Over the next few weeks Gladio had become quite the actor, needing to give the public as well as Noct and Prompto the illusion that he and Ignis were still on good terms. Which they were so to speak, as a matter of mere professionalism than social preference, well it wasn't Gladio's preference. Far from it to be precise. He wanted nothing more than to have his best friend back, or perhaps to have had something more with Ignis. After that brief but much desired kiss those months ago, Ignis had only become more of a distraction and Gladio longed for a chance to make things right again.
Still, the Shield had fond memories to fall back on, even if they left him hurting sometimes and only added to his longing. There were still glances that lasted a second too long, handshakes that lingered and hollow smiles exchanged, unreleased tension between the two often making things more awkward than necessary. Needless to say it infuriated Noct and Prompto to no end, Noct even had the bright idea to lock them in a room until they kissed and made-up, Prompto rationalised it wouldn't work out that way.
"So… Noct, any more great master plans for Operation Gladnis?" Prompto said, glancing up from his phone.
Noct returned the stare after a moment of thought. "I got one. Get 'em both drunk and then lock 'em in a room."
"Look buddy, Gladio and Iggy ain't exactly on bad terms so they'll just talk. Secondly, how in hell you gonna get Iggy of all people drunk? Gladio maybe but… Iggy's a long shot even for you."
"Well- Then- Maybe I'll just get 'em drunk enough they confess their love and I'll record it for evidence." When Prompto rose an eyebrow, Noct then added. "And for blackmail later."
"Y'know, I admire your dedication Noct. Maybe it'll happen on its own, y'never know." At that Noctis just rolled his eyes and grabbed a controller, handing the other to Prompto.
"Yeah well they're taking their damn time, it frustrates me 'cause it so fucking obvious they're into each other. Stubborn bastards…"
Prompto mocked surprise at Noct's cursing, putting on his best serious face. "Don't let Iggy hear you talk like that."
"Like what?" Enquired a familiar voice.
"Nothing!" Both boys shouted in unison, startled by Ignis' silent entry but thankful that's all he heard.
"Oh? By the guilty look on your faces, I'm not convinced and really quite curious." Ignis spoke plainly, a small smirk on his lips at the boys clear itch to blurt out whatever they were talking about before his arrival. "By the way Noct, you really shouldn't leave your notebook open unattended."
Noct instantly froze and shot Prompto a panicked glance, marvelling at the blonde boys calmness. "M-My bad. Did you ah- Read it?"
"From a fleeting glance I saw nothing more than crudely drawn pictures and illegible handwriting."
At that both Noct and Prompto let out a quiet sigh of relief, thankful Ignis wasn't one to pry where he knows he shouldn't. That didn't stop Noct from making a mental note to at least make sure his notepads were hidden or tidied away before Ignis came over, Prompto thought it best to remember that too, just in case Noctis forgot again.
"Yeah well- Not all of us can have fancy-ass writing like you Specs. Ain't you supposed to be kicking Gladio's ass instead of lecturing mine?" Noct retorted, Ignis just staring at him blankly in response.
"I simply came by to give you these, some notes I think would prove invaluable for your latest assignment. And of course lunch for the two of you, lest you ruin your appetite for dinner." Ignis said bluntly, setting down a folder and two boxes on the kitchen counter. "I trust the pair of you will actually do said assignment tonight or will I need to make a reappearance to ensure it?"
Prompto nodded frantically, mainly because Ignis scared him when he was serious, Noct on the other hand rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. The latter taking that as a sign to make his exit, and he did so as silently as he appeared.
--
Gladio, currently running to find Cor, was unaware of the other individual rushing just around the corner, that is until he collided with them and papers flew everywhere, both of them falling backwards with an echoing thud.
"Sorry-" The Shield began to apologise but halted when he saw who he ran into, instantly regretting his choice to sprint around the Citadel. "Shit."
Ignis sat up wearily, frowning at his cracked glasses and pocketing them reluctantly, glaring at Gladio as he sat up and started gathering his scattered files. "Dare I ask why you were running around like a child?"
Gladio moved to help collect the papers and simultaneously avoid eye contact with Ignis, though curiosity got the better of him and he was met with a clear glare, free of the usually obstructing glasses. "Cor asked for me, y'know how he is… Sorry about your glasses."
"It's fine. I needed a replacement pair anyways and now I have an excuse." The boy held out his hand for the remaining papers and Gladio handed them over, unintentionally holding his breath when his fingers brushed a gloved hand.
"When'd you start wearing gloves?" The intrigue obvious in Gladio's question as much as the sadness on his face.
"Since I decided my hands were far too valuable to have damaged, and I despise having them dirty. Excuse me-" Ignis went to rush off to his original destination but Gladio had an iron grip on the back of his waistcoat. "Gladiolus…?"
He thought about letting go and keeping his mouth shut but that was something Gladio wasn't capable of. "Can we talk? Like… Properly?"
Ignis kept silent for a moment, just looking at the floor until his gaze shifted to Gladio. "I suppose so. I'm available after 7 PM, if by then you still wish to talk, I'll be at the cafe at the end of the road."
Without another word Ignis slipped out of Gladio's grasp, one too many times for the Shield's liking. He hated watching from a distance as Ignis got on with his life without him, or at least, without him as a friend of sorts, their professional arrangement was hard on him but he was growing used to it. So there he was, standing in the hallway watching the boy he loved walking away again, without Noct holding them together they wouldn't even be talking and that hurt him more than anything. Actually, it hurt less than when Ignis kissed him and then shut him down, but there wasn't a big difference.
So rather than stand here staring after the Adviser, Gladio continued his journey to Cor's office before he was scolded and given laps for tomorrow morning. Something about the abrupt summons made him uneasy, Cor could be a bastard at times sure because everyone could be, he made a point of sending people on ludicrous errands to teach them a lesson sometimes, but he never openly asked for Gladio unless something was wrong or important.
Upon arriving at Cor's office his stomach immediately dropped, Ignis turned to see who was at the door and his gaze instantly turned back to Cor, the older man just sighed at seeing their reactions.
"Sit your ass down Gladio, you look like you're going to bolt. I didn't ask you two here out of spite, I asked you here because I have something important to talk to you about, with regards to training." Cor spoke with a bluntness that rivalled even Ignis', but the man also had a glint in his eye that made both boys shift uncomfortably.
"Better be good. I got places to be."
"Like lounging at home? Anyway… I'm changing your training partners. Again. Starting tomorrow, you'll be training together, before you shout about it Gladio, Ulric has proven to be more than suitable for Ignis and has given him invaluable skills, I want to see if you can keep up now. A Shield can't afford to be put down by a Sword after all."
Gladio just sat back in his chair muttering under his breath, Ignis remained silent and staring at the floor. "That it?"
"No. I'm doing a team exercise this weekend and I expect both of you to attend, I know for a fact you aren't working well together so this'll be the time to fix it. Moreover, Ignis, you're not eighteen yet so you shouldn't really be coming but it'll give me the chance to gauge whether you're ready to enroll in the Crownsguard in a couple of months." He spared the pair a glance and crossed his arms as though waiting for a protest. "That's it. Just don't kill each other this weekend will you? Now off with you before I add on extra drills tomorrow."
Ignis left silently and Gladio was half-tempted to start ranting about how bad this idea was, instead he followed equally as silent, if not uncharacteristically so compared to his usual way of voicing his opinion. Out of habit Ignis checked his watch and Gladio heard him sigh a little, stopping dead in his tracks when the former turned to face him.
"The Marshal took the liberty of clearing my schedule until Monday. If you're still adamant about talking then shall we?" Ignis said dryly, Gladio flinching at the sharpness of those words and was having second thoughts because this wasn't a good idea.
"Sure. I can take you to Princess' and we can talk after?" The Shield stood with his hands on his hips, almost asserting his dominance with the sheer difference in stature. Ignis however remained unphased and unrelenting, just giving an affirmative nod.
--
Meanwhile Noct and Prompto turned to the Master Matchmaker for help, bribing Iris to keep their plans a secret with sweets, not that she needed the bribery. They met in the backyard of the Amicitia house and Jared just came to offer snacks every now and then, other than that, they were undisturbed.
"You guys are hopeless… I gave you plenty to work with at the dance, and now they're not even hanging out!" She said between mouthfuls of crisps.
Prompto fiddled with his bracelets while he thought of a good explanation. "B-But Iris-! It isn't our fault! We had no idea Gladio didn't know about the situation." He fell silent when she threw an empty can at him.
"C'mon Iris, little harsh don't you think?"
"Operation Gladnis was going so well…" All three of them sighed in defeat, Iris may be irritated that the boys didn't help much but she knew life wasn't working in their favour.