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The hotel was cool and the beds were soft. After a full day of fighting disgusting Hundlegs for a bounty, the beds were a well earned reward. While the group usually enjoyed relaxing with several rounds of Kings Knight and card games, tonight was different. As soon as they entered the room, the group patiently took turns using the shower and then immediately retired to bed. Everyone was completely exhausted. Well, everyone except for Gladio.
Gladio naturally had more energy than the others. He was trained for long, difficult battles and knew how to preserve his energy. While the others were skilled fighters, stamina wasn't their strong suit. Prompto and Noctis especially were prone to battle exhaustion, and thus the two usually slept like the dead after a full day of fighting.
Gladio didn't mind this, though. He rather enjoyed it when the youngest were knocked out. That meant he could cuddle a certain prince without being caught. Yes, Gladio was an addicted snuggler and the prince was the perfect solution to his needs.
The room was quiet except for Prompto's light snoring from the other bed. He and Ignis were sharing as they usually did. Prompto was a bed hog and the only person who didn't mind this was the patient advisor. Prompto would lay spread eagle while Ignis occupied a small edge of the bed. Gladio couldn't understand how Ignis slept in such a position, but he seemed to manage it.
Gladio and Noctis on the other hand were made for sharing a bed. Gladio was huge, yes, but in comparison Noctis was tiny. The two usually began the night lying next to each other without touching. But by morning, Gladio was usually spooning the little prince. Gladio would explain their predicament by saying he couldn't help what he did in his sleep. But, the truth was that Gladio was always awake when he decided to cuddle close to the prince. After Noctis would fall off, Gladio would inch closer to Noctis and gleefully pull him into an embrace. This night was no different.
After listening for the sounds of Ignis's deep breathing, Gladio quietly shifted towards the prince. Noctis was curled up on his side, his knees to his chest like a small child. Gladio smiled fondly before reaching out and gently running his hands through the prince's hair.
Noctis was a natural beauty, and Gladio was secretly smitten.His infatuation was getting stronger as the days passed. Back in Insomnia, Gladio didn't spend much time outside of training with Noctis. He didn't get to see all of Noctis's endearing quirks and cute facial expressions. Now on the road, he was spending a lot of personal time with his prince. He started noticing the little things like the tiny birthmark behind his ear and the way his hair fell on his face when fresh from a shower. He noticed the slightly awkward posture Noctis maintained; a barely noticeable symptom of his childhood injury. He also noticed (and adored) how small the prince was. Before their trip, Gladio had never paid much attention to Noctis's size. But, sharing a bed quickly made him realize how physically fragile his charge was. This realization made Gladio both extremely protective and somewhat worried for Noctis's safety. However, just because he was small didn't mean he was weak. Noctis was no wimp. He was tough and he could fight dirty. He could take care of himself
A soft moan interrupted Gladio's thoughts as he continued to stroke the prince's hair. Gladio smiled at the little sound. Noctis had a habit of making the sweetest little noises while he slept. Unable to resist any longer, Gladio gently pulled Noctis into his embrace and tucked the blanket in around them. Noctis quickly curled up in his arms, laying his head on Gladio's solid chest.
Gladio decided to take their cuddling a step further by pulling one of Noctis's thighs forward to tangle with his own. Noctis sighed happily in his sleep, burrowing further into the huge mass that was his shield. Gladio closed his eyes in happiness but was startled when a voice whispered in his ear.
"You do this every night...and I know you're awake."
Gladio bit his lip, not knowing how to respond. He was caught in the act. Noctis must be an excellent actor, because Gladio thought for sure he was asleep. Gladio slowly opened his eyes to find two beautiful ocean blue ones staring back at him. The moonlight through the window added a sparkle to Noctis' eyes and they almost looked like precious gems.
"I don't mind it..." Noctis continued, before slowly curling his hand into Gladio's own locks.
Gladio could barely hold back a moan at the touch. One of his greatest pleasures was having his hair played with. And by Noctis? His prince? It was a heavenly feeling.
"You could've told me you like to cuddle." Noctis said humming softly as Gladio closed his eyes from the pleasurable touches. "It's better when both people are awake..."
"Oh really?" Gladio asked quietly. "Why's that?"
Noctis smirked before rolling his body over to straddle his shield. "Because we can get closer." He whispered, reaching both of his hands out to tangle further into Gladio's hair. "And we can do this..." He trailed off as he gently planted his lips to his Gladio's.
Gladio froze. He wasn't expecting this. He thought for sure that Noctis was straight, and although he was physically affectionate with his male friends, he'd never imagined Noctis would kiss one. Kiss him. But here he was, laying it on thick with his shield. Gladio wasn't about to pass up on this opportunity.
He tentatively kissed back, wondering how far Noctis wanted to go with this. Noticing his shield's hesitance, Noctis opened his mouth in invitation. Gladio happily accepted the invite and plunged his tongue into Noctis's mouth. The prince let out a high, sweet little moan that made Gladio's body burn with desire. He reluctantly pulled away from the prince after a few moments of pure bliss.
"Nngh...why'd you stop?" Noctis whined, trying to pull the older man back into a kiss. Gladio chuckled at his eagerness.
"Hold on, Noct." The shield whispered and then swiftly pushed Noctis back onto the bed before straddling the prince himself. Noctis looked so small below him, Gladio could easily cover the prince and hide him from the world. He was literally his shield. The thought turned him on greatly.
"Gods, princess, you're so tiny." He whispered out as he gazed at the beautiful creature below him. Noctis immediately frowned and scoffed.
"No, I'm not. You're just too big, you damn mountain."
Gladio chuckled as he rested a palm against Noctis' cheek. Gladio's hand could almost cover Noct's entire face.
"You're beautiful, too." He said in awe of the prince. This time Noctis blushed and looked away from the intense gaze. Gladio was well aware that Noctis didn't take compliments easily. Despite this, the Shield couldn't help showering him in praise. Noctis was such a gorgeous man.
The two spent several moments just staring at each other before Noctis reached up again, desiring to be kissed. This time Gladio indulged him. The sounds of heavy kissing and quiet moans quickly joined Prompto's snoring and Ignis's breathing.
The two newfound lovers continued their frenzied kissing until they heard a movement from the opposite bed. Gladio quickly separated from Noctis and laid back down, Noctis in turn pulled the blankets back up around them. For several moments they didn't breathe until they heard Ignis settle back down into sleep. When his breathing evened out once more, the couple sighed in relief.
Noctis turned on his side to stare at his shield. He couldn't get enough of his amber gaze. Gladio was equally smitten. They stayed staring at each other until Noctis huffed out in annoyance.
"Well? Are you going to come over, or just stare all night?" He asked, his lips turned down in adorable pout that Gladio couldn't resist. Whatever Noctis wanted, he would receive. He was a spoiled prince, it was to be expected that he'd be a demanding little lover. Gladio might not indulge him on the training field, but he'd definitely give him whatever he desired in bed.
Gladio reached out and gently pulled his prince into his arms, holding him tightly against his chest. Noctis immediately curled into Gladio's arms, sighing softly. Noctis tangled his legs with Gladio's, loving to cuddle with his entire body. He closed his eyes in utter relaxation as Gladio started rubbing one of his hands up and down a thigh.
"We better go to sleep. We have a long day of driving tomorrow." Gladio whispered as they settled down.
Noctis nodded and hummed softly to himself as Gladio continued to caress him. Another day of driving sucked. But another night of cuddling? Well, that was something to look forward to. Noctis couldn't wait.