Archive of Our Own

“ What!? Dude, no, no, no! “Prompto wailed in despair as his character was knocked off the cliff by Noctis’. The sound of ensuing button mashing to try and get the digital fighter onto stable footing was almost violent as it was pointless, as the character slid off screen. Prompto groaned in defeat, shoving at his friend’s shoulder.

“ That move was totally illegal!” He accused, gesturing wildly.

Noctis snorted with a roll of his eyes.

“ Since when?” he demanded, a smirk playing on his face, “ I see you use it in solo mode every chance you get. “

Prompto whined and turned to look at the older pair of their group. Gladio, who’d been only idly watching the match looked up from his phone and raised an eyebrow. “ Seems fair to me, use what you gotta to win, right?” he asked just to watch the younger man’s face fall, “ Who knew his Royal Laziness was actually paying attention though?” he added and Noctis glowered in turn at him.

“ I’m afraid I agree with Gladio on this one, Prompto. “ Ignis offeredd, “ Though I must admit that I didn’t see Noctis using any official training advice coming from a mile off.”

“ What are you two? “ Noctis huffed at them over the edge of his soda, “The asshole tag-team champions now?”

“ Team Mom and Dad for the win, right?” Gladio snarked and even Ignis couldn’t resist the smirk that curled his features at Noctis’ groan and Prompto’s laugh.

“ Should have never have made that joke, dude.” Prompto noted, poking his friend in the shoulder, who swatted at him in annoyance. “ The ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ shirts were a mistake.”

“ Big talk from the guy who just got beat using his own move,” Noctis noted, and Prompto scowled again, picking up his controller and pressing the ‘start’ button. It cleared the ’Game Over font on the screen and tallied up the points earned in the last round.

It was a surprisingly tight running score between the pair of them, Gladio noted.

He was kind of glad his plans got cancelled for the night. It’d been awhile since they’d had a Saturday night in, just the four of them. Regis gave Noctis Sundays off, which meant that half the time Prompto was over. It was expected Ignis was to be there, and Gladio came when he could. He’d missed it, really, the stupid comments, the good food, and the feeling of comradery.

Ignis had mentioned earlier that week that the younger pair of their friends had missed his company something fierce. Gladio, being who he was, had agreed to show even before he knew he’d be clear for the evening. It was hard to pretend that he didn’t savor every moment the four of them spent together, even doing something as pointless as watching Noctis taunt Prompto, who fell for it every time.

Gladio reached out a foot, nudging Prompto in the back none too gently. “ Hey, “ he prodded again, “Gimme the controller, I’ll show you and the Princess how it’s done.”

Noctis snorted, rolling his eyes at the challenge. Prompto handed over the controller though, almost warily which made Gladio all the more impatient to prove his prowess at the game. Brats thought he was all muscle and no brain. He pointedly ignored the look that Ignis shot him, full of knowing and only vague judgement.

“ Shut up,” he muttered to the adviser, who merely sipped his wine and made a dismissive sound at the command.

“ Wouldn’t dream of denouncing your skills, Gladio.” He chided, though the smirk did widen. Noctis restarted the game, and set about setting up the match between him and the Shield. Gladio was far from humble when the match went to him instead of the Prince. Ignis was the one who claimed the controller from Noctis. None of them expected the stunning victory he took over Gladio in the next match.

Things devolved from there, ending in laughter, taunting and name calling. It was nice, and well after midnight when Ignis declared it time for bed. He’d herded his two younger lovers with ease, each bidding Gladio good night, or what was left of it.

As the bedroom door clicked shut, Gladio thumbed the home button on his phone and frowned to himself. It was harder to forget when he was left alone in the silence of the apartment.

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Later that night, Noctis awoke with a gasp, terror flooding his veins. For a moment the echo of pain he’d experienced as a child echoed through him and he couldn’t move. His heart pounded and his shirt felt sticky with the cold sweat clinging to him. He was in his room, his room that was safe and protected. Ignis lay behind him, one arm thrown over his waist and forehead pressed against the back of Noctis’ shoulders.

Prompto lay on the other side of Ignis, and for once Noctis was glad of that. He wasn’t sure he was in any state to answer questions or be coddled in comfort by them. Not when it was an old dream and he’d bothered the pair of them enough with it. Even if they claimed it was no bother. He slipped free of his lover’s grip, ignoring the way his legs trembled as he put weight of them. It was better than throwing up though, he figured.

His stomach gave a half-uncertain roll at the thought.

Noctis stumbled out of his bedroom and by some mirical of the Six, made it to the living room without incident. The television was still on, but Noctis assumed that the man on the couch was asleep. With eyes almost closed, he collapsed onto the other end of the couch, grabbing the soft blanket that was draped over the back of it tugging it around him with a quiet sigh.

He curled his legs up as close as he could get them, blearily staring at the screen of the television before they slipped closed again. Not to sleep, the nightmare lingered too close under his skin to do that. Though knowing all three of his friends were close at hand did something to soothe the slowly receding fear.

He’d managed to find some steady peace when he felt more than heard his Shield shift on the couch next to him. “ Hey, you okay?” Gladio asked, pitching his voice so it wouldn’t travel through the apartment.

Noctis’ eyes fluttered open and he nodded slowly as he looked towards the bigger man. Who was, apparently, less asleep than what Noctis had assumed. “ Yeah, just a nightmare,” he shrugged sloppily, “easier to calm down with some space to clear my head.”

Gladio didn’t reply, didn’t ask what he’d dreamed of. Just hummed in acknowledgement. Which Noctis was glad for, because the idea of describing his nightmare made him want to be ill. It was more memory than dream anyway, but in his dream his father never showed up to drive back the daemon that had nearly killed him as a kid. He dreamed he died slowly, and that there was nothing he could do about it.

He swallowed roughly to push the memory of the dream back to the fringes of his thoughts. Time for a subject change, definitely.

“ I’m surprised you didn’t skip out on us earlier,” Noctis noted from his end of the couch. “ You kept looking at your phone like you had a hot date texting you.”

Noctis ignored the sour burn in his gut at the thought and tugged his blanket around himself tighter. How many times did Ignis tell him through the years that just because he was Prince, didn’t mean he’d always get what he wanted? A lot. Noctis was pretty sure the answer was ‘a lot’.

In this instance though, that didn’t seem very fair because Gladio was already his. He had been since Noct was a kid, even when the pair of them didn’t get along so well. Noctis thought he was perfectly allowed to be annoyed at the idea of someone touching and claiming what belonged to himself.

Gladio might not have been his in the way that Ignis and Prompto were, but he still had a hell of a lot more claim to the man than anyone outside the Amicitia family did.

Gladio’s huff of laughter seemed loud in the hushed darkness of the living-room. Only the glow from the television illuminated them, and the sound was down low enough that the voices on screen were just quiet murmurs. “ Yeah, I wish. “ The Shield mused, thumb running over the dark screen of his phone again.

Noctis raised an eyebrow, but didn’t lift his head from the arm-rest of the couch. “ What, no rumble-tumble for Gladio recently?” he asked. Gladio pulled a face at his phrasing, like it pained him to have to have heard what he did.

“ That is the worst euphemism I have ever heard, “ the bigger man groaned, pressing the home button on his phone again to show the locked home-screen. Noctis got a glimpse of an upside down picture of Iris and Gladio, making a face for the camera, selfie-style.

Noctis yawned, eyes fluttering briefly with the urge to sink back into sleep. “ Gimme a break. It’s three in the morning,” he yawned again, “ and Prompto’s here. “ He added like that made all the sense in the world.

Gladio grunted in agreement. The excuse that Prompto was over, was completely legitimate. Anytime the two seemed to get within the same room, it was like their worst instincts took over and they developed a hive-mind. It was fucking creepy at times, in the Shield’s opinion.

“ Then go to sleep already.”

Noctis’ eyes closed accordingly, and the world did that pleasant little spin when sleep was tugging at his brain already. He fought it though, just for a little while longer. Even if Gladio sounded exasperated at his excuse.

“ How come you weren’t with Aurelia tonight?” he asked a little too casually, and maybe he was a little bit of a coward for not opening his eyes to meet the amber gaze he could feel pinning him to the couch.

There was a tight sigh, and the Prince could imagine the look of annoyance as the proverbial walls came back up around his friend. “ Go to sleep, Noct.” Gladio sighed, “ and mind your own damn business.” He sounded almost defeated.

That was enough to pry his eyes back open a sliver to peer at Gladio. The Shield wasn’t even looking at him, staring into blank space at the television which was proclaiming something about top of the line kitchen knives cheerfully. He had one hand in a fist, biting onto his thumbnail.

It was an action the Prince had never seen the other man do.

“ Answer my question first,” Noctis muttered petulantly. Gladio’s gaze flicked to his phone and back up. Noctis contemplated taking the phone from him and hiding it. Selfishly he wanted Gladio’s attention and answer on him, not on that stupid phone.

He was about to prod him again when Gladio sighed deeply and let his hand fall away from his mouth.

“ We broke-“ he gestured vaguely in front of himself, “- whatever we were off. “

Noctis was quiet for a long moment. Because somehow he didn’t think proclaiming ‘good’ when someone mentioned breaking up with someone was a wise idea. That didn’t mean he didn’t think it, that something powerful and possessive didn’t make his heart clench at the information. Because he could still win the game.

“ She say why?” he asked carefully.

Gladio snorted, head falling back to rest against the back of the couch, gaze turned to the ceiling. Noctis kind of wanted to crawl across the couch until he could straddle the bigger man and just mark up his throat until there was no doubt about who his Shield could possibly belong too.

Make the woman regret what she’d let go.

“ Said that I wanted more than she could give.” Gladio replied, painfully neutral.

Noctis, momentarily, was glad that neither he nor either of his lovers had ever met the woman who Gladio had willingly subbed for. Because if he had, there was a chance her political and social life would have been thoroughly slandered and destroyed if Noctis had his way. Even Ignis wouldn’t be able to reign him in.

“ Courtesy of affection?” he mumbled before he could stop himself. There was no hiding the bitter disapproval there. Not that he made much effort to do so. Gladio stiffened next to him, and Noctis instantly regretted his choice of words.

It had been three months since the three of them had found out about, well, just what sorts of things the Shield got up to in his down time. It had been a shock to learn something so intimate about his friend. Well, crush really, if Noctis was being honest with himself. He’d spent half his years of puberty ogling the bigger man under guise of training. The only reason he hadn’t said anything was that it was clear the Shield was with someone.

Noctis wasn’t someone to ruin another’s happiness.

That day they’d found Gladio in his apartment, looking lost as if he’d just been thrown into a strange place, had been wrenching. ‘Subdrop’ they’d later learned, after they’d taken care of him and made sure that Gladio actually slept. They’d all piled onto the Shield’s bed and chilled, talking. Well Prompto and Noctis had spoken, Ignis had spent a great deal of time reading on his phone.

When Ignis had read off the signs of the state, a few things had clicked. The fact that he’d gone through the days after a scene dropped, for a length of time that Gladio had never actually told them, had actually infuriated Noctis. He’d started missing training sessions on purpose on those days. One of the three of them made a point to spend time or touch the big man.

More than once Ignis had spent the night with Gladio, out of his own concern and that of the other two. Ignis had one hell of a poker face Noctis knew, but he’d been able to see the anger in the other man’s eyes when he discovered that it was a common occurrence for Aurelia to play and leave. He’d cursed Gladio’s stubbornness and cursed the woman. Noctis had agreed.

In the dark of the living-room he could see Gladio regarding him, jaw clenched against words he was sure were killing him not to say.

“ Fuck off, Noctis.” He finally bit out.

Noctis sat up properly with a groan from being hunched over as he had been. There was a hazy feeling of annoyance rolling off the bigger man, and all it’d take was a spark to make it outright anger.

“ No. “

Gladio exhaled sharply, lip curling in a sneer at him.

“ Fine, I’ll go. “ He moved to stand, and Noctis knew, knew that if he let him that’d be the end of it. So he lunged, right across the couch in a flurry of blanket and limbs. It ended with Gladio grunting, hands on Noctis’ sides and Noctis himself straddling the taller man’s thighs as he glared at him.

“ I’m not done talking, Gladio.” He breathed in warning.

Gladio’s hands tightened on Noctis’ sides, almost painfully, and for the first time in a long time the Prince realized just how thoroughly the other man outsized him. It didn’t deter him in the slightest. Noctis’ own hands fell on the Shield’s shoulders.

“ Like I’m supposed to give a shit?” Gladio growled out, “ Get off of me, Noctis.”

“ My place, my rules,” he ground out, “ and you don’t get to leave until I say what I need to, am I clear?”

He was close enough to Gladio that he could see the other man’s nostrils flare in anger, and pre-emptively he dropped his weight onto the other man, sitting like a stone as he’d been taught as a kid against kid-napping. Turned out, he was a clingy stone.

“ What do you even wanna say, Princess? “ his muscles were like corded steel under Noctis’ hands, “ You’ve never approved of that anyway, so what fucking gives?!”

Noctis almost relented in shock. Never approved? The only thing Noctis had never approved of about his friend’s tendencies, was that he’d chosen the wrong person to indulge them with. His lips parted slightly, confusion making his features scrunch.

“ I never disapproved, Gladio.”

“Bullshit!” The Shield scoffed, features still pulled into a snarl, and it wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine his words a growl. Noctis could feel the rumble of them through skin, muscle and bone.

Noctis didn’t reply right away, and he saw the other man swallow heavily.

“ You fucking avoided me, for days. You wouldn’t-” Gladio breathed, confusion pinching his features, “-you wouldn’t talk to me, look at me, unless I was in your fucking face, Noct. “ Gladio’s gaze didn’t waver from his own. “ Half the time you still don’t. How the fuck is that not disapproval?”

He said it, as if it had meant everything to him. Noctis wanted to close his eyes at the words.

He wanted to curl his arms around the man and just explain that it had never been Gladio he’d found unappealing. What he’d found unappealing was the state that his friend’s lover would leave him in like, like he was a fucking game. That Gladiolus Amicitia, Sworn Shield to Noctis, was a toy to be played with and discarded at her fucking leisure.

“ Gladio I-“ he hesitated, because three in the morning, tired, and scared was not how he pictured confessing to the other man. “-I never disapproved of you, or what you do in your own place.” He pressed his forehead against the Shield’s, “ I only ever disapproved of who you chose to do it with.”

The Prince tightened his hands in the black, whisper-soft cotton of Gladio’s shirt. He willed the bigger man to believe him, wanted to plead with him to see it. He could feel the tremble of tension in the other man and he wanted to soothe it away, to prove himself. Gladio was his to protect, his to claim and his to love in all aspects and manner.

Gladio exhaled sharply at the not-quite confession, his pulse pounding in his throat.

“ Explain. Right the fuck now, or I dump your sorry royal ass on the floor.” Gladio hissed, not in anger. Well, not in anger alone.

There was something in Gladio’s expression, something fragile and distressed. It was under the anger, under the hurt, and Noctis realized it was fear. Fear that what his friends had discovered about him, what Noctis had discovered, would ruin whatever they had of their friendship. That this was it.

“ I’ve been more than half in love with you since I was fifteen.” Noctis answered, didn’t hesitate. Privately he applauded himself for not fucking up the sentence too badly. His admissions to Ignis and Prompto had been far less straight-forward and full of a slip up or ten.

Gladio exhaled a shuddering sigh, as if the admission were the last straw, too much and not enough. For a moment the shoulders under Noctis’ hands slumped just slightly, before Gladio’s tension crept back into his form.

“ Wait, what about Ignis and Prompto?” He asked, and Noctis fought to keep his hands on the man’s shoulders, to not brush over his cheeks or to press a kiss against his lips to quiet that worry he could hear.

Neither of them realized that their voices had raised to near shouting levels over the course of their conversation.

“ We have no problem with it.” Came the cultured, if sleep-roughened answer. “ We haven’t for quite some time, I must admit.”

Both of their heads whipped around to stare at Ignis, who stood in the hallway wearing nothing but his sleep clothes. Prompto was tucked under one of his arms, leaning into the taller man. He yawned blatantly, waving a dismissive hand at them.

“ Noct’s not exactly subtle, y’know? “ Prompto pointed out, “ And Iggy’s pretty fond of your ass, too.”

Gladio’s gaze shifted to Ignis in surprise, who stood a little straighter. In the dark of the night, it was impossible to see the faint blush on the tactician’s face. He cleared his throat pointedly, pinching the younger man in the side, who yelped.

“ Yes, thank you Prompto.”

Prompto, the little shit, merely winked at him in reply.

Gladio looked between the three of them, and this time when he pushed against Noctis the Prince moved back. Mostly because the action lacked any anger or hurt. He took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face.

“ It’s three somethin’ in the morning. Someone just spell out what the fuck is happening right now.” He requested of them.

“ Noctis is admitting to have been in love with you for years,” Prompto noted groggily, “ Ignis and I are cool with it, and kind of curious how you’d feel about making it work two more ways.”

Ignis stared hard at Prompto, pinching him again, to which the younger man glowered at him for. Ignis ignored the look and returned his attention to Gladio.

“ Yes, well,” he started, “While Prompto isn’t wrong and far more interested in sharing more than is relevant-“ Prompto hummed contently next to him, arm slipping around Ignis’ waist in reply. “Three in the morning is not how or when I pictured this occurring. “

Noctis huffed a nervous chuckle, before slowly looking back at Gladio. He shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the quiet regard in which the bigger man held him for a long moment.

“ So?” Noctis asked, unable to help himself from prodding.

“ Lemme sleep on it, “ Gladio answered quietly. It wasn’t quite a disappointing answer but it wasn’t the most encouraging either. Noctis tried to console himself with that thought. He mostly failed. Noctis nodded slowly and he slid from his perch, standing.

“ Sleep well, Gladio. “ Noctis offered as he meandered towards his two lovers who stood waiting patiently.

“ You too, Highness.” Gladio replied quietly, knowing damn well he’d not get sleep that night. He thumbed his phone and tapped to his text messages. The last one he sent Aurelia was still there, glaring up at him.

To: Aurelia
Yesterday- 11:45 A.M.

What did I do wrong?

Gladio flicked his thumb over the screen, lowering it to see the response that had been uselessly provided.

From: Aurelia
Yesterday – 11:45 A.M.

This number is no longer in service. Your message could not be delivered.

Gladio sighed and clicked his phone to black-screen. He had some thinking to do.

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The morning came, and Ignis sighed into the shock of black hair that belonged to Noctis. On his other side, a blond tuft of hair represented Prompto. It felt nice, to be cuddled between his two lovers, truly. As if the day might just slow down a touch to let the moment be preserved.

That thought was shattered when his stomach rumbled in hunger. Which meant that the two boys, and they would always be ‘boys’ no matter how old they actually grew, were going to wake hungry as well. Which meant that it was left to Ignis to actually prepare the meal itself.

He slipped free of the loose grip Noctis held him in, eliciting a small, sleepy, and confused noise. Ignis let a gentle smile curve his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head to soothe him. As soon as he was free of the pair, Noctis stole what had been his spot. Almost immediately his arms were coiled around Prompto like a deranged octopus.

Ignis ambled out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. He paused at the edge of the living-room and noted the lumpy form of the Shield stretched out on the couch.

A wash of mixed emotions swelled in his chest at the sight. Prompto had not been wrong earlier that morning. Ignis was incredibly fond of the bigger man, and he easily considered him one of his best friends. Despite their differing opinions on some matters.

Ignis was also not blind. He’d known about Noctis’ affections for months before his younger lover had dared voice them to himself. Truly, Ignis had no issue with the Prince pursuing a relationship with his Shield. He had been content to see Noctis’ attention shift to Prompto before-hand. Though Ignis could not have foreseen his own heart becoming entangled with the photographer, which had been a pleasant surprise.

For all of them, he recalled.

Their relationship was far from traditional. Adding Gladio to the mix would only drive further from the idea of ‘normal’ as well. Ignis meandered into the kitchen, setting about to get the coffee brewing. Ignis vanished into the bathroom to attend his morning routine.

By time he emerged, the smell of Ebony wafted through the apartment, and Ignis felt his mind perk up at the mere smell of it.

He returned to the kitchen eagerly, for nothing tasted as brilliant as the first taste of coffee in the morning. However, to his surprise, there was a mug waiting on the table with a hastily scrawled note beneath it.

’ Out for a run, be back for breakfast. – G.

Ignis set the note aside and sipped the coffee. He was surprised to find it made to his preferences, and a wash of affection ran through him. He set about the preparations for breakfast, omelets he thought, would be well received.

It didn’t take long for Prompto to emerge from the bedroom, led by his nose no doubt. He spared Ignis a brief kiss of greeting, before pouring himself a cup of coffee and immediately drowning it in sugar and cream. Ignis only subtly wrinkled his nose at the utter destruction of flavor in the drink.

Prompto flipped through his phone as he nursed his coffee and Ignis worked. The soft sizzle of egg meeting a hot pan, made his stomach growl in anticipation. The smell alone would probably wake Noctis long enough to eat at the very least. He’d probably end up napping through the day anyway.

Prompto privately thought their boyfriend just might be part cat.

Gladio returned before Noctis woke, a fine sheen of sweat still clinging to his skin. It darkened the collar of his shirt and along the back of it. His gaze flicked between Prompto and Ignis, as he padded to the fridge.

“ Mornin’” he grunted.

Prompto moaned brokenly at the word, face pressing into the table in denial of the state of day. Ignis rolled his eyes and Gladio snorted in dry amusement.

“ Good morning, Gladio. “ Ignis replied, as he slid a second omelet out of the pan and onto a plate, “ Thank you for the coffee, by the way.”

Gladio shrugged as he retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge, as if knowing how one’s friend took their coffee wasn’t a big deal. There was the dull thuds of bare feet on the floor, and the sound of them could only be on remaining person.

“ You stink,” Noctis grumbled as he shuffled past, nose wrinkling in distaste, ”You are stinking up my kitchen.” Ignis’ expression of exasperation and perhaps offense was summarily ignored or even unnoticed by the Prince. Prompto snorted indelicately at the accusation.

“ Pretty sure you mean Iggy’s kitchen, Noct.”

The Prince plopped down in the seat, face buried in his arms almost instantly, as if trying to block the light of the room out.

“ Whatever,” Noctis huffed, “The point is that Gladio stinks and that is messing with the smell of breakfast.”

He said it as if it were the highest of treason and utterly unforgivable in the eyes of the Crown. Gladio rolled his eyes at the melodrama that was Noctis on any given morning.

“ Shut up and drink your coffee already.”

Noctis grunted, and snagged Prompto’s mug making the other man squawk in surprise. Ignis sighed, rolling his eyes skyward, beseeching the Astrals for more patience with the pair seated at the table. Gladio smirked, catching the motion.

“ Hey, you’re the one dating him.” Gladio reminded him.

“ Yes, and every-day I am left questioning the wisdom of my choices,” Ignis murmured dryly, amusement flashing in green eyes.

“ Shut up, Specs.” Noctis grumbled, tilting his head to look at the older men easily, “ I’m a damn delight.” He muttered, a yawn following on the heels of his words. “ A delight who’s hungry, by the way.”

“ I’m afraid it’ll be a few more minutes yet, “ Ignis replied without turning to look, and missing the scrunched face of annoyed disappointment on the Prince’s face.

The sound of Ignis cooking reigned supreme in the normally spotless kitchen when Gladio’s phone dinged, the sound of an incoming text. The bigger man tugged the phone from his pocket and sighed as soon as he saw the message.

“ Fuck. Nix my plate Iggy, I gotta go. “ Gladio grumbled, pocketing his phone. “ That was my dad, needs to see me about somethin’ that can’t wait until after breakfast. “

“ No worries. There is always lunch,” The other man pointed out fondly, and Gladio gave him a half grin of agreement.

Noctis was pointedly not jealous of their bi-weekly lunch dates. Not at all, nope, not him. He re-buried his face into his arms to hide the cross expression on his face. It was like what had happened the night before didn’t happen at all. Like a bad fever dream or something, and to be honest, it kind of hurt. Logically he knew that when Gladio had asked for time to think it over, he hadn’t meant only about five hours.

Still. It felt like a rejection, as the Shield vanished to get changed and left the apartment, the sound of the closing door obnoxiously loud. It wasn’t until the food was finished and the remaining three half-way through their meals when Ignis’ phone dinged with a new text.

He read it, and a small, private smile curved his lips as he slid it across the table towards Noctis.

“ For you. “ he explained to the upraised eyebrow of his charge, “Your phone is in need of charging, I believe.” Noctis grabbed the phone, almost snatched it really. The message was on their group chat, and that alone was enough to make his heart skip a beat in surprise.

Gladio: last night. what you guys said, you meant it?

Noctis stared, pulse jack-hammering in his throat. His fingers felt numb as he tapped out a response on the screen. He hit ‘send’ without a moment’s hesitation. He watched as the dots jumped and fell as the other man typed on his end of the screen.

Noctis:Yeah. Yeah we meant it.

Hope felt like it was strangling him.

Gladio:how do you feel about catching that new horror flick on friday? officially.

Noctis:it’s a date.

Noctis grinned at the phone, holding it like it was the most precious thing in the world to him at the moment. Then, the moment was ruined as Prompto kicked his foot into Noctis’ ankle demandingly.

“ So? What’s got you grinning so big?”

Noctis slid the phone to Prompto, and Ignis caught his eye. The adviser sipped his coffee, a knowing glint in green eyes that couldn’t be played off as a reflection off his glasses. Noctis nudged the taller man’s knee with one bare foot, a gentle knock against him really.

“ You knew, didn’t you? “

Ignis raised his eyebrows in false surprise, as if he were completely innocent of such an accusation. “ I had no idea,” he insisted calmly. Noctis didn’t look convinced and Ignis merely sighed in affection, standing to clear the table of the dirty dishes. One hand landed on Noctis’ shoulder, pressing a short kiss against his cheek.

“ I had no idea, however, I have always maintained that honesty of emotion is far more favorable in the issues considering personal situations.”

Noctis kinda only hated it this time that Ignis was right. After all, he had a date to look forward to Friday.