and waited.

The Letter Below

'Gladio - I thought about you last night, when I was trying to sleep. I couldn't fall asleep, couldn't relax, so my mind wandered. It started to think about your mouth, and the way that it felt on my skin. I imagined you kissing up my neck, your hand resting on my thigh. I thought of your fingers and the magic that you had to have, the way they hit every spot just right. I wanted to think of more, but I made myself wait. It was so uncomfortable, Gladdy, but I went to bed like that. Instead I thought about what I'd do the next day. Today.

I thought about asking Noct to stay at his old rooms in the citadel, saying I had something planned for you that required not being at your dad's house, or my parents dingy little apartment. I thought about getting their before you and sitting at the table, waiting for you to walk in the door, knowing you had read this letter, saw the picture that I tucked in with it as a visual guide (this is me after all!). I thought about the way you'd get here and pull me from the chair, the way you'd notice that I was already hard in my shorts. I imagined the way you'd throw me up against the wall, pinning me with your hips as you marked up my neck.

Let's just say there's a lot that I'm imagining, big guy. I guess it's up to you to decide if my thoughts are good enough or if you can do better. ;)

~ Blondie'

[darksaiyangoku]

RWBY x FFXV: Last Request

Sequel to:

It had been a week since the Battle of Haven and Noctis, Jaune, Sun and Ren were gathered together in the house. Weiss and Neptune were out on a date, which left the boys together with Ruby, Yang, Blake and Nora. All four of them were engrossed in the game, Remnant. Jaune chuckled, amused.

Noctis: Hm? What's up, Jaune?

Jaune: Nothing. I'm just watching the chaos unfold between the girls. It's kinda cute.

Yang: Ha! I win again!

Nora: No way! You totally cheated!

Ren: ...you have a very weird defition of 'cute'.

Sun: Aw lay off, Ren. He's just lovestruck.

Jaune: *chuckles* You're not wrong. Seeing them over there reminds me of what we're fighting for; peace on Remnant. *turns to the boys* But the Battle in Haven got me thinking. Before we take on Salem, is there anything you'd like to do one last time with the girls?

Sun: Umm... well, I haven't really thought of it.

Ren: Me neither. I've been so focused preparing for Haven that I didn't even consider what would come after that.

Jaune: What about you, Noct?

Noctis: *turns to Ruby and sighs* 🎵Slow down, lie down. Remember it's just you and me.🎵

Jaune: 🎵Don't sell out, bow out. Remember how this used to be.🎵

Sun: 🎵I just want you closer, is that alright?🎵

Ren: 🎵Baby let's get closer, tonight.🎵

Jaune/Noctis: 🎵Grant my last request and just let me hold you! Don't shrug your shoulders, lay down beside me!🎵

Sun/Ren: 🎵Sure I can accept that we're going nowhere! But one last time let's go there, lay down beside me, oh!🎵

Sun: 🎵And I've found that I'm bound to wander down that one-way road, oh.🎵

Ren: 🎵And I realized all about your lies. But I'm no wiser than the fool that I was before🎵

Noctis: 🎵I just want you closer, is that alright?🎵

Jaune: 🎵Baby let's get closer, tonight🎵

Jaune/Sun: 🎵Grant my last request and just let me hold you! Don't shrug your shoulders, lay down beside me!🎵

Noctis/Ren: 🎵And sure I can accept that we're going nowhere! But one last time let's go there, ooh, lay down beside me, oh!🎵

Noctis/Jaune: 🎵Baby, baby, baby🎵

Sun/Ren: 🎵Tell me how can, how can this be wrong?🎵

Noctis: 🎵Grant my last request and just let me hold you🎵

Jaune: 🎵Don't shrug your shoulders, lay down beside me🎵

Sun: 🎵Sure I can accept that we're going nowhere🎵

Ren: 🎵But one last time let's go there, lay down beside me🎵

Noctis/Jaune/Sun/Ren: 🎵Grant my last request and just let me hold you! Don't shrug your shoulders, lay down beside me! And sure I can accept that we're going nowhere But one last time let's go there, lay down beside me!🎵

Noctis: 🎵Oh, woah-oh! Yeah, lay down beside... One last time let's go there, lay down beside me.🎵 *deep breath* I think that's what I'd like to do. Just hold Ruby in my arms.

Sun: *sniffs* That's beautiful, man!

Jaune: Mmhmm!

Ren: *ahem* So, uh, now that we got that out of our system, why don't we head down to the White Kitsune for some drinks?

Noctis: Sounds like a great idea. Come on, first round's on me!

Jaune/Sun: Yeah!

As the boys left, the girls were left with bright red blushes and their cards lay on the table forgotten.

Yang: *hands over her mouth* ...did that really just happen?

Nora: *slowly nods head* ...uh huh.

Blake: ...*smiling slightly* wow.

Ruby: ... *whispers* you're wonderful, Noct.

[themousefromfantasyland]

The Creatures of Yuletide: The Lost Christmas Goddess

This is my last Creatures of Yuletide of the year, so I decided to finish with something huge, an ancient winter goddess that had her feast day exactly on Christmas day and whose influence can still be felt to this day. This goddess has many names and many forms across the Alpine Region, but for sake of clarity, I will refer to her as Holda.

Holda is a figure associated with motherhood, winter, and spinning and weaving. Stories and myths about her spread across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, usually involving her being both an angelic presence and a demonic force, rewarding the good and punishing the wicked. The anthropologist and archaeologist Marija Gimbutas believes she was the Germanic supreme goddess and is older than the Germanic pantheon, including deities like Odin, Thor, and Loki. She also says:

"[Holda] holds dominion over death, the cold darkness of winter, caves, graves and tombs in the earth….but also receives the fertile seed, the light of midwinter, the fertilized egg, which transforms the tomb into a womb for the gestation of new life."

With the Christianization of Europe, myths and stories about her survived in the countryside and as folk stories.

Jacob Grimm, of the Brothers Grimm fame, in his seminal work 'Teutonic Mythology', described her basic characteristics:

“In popular legends and nursery tales, frau Holda (Hulda, Holle, Hulle, frau Holl) appears as a superior being, who manifests a kind and helpful disposition towards men, and is never cross except when she notices disorder in household affairs. […]

From what traditions has still preserved for us, we gather the following characteristics. Frau Holle is represented as a being of the sky, begirdling the earth: when it snows, she is making her bed, and the feathers of it fly. She stirs up snow, as Donar does rain: the Greeks ascribe the production of snow and rain to their Zeus: so that Holda comes before us a goddess of no mean rank. [...]

Another point of resemblance is, that she drives about in a waggon. She has a linchpin put in it by a peasant whom she met; when he picked up the chips, they were gold. Her annual progress, which like those of Herke and Berhta, is made to fall between Christmas and Twelfth-day, when the supernatural has sway, and wild beasts like the wolf are not mentioned by their names, brings fertility to the land. Not otherwise does 'Derk with the boar,' that Freyr of the Netherlands (p. 214), appear to go his rounds and look after the ploughs. At the same time Holda, like Wuotan, can also ride on the winds, clothed in terror, and she, like the god, belongs to the 'wutende heer.''

The Brothers Grimm also collected a tale about her in which she appears as Frau Holle, and it can be found here. Resuming, an abused stepchild loses a spindle in the well and jumps there to get it back, only to find herself in the magical realm of a kind woman named Frau Holle that has the power of making snow in the real world when she shakes her featherbed pillows.

The girl does the household chores for the old woman and is rewarded by returning to the real world with a shower of gold and the spindle which had fallen into the well.

Jealous, the stepmother sends her biological daughter to try the same, but the girl is so unhelpful that Frau Holle sends her back with a shower of pitch.

Basically, Frau Holle is the female version of Morozko.

Holda is associated with many of the evergreen plants that appear during the Yule season, especially mistletoe and holly, and she had her feast day on December 25, Christmas day.

An early-13th-century text listing superstitions states that "In nocte nativitatis Christi ponunt regina celi quam dominam Holdam vulgus appelat, ut eas ipsa adiuvet.” This text, an Aberglaubenverzeichnis (a common late-medieval and early modern genre), was compiled in the years 1236–1250 by Rudolph, a Cistercian monk. Translating, it states the following:

"In the night of Christ's Nativity they set the table for the Queen of Heaven, whom the people call Frau Holda, that she might help them".

Hulda was known as a goddess of women, which eventually tied her to magic and witchcraft, and she is specifically called out in the Canon Episcopi, written around the fourth century. Those who honored her were required, as faithful Catholics, to do penance. The treatise reads, in part:

"Have you believed there is some female, whom the stupid vulgar call Holda ... who is able to do a certain thing, such that those deceived by the devil affirm themselves by necessity and by command to be required to do, that is, with a crowd of demons transformed into the likeness of women, on fixed nights to be required to ride upon certain beasts, and to themselves be numbered in their company? If you have performed participation in this unbelief, you are required to do penance for one year on designated fast-days.”

Holda was widely mentioned in catalogs of superstitions and sermons during the 15th century, and in the 16th, being equated with other female figures like Diana, and Herodias, the princess that asked for John Baptist’s head.

Her motherhood aspect also is used to link her with the Virgin Mary, and she is the goddess to whom children who died as infants go.

Holiday figures like the witch Frau Perchta from the Alpine Region, and the witch La Befana from Italian folklore, both associated with Epiphany, the feast that celebrates the visit of the Three Wise men, are sometimes linked back to her.

This holiday season, I hope this ancient winter goddess blesses you all and brings a reward for all the good you put out to the world this year. Happy holidays my friends.

@ariel-seagull-wings @thealmightyemprex @tamisdava2 @princesssarisa

[glaivenoct]

glaivenoct's NyxNoct Snippets

Hi friends!! The last time I shared a snippet of my current WIP, life was kicking my ass :D and guess what, it still is :) BUT I'm still trying to progress through a very overdue prompt request, and I'm pretty happy with what I've done in the last two days. So I'm taking it as an excuse to share.

I have no time frame whatsoever of when this might be completed, but I'm working on it when I can. Have an intense Nyx! --

There’s a certain part of the medical wing that’s reserved for royalty. Bigger rooms that are furnished more comfortably to emulate typical Citadel bed chambers. Nyx knows he’s found the right one when he finds a pair of guards posted at the entrance of a long hall. There’s double doors at the end of it and two more guards posted right in front of them. He exhales and then swallows, forcing himself to fake the guise of a confident soldier. He straightens his spine, proceeding with hurried, powerful footsteps down the hall.

“Halt, glaive.” One of the guards says firmly, stepping forward to stop him. “What’s your business here?”

Nyx clenches his jaw. He doesn’t have time for this.

“Reporting for duty,” he answers. “I’ve been assigned to Prince Noctis’ medical chambers.”

“The hell do we need a glaive up here for.” The man says skeptically, and if Nyx had an inch less of self control right now, he’d start mouthing off.

“You can ask King Regis. He’s the one who requested me.”

“Requested?” The guard cackles in his face. Nyx slowly grinds his teeth back and forth against each other. “Now why would his Majesty request a glaive like you up to his Highness’ personal medical chambers?”

If you keep me even a second longer from Noctis, I swear to each and every god…

Nyx glares at the man. If it weren’t for the way both guards are looking at him, as if he's an insignificant speck, he would give them the benefit of the doubt. He would tell himself they’re simply being good guards, doing their due diligence of keeping the Crown safe. Of keeping Noctis safe. Of course they need to be suspicious of Nyx and his intentions.

Except, that’s not what this is about at all. It’s as infuriatingly senseless as the actions that could've taken Noctis’ life. It’s the worst time to give a damn about something as petty as status, glaives vs. guards, and all that other superiority complex bullshit. If only they knew.

They’ll never understand how far Nyx’s devotion to Noct goes beyond his Kingsglaive badge. They don’t know that the King has an idea of how far it goes. They don’t know what Nyx is willing to do right now if it means no one’s standing in the way of him seeing Noctis.

For Nyx’s own sake, it’s best they don’t know, but that’s nowhere near pressing enough for him to resist the command on the tip of his tongue.

“Get out of my way.”

"Excuse me?" The guards both look at each other, scoffing together before the one in front looks back at Nyx with a challenge in his eye.

“What, you need me to say it slower for you or something? Get out of my way.”

“Listen here, glaive - ”

“Do forgive me,” a familiar, tired but regal voice says from behind, suddenly turning both guards stiff before falling into a bow. Nyx had been so caught up in his own frustration that he didn’t hear the steady clank of a cane he hears now. Nor the extra click of the King’s knee brace. “I got so caught up in everything else that I neglected to inform the guards.”

--

askbox is always open for NyxNoct things!!

[cakelanguage]

Guess who finally wrote stuff that they’re posting? ME. I got to write a gift for @twistmyleg for the IgNoct 2023 Gift Exchange @ignoctgiftexchange. I hope you enjoy this fic!

You can also read it HERE

-

Battles against Nifleheim’s Magitek soldiers weren’t out of the ordinary at this point. Ignis had perhaps grown too used to the rumbling of the aircrafts overhead and the mechanical clanks of the soldier’s joints as they marched disjointedly alongside each other. 

That didn’t make any of the encounters less harrowing than the last. But repetitive encounters did make one grow lax to certain features. The soldiers tended to attack in swarms and focused their attention on Noctis for the most part, using their numbers to try to box Noct in. Having Noctis be cut off from their protection had panic clutching at Ignis’ throat the first few times, but the soldiers weren’t particularly strong. Gladio could take out a soldier with a single swipe of his broadsword and Prompto had gotten quite adept at aiming his bullets at key joints in the armor to remove limbs with jubilance. 

Ignis preferred infusing his daggers with magic or a polearm to create distance between him and his opponent. If a tiny bit of the reason he preferred the daggers more was that Noctis’ magic was warm under his hands—no matter what elemental he’d channel through the blades—no one had to know. 

But as he’d mentioned, repetitive encounters didn’t mean they’d always be the same. There were still times they were caught unaware or the soldiers did something unpredictable. Which led them into the situation they were in now. 

The air in Duscae was humid and heavy with the scent of incoming storms. They’d had a day of hunting, collecting money so they’d have enough to not only pay Cid for the repairs of the Royal Vessel but money for weapon upgrades and more healing supplies as they’d grown terribly low over the course of the week. With everything that had gone down in the Steyliff Grove ruins and Gladio’s self-discovery trip with Cor, they’d worn themselves down perhaps a bit too much. 

While most of the group had been more than happy to accept some leisurely time spent at Cape Caeum with Iris and the gang, Gladio had been full of vigor to continue to power through. He seemed to have found a renewed passion for not only his duty but his belief in his own power. Gladio’s enthusiasm had only spurred Prompto into giving in to the older man’s desire, though Ignis had a feeling it was so Prompto could snap more pictures of Gladio’s new proclivity to forego wearing his shirt for extended periods of time. Noctis hadn’t had much of an opinion on the matter so that had been that. 

With exhaustion tugging at his limbs and four contracts completed for the Hunter’s Guild, Ignis thought they were doing fine. Tired, but fine.

Until the aircraft showed up. 

Dread hammered at him as the aircraft came to a standstill not twenty feet away from them. Gladio was the first to summon his sword. “Looks like we’ve got company,” he grunted. 

Prompto let out a sound between a whine and a groan. “Can’t they leave us alone for a day?” Prompto asked, summoning his guns to his hands. 

“The world would end before they did that, Prompto,” Noctis said. 

Prompto whipped his head around with a glare. “Don’t give the world any ideas.”

Ignis couldn’t suppress the tiny smile that always came out when the group teased each other. “Duly noted, Prompto,” Ignis said. With a shatter of luminous crystals, the weight of his daggers settled in his hands. Despite the long day they’d already had, the familiar weight of the blades was just as comforting as always. “Shall we gentlemen?”

Noctis flashed him a confident smile, bright and boyish despite everything. “Bet I can defeat more than Gladio; what do you think, Specs?”

Ignoring Gladio’s vehement denial, Ignis made a considering hum. “Perhaps if Gladio decides to try and show off again, you can take out an extra soldier while he postures for one of his spins.”

“It’s an effective move!” Gladio argued over Prompto and Noctis’ laughter. Rolling his eyes, Gladio turned his eyes back to their enemy who was jerkily making their way over. “Whatever, you're on, Noct.”

Noctis’ engine blade gave a rumble as he too turned his attention to the soldiers. “Let’s do this.”

Watching Noctis toss his sword and warp towards the enemy in a shatter of crystals, Ignis dashed forward letting lightning crackle through his daggers. With a deft strike to the left, he struck the neck of one of the Magitek soldiers. The body jerked angrily, a feeble swing of its sword missing by over a foot before falling into a heap of metal. 

Turning towards the sound of gunfire, he caught Prompto and Gladio coordinating a combo that involved Prompto using Gladio’s back as a springboard to come down on a soldier with his chainsaw weapon he was still mastering. The whoop of success from the two must’ve meant the two had nailed the combo they’d been trying to get down for a while. 

He focused back on his next opponent and switched his daggers out for his polearm to sweep the three soldiers that had gotten too close to a more manageable distance away. He contemplated pulling out a flask of ice to halt the soldiers in place but knew it would do more harm to the team than good. Close-quarter fighting was not the time to use Noctis’ bottled elements. They’d all learned this the hard way on multiple hunts with burns and threatening hypothermia. 

A yelp jerked his attention towards Noctis, who was surrounded on all sides. Ignis immediately clocked the stream of blood that flowed from the cut on his upper arm. He couldn’t tell if it was serious, but by the way Noctis was clenching his jaw, it was at the very least painful. 

Ignis threw a dagger at a soldier that was getting distressingly close to Noctis’ back while the man in question was focusing his assault on the three soldiers in front of him. Ignis tried to follow the path of his dagger, pulling his polearm back out to vault himself into the air to come to Noct’s aid when he felt it. 

Shooting pain radiated from his shoulder as he was impaled on the end of a soldier’s sword. Hot blood gushed from the puncture and instinctively Ignis grabbed at the blade that stuck out of him to try and prevent the sword from being pulled out. The bleeding would only increase if the metal was removed and he couldn’t risk that. 

He’d been distracted, too caught up in making sure Noctis was defended even though he had two additional people he could rely on to watch Noctis’ back. It wasn’t even a lack of trust that caused him to react in such a way. Gladio was Noctis’ shield for Astrals' sake. No, it’s just that Ignis had a hard time stopping himself from constantly trying to be at Noctis’ side. To provide aid in any way he could.

An electrical current travels down the blade and through his shoulder in a dazzle of red bolts. He chokes on a scream, body jerking uncoordinated in its failed attempts to distance itself from the bolts frying the edges of the wound. It's an odd mix of detachment and all too aware agony that the current flows through him.

A gurgling moan reached his ears and vaguely realized it was coming from himself. Ignis could hear an uproar around him and maybe his name, but none of it was registering as more than nonsense in the wind. That wasn’t good, especially since they were all in the midst of battle. Ignis needed to get out of this situation. He needed to go help Noctis.

With an angry cry, Ignis shifted himself to the right in a quick motion, dislodging the sword from the soldier’s grip and somehow managing not to have the sword shift in his body. Probably because his collarbone and shoulder were doing an excellent job at halting the sword’s progress. Panting, he blindly backed away from the soldier who was quickly taken out by a swing of a glowing sword.

Ignis frantically tore his gaze toward the location he’d last seen Noctis only to be met with the sight of broken Magitek armor. The shattering of crystal breached his senses and he turned once more to the sky to see Noctis levitating off the ground, his arsenal floating around him in a defensive circle. 

Spectral swords of old reigned terror on their foe, but Ignis had eyes only for his prince. Furious and terrifyingly beautiful—no, this wasn’t just his prince, his king, this was Noct. His precious Noctis. The boy who used to walk hand-in-hand with him in the royal gardens donned with flower crowns. The boy he tucked close to his side up in the highest tower, blankets around their shoulders as they stared up at the constellations they could make out amongst the light pollution from the city. The young man who tried to live up to everyone’s expectations no matter how monumental a task that might be.

Despite Ignis’ fading vision, he couldn’t bring himself to tear his gaze from Noctis’ rampage. Even when he felt hands grasping at his shoulder to try and maneuver him into a better position to supposedly try and treat his wound, his focus was on Noctis. 

“Iggy, you’ve gotta lay down,” Prompto said, his voice cutting through the fog. 

Ignis wanted to protest, to urge Prompto’s attention back to the battle, but all he managed to croak out was, “Noct?”

Prompto let out a nervous, high-pitch laugh, the kind he let out when he wasn’t entirely sure how to handle the situation and he needed to break the tension. “Noct’s got it under control.” Prompto prodded delicately around the sword still lodged through him and Ignis hissed at the fresh wave of pain that cut through the numbness that was threatening his consciousness. “Shit, okay sorry, Iggy. We’ve gotta get this thing out of you.”

Ignis lazily shook his head. “The bleeding.”

“No, I know you’re bleeding, that’s why we need to heal you.”

He wasn’t positive but he knew their stock of potions was running low and he was determined to make sure Noct was looked at first. “Save them for Noct,” Ignis grits out. 

There was a thud beside him and a meaty hand joined Prompto’s in inspecting his wound. “Yeah, Iggy, don’t even start with that crap,” Gladio said. “Noctis will throw a fit if he hears you say that.” Perhaps, but Ignis could be stubborn about this until he knew the extent of Noctis’ injuries. “Can’t believe I have to do this… Noct, get over here!”

He squinted at the blast of crystalline magic that Noctis’ practically erupted out of in his mad dash to reach him. It was almost laughable, the way his limbs almost got tangled up in each other as he collapsed in a messy kneel on his good side. Maybe he was a bit worse off than he originally thought. 

“Hey, Iggy,” Noctis said. Noctis’ voice was always so soft when he said Ignis’ name. A hand cupped his cheek and Ignis leaned into Noctis’ hand because it had to be his. He recognized the callouses against his skin, the little scab on Noctis’ thumb from a mishap with one of his lures that he figured would heal on its own. “You seem a bit pinned down.”

Ignis let out a weak, amused snort. “Didn’t quite make the cut I suppose.” Not his best work as far as puns go, but he blamed the blood loss. 

Noctis’ chuckle was music to his ears. “That was terrible, Specs.”

“You still laughed.”

“It was a pity laugh.”

Ignis gave a noncommittal hum. “Maybe so, but a laugh is a laugh.”

 “Can we heal Ignis now, or are you two going to continue flirting?” Gladio asked. “Because you’re seriously losing too much blood.”

Ignis probably would’ve had an intelligent retort about Gladio and Prompto’s own flirting attempts if he didn’t lose consciousness before he could respond. 

He comes to with a familiar grogginess clinging to his mind. It should alarm him that he's used to waking up like this, the dredges of a potion still faint in his mouth. But Noctis has taken to experimenting with the different drinks he uses to make his healing concoctions and always tries to give Ignis the Ebony-flavored ones. 

The weight of a hand curled tightly around him pulls his attention toward his companion. Noctis is hunched over beside him, his head periodically dropping as he fights sleep. Ignis knows that Noctis will be regretting that posture later when his scar tissue flairs in angry stabs along his back. He wants to reach out and correct it or at the very least pull him down so that Noctis is laying beside him. He just can't get his arm to cooperate.

Settling to verbally get Noctis' attention, he quietly cleared his throat. "Noct," he said, voice rough with sleep. Ignis can't quite hold back the snort of laughter he lets out at the disgruntled jerk Noctis makes at the noise. "You should lay down."

"Ignis," Noctis breathes, a smile wrinkling his eyes in the beautiful way Ignis wants life to document Noct's joy. "You had us worried."

The battle is fresh in his mind, the pounding of boots as Magitek soldiers swarmed them. He remembers the flash of steel before it'd skewered him through the shoulder. The Lichtenberg of electricity that'd raced down his arm and fanned out from his fingertips. The spasming of his limbs as the power took its toll on him.

But mostly he remembers Noct. He remembers the fury in Noctis’ actions and the gentleness he returned to Ignis’ side with. He vaguely remembers sharing a few words together, a contentedness warring with the state of his body at the time, and then nothing. 

He wets his lips and tilts his head to examine Noctis closer. “Are you alright?” Ignis asked.

Noctis rolled his eyes with a huff and flopped over beside him like a child. “Of course, that’s the first thing you ask,” Noctis said, but he didn’t sound upset, more disgruntled than anything. “I’m perfectly fine, you’re the one who was really injured.”

“Good thing I had you to come to my rescue.” The soft teasing at his own expense is a small price to pay for Noctis’ annoyance shifting to a familiar smirk. 

“I’d always come to your rescue, Iggy.” The smirk shifts to a quiet, honest smile. “Always.” He still looked concerned as he ran his free hand down the new scars on Ignis’ arm. “Would you let me use another potion?”

Noctis knows that he’s plenty capable of doing what he wants, but the fact that he still asks Ignis these things reminds Ignis of how much his lover cares about Ignis’ opinion. He may not always listen, but he asks. 

The numbness in his arm is still strong, but the Lichtenberg pattern that had crept towards his hand has faded some since it first marred his flesh. Likely a hi-potion will take care of any lingering effects but Ignis is hesitant to use a resource that they're running low on when he can allow the wound to heal after a night's rest. "I'll be right as rain tomorrow," Ignis reassured.

Noctis sent him a skeptical look, his other hand not currently holding Ignis' reached up to cup Ignis' face. "Promise me that if it still hurts in the morning you'll use another potion," Noctis said.

Any reluctance he had about using a potion wilted under Noct's pleading face. “If it will assuage any fears you might have about my well-being, I promise.”

The victorious grin he received made his heart flutter violently in his chest. He tugged Noctis’ hand closer to him until Noctis picked up on his desire and shuffled closer until he could plaster himself to Ignis’ side. He carefully laid his head against Ignis’ chest and let out a content sigh. “Wake me if you need me?”

“I always need you.”

A muffled whine was buried against his chest. “Sap,” Noctis whispered like it was a secret how much they cared about each other. 

Ignis only pressed a kiss as well as he could against Noctis’ head. 

[despairots]

#   ⌒ THE PAST IS THE PAST

𖥦 ˖⁩ ࣪ ִֶָ you weren’t ignoring him, oh no, no… you were just afraid of losing someone again.

★ ( ˶ˆ꒳ˆ˵ ) › prompto x gn! reader — slightly angst & fluff!!

tw: sewerslide, death!

“i don’t know what’s up with them lately.” prompto pouted crossing his arms, observing his s/o. lately, prompto has been getting injuries more often and his s/o completely just started ignoring him, “they just ignoring me!” prompto whined as noctis looked at his s/o.

“you sure you didn’t do anything to anger them?” noctis asked with raised eyebrows, prompto’s s/o playing in the flower field, “i don’t know what i did..” prompto trailed off fiddling with his bandage around his arm.

“i’m sure you didn’t do anything.” gladio reassured, patting prompto’s back, “hey iggy!” “hm?” ignis hummed indirecting he was listening.

“you’re they childhood friend, right? can you talk to them for me, please? if i do it, they’ll ignore me.” prompto pleaded, nocts facepalming at the pleading boy, ignis sighed closing the book he was reading. “i guess i can talk to them.” prompto cheered at ignis’s answer.

“thank you, iggy!” said person nodded heading towards the h/c, ‘time to find out what i did.’ prompto thought, engaging himself into conversations with the 2 other boys, waiting for ignis to come back with the answer.

₍ '𖦹 ˕ 🍙 ᨒ IGNIS’S

“why are you avoiding your boyfriend?” i asked, y/n sighing, placing the flower crown onto their lap, “nothing-“ “it’s clearly nothing if your boyfriend is whining about it.” i cut them off, them staying silent.

“why do you care?” they asked continuing their flower crown, “i’m not the one, prompto is. he’s been all down and that’s pretty much a rare thing to happen.” “iggy, you probably know already.” y/n answered putting back their white and black gloves. “i’m just scared of losing him. his been getting more injuries lately and i’m getting scared that one day his gonna leave!”

“so, i’m trying my best to avoid him, so i won’t have to beat myself up when he dies without me!” they explained burying their face into their hands, “i just don’t wanna lose him like i did with her…” i closed my eyes remembering the pain and despair in their eyes when their love and laughter was found dead.

they committed is all i have to say. small tears escaped y/n’s eyes as i pulled them into a side hug letting their tears stain my shirt, “please tell him i’m sorry.” i looked down to him, “i think it’s better you do it face-to-face, he’s been missing his comfort.” i lightly smiled to them as they returned the gesture.

“yeah, i will… soon.”

“supper’s ready!” ignis called everybody, placing the food down as everyone dug in, ‘i should do it when his finish.’ i thought, not feeling the eyes burning into me.

after everybody was done to which was fast, i quickly grabbed prompto’s wrist, dragging him to the other side where no one could find us. “wah! y/n, what was that for?” i shuffled feet as prompto looked at me concerned, “i just wanted to say… i’m sorry. for avoiding you.” i said awkwardly, scratching my mape.

he grinned, patting my head, “it’s fine!” i smiled at him before it disappeared again, “just.. promise me something.” “hm? what is it?” “stop getting yourself in so much danger, please, i don’t want to lose you.” i continued as prompto’s eyes widened.

never have he known that was the reason they’ve been ignoring him recently, they didn’t want him to keep putting himself in danger, “hey y/n…” they sniffled, wiping the small tears away as prompto chuckled at it.

“stop crying, i promise i’ll stop putting myself in danger just answer this one question… ignis told me, you had someone else before me a long time ago, what happened?” prompto asked wiping the extra tears away.

“her name was isa, she was a beautiful girl, had short brown hair and purple eyes, i loved her with every fibre over my body but then.. she died. i found her dead in her room, we were going to have a date but she killed herself, the last thing she gave me was her guitar along with a note saying, “it’s not your time to day, not ever, not now… it’s yours now.”

y/n broke down, clutching onto prompto’s shirt as he looked down at his s/o other in pity. “hey, hey, look at me. i promise, i won’t ever leave you, promise me you will never leave me, m’kay? the past is the past, isa would’ve loved seeing you here today, so promise?”

now that day was the day y/n faced the past they thought will haunt them today, promising their newly lover a promising choice but like people say promises are meant to be broken…

“prompto!”

“hey, atleast we’re dying together…”

“heh, right.. i love you.”

“so cliché~, i love you too.”

[scientiastudy]

The Night Shift (Chapter II)

Chapter 1.

Grief is a funny thing, quiet as the night and loud as a bomb all at once.

Pairing: Ignis Scientia x Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Rating: T

Content: Heavy angst, major character death, established relationship, grieving, canon-compliant

Author's Note: I promise I'm going to write happy Iggy stuff soon I promise. I just needed to round out this story bc it felt a little incomplete to me. Anyways next up is some happy fluffy Ignis that y'all are gonna eat up ;)

When Ignis finds out about the attack on Insomnia, everything stops.

For a moment he just stares at the newspaper on the stand, shock coursing through his veins. On the cover is a picture of Insomnia in flames. Magitek troopers dot the streets as smoke billows from his home– their home.

His mind flashes to his uncle and his parents, who are undoubtedly back in the city. The urge to call them makes his fingers instinctively twitch towards his phone. He resists it, his first duty is to relay this news to the prince.

Then, a revelation that knocks his world off its axis.

You.

The Citadel would no doubt be a target in the siege. Ignis is no fool, he knows what happens to servants loyal to their masters during an occupation, especially when those masters are part of the regime that’s being overthrown.

A pit of despair grows in his stomach, the dark ball growing and growing until it feels like it may consume him whole. He fights to keep his composure, his hands flexing at his sides as he tries to calm himself. His duty to the Prince is first before everything. He cannot fail now, not with the weight of Insomnia on their backs.

His hand shakes as he grabs a paper off the stand, wordlessly handing over 5 gil to the clerk as he makes his way back to the room they had booked for the night. As he walks he scans over the article, his stomach sinking as he reads. When he reaches the room he tries to school his expression into one of neutrality before he opens the door, ultimately failing when he catches the gaze of his prince. After so many years Noct has gained an uncanny ability to read his retainer’s mood.

“What’s that look for?” He asks, the innocence in his eyes making Ignis dread his news all the more. He hands the newspaper to Gladiolus silently, not able to meet the gaze of his Prince.

“It’s in all the papers.” He replies, fighting to keep his voice steady as his emotions rush back anew.

“What is?” the Prince asks, his voice slightly agitated.

“‘Insomnia… falls.’” Prompto reads the headline aloud. Ignis tightens his jaw. He cannot lose his composure now. His duty is to care for the Prince, who is going to need him more than ever. He silently thanks the Astrals that everyone’s eyes are on the paper as he feels a lump grow in his throat. Not now, later. He promises himself.

“Is this your idea of a joke?” Noct barks, reeling Ignis back to reality. He bristles slightly at his accusatory tone.

“I need you to calm down so I can explain,” Ignis says, finding familiarity in the disciplinary nature of his own tone. This is familiar, this is what he has done for the past 16 years. He can do discipline, he can do parental, he can do this.

“I’m as calm as I’m gonna get,” Noct shoots back, advancing on Ignis as if to intimidate him.

“There was an attack,” Ignis begins slowly, choosing his words wisely. “The Imperial army has taken the Crown City.” Just as Noct begins to open his mouth again, Gladiolus begins reading from the paper.

“‘As treaty room tempers flared, blasts lit the night sky. When the smoke about the Citadel had cleared, the King was found… dead,’”

“No- wait- hold on-” Noct stutters. Denial clouds his tone as Ignis steels himself for the fit to come.

“We had no way of knowing,” He replies, knowing it is of little consolation to the Prince. After all, it is of little consolation to himself.

“What? Knowing what?” Noct retorts, advancing on his advisor once again.

“That the signing was last night– that Insomnia,” Noctis cuts him off.

“But the wedding- Altissia-” He says, his voice rising.

“I know,” Ignis says, his own voice rising as he turns to face Noctis, his patience running thin. “That was the plan, yet the reports of the invasion are all the same. How could every headline in the kingdom be wrong?”

“Lies,” Noct hisses back.

“If only,” Prompto mutters, and for once Ignis is grateful to have the blond tagging along. Better Noct hear it from a friend than him.

“What else do we know?” Gladio asks, ever the tactician. Ignis shakes his head. There is nothing to know, the Empire are no fools, they’ve undoubtedly cut all communication lines, save their own, from the capital. “Well, then we can’t be sure until we see it with our own eyes,”

“And that means we go back to Insomnia,” Prompto adds. Ignis bristles at the suggestion. Yes, Prompto is hotheaded, but he’d never imagine he’d go this far. And Gladio? He should know better.

“It is not safe for us there,” Ignis retorts, stating the obvious,

“Yeah, well it isn’t safe for us here,” Prompto shoots back. Ignis hates that he’s right.

“Turn back?” Gladiolus asks Noctis, all eyes in the room landing on the Prince, who sits in quiet shock.

After a long pause, Noct breaks his silence.

“Yeah.”

Gladio and Prompto nod their assent, and Ignis joins them despite his trepidation. This is Noctis’s journey now, not his.

“I’m gonna see if I can get ahold of Iris,” The Shield says after a moment, making his way towards the door. Before he exits, he puts a hand on Ignis’s shoulder, drawing him close. “You should try and call her, just in case.”

Ignis nods silently, following Gladiolus outside as Prompto sits down next to Noctis. Ignis has never been more grateful for the blond than he is in this moment. A friend can comfort the Prince better than he and Gladiolus can.

The two servants walk in silence, parting ways when they reach the parking lot. Gladio walks towards the rocky crags of the hills while Ignis makes his way to the shoreline, his shoes sinking into the sand.

When he pulls out his phone, he doesn’t immediately dial. His heart sinks as he realizes he’s faced with a choice: call and face the painful truth or live in anxious ignorance.

The emotions from before well up in him. He’s angry, angry at the Empire, angry at the world. But most of all? He’s angry at himself.

He hates that he wasn’t there for you when you needed him the most. He hates that he’s bound to his post when all he wants to do is jump into the Regalia and tear the heart out of the Imperial occupation himself.

For a brief moment his anger boils over and he curses his family for swearing a life of service. He curses his post, curses that his loyalty to the Prince won over his loyalty to the woman he loves. He stares at the black screen of his phone and briefly debates throwing it into the sea. He imagines himself taking the Regalia and never looking back. He’d shack up somewhere quiet like Maidenwater and live in blissful ignorance, no kings, no princes, no crystals or rings. But just as quick as the thought comes he banishes it.

His loyalty is here, his life is here. Whether he had known it or not, the moment he had stepped out of Insomnia he had made his choice. There was no backing out now, he’d see it through to the end.

With his resolve steeled, he unlocks his phone. His thumb hovers over your name, a picture of you grinning greeting him.

His mind flashes back to when he’d taken the photo. You two had a rare day when your schedules aligned and you’d gone to the Insomnia market together. There had been a stall selling rare berries and fruits imported from Altissa and across Eos. You had spent your own money on a small basket of them for yourself and Ignis. He had never seen someone take such joy in such a small thing, your lips stained red from the fruits as you gushed about the tastes. Ignis hadn’t been able to resist taking a photo of you as you smiled at him. In that moment there were no gods or kings, just you and him.

His grip on his phone tightens as remorse floods him. All he can think about are all the nights he came home to an empty house, the notes in his ingredient baskets that went unanswered. He remembers all the mornings he woke up after you had gone to sleep, how it had pained him to leave you alone in your shared quarters.

He remembers the rare mornings you spent together before the sun rose. Dozens of images flash in front of his eyes: you in an apron making pancakes, the way you smiled when you came home and saw he was awake, how you’d carefully split the newspaper in half so you both could read as you ate.

Bitter tears rise in his eyes as he remembers he’ll never have any of it again.

Realistically, he knows there’s nothing he could have done. Had they still been in Insomnia, they would have undoubtedly been killed just as the King had. There was no reason to take you on their journey either. While you were proficient at all things in the way of housekeeping you had no combat skill and no strategic abilities. Not to mention that depriving the Citadel of its royal housekeeper would be a massive blow to the staff on duty.

However logical these thoughts may be, they don’t stop the flow of emotions threatening to drown Ignis under their waves. Anger, grief, regret, guilt, hurt, and a choking sadness that he fears will strike him down where he stands.

He moves to turn his phone off and return it to his pocket, but his shaking fingers accidentally press the call button instead. He holds his breath as he sees the call begin, reluctantly raising the phone to his ear.

He feels an ember of hope stir in his chest as the line rings, his brain racing to create a scenario where you survived. Maybe you had been at the market when the Imperials struck and been saved the worst of the combat, or the Imperials had simply taken you prisoner to maintain the Citadel. Maybe you had even made it out of the city and were sitting somewhere in a refugee camp waiting for his call.

However, as the line trills on, he feels that ember of hope slowly flicker and dim.

It’s when your voicemail message plays that he loses his composure.

Your sweet voice echoes through his speakers as he feels tears rise in his eyes again. He curses everything as he drops his phone into the sand. He curses the Imperial army, the Six, himself, his duty, anything he can think of. He curses the cruel world that would take his love away from him so soon, glaring at the heavens through his tears.

‘If you are listening, if you are there, I will never forgive you,’ He thinks. ‘I will guide Noctis to you, I will fulfill my position, but know that you will never have my gratitude again.’

He takes a few steadying breaths, slowly leaning down to pick his phone up out of the sand and mentally steeling himself for what is to come.

When he turns around and meets Gladiolus’s gaze, he shakes his head in solemn acknowledgment.

His heart, now beating for yours, cracks in his chest.