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“Iggy,” Gladio growled the diminutive loudly enough to be heard in the kitchen. He hoped. When no response was forthcoming, the Shield sighed, and tried to make himself as comfortable as he could, given the circumstances.
This day was off to an interesting start, to say the least. Gladio had, miraculously, woken up before his partner. He opted for an early morning run, wanting to let Ignis catch as much sleep as the overworked man could manage. When Gladio returned home, he tried to be quiet, Astrals take him, he did…but when he slid back into bed to cuddle up to his lover, still held firmly in sleep’s warm embrace, he couldn’t help the soft moan that slipped out when he felt the intoxicating press of Ignis’s body against his.
Ignis was not a morning person. It was perhaps surprising, given how early the Royal Advisor started his days. Just because he arose so early to tend his duties didn’t mean he liked it.
He positively detested it before his morning Ebony.
In particular, Ignis held a particular distaste for talking before having his first cuppa. Gladio was well aware of this fact. It wasn’t normally an issue, since typically Ignis woke up first. However, there was the rare day like today when their roles were reversed and Gladio was the early riser. He had long since learned not to attempt to make the coffee for Ignis - the man was quite particular when it came to his Ebony.
Gladio could feel the exact moment his boyfriend started to wake up. Ignis’s body tensed against his, and a long moment later, green eyes blurred with the afterimage of whatever dreams he’d been chasing opened to regard Gladio, warming as his lips curved in a tired smile.
“Mornin’,” Gladio said quietly, pressing a kiss to Ignis’s forehead. “Sleep well?”
Ignis held up a hand - the gesture half command, half supplication.
He was clearly not ready to talk quite yet. But Gladio just couldn’t help it. He’d been up for hours and he wanted to tell Ignis all about them. One of his favorite parts about living with his lover was being able to share all the minutiae of their days. Gladio began to ramble about his morning run, watching the sunrise, people watching… whatever came to mind.
He failed to notice how incredibly still and silent Ignis had become.
Or the way his partner’s green eyes had started to twitch.
“Gladiolus,” Ignis finally spoke. “Please.” He squirmed free of the larger man’s arms. “Coffee.”
“Yeah!” Gladio agreed. “I’ll help you!”
“You’ll do no such thing!” Ignis snapped as he pushed his glasses into place, adjusting them until they rested perfectly on the bridge of his nose.
“But…” Gladio would fight anyone who said he pouted. But… there wasn’t really a better word for his facial expression.
“Gladio…” Ignis’s smooth voice purred the word almost warningly, though the tone was a hint playful.
The two men locked eyes for several long moments, until finally a smirk curled Ignis’s lips, eyes dark with a mixture of amusement and his intense need for caffeine.
“Since you seem determined to make a nuisance of yourself,” the tactictian drawled lazily, “Perhaps I should ensure you are unable to do so.”
Gladio couldn’t help it. He moaned.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “That’s a good idea.”
He went along agreeably as Ignis led him into the living room, keeping his body pliant as his lover arranged him to his satisfaction, quite comfortably seating him in an overstuffed armchair large enough for the two of them to squeeze in for lazy reading nights.
Gladio’s breath hitched in his throat quite audibly when Ignis began to weave intricate ropework around both Gladio’s body and the chair. In short order, the Shield was going nowhere.
Ignis sighed. “Coffee,” he said simply, and walked into the kitchen.
Gladio watched until he couldn’t see the other man any more. He heard the familiar sounds of the beans being ground, the water being set to boil. After a while, the apartment was flooded with the delectable aroma of freshly brewed Ebony.
Expectantly, Gladio kept his amber visage trained on the direction leading to the kitchen, but as the minutes continued to tick away without any sign of his boyfriend, he began to get a bit impatient. Tugging at the ropes, he cursed under his breath. He wasn’t getting free anytime soon.
The realization was simultaneously frustrating, and arousing.
After the sun had risen far enough to shine brightly in the large bay windows, Ignis finally walked into the living room, his face alight in a happy smile, hands wrapped protectively around a large, steaming mug.
“And that… is how you make the perfect cup of Ebony,” he said a bit dramatically. “In silence, the way the first cup of coffee is meant to be enjoyed.”
Ignis winked at Gladio, and sat on the couch across from Gladio’s chair to enjoy his second cup, the look in his eyes promising he’d put the caffeination to good use once he was finished.