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He wanted to surprise you with a visit, a bouquet of flowers carefully held in one hand and hidden behind his back. The spare key to your apartment, your birthday gift to him, felt warm in his pocket, and Gladio was nothing short of excited to see you after a whole week of not being able to see you due to his work in the Citadel.
He’s dedicated to being the prince’s shield, but he’s just as dedicated to being your boyfriend as well.
Unsure whether you were at home or not, the amber-eyed man tiptoed his way up your door and slowly pressed his ear against the wood. The sight was a rather comical one, the way his shoulders hunched up to his ears as if making himself shorter would quiet his steps.
Gladio expected silence or some shuffling from you moving around, possibly making brunch since you woke up rather late (compared to him, at least). He did not expect to hear you breathing so heavily.
Six, were you panting?
Eyes wide in realization that, yes, that was definitely you inside and the sounds you made were indeed what he thought they were, a smirk slowly spread across the man’s face. The two of you have been intimate before, so listening to this wasn’t unfamiliar to him in the very least.
His surprise was going to have to wait. He wanted to enjoy this just before smothering you with long-awaited kisses he’s been dying to give you.
Your breaths varied in length and some were shakier than others which left a shiver down his back. He bit down a knuckle from his free hand to keep the growls that rumbled deep in his chest from spilling past his lips. It can wait. He can wait just a while longer.
Besides, this was one hell of a welcome for him. He could only imagine what you were doing behind that closed door he unconsciously pressed himself up to. Were you enjoying yourself? Did you think of him as much as he thought of you? Gladio was more aware of the key that sat in his pocket than ever, the metal becoming hot with him as his thoughts continued to go over what you might be doing.
And the way you took in a breath was
“Aah...ACHOO!”
Gladio froze when a few thuds! that most likely hit the floor followed your sneeze. The abrupt shift from aroused to worried had him fumbling to unlock the door once he heard you groan in pain and sniffled.
“(Y/N)?! Are you okay?!”
“Wha G-Gladio?! What are you doing here?!”
You sat on your living room floor wearing a pair of sweats and a hoodie (both his) with books from your shelf scattered around you. From the looks of it, they had fallen off and you with them. The flushed look on your face, whether it was from embarrassment, surprise, or both, made the Amicitia scion chuckle softly as he locked the door behind him and set the bouquet on the nearest table.
“I was plannin’ on surprising you, but it looks like you turned it on me.” Knees slightly bent (a rather difficult feat when you have a half hard on), Gladio helped you up to your feet and leaned in for a kiss only for you to quickly turn your head to the side. It took him a few seconds to register that his lips were on your cheek before he drew back, a hurt expression on his face.
“(Y/N), what’s wrong? You mad at me or something?”
When you turned to look at him, you felt horrible and quickly shook your head. On the contrary, you were so happy to see him again after he had been away for a week and missed him terribly.
“No! Gladio, I’m not mad at you. It’s just that A-aah...”
You immediately pulled your hands out of your boyfriend’s and backed away from him, your mouth covered with your arm. Unfortunately for you, the Astrals decided to curse you with the most painful of sneezes...
“ACHOO!”
... that were strong enough to make you fall on your ass.
“Ow... Nooo, NO. Gladio, don’t you dare laugh.” You gave the best glare you could muster as you reached for a tissue to wipe your nose while Gladio tried his very best to hold it in. That certainly explained how you fell with the books. “Ugh... Just let me breathe through my nose, dammit. Fucking Six.”
So that’s why you were breathing so loudly. “Careful there, hon. You never know what they might do next.”
“It better be giving me the sweet release of death from whatever I’ve got. Then I’ll kick their asses so you won’t go through the same thing.” Tossing the tissue into a trash bin, you saw Gladio’s arms paired with that playful grin of his coming for you. You attempted to dodge him so he wouldn’t catch whatever you had. “Stooop. I’m going to get you sick!”
There’s no escaping his hugs. Ever.
“But babe, that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me!” He rubbed his cheek onto your forehead while you squawked, hands on his chest to get him off you. The protest was weak though, his body gave off that comforting warmth you’ve been waiting for so long. Slowly, you came to accept his hug with a sigh and wrapped your arms around his neck. You felt his pleased hum from the rumble of his chest pressed against yours and the two of you stayed that way for a while, until he decided that he needed to ask you a few questions.
“How long have you been sick?”
“A few days. Ignis stops by during lunchtime to give me soup and Noctis insisted that his doctor check up on me.”
“Did they now?” The burly brunet loosened his hold around you, hands settled on your hips as he pulled his head back to give you a once over. You didn’t look too bad, as far as he could tell. A few days of rest, water, and medicine should do the trick. “When I asked them how you were a couple days ago, they said you were fine.”
You were about to let out a sheepish laugh when a cough interrupted you. You turned your head to the side to cover it with the crook of your elbow. Gladio’s brows furrowed at how your body shook from it.
Scratch that. You needed more than just a few days.
“I... Jeez, that one really hurts.” You swallowed and take a second to catch your breath. “I told them to keep it from you until you were done with work. I didn’t want to distract you.”
“(Y/N)...” Gladio craned his neck to rest his forehead to yours, his intense gaze was extremely difficult to look away from, especially with that look he gave you. “I promise you that you’re not a distraction. I will always worry about you, but I know that you can damn well take care of yourself.”
One of his hands slid up to cup your cheek and you couldn’t help but lean into his touch. A sense of calm washed over you while you were gazed at with such adoration from the man who always took the chance to show how much he loved you. “Just... Just let me know when something like this comes up again. I know you think it might seem small, but I’d rather know how you’re really doing than be in the dark.” His gaze softened and for a moment, you’re reminded that he’s just as young as you were. “... Please, (Y/N)?”
“I will, Gladiolus. I promise.” You smoothed your hand over his and gave it a slight squeeze to reassure him. It felt good to have him talk things through like this. You knew that he’s used to giving ‘tough love’ as your friends liked to call it, but the two of you managed to work through it the first few months into dating.
It was in his nature to power through anything that came his way, whether it was physically or emotionally, and you understood that. You simply showed him a new way to handle the latter and it worked great with him.
“Thanks, (Y/N).” He pulled you in for another tight hug, his face buried into your shoulder. You could hear the relief in his voice and rubbed his back with one hand, the other gently combed through his hair. The Crownsguard must have worked him real hard for him to be this tired. “Really helps me get some peace of mind, y’know?”
“Yeah? I have a feeling that there’s something else going on in your head.” Gladio raised a brow at the cheeky tone of your words and hummed in confusion. “Oh, sorry, I meant your other head.”
...Right.
“Okay, look, (Y/N). First off, it’s exactly what you think but I have something to add to it.”
“Sure thing, honey. Tell me all about it while we wait for Ignis’ soup.”