Just some random thoughts coming out. Gladio x fem reader. Thanks for reading!
-I also take requests if anyone is wondering.
...
You. It was always you. Gladio loved you in such a way he didn't even understand. Days would go by and he would just watch as you blossomed, growing into the woman he fell in love with. He was apart of every aspect of your life, from the time you entered it randomly in a restaurant straight up to this point. The smile that lighted your eyes and brightened his day, the hair that looked as smooth as silk shining in the sunlight. There wasn't a time that he could stop admiring you whenever you drew near.
The two of you were friends, close ones but nothing more. Opportunities were wasted: school dances, free weekends, study dates, outings with friends, evenings spent alone together. Some of the best times he had was when you would crash at his place after the two of you had drunk far too much, collapsing on the couch and eating noodles in sweats. You were always close to him, but far enough that he was unsure of himself.
There were nights that you would get drinks and he would watch you dance, immediately swept away by other men whom you didn't find it necessary to push away. And he would watch you, keep you safe even as women would saunter up to him with sinful thoughts. Some of those men would make a second appearance, and then a third before he would watch you shower then with your love. He would have others as well, oblivious to the fact that he wanted no one else but you. Nights would go by and he would be unsatisfied, relationships broken because of the bond you two shared.
When you were sick, he would take care of you. Sometimes it was so bad that you couldn't leave your bed and he would make sure that you were eating, even if it was just noodles. Gladio would lie in bed with you while watching cheesy movies, staying there even as you drifted in and out of slumber. The man even held your hair back as you vomited, not deterred in the slightest by your shambled appearance.
There wasn't a day that you didn't talk to each other; the ones meant to court jealous of the attention being lavished on someone else. He remembered every bit of your pain, every time a man would leave you broken, sobbing and utterly alone, he would be there. It wasn't like you always told him, but there was something that just beckoned him to call you, an instinct that always had him right where he needed to be in order to catch you when you fell.
The last time was the worst. When you moved in with your boyfriend, Gladio helped you, really trying to like this one despite how much it hurt to see you happy with someone else. The large man himself was engaged in his own serious relationship, starting before you and loving how the two of you got along. If Gladio couldn't have you then at least he could find someone you approved of, someone that you would gravitate toward so that you and him didn't grow apart.
When that boy left, Gladio was there to catch you before you hit the ground. He was always there for you and it was then he knew how much he truly loved you. There was no more room in his life for anything aside from you and his duty. That was what always drew him to you, other girls never understanding how his duty to the Crown would come first. But you did, had known always as the two of you grew up.
Gladio held you as you sobbed into his chest, just as he had done plenty of times before, consoling you while unable to stop himself from noticing the scent in your hair. Your quivering body within his strong arms reminded him of how much more you deserved, how much better he could treat you, how he always put a smile on your face. When you were ready, he did just that, clearing his schedule and devoting his time and attention all on you. By the end of the night you had forgotten about that jerk off, sleeping sounds against Gladio's arm after a few drinks and clutching his arm. The man didn't dare move, living with the kinks in his neck and back as he watched over you.
The girl he was dating left him shortly after that, clearly unable to compete with your affections. The two of you went back to your single routine, enjoying life together, laughing, drinking, hiking, whatever it was you both loved that the others didn't. Gladio continued to watch you, harbouring his own desires while thoroughly subjecting himself to your every whim.
It wasn't until the day before he was to leave for his adventure, escorting the Prince to Altissia for the wedding, that he had come to you beforehand. You weren't expecting him, far from presentable, however, it wasn't like he had never seen you at your worst before and the two of you often dropped by each other's houses without calling ahead of time. This time, when you opened the door he was struck by your appearance.
Here you were, the most beautiful girl in the world, standing before him. A sports bra tightly clutched your torso while grey, overly large sweat pants that belonged to him were hugging your hips and dragging a little low. Your hair was messy, dragged up lazily at the top of your head with plenty of it falling out, almost as if you were waking from a nap. There was a tub of ice cream in your hands, your favourite and a previous stain from your lunch that you hadn't noticed on the corner of your mouth. Your sparkling eyes looked up at him, confused as you why he had knocked instead of just walking in – as was the norm between you both.
There were no words, unable to contain himself any longer. Gladio reached for you, crashing his lips upon yours and tasting the cool flavour of your desert all along your mouth. For moments, you were stiff, confused about what was going on before your food feel and you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him close. The large man put all the passion he could into it, hoping to convey his message and a lingering fear that once he left the city, he wouldn't get another chance. Gladio made it last as long as he could, still unsatisfied as he pulled back.
You were still looking up at him confused, caught in his amber gaze and within the confines of his gentle embrace. A large hand cupped your cheek, thumb running along your lips and feeling the heat of your breath on his face still. Desperate he was for another taste, however, he was unsure of where exactly to go from here, wishing that you would respond positively to his vulnerability laid out in the open.
"I..."
The words escaped him, that gnawing fear still eating him inside with each second that you did not move. Your eyes searched him for an answer, for an explanation as to why he was doing this so suddenly. Gladio desperately hoped that it wasn't too late, that he hadn't blown his chance at what he truly wanted.
It was then you realized how you truly felt about this man currently holding you. Ever since you met him, you knew that he was different. You were with him in school, watching as he strived the heights he set out of as the Sworn Shield of the Crown Prince. You were immensely proud of him when he joined at age eighteen, was there for all the tattoo sessions until completion and often found that you would admire it.
Over the years, the two of you had grown close, to the point that there really weren't any boundaries between you. But he never looked at you the same way that you did him. Girls flooded his vision and none of them were you. Often you would mask your sorrow at seeing him with someone else, watching as he allowed them to get intimate with him in a way that you only wished you could. None of them ever lasted and internally you were happy. Gladio never complained, never pined, merely moved onto the next.
The only time you ever saw him so unsettled was from his job. The young Prince would find himself getting on the nerves of his guard and you were there to sooth your friend afterward. You enjoyed hanging out with him, spending all your time doing whatever it was you loved doing together. Every time your phone lit up, you smiled when you saw his name sprawled across it, even if it was just a simple "Sup".
When he susatined injury, you were there. You dropped everything you were doing as soon as you got the call from his sister, rushing to his side without a second thought. Defending the Prince, doing his duty to the full expectation, you were proud and worried. The blood trickled from beneath the bandage and you told him how badass he was going to look once it was healed. You stayed with him, make sure he was taken care just as you knew he would do for you.
And still you were certain that there was no room in his heart for you. Gladio was just your best friend, the only person you ever really wanted to be around anyway. Whenever you dated someone else, you were constantly comparing the two without realizing, finding that even though at times you were deliriously happy, there was something missing.
Now you had the answer, wrapped in his embrace despite not expeciing your dreams to come true. Gladio was here, kissing you with everything he had and you were so shocked you didn't react as you should have, as you wanted to. Instead you stood there like an idiot while the man dropped all his walls and gave you the exact thing you needed to act on your emotions.
As you gazed into those molten, amber eyes you were again struck with the raw truth you had only wished you could know. There was nothing he could say to make it better, you knew exactly what he was trying to communicate even as he faltered in his words. Your own tongue was frozen, afraid to express the wrong thing and chase him away. This was the only chance you had and you were not going to blow it.
Just as he was about to pull away, you found your own arms slither around his neck and pull him in for another kiss. To say he was surprised was an understatement, grunting before letting his lids flutter closed and pull you against him much tighter. Tongues danced to a song only the two of you knew, neither wishing to separate even as your lungs protested the neglect in air. As he pulled away, you still looked at him with hooded eyes, lost in the passion and unwilling to come out.
This is what you were missing your entire life, finally feeling whole at knowing he was going to take on the world at your side. While you were aware that he would be leaving the city, you knew that he would return and he would be with you as soon as he arrived. As he pulled you in for another kiss, you hoisted yourself up and clung to him, the two of you falling on your couch as you continued to taste each other. His shirt was discarded and you knew exactly what was to happen next. You took a moment to admire him, smiling as you cupped his cheek this time.
"You," your voice whispered, "It was always you."