Ever since Noct had gone, Eos had been plunged into darkness. The remainder of the royal retinue had temporarily gone their separate ways, although Gladio would have protested and tried to make Ignis stay with him, instead he kept his mouth shut out of pride and pure stubbornness. Prompto had retreated to Hammerhead to help with defences and to be around Cindy, Ignis resorted to travelling where-ever he desired or was needed but often he'd be found in Galdin, Gladio stayed in Lestallum to help with hunts and the like with other hunters and the remaining Glaives. At least, the ones that weren't elsewhere.
"Hey- You comin' or what? Gonna keep daydreamin' like that 'n' I'll leave you here," Gladio snapped out of his thoughts to glance up at Dave, who stood over him with mildly concerned look on his face.
"Yeah, right," He stood up and grabbed his pack, jumping on the back of the truck with a few others. Ever since Ignis left, Gladio hadn't been able to get him out of his head. They'd grown close over the years but after Altissia and losing Noct, Ignis grew distant, focusing on rehabilitating himself due to his disability. The rare times Gladio passed through Galdin, if he were lucky, he'd catch a fleeting glimpse of the man plaguing his thoughts. To keep his mind off Ignis he'd go on a hunt or two, drink himself to oblivion or sleep, sometimes all three in a day.
Prompto came to visit when he could which gave Gladio something to look forward to, he only wished that he could tell Ignis how much he wanted- actually needed- him around. Pride and fear were keeping him in check though, even blind Ignis could be terrifying and his words alone could be lethal, paired with daggers… It was best to keep his mouth shut.
Unfortunately even with extra defences on the trucks they could still be attacked, today was no exception. Gladio was forced out of his daydreams by a band of hobgoblins, they weren't alone though, a couple of iron giants were stirred by the commotion and made their way over, in turn attracting the attention of a psychomancer. Today was not a good day. The few hunters they had stood no chance against this many daemons and certainly not the three more dangerous ones.
If Noct, Prompto and Ignis were here it'd be a hell of a lot easier to taken them down but alone… Gladio could only do so much and the others weren't adept at combat out here yet. He tried to pinpoint weaknesses in the daemons but with Dave barking orders and cries from the hunters, it was tough and analysing was not Gladio's forte, it was Ignis'. It'd actually be unsurprising if he'd memorised the weaknesses of all the daemons they'd encountered.
Having the man on his mind wasn't completely unwelcome back in Lestallum but right now it only ensured disaster. Maybe the Gods were proving a point because in his plagued state of mind, Gladio let his guard down and the psychomancer took hold of his neck, the iron giant closing in to make swift work of him.
Maybe dying wouldn't be so bad, he'd be betraying his friends and his charge, but it'd make his suffering less and he'd have to lose no-one else. After all he'd lost his home, his father, his mother, Noct and pretty much lost his best friend. Prompto and Iris seemed to be the only real constants anymore.
The urge to fight left him and his broadsword disappeared in a small flash of blue. Ready to succumb to his fate he closed his eyes, however he was suddenly dropped and when he reopened his eyes, he thought his sight betrayed him. The psychomancer disappeared a cloud of black, the last person he expected to see crouched beside him like a coeurl, flamebound daggers in hand.
"Are you alright?" The strong accent he fondly remembered passed his ears and Gladio was rendered speechless.
"Long time no see muscle head~" A second person he never expected to see. Maybe the Gods weren't after him after all. Aranea stood to his left, Ignis to his right and he lay on the floor like a fool, bewilderment likely obvious.
"I- How did you guys get here?" Ignis chuckled and 'looked' at him.
"You're late. We were asked to see what was taking so long, and here we are, perhaps in perfect time," Gladio saw Ignis give Aranea a brief nod and she charged off, lance in hand, to an incoming iron giant.
"I'm not carrying you to the truck so, can you stand?" The adviser extended a hand to him, rather hesitantly, Gladio took it and let himself be hauled to his feet.
"Thanks… Iggy," Gladio couldn't help but stare at his friend, time hadn't been kind to the man but he still looked as dashing as ever. Time hadn't been kind to anyone it seems.
"It's been too long since I've been called that, come, the others can finish up here and we'll see about patching you up," Ignis flashed a smile but Gladio could see the sadness behind it, even if the other was very capable of hiding his feelings.
"Yeah… Sure," Gladio frowned when his voice broke, it was uncharacteristic to say the least and there was no reason for it.
The other hunters had finished off the hobgoblins and Gladio had never felt so useless, save one other time, that day in Altissia when things shattered. During the drive back Gladio could scarcely keep his eyes off his friend. From the unstyled ash-blonde locks, long enough now they almost covered the scar on the left side of his face, how his right eye remained unconsciously half open, casually dressed in hunters clothes despite his proper posture and his head held high.
The one thing Gladio missed the most about Ignis it was his intense gaze, before Altissia his eyes had been such a mesmerizing shade of green but now they were a murky white, it made his heart sink every time he saw them, the scars only contributed to his guilt.
"Something the matter? You've been glaring at the floor as though it offended you," Ignis' voice sounded muffled while Gladio was trapped in his own memories, but he glanced over at him anyway.
"I'm fine, just tired," The look Ignis sent him said, 'Of course you are'. But he didn't press the matter, instead he started talking to Aranea. It seemed like the two of them had grown close over the past couple of years, very close, to Gladio's surprise he either felt angry or jealous. Angry that they were so casual together but jealous because that's what he wanted, he had that before things got complicated, he said some things he shouldn't have and pushed his friends away. Prompto bounced back like nothing happened as he does, he's so lively and optimistic it really cheers him up.
As the truck parked up Gladio started feeling nauseous and dizzy. Maybe it was the aftermath of his wounds but the concerned looks he was getting from the others didn't make him feel much better.
"Need a hand muscle head? Look like you're gonna pass out," Aranea held out a hand and he took it, almost as reluctantly as he took Ignis' earlier. She took the liberty of leading him to what looked like a medical tent, Ignis followed with Gladio's pack slung over his shoulder and a crate of supplies in his arms.
"Look alive Doc, this one's a tough guy," Through his blurry haze Gladio made out the figure of a man, a white lab coat covered him in contrast to his dark skin.
"Ah! Excellent, I was beginning to worry we'd never get those supplies. Set that box down by the table won't you? And the young man can be set down over there," His voice was joyful all things considered, not that Gladio paid much attention to anything right now. "So what happened here? He looks in fine form," The doctor spun around in his chair to take a look at Gladio's wounds, minor cuts and bruises.
"He ran into a spot of trouble with a psychomancer," The man clicked his tongue, turning to grab a few painkillers and handed them to Ignis.
"He just needs to rest, I'll keep him here tonight. The nausea will pass soon enough and he'll be ready to head back, just give him a couple of those if he needs them," Both Aranea and Ignis nodded, retreating outside to let Gladio sleep.
"You look like you've got questions, fire away, I know everything that happens 'round here," Gladio rolled over and sat up slowly, taking a glass of water that was held out to him. "It's nothing really… Just- How's he been doing?" The slight smile from the doctor put Gladio at ease for some reason.
"I'm sure you can see for yourself. Miss Highwind has been exceptional in helping rehabilitate him, I thought one of you would be the ones to do so to be honest," At the mention of Aranea's name Gladio felt that jealous twinge again. He had the sinking suspicion that her and Ignis were together but he knew his friend wasn't looking for a relationship, he never was, it still hurt him to even consider the possibility of Ignis with someone else though.
"Yeah well, shit happened and… We don't talk that much. Can I go yet? I feel a lot better," The doctor just waved a hand and Gladio stood up, leaving the tent to see what had become of Galdin Quay and not just as a fleeting visit.
The whole place was lit up with lamps, torches and flood lights, crates of supplies bundled here and there. The once beautiful beach was transformed into a dark and broken place, much like the rest of Eos thanks to Ardyn. Gladio spotted Ignis emerging from a tent, pulling a t-shirt on and attempting to make his hair presentable. Though it failed abysmally, Gladio still thought he looked gorgeous. The man pausing for a moment as he seemed to stare right at Gladio.
"Ah, you're awake, how are you?" After a moment the shield registered the question was meant for him.
"Uh- I'm good, a lot better now, thanks. Rough night, eh?" As he walked closer to his friend, he caught sight of the dark marks on his neck, at least the ones not covered by his t-shirt and how his hair stuck up at the back.
"Ah- You could say that- Apologies. I'm glad you're alright nonetheless, though I feel as though you have something to say, a gil for your thoughts?" Despite his best efforts, Gladio couldn't brush it aside, he couldn't shove his feelings away but it was clear now Ignis had found someone or a friend with benefits.
"Finally get yourself a girl, hm?" Gladio tried his best at sounding cheerful but the way Ignis was looking at him showed the blind man could see through his farce.
"I don't tend to kiss and tell. It's mainly for mutual benefit. And what of the infamous flirt that is Gladio? I have yet to hear rumors or stories," A dark blush rose on Gladio's cheeks at his words, rivalling the one Ignis currently had.
"Specs I'm taking one of your t-shirts! Oh- Shit- sorry," Aranea emerged from the tent Ignis had just come from, she flashed a smile and finished pulling on a t-shirt, clearly one of Ignis' even if she hadn't announced it. Said man just stood with his blush growing more intense by the second, pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.
"Mutual benefit, huh?" Gladio glanced around his friend, noticing Aranea harboured similar marks, less scattered and angry looking mind you, and seemed to be glowing so to speak.
"He ain't entirely wrong. You're missing out big guy~" This was awkward for all three of them. Gladio has a crush on Ignis but so does Aranea, clearly.
"Missin' out on you or him?" A sly smile from her sent chills down Gladio's spine.
"Both hot shot, I'm willing to share. Anyways, I'll give this back soon, see ya later boys," Ignis seemed to tilt his head to listen as she kissed his cheek and wandered off into the dark.
"Soooo wanna rephrase that casinova? Seems like stuff with Aranea worked out." While Gladio felt nothing but regret, Ignis seemed to be happy, even if it wasn't common these days, relationships seemed to be the last thing on everyone's mind.
"There's something you still haven't said. I may be blind but I know you too well Gladiolus, you can't lie, not to me," Ignis stated bluntly, Gladio flinching at the use of his whole name.
"I wanted to say… That I'm sorry for being an asshole, I shouldn't have said those things back then…" Gladio paused for a moment to gauge Ignis' expression, though it remained unreadable. "I'm glad you've got a little light in this fucked up world, you deserve it, I uh- I'm gonna head out with the next truck. I guess I also wanted to say goodbye," The shield scowled as his emotions betrayed him, a single tear rolling down his cheek, evidence of his internal battle and thankful once more that Ignis couldn't see it.
Unfortunately for Gladio, Ignis was still not convinced that was all but once again he didn't press the matter. Instead he remained silent. It was then Gladio truly realised he shouldn't have let his pride get in his way, it could be him that made Ignis smile so brightly. He could have been the one running his fingers through ash-blonde hair, trailing kisses along the strong jawline, feeling soft lips on his own and waking up after an eventful night to Ignis snuggly curled up with him. The not so innocent things that he could have done, like having the blonde writhing under him, begging and pleading for the inevitable. That's also when he knew he had to let him go, it was easier and that way his friend could be happy, even if it ended up being momentary.
"Iggy. Do me a favour will you? Come and visit sometime, gets lonely without you and Prompto around," Gladio's voice was breaking slowly but Ignis humored him and pretended like he couldn't hear it, the adviser just graced him with a sad smile instead.
"Of course. Sometimes the silence here is deafening, your thunderous voice and heavy footsteps are a welcome change," Trying to lighten the mood with a sarcastic comment, Ignis' smile took on a warmer feeling and Gladio realised, there was no way he'd ever be able to let go of this man. He's said it to himself a million times before, but that's the beauty of it. That no matter how many times he said that he'd get over it and move on, some small part of him always reminded him it was a lie.
"You're a piece of work y'know that? Aranea's sure got her work cut out for her with your stubborn ass around," Ignis frowned and shifted uncomfortably.
"I'll have you know Miss Highwind and I are- Actually, I suppose it is rather complicated," Gladio raised an eyebrow and flashed a cocky grin, shaking his head at Ignis' denial.
"Whatever you say loverboy. I'm just glad you've got someone takin' care of you now, gives me some peace of mind, anyways, see you around Iggy," The shield put a hand on Ignis' shoulder and brushed past him, it was better he leave now or regret it. The other just stared after him, almost like he could actually see him walk away, guilt creeping its way to his mind as he fought not to turn back.