Chapter Text
Let it Rain
Ella didn’t even know why she allowed her sister and friends to corral her into going to a nightclub for her sister’s birthday. She didn’t like clubbing. The rapid, bass-infected music did bad things to her sensitive senses and overwhelmed her. The room was always too hot and there were always too many people around, which made it hard to breathe. Also, she couldn’t dance to save her life. What’s worse was the clothes her sister made her wear. The dress was lacy and it made her sensitive skin itch. It also revealed too much of her legs and cleavage. She didn’t know whether to pull it up or down. The makeup they caked onto her face made it feel heavy. She looked like a painted doll with an upturned face.
As she tried not to trip over her shoes into the club, dread spread through her as she heard the bass music from the front door. After presenting her ID to the bouncer, she followed her little sister and friends in to find a corner to keep to herself. Unfortunately for her, Freya dragged her onto the dance floor and made her dance. There were too many people bumping and grinding into her, dancing to a remix of a song that she heard a few times on the radio. She tried not to freeze up and wince at the contact and the strobe lights flashing. Loud voices and laughter flooded her senses and her head started pounding with an intense headache.
Somehow, she lost her sister and friends in the sea of people and found herself alone. Her body went into fight-or-flight mode and she pushed through the crowds of people to get the fresh air she desperately needed. If she stayed in there for another minute, she was sure she was going to faint. She tried not to break down in tears as she ran out the back door and into the rain. Even with the door closed, she could hear the cacophony of music that sent her into sensory overload.
Tears finally sprang to her eyes and streamed down her cheeks as she sat on the dirty, wet sidewalk, hands over her ears like a small child. Her face contorted in terror and anxiety as her sobs turned into frantic gasps. Despite the waterproof mascara, the makeup began washing off from the blessed rain drops drenched her. She shivered as her dress and hair got saturated with the cold rain and found herself utterly alone and abandoned. She just wanted to be home in the safety of her apartment.
“You okay?” she heard deep, growling voice say from behind her, making her jump and whirl around.
It was Gladiolus Amicitia, Shield of the Prince, with a concerned frown on his handsome face.
…
Gladiolus knew there was something wrong with her the moment he saw her and her entourage enter the club. He was half-heartedly listening to Prompto blab about something regarding photography and Chocobos. The club wasn’t the first place he wanted to be on a Saturday night, but he had to watch the prince wherever he went. Now that Noctis was twenty, he could go into clubs without getting into any trouble with the king. Noctis didn’t like parties or drinks. He just went there to be a rebel. Also, Prompto loved going there to dance (very badly) and socialize with people. The blond was a social butterfly, whereas Noctis was an introvert along for the ride.
“Gladio, are you listening?” Prompto’s voice broke through the whirlwind of the Shield’s thoughts.
“That poor girl looks like she doesn’t want to be here,” remarked Gladio to himself, gazing at the trembling girl in the lacy pink dress.
The prince and his friend followed his gaze and noticed how the pretty girl was trying not to cry. “You should rescue her,” said Noctis loudly, barely heard over the thumping music. “Maybe take her somewhere quiet.”
Before Gladio could say another word, he saw the girl rushing to escape, tripping over her high heels, and darting out the back door. He got to his feet immediately and decided to take Noctis’s advice. First, he turned to Ignis, who sat next to Prompto, drinking a can of Ebony, and asked him a question.
“Hey, Iggy,” he said, bending towards Ignis so he could be heard over the music, “think you can look after the princess and his buddy for me? I wanna go see if that girl’s okay.”
“Of course,” replied Ignis with a nod. “I would be loath to let her wander off on her own. Who knows what kind of ruffians are prowling around here.”
Gladio grunted in agreement and hurried to reach the door she exited. It was a bit hard to get through the hot, sweaty crowds of people but he was big, so it was easy for him to get past everyone. He would be lying if he wasn’t amused by the sounds of protest he heard many people elicit. When he reached the back door, he gently opened and closed it behind him, feeling the rain pouring down on him when he stepped out. The night air was chilly and the pattering rain didn’t even put a dent into drowning out the god-awful music. His heart echoed with pain when he saw that poor girl sitting on the dirty sidewalk with her hands over her ears in a childlike manner. He noticed her rocking back and forth as if the motion calmed her down.
Bending down behind her, he let his presence be known with a question. “You okay?” he asked in the gentlest tone he could.
The trembling girl’s body jerked as if she was shot and she whipped around to face him. Even though the rain ruined her makeup, her pretty face was full of fear and anxiety and her eyes were red-rimmed like she was crying. The rain made it hard for him to decipher where her tears were. Her caramel hair, which was curled, was now a sopping, darkened mess. She stared up at him with large frightened brown eyes and tried to back away from him, falling, butt first, onto the pavement of the road.
“Hey,” he said softly, lifting his hands to show he meant no harm. “It’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you. What’s your name?”
“E-Eleanor Stevens,” she stammered out, her lower jaw shaking uncontrollably. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the chill or the anxiety.
“I’m Gladiolus Amicitia,” he answered her unasked question. “I saw you rush out. Are you okay?”
“I-it’s too loud,” she sobbed, her shoulders quaking with tears, “and crowded. I-I didn’t know what to d-do.”
Gladio placed a hand on her bare skinny arm and helped her back onto the sidewalk. “Why didn’t you tell your friends how bad it was?” he asked, his voice not accusing or judging. He was merely curious as to why she didn’t tell her companions of her rapidly-approaching breakdown.
“T-they don’t understand,” she whimpered, her trembles and tears beginning anew. “I-it’s my sister’s birthday and she wanted a night out on the town. I-I wanted to tell her about my sensory problems, but I didn’t want to ruin her day.”
Gladio took off his jacket and wrapped it around her, trying to get her warm. He was slightly amused that the jacket was the same length as her dress on her. “It’s okay,” he said gently when she tried to shrug the jacket off. “It’s just a jacket. Besides, you must be freezing from sitting out here. Do you want me to take you home?”
Eleanor gave him a terrified look and started inching away again. “I am not going to bed with you.” She tried to sound tough, but her voice came out as a shaky whimper.
“That was the last thing on my mind, honestly,” he assured her, placing a large, warm hand on her shoulder. “I just don’t think you should walk the streets alone at this hour in the state you’re in. I just want to get you home safely, that’s all.”
“W-what about my sister and her friends?” asked Ella, shivering once more. “I can’t leave them to fend for themselves.”
“Ignis will keep an eye on them,” replied Gladio, taking her hand in his. “You can trust Ignis. He’s very responsible. Come on, let’s get you home.”
Ella made the decision to trust him and let him help her to her feet. The rain seemed to stop for now and her fear began to recede as she walked away from the club with him.
…
About halfway to her apartment, her feet started hurting from the high heels and she had to be carried by Gladio. He scooped her up like she weighed nothing and continued walking. She felt like kicking herself because she knew those muscles weren’t for show. Why did she assume that he wouldn’t be able to carry her? She was a foot shorter than him and weighed about 125 pounds. Maybe it was her own insecurities. It was amazing that he still looked good and she looked like a drowned cat. Once they reached the door of her apartment, he set her down, her heels clicking on the ground, and took her hand in his again.
“Thank you for getting me home,” she said shyly, averting her gaze so she couldn’t see his eyes.
“My pleasure,” he replied, smiling down at her. “Can’t let a lady freeze in the rain.”
For the first time tonight, she let herself smile. “You didn’t have to carry me, though,” she remarked, giving him a glance before averting her eyes again.
“Baby, the pavement was wet and you’re not wearing any nylons,” he said, pointing out the obvious. “I don’t want you catching pneumonia. It was no big deal. You’re as light as a feather.” Dramatically, Gladio swept one foot behind his leg, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed like he did for the king. “My lady, I bid you goodnight.”
Ella couldn’t help but laugh at his silly antic. “Thank you, good sir.” She played along and gave a small curtsey, which was hard to do properly in her small dress. When she straightened, she went to remove his jacket from her shoulders. “You can have your jacket back now. Sorry I made you freeze.”
Gladio straightened once more and gave a careless wave of his hand. “It’s fine,” he said, smiling. “Keep it. Just a little something to remember me by.”
Ella felt her face burn with a blush and she wrapped her arms around him before she could think about what she was doing. “Thank you,” she mumbled, her voice muffled by his shirt and chest.
Gladio returned the hug and ran his hands up and down her back as if trying to memorize her. “You’re very welcome, Ella,” was his kind reply. “Now, go in and sleep well, and don’t worry. Ignis and I will be along with your friends and sister shortly. Maybe after they sleep off the drinks, you should tell them about your sensory issues.”
The short woman bowed her head into his chest once more. “I don’t want her to get mad at me,” she mumbled, barely heard but he caught it.
“Hey,” Gladio said gently, pulling her back at arm’s length to look her in the eye, “if your sister really loves you, she will accept you for who you are. Hating the club scene isn’t the worst thing in the world. You’re better off anyways. I’ve seen my fair share of troubles in my short three years of legally going into them.”
Suspicion piqued in Ella and she gave him a look. “Did you ever…take advantage of girls there?” she asked quietly, barely above a whisper.
“Of course not,” replied Gladio whole-heartedly, shaking his head. “I’ve only had a hook-up from those places twice. Both women weren’t drunk or otherwise under the influence. I will admit, I have taken many drunk girls home and let them sleep it off in their beds, no sex involved. If they’re in danger of alcohol poisoning or drugged, I’d take them to the hospital and let the doctors take care of it. Despite the rumors, I’m not an incorrigible womanizer. Only scumbags take advantage of vulnerable women.”
After his little impassioned speech, Ella’s severe look softened into a small smile and she nodded. “You’re almost too good to be true,” she remarked sardonically, surprising herself by how comfortable she was in his presence.
“I aim to please,” he said with a humorous grin, bowing once more. When he straightened, his grin became less humorous and much sweeter. “Have a good night, Eleanor. If you’re ever in trouble, give me a ring.” He reached into his front picture and offered her a card with his name and number on it. It looked a bit like a business card.
She took it from him and placed it into the big pocket of his jacket. “Thanks again,” she replied, feeling at ease. “Have a good night and stay safe out there. I heard about that time you got that nasty scar.”
Gladio let out a laugh and nodded in acknowledgement. She chuckled with him and found herself surprised when he leaned down to her and kissed her on the cheek. The feel of his scruff against her cheek made the soft skin itch in an odd but not unpleasant way. When he pulled back, her face burned with heat and she stammered out a goodnight before unlocking her door and going inside. Once the door was closed and locked, she fell against it and tried to get her fluttering heart under control.
She hoped she would see him again sooner rather than later. Maybe tonight wasn’t truly an awful night, she thought as she went to get ready for bed starting with removing the remaining makeup on her face and putting on cozy pajamas. Maybe she could call him sometime soon. Maybe. Just maybe.