Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting

I have a song for this one, I marked where to listen at.

Song: Flesh By: Simon Curtis

So, this is drastically different from my normal stuff, so if the usual readers don't like it, that's completely understandable. XD This does have a bit of sexual content, but nothing that goes all the way if you know what I mean. This is by no means story driven in the slightest, it's merely romance/sexual encounter practice.

Ok, so obviously this is my first time writing anything similar to this, so it was really awkward and weird for me, but fun at the same time. And as someone who has never really felt any sexual urges before, this was rather challenging. XD I really hope this doesn't come off as cringy or too weird, if it does, then I am so sorry O/O

But, yeah, here we go. /

I marked this as teen for now, don't think it needs to be rated higher since nothing really happens, but let me know.

"Gladio!" The adviser called out, giving the man a swift warning of the blade swinging towards his side; and, thanks to the heads up, he was easily able to evade the slice, the edge of the sword merely catching on his jacket, but nothing more.

The brute let out a relieved huff, his blood pumping fiercely with the near fatal encounter, "Thanks," he flashed a quick thumbs up and offered an appreciative nod. Swiping the back of his hand across his brow, wiping away sweat that threatened to drip into his eyes, he threw his own massive blade across his shoulders. His gaze flashed as the blue light caught his attention, and his teeth grit with the sight of it, "Dammit Noct, can't you ever think before jumping in?" he grumbled under his breath when the younger warped right next to the Ronin, barely paying any attention to his surroundings.

"Noct, dude, are you insane?!" came Prompto's borderline panicked voice, his words accentuated by shots fired at the daemon. He nervously bit his lip at the resounding click that followed soon after, "Son of a bitch." Deciding there wasn't time to reload, he dismissed it and immediately called one of his other hand guns, silently thanking Ignis for making him have multiple prepared should something go wrong.

His dedicated shield hesitated no longer in rushing to his aid, not that he was showing any signs of struggle, but it seemed to be a force of habit to be certain of his safety at all times; it's what he was trained to do, it was in his blood since birth. By the time he reached them, they were held in a stalemate, their blades challenging one another as grates of metal filled his ears. He took this opportunity to make his move, to strike downward on the enemy while its attention was held elsewhere.

Gladio's face faltered slightly when his blade met earth, penetrating into its hard surface and fluffing up the dust to produce a murky cloud around them, "Fast little annoyance," he growled, yanking his sword from the ground. He was about to turn on his heel when he heard his name being called again, this time by the prince; but, before he could react a fiery and sharp pain radiated across his back. A hiss escaped through clenched teeth as he stabbed his greatsword back down in order to keep himself from stumbling.

"Hey, are you alright?" Noctis' hands hovered a few inches away while he glanced the man over, easily finding the wound that marred his back.

As a response, he waved his hand, "I'll be fine, focus on killing that thing first," he stubbornly ripped his weapon back up once he was stable enough. "And make sure you don't get too reckless," he quickly added, cutting his eyes over to see that it had switched its focus over to the others. It was most likely due to their gunner's barrage of bullets that continued to pelt it.

As if he had never uttered a word, there went that flash, right by him once again, and he couldn't stop the irritated sigh that seeped out, "Never one to listen, are ya?" Prying his sword from the dirt, he headed towards them; though his previous enthusiasm had been marginally drained with his steady loss of blood. It was by no means disabling, but it was enough to be a nuisance. He shook his head to clear the creeping cloudiness, its fuzz taunting the frame of his vision; so much for it not being incapacitating. And, he was back to using his weapon as support, despite how much it scuffed his pride to do so.

"-adio?" someone spoke to him softly, and he strained to crack his eyes open...wait, he didn't remember ever closing them. "Hey," a hand slid under his chin to lift his head up until he found himself staring hazily into emerald eyes, "Are you with us?" Ignis asked, moving out of his line of sight to drape one of the brute's arms over his shoulders. "Let's get you to the Regalia so we can head to a motel and get you checked out," he spoke easily and elegantly as always, taking most of the other's weight without asking if he needed the extra support.

Gladio hummed his thanks and shifted into the adviser's hold, allowing him to assist in the short trip to the car, even if it did make him feel slightly weak and ashamed; he figured it was less embarrassing than collapsing on the way there. As they walked, he was unknowingly aware of the subtle scent wafting from the other; the scent of fresh aftershave mixed with the more prominent aroma of battle evidence. With ease, he was helped into the backseat, but against the man's persistent urges, he refused to lie down, that's where he drew the line, "Really Iggy, I think I can handle sitting up," he stated flatly, sounding a smudge offended by the prospect.

"Just don't end up passing out on me...literally," Noctis commented, closing his door next to him.

While Ignis closed his door and moved around towards the driver's side, Prompto leaned over the back of his headrest, "You took quite the hit back there, maaaaaybe it would be a good idea to listen to Igs," he shrugged sheepishly, giving the shield a warm smile before slinking back down to sit properly by the time the brunet had climbed it.

"There should be a motel in the next town over, approximately five minutes of driving. Will you be alright until then?" he flashed his eyes to the mirror, meeting the amber stare.

"Yeah, yeah," he said after an awkward few seconds of eye contact. "This is nothin'" he played it off with a pained grunt as he leaned against the door. He bit his lip as the car started and the first bit of movement jolted him ever so slightly, "Just try not to hit anything."

Ignis hummed and turned onto the road, "I'll do my best."

Just like earlier, it was Ignis who aided Gladio in the limited journey to their room; seeing as he would not permit the others to do so primarily for the fact they they were both younger and far smaller than he was. Out of the three options, the strategist was the strongest and most reliable in these situations, so it was nothing against them. He uttered a thanks when they crossed over the threshold, but he wasn't released from the other's grasp just yet, "Hold on, we still have a few feet to go," he whispered, nodding his head in the direction of the bathroom, "You're still dripping blood, and I'm sure no one would appreciate it should it stain any material."

"Anyone ever tell ya you're a prissy ass," Gladio mocked with a playful smile, which swiftly faded as he was jerked back up.

"Sorry about that, you were slipping," Ignis mirrored his vanished grin. He may have impishly roughed the other a bit, but the brute felt the gentle fingers around his waist twitch a tad as the tickled temptingly just over the fabric of his jacket; his pulse unintentionally picked up its pace with the gesture. "Alright, just have a seat," he lowered his charge to sit the lid of the toilet, "I'll be right back."

He went ahead and removed his top before Ignis returned, already knowing the drill ad wanting to be one step ahead this time around. A hiss seeped out when he pulled the jacket away from his back, the material clinging a bit unyieldingly to his jagged wound. But, regardless of how comfortable it may have been, he got it removed and tossed it into the tub; surely it was in dire need of a bit of cleaning after what it had been exposed to.

His eyes fluttered up when the adviser returned, white plastic box in hand as he placed it on the edge of the bath, "Alright, I'm gonna need you to turn around," he instructed and shut the door, giving them some privacy and room to work. "This is gonna sting," and right on queue, the dampened rag, saturated with anti-septic, was pressed firmly against the gash, bringing forth new waves of pain.

"Damn, Iggy, I thought you were supposed to be gentle with this sort of stuff," Gladio's left hand reached up and gripped the edge of the counter. He turned his head to peek over his shoulder, and again, his nose was assaulted with the array of scents, mixing harmoniously into that of such a tempting fragrance. Heat rose to his cheeks the moment that observant gaze flashed up to look back, and he couldn't hold it, he had to look away again, "Just hurry up," he mumbled, jumping again when the rag was moved elsewhere. Each wave of sharp agony sent chills down his spine and shudders through his chest; goosebumps extended down his arms and his hand unconsciously tightened its grip around the marble.

"Sorry," Ignis silently apologized, "I'm going as quickly as possible, but I want to make sure the wound is clean," With that, he placed the cloth aside and exchanged it for some bandages. As he worked on applying those, his hands smoothed over them, making sure they were securely in place. But, as his fingers caressed over the white gauze, they wandered a bit, traveling a bit farther up. Without thinking, the tips trailed over well-trained muscles, trailing across the shoulder and continuing down to the bicep. Gladio's arm twitched under the touch, yanking the man from his trance, clearing his throat, he clumsily dropped things back in the first aid kit, dropping a couple things on the tiled floor in the process, "R-right," he stuttered flusteredly, "I believe we're all finished up here."

He leaned down to retrieve the items, hurriedly tossing them back into their container. Everything in order now, he rose to his feet, only ceasing in the action when he felt the other's gaze holding him on the spot, "Just when I was getting into it," the shield half laughed, rotating himself to face the brunet. Immediately, his features flushed pink again at the realization that he said that out loud, and to play it off, he shot up to his feet...a tad too fast. His step wavered, sending his body disgracefully forward. Slender hands instinctively hover in front of his chest in an attempt to keep him upright, though the sudden spill had caught the both of them off guard and Ignis had no time to prepare or brace himself.

Eyes closed, getting ready for the connection with the floor, the strategist let out a tame gasp when instead his back was leaned against the opposite wall. He sighed, almost forgetting how small the room was, of course there was a wall back there. Cautiously, he eased his eyes open, breath caught in his chest at the closeness of the larger man's gaze, fixated on his face while it caned over him, "You alright?" he asked after a time.

Ignis swallowed thickly, nervous beads of sweat surfaced along his back and brow, and slowly suddenly dry lips parted, "Y-yes, I'm alright." His tongue flicked out to apply at least a bit of moisture to them before continuing, "You didn't aggravate your injury, did you?" The visual connection remained when Gladio subtly shook his head. A drop finally slid down the side of Ignis' face and his heart fluttered, tickling the inside of his chest. And, he wasn't sure what came over him in that moment, but unwittingly, his right hand reached forward to cup the side of the man's face, slowly and tantalizingly slithering around to his hair; but the most surprising was the lack of resistance he received. A smile now tugging at the corner of his mouth, his fingers finally found their destination, furling around a lock of dark hair almost forcefully.

The shield took in a light breath at the pain of it, but he had his own grin playing on his face now, taking genuine pleasure in this abrupt heat that seemed to seize the adviser. He didn't question it though, he went with it, allowing himself to let the burn guide his face forward, permitting the other to escort his lips against Ignis' own. The sensation seemed to overload his senses, everything was drowned out, and the man in front of him was the only thing that existed in that moment. He had to slam the palm of a hand against the wall, directly next to the strategist's head, just to make certain his legs didn't give out.

As the grasp finally eased up, he reluctantly pulled his lips away, which were almost numb from the strength and ferocity of the kiss; and for a few seconds, they stared at one another. "I should apologize," Ignis blushed, swiftly ducking under Gladio's arm and slinking away, "I don't know why I did that, but let's just pretend it didn't happen," he swiped a sleeve over his mouth as if that would wipe the memory of it away.

He went to turn, but his wrist was grabbed and he flinched at the hot breath that breezed across his ear, "Don't be sorry," he whispered, "We can pick this up later." His lips brushed against the tip of his ear as he pulled away, eliciting a shiver and a small gasp.

"I have no objections," he replied, fingers touching where the tingling remained and hesitated, glancing in the mirror to see that everything looked in order, and pushed the door open. The rush of cooled air helped to calm his nerves and settle his excited pulse, his mind collecting itself and placing him back in the right mindset.

"Took ya long enough," Noctis snidely commented, remote in hand as he flitted through stations, "And what the hell was that noise? Not trying to kill each other in there are ya?"

Ignis lightly scoffed, thankful neither of them were facing him, knowing the flash of bashfulness would have surely betrayed him, "Don't be ridiculous, there was a bit of a mishap," well, it wasn't entirely a lie. "Now, tell me, what do you want for dinner?" he changed the subject before he could reflect on that moment any longer. He didn't wait for an answer, he just moved, his body going on autopilot; his head returning to its muddled state as feeling began to flow back into his lips. He leaned down slightly to turn the stove on, his fingers barely feeling the texture of the dial, they were still stuck on the softness of Gladio's hair. 'Get yourself together,' he internally lectured himself, 'Stop this nonsense.'

Noctis turned towards his adviser to reply, but nothing came out when the man was no longer standing there. Shrugging, he turned back to the tv, finally tossing the remote over to Prompto, who jumped back before it could strike him, "Dude!" he exclaimed, hands up in mock surrender, "Trying to kill me?" He scooped up the controller to take over in the search of something decent, finally coming to a stop on some random sitcom, "Good enough," he muttered, deciding that looking through that day's photos was much more interesting. Cutting his eyes over for a fraction of a second, he waved a hand to Gladio when he finally departed the restroom, "Glad to see you alive," he greeted, back to fiddling with his camera.

"Mostly," he responded, rubbing the back of his neck, "Gonna make some coffee." He strolled over to the other section of their room, trying his best to avoid looking directly at Ignis as he worked, not wanting to accidentally give anything away to the others; that would only make this awkward, and that was something he was sure none of them exactly craved. He did his task swiftly, never once even glancing in the other's direction. And, as soon as that was done, he walked briskly back to Noctis and Prompto, dropping himself to sit on the bed containing the prince.

"Could you at least put your clothes back on," Noctis glanced him over.

Gladio offered him a sideways smile, "Don't be jealous just because you wish you had a body like this," he gestured a hand in front of him, showing it off as it drifted down. That earned him a small scoff and an eye roll. "But, I guess I do need to wash my jacket," he sighed, honestly having forgotten about it. Rolling his head to one side, he got right back up with a grunt, heading back to the bathroom to carry that out, thankful for the black attire seeing as the stain would be near impossible to detect should he not be able to get it clean enough.

Ignis looked over the meal, it was nothing too fancy, but considering they were low in ingredients and he didn't feel like spending a lot of time on something that night, vegetable soup would have to suffice, whether Noctis was up for it or not. He went ahead and poured everyone a bowl, setting the table and laying everything out. Satisfied, he called the rest to him, waiting until all of them were seated before sitting himself.

Throughout their meal, he found himself frequently stealing glances at the brute, keeping his eyes to himself was proving to be a lot more difficult than he had anticipated. "Hand me the pepper," Gladio nodded towards the small container.

At that, the adviser raised an eyebrow, "Are you implying that my seasoning his not up to par with your pallet?" He complied anyway, blood rushing when coarse fingers overlapped his own with the exchange and he cleared his throat, quickly pulling his arm back to take another spoonful of the stew.

"Not at all," Gladio shrugged, "But you know I like things spicy." He glanced over to try and catch a reaction, slightly disappointed when Ignis was able to contain himself, not even a flicker of emotion at that. Better at putting on a facade than he imagined.

"Really," Ignis nodded slowly, glaring at him out of the corner of his eyes, "I'll keep that in mind for the future then." His eyes lingered while he lifted his glass of water to take a short sip from it, only looking away once the glass was placed back on the table. Gladio had to bite in the inside of his cheek to stay silent on that one, the beating against his ribs tempting him. Just like Ignis had to do, he stuffed another bite into his mouth, shifting his eyes when he felt two more gazes boring into him.

"What?" he asked between chewing, "Is it that surprising, even Prom likes spicy food." He gave the blond a wink and went back to eating. The two of them exchanged a confused and concerned look, but said nothing, instead they quickly finished their bowls, Prompto taking both of the empty dishes to the sink to run some water in them.

Standing, Noctis stretched his arms upward, "Well, I'm heading to bed, I'm freaking exhausted," he yawned, scratching the back of his head. "Gonna play a bit of King's Knight before calling it a night though if anyone's in."

The moment the words left his mouth, Prompto had his hand in the air, other one digging for his phone, "Is that really a question? I'm way ahead of you." He let out a cheerful laugh, opening the app, and slung his arm around the raven-haired to almost drag him along in his excitement. Noctis stumbled from the sudden yank, but was easily able to right himself and keep up with the gunner's energetic pace with ease.

"So, do we need to talk about what happened?" Gladio began once they were out of earshot.

Ignis gently shook his head, "There's nothing to talk about, what happened, happened, unless you have any complaints on the matter," he at last looked over, "If you do, please say so before mistakes get made." Gladio latched onto those prying eyes, ever searching for answers and truths.

"None here," he assured, leaning back and folding his arms, "Only complaint I have is this, you were holding back, weren't you?" Silence, his emeralds flicked away and the water was again lifted to his mouth, "I thought so," he smirked, "Don't resist what the body craves, it produces unnecessary stress, but I'm sure you already know that." He turned his head to see the others, both of them engrossed in their game, and with a smile, he leaned closer to Ignis, slipping a hand under his chin to lift it up, "I'm going for a walk, feel free to tag along."

"I'll join you shortly, first I have dishes to attend to. Don't go far," he pulled himself away, scooting his chair back and going to the sink. Turning the faucet on, he tensed at the light press of a kiss against his neck.

"Don't take too long," he whispered, letting a hand run down Ignis' back as we walked away; the other heard the door softly close, allowing him to relax again. He released a thin and long exhale, forcing his shoulders to drop and roll back as he manually shoved his heightened yearnings away. This was ridiculous, why was he just now getting these impulses; they were so unlike him and unbefitting. He placed a dish in the drainer; perhaps it was feelings that had always been there, just now clawing their way to the surface. Rinsing another bowl off, he blinked a few times, chasing away his questioning mind.

After a time, he reached down for another dish, hand skimming over the metal bottom of the sink; and to his satisfaction, he discovered that was the last of them. Sighing out in relief, he leaned back a few inches to check on the two youngest due to the absence of sound. And, as expected, the both of them were tucked under their covers, not a single word or noise being emitted. For that, he was thankful for, that meant there was no need for excuses or explanations; he could just go.

As quietly and cautiously as he were able, he crept the door open just wide enough for his form to slip through and carefully closed it back and stepped back a few steps, listening for any sound on the other side. "Took long enough," he spun on his heel, the voice catching him off guard; he had expected him to at least be a little farther than that. But, there he was, leaning casually, yet impatiently against the Regalia, his foot tapping against the pavement. Without waiting for a response, he circled around the vehicle and opened one of the back doors, "After you," he gesture towards the seats.

(Music Here)

Ignis chewed on his lip and anxiously obliged. It took a moment of tentative and reluctant steps, but soon enough he was in and pressed his back against the opposite door. Gladio seemed to be a lot more eager in crawling in after him, "Alright, no playing around this time; no holding back." The adviser nodded curtly, determination and confidence replacing his previous unsure and wary glint. Taking the first move, the shield leaned down, and slowly, ran his lips up the other's neck, making pit stops on the way up to nibble gently before they reached their destination and interlocked with Ignis'. He couldn't stop the surge of pleasure that rose from the small and stifled moan that escaped.

As a natural response, the adviser's hand found that sweet spot at the back of his head again, only this time he could feel nails beginning to dig in deep. The more they clawed down the back of his neck, the more the pressure between them increased; Ignis' other hand wrapping itself to Gladio's lower back, momentarily forgetting about his wound. But, neither of them seemed to notice, or if they did, they didn't care.

The larger gasped when the man under him abruptly shoved him off, "Is something wro-"

"Shh," he quickly silenced him with a firm hand over his mouth, "No talking," he almost demanded, positioning himself to where he straddled the brute, and to the now bottom's pleasure, he began to undo his tie, twisted each end of it around either hand. With a devious smirk itching at the corner of his mouth he gave the material a few testing tugs. Already, Gladio saw where this was going, not that he had any objections. Gripping the fabric tightly, he lowered it and wedged it between the shield's teeth, holding it on either side to make sure it didn't slip. Like the treatment he received, he returned, but the difference being, he didn't pelt him with soft nibbles, but with tender bites. And, the higher he went, the deeper his teeth sank in. Occasionally, his tongue when pick up the salty taste of his skin.

Gladio's fingers tried to sink into the leather of the seats, but they merely glanced over the slick surface and balled into fists instead; his back arched slightly when teeth buried themselves particularly deep and sent sharp pains in all directions. He clenched down on the tie to muffle his own gasp. Eventually, those fangs of thrill arrived at his left ear where they became especially aggressive, to the point where he thought they might pierce through, but, they never did, they always stopped and moved elsewhere before skin was broken. "Is this what you wanted?" he whispered in dark hair, pulling away just far enough to gaze back into those passionately fiery orbs.

Gladio's entire body stiffened with those words and that inquisitive stare; heavy pants heaved through his chest at the sight of it and he gave his approval by yanking the man's head back down, his hands were now doing the exploring; the left one finding its way under the smaller man's shirt. It traced along the slender yet toned muscles along his back, stopping only momentarily when it came across the edge of his pants. He decided to save some stuff for another time, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a bit of enjoyment. He held back and permitted only his fingers to wander farther; and it wasn't long until they were delving into soft flesh.

His right hand was too busy making sure Ignis didn't pull away again, not yet anyway, not when he was still aching for more from the man. Those commending teeth made his bottom lip their new target, only letting up so the tongue could have a turn in tracing the interior of his mouth, almost as if mapping it all out and remembering every detail of it. It retreated so that the biting could continue where it left off.

Feeling the tingling in his chest slowly move down to his gut, and soon after drifting even farther, he deemed it a nice place to stop; he had enough dignity not to soil the Regalia in such a manner. And, slowly, he calmed his ravenous urges and placed a solid palm against Ignis' chest to carefully guide him away. Both were left in an awkward and dazed stare-off, nothing but their heavy breaths sounding out, bouncing of the inside of the car. Ignis removed his tie and sloppily tied it back on in a haste. And, after backing out of the door, he stood straight and fixed his shirt, which had become disheveled in their short heated interaction.

Checking himself in the side mirror, he glanced back at Gladio, who was trailing his fingers over the teeth indentations in his neck, "Not a word about this," the adviser demanded, redness gracing his features, but were lost in the night.

"Good luck explaining these then," he smirked pointing to his neck.

"Wear a scarf," the brunet suggested, walking towards the motel.

"In the middle of summer? It's almost a thousand degrees in the day."

"Well, I suppose you better start figuring something out," he placed his hand on the handle of the door and went to turn it, a familiar breeze on the back of his neck stopping him.

"Don't worry, they don't have to know, this is me, they'd believe me if I said I picked up a random girl," he pecked lightly at the back of his neck and placed his hand over Ignis' and pressed down, the click of the door opening resounding out. "After you," he whispered, and with a slump of his shoulders and a soft chuckle, he followed the instruction, listening intently at the heavier footsteps that echoed behind him.

I may or may not do more stories such as this in the future, but it depends on if this one is enjoyed enough or not to be honest. But, like I said, I enjoyed it enough for what it was. Of course, in my actual stories, I won't take anything this far.