Gladio's satisfaction of seeing the General struggle to keep up as they worked through a last round of burpees only intensified even as his own thighs burned, lungs drawing air in deep, became more pronounced by the sound of Cor's boots against the gravel announcing his arrival. Loqi, hardheaded as ever, was not going to give up, not in front of Cor, his first rival, and not to Gladiolus, his rivals most favorite trainee. Cor barely glanced his way as he took the stopwatch from his protégé.

"A clean race," the sideway narrowing glare had Loqi shifting brushing a hand through his sweat damped hair. The morning had been particularly cool, shifting from the last heat of summer to the start of fall. His breath wafting up Loqi exhaled fixing his hoodie.

Smiling, a bit too wide and manically, Cor's impression of his grin, at this chance to show Cor just what Nifleheim was able to do, Loqi nodded. "Of course, what else would it be?" His voice a bit too perky for six thirty, even for Cor whose glare narrowed ever more the grip on his paper cup tightening was not really for a bright eyed and bushy tailed General or anything vaguely awake at this hour.

Sighing the man set the stopwatch, tongue running under his lips as he tried to keep his irritation under control. "I haven't finished this cup of coffee yet Tummelt. Wouldn't want a visiting dignitary found in a dark alley." A smile was forming, a challenge! "Are you going to stand there and smile at me all day like a love-struck schoolgirl and let Gladio win?"

Loqi glanced to the sidewalk where Gladio had been crouched down, finding it abandoned. Growling Loqi rushed after, his ears barely catching Cor's chuckling.

Bringing his cup up, Cor smiled against the brim. "He's fast at least might just give Gladio a run for his money." Turning the Marshal took the stairs into the Citadel two at a time, already smelling the bacon cooking in the kitchen. At the doors, he stopped watching the two distant figures disappear, lips thinning as he stood in thought. With a slight shake of his head and another sip, he settled on finding Clarus much to the grumbling annoyance of his stomach.

No, no, no, faster, must run faster! "Hey Gladiolus!" Loqi slowed his sprint to a manageable, albeit slow to him jog, beside the hulking man. "Thought you had me there for a second." He smiled, leering at Gladio to react in some way at the easy stride he had going.

"Great," Gladio grunted, panting hard, "you caught up. Prayed to the Six I'd lost you." Gladio wheezed the last part out. He was not built for speed, he was built to be a wall between those that wanted to cause harm and the one they wanted to harm. Beside him, Loqi started to hum, unaffected by the brisk pace they had set.

A chuckle rumbled from the young man, arm swinging back. "I wanted to give you a head start." The punch was meant to be light, much like the ones he shared with Ravus. However, the friendly brother-like gesture was completely missed by Gladio, the hit a bit too hard. When all was combined from Loqi's insanely perky attitude, being woken up the last three weeks at five am to spar with the 'intruder', Gladio's empty stomach, which wasn't really Loqi's fault, but it didn't help to watch Loqi shovel a gigantic cinnamon roll from Cloud's Donut into that hole on his face, or the way he licked his fingers clean of the glaze as he had never tasted something as amazing in his pathetic life and that way he savored the coffee; Gladio snapped. He was done, hungry for something other than sweetbreads and certainly not a cup of coffee. He wanted meat, quiet and to be far from Loqi Tummelt as he could be, like the blond six feet under Insomnia's Grand Park.

For being fast and small, Loqi was not ready for the attack or the way the wall connected with his back. It was hard on the back of his head, cold seeped into his back through his double layer of clothes, feet dangling in the air as he was forced to look Gladiolus' in the face. The sun had not reached the alleyways of Insomnia, it was barely cresting the giant wall, but Loqi could see the seething anger in the Shield's eyes a promise of bodily harm to come. The second's ticked by, Loqi's mind racing as he tried to find the instance that had sent the Hulk into a rage. Well, Loqi tried kicking his legs out only to have them stilled as Gladiolus shifted to trap the wiggling limps between the wall and his body, he had struck first, and this would only be self-defense on Gladio's part. Searching the only escape route, he looked for weapons, anything even a rouge alley cat he could bend to his will. Nothing. The alley was clean, almost clean enough to eat dinner from. Damn Insomnia and her government for being efficient and having fantastic environmental standards.

Gaze dropping from the fires of Ifrit to the incensed Cupid's bow, Loqi found his way out, a dirty trick even for him, but it would work. Most definitely. As his own bubbled in his stomach, Loqi pushed forward against Gladio's hold to graze his lips against the brunette's in a vain attempt to break free. It worked automatically, just not quite in the manner he had expected it to. As the bruising grip on his arms weakened, Gladiolus did not move, not enough for Loqi to dart out of the alley to freedom and pushed back. His plan was backfiring, and the next formulated move was a deadly risk Loqi was willing to make. A swipe of his tongue, the lingering taste of watery sugar and coffee and a brief taste of cinnamon toothpaste on his taste buds, had Gladiolus moving back, stunned. It was not enough for freedom, but the gentle push against the mountain of a man was surprisingly easy. With his opening; Loqi brushed past sprinting from the alleyway as fast as his feet could take him leaving the vexed man behind.

From the mouth of the alley way Gladio watched him disappear in the distance, the echo of Loqi's sneakers so early in the morning beat like a galloping Garula against the pavement. Brows joining together as the General disappeared, a mix of amusement and annoyance at his tingling lips settled over Gladiolus, his skin heating as the sun began to ascend higher. As he began jogging, a more manageable pace down the sidewalk, the race was the last thing on Gladio's mind.

"Cunning little bastard" hunger finally hit him, washing over him with a deep desire for something quick and simple. There was nothing like a morning Cup Noodles.


On the other side of town, Ignis bowed as stepped from the gateway of the suburban townhome, his backpack slug over his shoulder by one strap, another black bag resting crossed his body. Ravus trailed closely behind dressed casually in a white pull over shirt and black jogging pants. As Prompto nodded and mutter a good morning to Ignis, Ravus glanced at the Advisor, Ignis's breath catching momentarily at the sight of his heterochromia or it was brief glance as Ravus shifted to stop Prompto and the muscles in his arm flexed as he gripped the boys' arm with his good hand. "You will not be rude; do you understand Prom?"

Prompto acquiesced, eyes cast down. "Yes, sir."

Ravus stepped beside Prompto, leveling a cool glance at Ignis, his eyes trailing from the spikes of Ignis's hair to the beauty marks on his left cheek. Ravus's lips turns up at the corner, to Prompto he was being friendly, Ignis knew better. "Ignis, I trust him in your able hands." Ravus dropped an arm crossed Prompto's back, hand resting on the opposite shoulder. "They seem to begrudgingly be getting along."

Ignis nodded, coming to his full height, "that they do. Will you not be joining us this morning?"

Ravus shook his head, the last month of accompanying Ignis on his morning trek of escorting the Prince's to school had heeded fair results. The first week was rough, a constant battle between the two even when Ravus sat in the back behind Prompto, Noctis found some way to terrorize the Nif, in the front he would turn and stick his tongue out spending the lengthy ride making faces at the Imperial heir. In retaliation, Prompto took as many pictures, which Noctis hated, as he could. While the pictures where the least of the issues between the boys, it got under Noctis' skin the most. The first time Ravus sat between them Noctis had nagged and being his oddly specific and deep dictation of what Prompto was doing, how Prompto huffed with irritation or the way his eyes, "the loveliest shade of deep periwinkle only distracted by the splatter of freckles that formed a brown line akin to dirt spanned his scrunched up nose, turned up in disgust as the handsome, smart and trim Prince Noctis, future King of Lucis, deduced that this plain, portly fiancé of his used the pictures late at night to desperately fondle his cock till he was a withering mess on his bed."

In a blink of an eye, Ignis had pulled the car over fast, the driver he had cut off yelling obscenities as they sped past, yanking the Crown Prince out and for the next twenty minutes lectured the future king about proper manners, being a decent human being while Noctis rubbed the ear Ignis' had nearly tore off. The narration ended when Ravus spent two weeks in the back seat with them reading over current Lucian and Niflheim reports. At least they both agreed, the monotone voice Ravus adopted for reports was the worst thing in all Eos. The last week had been spent escorting Prompto solely to school via public transport. "No, I believe you have the ability to handle this morning alone. If issues arise, I will accompany you tomorrow."

Prompto winced as Ignis smiled, he did not mind the bland tone Ravus adopted to irritate the pair. He was used to it as it was often directed towards Loqi and him when Ravus read reports, and Imperial letters from the Emperor no matter who they were addressed to. Only their personal letters where kept personal. Then sometimes Ravus would liven it up and when reading letters from the Chancellor himself, took on a high-pitched squeaky voice and flippantly acted out what Ardyn Izunia would not do. It was not much, but it left Prompto longing for home. Where he and Loqi could silently judge Ardyn who when he caught sight of the youngest Royals as Ideolas had went on random tangents that could turn into hour long stories of how he had changed the landscape of Nifleheim, made faces at them ensuring Ideolas always though they enjoyed his stories.

Ardyn knew he had made a monster, who found immense joy in imprisoning the pair as his compliant audience.

He missed the few maids and the Butler, most of all he missed Lunafreya. Besides Loqi who was only his friend because of familial bonds, Luna and he had studied together, grown up together after the annexation of Tenebrae. They enjoyed learning about the history of Eos from Ragnar, but it was even better over a steaming mug of hot chocolate and peppermint bark that Ardyn brought back from his travels. They delighted in hearing of Altissia, of Galahad and even Insomnia.

But being here, now in the Lucian city. He missed her to the point his heart ached. For the last week ,Ravus had personally escorted him to school. After Ignis's suggestion of getting to know his future citizens, Prompto had finally brought the idea to Ravus. At first, he had been highly awed that the foreigners had managed to find their way through the city and the stories they formed in his memory card. For Ravus it was a week of no complaining, no fighting, just silence.

During these stress free times Prompto had taken his late birthday gift from Luna and filled it with snapshots of immigrants from Nifleheim, mothers with their babies, old men surrounding tables as they played a game of checkers shaped in a star a group of bikers, their heads shaved in various styles with tattoos that covered nearly every inch. Some of the immigrants, really refugees, had cried seeing the young Imperial Princes, when Loqi had bothered to distance himself from his competition with Gladiolus, other times they had forcibly insisted that Ravus and Prompto join them for dinner. Even after one elderly lady had smacked Ravus on the rear end, squeezed and deemed him of good Tenebrae stock much to the shock of her family and the begging of her son to not punish his mam. Ravus, had tried quelling the mans whimpers of forgiveness. Till Mam grabbed another handful of his rear, hummed, and stated quiet boldly-

"The arse of a Prince. I knew a Tenebrae Prince once. Hand a nice face, abs that could sear a flank steak and his-"Mam was wheeled into her room shouting that he had an odd gun-sword hybrid that could fell a Red Dragon with one swipe and for her son to get his mind out of the gutter.

For some, he knew their names, but Mam was his favorite.

Prompto glanced to Ravus, "Can't I just ride the bus? I don't mind going alone."

Ignis frowned, "if I may- "

Ravus glanced at Ignis, eyes silencing him. "That's fine." A smile spread across Prompto's face, his spirits renewed. "Just be careful. If anything happens call." Prompto nodded grasping the phone Ravus held out to him. "Do you have your homework?" The last words fell silent as Prompto darted around the corner leaving his Governor and the Advisor to the silence of the first morning rays. The pair stared at the light pole on the corner. The light flickering, dimming as the city awoke.

"Well, would you like to come in for coffee?" Ignis tilted his head then glanced towards the car behind him. Noctis could be awake. "If the Prince is there, we can always just pick up something on the way."

"I think riding the bus is a perfect idea. In public they are less likely to maim each other."

Ravus smirked, a soft chuckle rumbling from his chest. "I'll have it ready. No creamer, two sugars."

It was nice having someone else do something for him for once, even if it was just a cup of coffee. Noctis grunted as the door opened, his belt catching him as his pillow flew away.

"Are we there already?" The Prince looked up, sleepy-eyed. "Why am I not at school?"

"You're riding the bus today." Noctis lifted a brow, righting himself in his seat. Confused he did not move to unbuckle himself, forcing Ignis too.

"Whaddya mean, riding the bus?"

Ignis pushed his glasses back, an irritated puff of air escaping him, "public transport. Prompto will be escorting you today." The shock that Noctis had was pleasing, Ignis biting back his glee. "It would do you good, spending time alone with him." From the tone, Noctis comprehended instantly that Ignis would not be changing his mind. No amount of dissent or grumbling.

"Fine." It was Ignis's turn to be shocked. Noctis pushed out of the car forcing Ignis to step away from him as he pulled his backpack behind him. "Which way do I go?"

Ignis motioned towards the lamp post, he had previously seen the sign when they had driven by that morning. It was not far, a minute's jog at most, five if one snail crawled. Nodding, Noctis shouldered the pack, waving a quick goodbye. "Be quick, don't miss the bus!"

"Yeah, mom!" Before he got too far away, Noctis turned around, "don't have too much fun." His brows wiggled, a cheesy 'I know what you're doing' grin on his face.