AN: next chapter inbound.
Please review and let me know what you think!
FFXV doesn't belong to me, not beta-ed, all mistakes mine.
Now
Gladio slammed the last stake into the ground. Prompto worked silently. The silence had a weight to it.
Gladio sighed. "Say it."
Prompto turned and looked at him. "Why? Why did you do it?"
Gladio stood up. "I wanted you both to see that we shouldn't have brought Ignis down here with us."
Prompto looked up at him. "I don't think that's it."
Gladio rocked back, eyes narrowing. "I think I know my own feelings, Prompto."
"I'm not saying you don't, I just think you're lying to yourself."
Gladio glared at him, arms crossed. "Fine. Why did I do it?"
Prompto opened one of the camp chairs. "Because you're hurting, too."
Gladio's arms fell to his side.
Prompto set up the other camp chairs. "You're blaming yourself, Ignis is blaming himself, Noctis is blaming himself. It's a massive blame party."
Prompto looked up at him, tears shining in his eyes. "What none of you seem to get is that it isn't anyone's fault but the Empire's. Even if you and Ignis had been with Noctis when the Hydrean appeared, you wouldn't have been able to change anything. You'd both be dead and Noctis would be alone. Gods know I can't protect him by myself."
Gladio stared at Prompto. The kid was more insightful than everyone gave him credit for.
"Everyone reacts to pain differently, Gladio. Noctis withdraws, you lash out, and Ignis is hiding from us, trying to stay strong and failing miserably."
"What about you?" Gladio asked stiffly. "Aren't you hurting too?"
Prompto hit Gladio. "Of course I'm hurting, you ass! You think I like watching my best friends, my only friends, self-destruct? I feel like I'm standing outside, watching the three of you slide away, and no matter how much I yell and try to get to you guys, I can't. So, I try to be there for everybody, but you all make it so fucking difficult! Gods, can't you guys just talk about it!"
He spun away from Gladio, angrily wiping tears from his eyes. Gladio watched him, a frown tugging at his face.
Prompto turned back to Gladio. "If Noctis was going to quit, he would've done it already. He's still here, Gladio, still fighting. But he needs us to be strong. He needs us to be united behind him."
"Prompto…" Gladio said, watching as Prompto began to pace the length of the camp. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I left you guys for two months. I'm just, sorry."
Prompto looked at him. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to, Gladio. You left Ignis. You walked right by him when he needed help. Can you imagine what it's like for him?"
Prompto took a deep breath. "You were right when you said Ignis is worse off than the rest of us, than Noctis, but imagine for a second that you were Ignis. Ignis has no one but us, and you wanted to pawn him off on people we barely know. He can't see, and I'm pretty sure he's in pain all the time, but he still does his best to hold it together, to hold us together."
Gladio sighed, bowing his head. Prompto was right.
Gladio had failed Noctis. He was his shield, and he was supposed to be there to take hits for the king, but he hadn't been able to take this hit. He had failed Ignis. He remembered finding Ignis in the rubble after Altissia, unconscious. It had taken him a day to find Ignis amongst the wreckage of the city. He had thought Ignis was dead. Ignis had looked dead, face covered in blood, glasses nowhere to be found.
He carried Ignis' limp body back to the hotel. Someone had brought Noctis and Lady Lunafreya. It took one look at the Oracle for Gladio to know she wasn't going to make it. Noctis was unconscious, pale, bruised. Prompto looked wan and withdrawn. He leapt to his feet when Gladio walked in carrying Ignis' body.
"Oh! Oh, no!" Prompto cried.
"Get the doctors," Gladio said roughly, gently setting Ignis on his bed. Prompto ran from the room to grab the doctors. Gladio went to the bathroom and wet a towel. He walked back out and froze, staring at Ignis.
There was so much blood on his face. The left side of his face was completely covered in blood. Much of it had crusted on his face, but the left side seemed to be leaking fresh blood. Gladio knelt on the bed, gently wiping the blood from Ignis' face.
He reached Ignis' left temple and bit back a gasp. His entire left eye and temple was covered with a raw wound. Fresh blood welled up as Gladio wiped the crusted stuff away.
"Gods, Ignis," Gladio muttered, "What happened?"
The door flew open and Prompto rushed in, another man at his heels. It was the doctor that had been working on Noctis and Lady Lunafreya.
"Have you tried any curatives yet?" the doctor asked briskly, scanning Ignis quickly.
"No," Gladio said, "I just started cleaning him up."
"Good. You," the doctor glanced at Prompto, "go get more clean rags and warm water. You lift his head, gently! Try not to jostle his neck." Gladio set down his rag and gently grasped Ignis' head and lifted it. The doctor spread a towel under his head.
"Alright, set him down."
Prompto came back with the rags and a bowl of warm water. He bit back a sniffle. Ignis looked terrible, far worse than Noctis had. He looked nearly as close to death as Lady Lunafreya.
The doctor directed Gladio to continue cleaning Ignis' face. More blood welled, staining the towel beneath him.
"That's a lot of blood," Prompto said softly.
"Head wounds bleed a lot," Gladio said roughly. Prompto knew that, of course. They had all been hit on the head before, but he had never seen anything like this.
The doctor tilted Ignis' head and leaned close to his face.
"Has he woken up at all?"
"No," Gladio said, grabbing a clean rag. "He hasn't reacted at all."
The doctor frowned. He reached over and pulled Ignis' right eye open. Gladio stifled a cry.
Ignis' entire eye was blood red. Blood dripped from his eye. Gladio couldn't even make out his pupil. The doctor looked at his left eye, carefully prodding it.
"This one seems almost fused shut," the doctor muttered. Gladio could see other small cuts on Ignis' face, but nothing compared to the wound over his left eye and temple. His face was a mass of bruises.
The doctor flushed Ignis' right eye, but it was still blood red. He took a pen light and shined it in Ignis' eye. He frowned. There was no pupillary response.
The doctor handed Prompto a potion. Prompto cracked it over Ignis, the curative absorbing into his skin.
Gladio's heart sank. The wounds were still there. The doctor frowned again and tilted Ignis' head back and forth.
"I've never seen anything like this. The wounds should be healed."
"They look older, now," Gladio said. "They look like scars that have been there for a while."
"Hmmm…." The doctor pressed another potion into Prompto's hands. Prompto cracked it, and they all watched as the wounds around Ignis' eye looked older, but didn't disappear. The doctor looked completely perplexed.
He peeled Ignis' right eye open again. It was still bloody. The wounds had healed to old scars. The doctor shined the light into Ignis' eye again. Still no response.
"Have you ever treated wounds received from the Empire before?" Prompto asked softly. Gladio looked at him sharply.
"You think this is because of something the Empire did?"
Prompto shrugged, looking uncomfortable under the heavy scrutiny. "Just a thought. They have all that technology…"
"It's a possibility," the doctor said.
"Doctor," Gladio said, wiping a little remaining blood from Ignis' cheek, "is he going to be able to see again?"
The doctor looked down. "I don't know, signore. I just don't know." He scanned the rest of Ignis' body. "He doesn't have any other major injuries." He reached into his bag and pulled out a long, black cloth.
"Lift his head again," the doctor said. Gladio did, and watching with a frown as the doctor wrapped the cloth around Ignis' eyes.
"Keeping his eyes closed might help his vision," the doctor said softly. He stood up. "I need to go back and check on the king and the Oracle. Someone should stay with him."
"We can split our time between him and Noct. Thank you, Doctor," Prompto said quietly. The doctor nodded and gathered his things and walked out.
Gladio brushed a strand of hair back from Ignis' forehead. "I'm so sorry, Ignis."
Gladio thought he was going to lose both Noctis and Ignis. Neither one of them woke for days. Lady Lunafreya passed on the third day, a smile on her face as she looked at Noctis. And then her body disappeared.
No one knew what happened. They had moved her body into a private room, respectfully covered. Prompto had gone in later and her body was gone.
Ignis had woken up a few hours after that.
Gladio had been sitting with him, reading a book and trying not to think about Lunafreya's body vanishing. He heard Ignis moan and he dropped the book, lunging across the room to kneel at Ignis' side.
"Ignis? Can you hear me?"
"Gladio?" Ignis' voice was rough from disuse.
"Yeah, I'm here," Gladio's voice cracked.
"What is around my eyes?" Ignis' hand touched the blindfold. With a gasp, he tore it off.
"Ignis, no! You need to keep your eyes closed!"
Ignis opened his right eye. His left wouldn't open. "I can't see," Ignis said. "Why can't I see?" His voice was rising. Gladio's heart sank. Ignis' right eye was weeping blood.
Gladio swallowed. "You were hurt. You've been unconscious for three days."
Ignis touched his own face, recoiling in shock when he felt the scars. "Noctis?" he croaked suddenly, his hand grasping for Gladio.
Gladio took it. "Noctis is unharmed. He got the blessing of the Hydrean, but…"
"What?" Ignis asked. Gladio could feel him trembling, hear the panic in his voice. "Where is he?"
"He's in the next room. You need to calm down."
"Just tell me what happened!" Ignis snapped.
"Lady Lunafreya is dead. Noctis is unconscious, has been for four days. I found you three days ago in the rubble. You were hurt. Doctors have never seen anything like your injuries. Nothing seems to heal them."
"Prompto?"
"Unharmed. He's sitting with Noctis."
Ignis struggled to sit up.
"Whoa, Ignis, what are you doing?"
"I need to go to him."
"No, Ignis. You need to rest," Gladio pressed his hand against Ignis' shoulder, pushing Ignis back onto the bed. Ignis started to fight him. Gladio pinned him to the bed. Ignis bucked and snarled, trying to get away from Gladio.
"Doctor!" Gladio bellowed. The door crashed open and the doctor and Prompto rushed in. Ignis managed to catch Gladio's hip with a well-placed kick. Gladio grunted. Prompto grabbed Ignis' other arm. The doctor pulled out a sedative and injected it into Ignis' arm.
"Noctis, Noctis…Noct…is…" Ignis went limp.
The doctor pulled open Ignis' right eye and frowned. "Still no change. What set him off?"
"He wanted to go Noctis," Gladio said, massaging his hip.
The doctor sighed. "We'll keep him sedated until the king wakes up. Blindfold him again."
Prompto wiped the bloody tears from Ignis' face before covering his eyes again.
One day later, Ignis woke up screaming from a nightmare. Gladio nearly got stabbed for grabbing Ignis' shoulders. Gladio decided then that he would watch over Ignis.
If only Ignis would let him.
Two days after Ignis woke, he managed to slip away from Gladio into Noctis' room. He was with Noctis when Noctis finally came to. Ignis told him about Lunafreya.
Prompto and Gladio had been sitting in the small living room. Gladio had thought Ignis was in his room, sleeping. He had been the last time Gladio had checked. He was as surprised as Prompto when the door to Noct's room opened and Ignis stumbled from the room.
Prompto was on his feet, arms going around Ignis as the taller man collapsed. "He's awake," Ignis whispered. He sounded devastated. Prompto lowered him to the ground as Gladio walked by them to check on Noctis.
Ignis lay half in Prompto's arms, face buried against the blonde's neck.
"I am blind," Ignis whispered.
Gladio pulled himself out of his memories. Prompto was looking at him sadly, setting up the last of the camp chairs.
"I think of it every day, too," Prompto said softly. Gladio looked at him. They both turned when they heard slow footsteps approaching the Haven.
Ignis and Noctis appeared. Noctis had a hand on the small of Ignis' back. Neither one of them said anything. Noct led Ignis to one of the camp chairs and Ignis sat down slowly. He clung to his cane, face turned away from the others.
Gladio opened his mouth, but closed it when Prompto touched his arm.
"Now might not be the best time, Gladio," he said softly. "Just…let it be tonight, okay?"
Noctis walked over to the cooking station and frowned. "We have Cup Noodles and tin can chili."
"Well, can't be worse than those breakfast specials," Prompto said, trying to cover the strained silence between Gladio and Ignis.
"Iggy?" Noctis said.
"The chili, please," Ignis said softly, his shoulders hunched slightly. It was hard listening to someone else moving around the camp stove. That was his spot.
"Gladio wants Cup Noodles," Prompto said, taking two cups and pouring hot water in them.
Noctis set about heating up the chili for him and Ignis. He could do that much. Gladio snatched his Cup Noodles from Prompto and sat down. He stared into the steaming cup, then stood up with a grunt and went and sat away from everyone else.
Noctis stuck a fork each of the cans and carried them over to Ignis. "Here," he pressed one into Ignis' hands. Ignis took it and nodded his thanks. Noctis dragged one of the chairs closer to Ignis and sat down.
Prompto glanced between Noctis and Gladio, and sat next to Ignis with a sigh. The three of them ate in silence. Prompto noticed that Noctis sat close enough to Ignis that their knees touched.
Prompto pulled his camera out and frowned. He had taken some pictures during the day. There was one of Noctis, looking grim and determined. There was one of Gladio, kneeling in front of the control panel with Noctis, a smirk on his face. There was one of Ignis, cane out, walking carefully.
"Did you take any good ones?" Ignis asked softly.
Prompto wanted to burst into tears. Even after everything, Ignis was still trying to keep his spirits up. Noctis frowned. He just looked sad.
"Not really," Prompto sniffed, hastily wiping his eyes. "The lighting sucks in this place."
Noctis took Ignis' empty chili can from him. He stood up and dropped the cans into the garbage. He went back and decided to sit at Ignis' feet. He dropped onto the ground, leaning against Ignis' legs.
Ignis started slightly, then relaxed. He put one hand on Noctis' shoulder. Noctis leaned his head back against Ignis' thigh and closed his eyes.
Prompto raised his camera and snapped a quick picture. He saw Ignis tilt his head towards him, but he didn't say anything about the sound of the camera.
After a while, Prompto stood up. "I'm going to bed. See you guys in the morning."
"Night," Noctis said, not opening his eyes.
"Good night, Prompto," Ignis said softly.
Gladio didn't say anything from his position sitting on the cooler.
Ignis' hand clenched on Noctis' shoulder. Noctis opened his eyes and looked up at Ignis.
"You okay?" he asked softly. Ignis looked terrible. He was pale, cheeks stained with bloody tear tracks. Noctis covered Ignis' hand with his and squeezed gently. Ignis managed a tight smile.
He hurt everywhere. Coming with them had been a terrible idea. He had been tense the entire time, and his muscles were letting him know it. His throat was raw from screaming. His shoulder was bruised from falling.
He felt useless.
Noctis squeezed his hand again and stood up. He took a potion and handed it to Ignis. "Here, this should help."
Ignis pushed it back. "You should save them. You don't know what you're going to face tomorrow."
Noctis sighed. Ignis was right, of course. They had a limited number, and no one knew what they would face the next day.
"I don't want you to hurt, Ignis," Noctis said softly. Ignis reached up with one hand. Noctis took his hand. Ignis tugged it gently, and Noctis stepped up to him.
"There is nothing you can do, Noctis," Ignis said softly. "I will manage."
"I don't want you to manage," Noctis said, trying not to let his frustration show, "I want you to be pain free."
Ignis leaned his head forward, his forehead coming to rest on Noct's stomach. Noctis ran his fingers through Ignis' hair. Noctis could see how tight Ignis' neck muscles were.
Pressing his forehead into Noct's warm stomach seemed to alleviate some of the pain in his head. Ignis wasn't sure if it was actually helping, or if it was his imagination, but he didn't care.
Noctis still wanted to touch him, even after Altissia.
Noctis pressed his fingers against Ignis' neck and began kneading the tight muscles. Ignis groaned, pressing his head harder against Noctis' stomach. Noctis' fingers paused.
"Is this okay?" Noct asked. He didn't want to cause Ignis any more pain.
"Don't stop," Ignis managed. Noctis smiled weakly. He had never given anyone a massage before. He hated getting the things himself, although he thought he would be okay if it was Ignis giving him one. He just didn't like strangers touching him.
He centered himself in front of Ignis and pressed both hands against Ignis' shoulders. He had never seen or heard of someone giving a massage from such a weird angle, but he was loathe to make Ignis move.
The feel of Noctis' hands inexpertly kneading at his tense muscles was heaven. Tension leaked from Ignis. He had been so tense all day.
Gladio turned his head slightly and paused, his mouth hanging open. Noctis was standing in front of Ignis, and the taller man had his head buried against Noct's stomach. Noctis' hands were kneading Ignis' shoulders, back, and neck.
Gladio felt a moment of shock. Ignis had violently declined any offer of help from him and Prompto, and had flinched when they touched him. And yet here he was, pressed against Noctis with the prince's hands digging into his back.
Gladio thought it was a little strange. Neither Noctis nor Ignis were fans of casual touching, and they seemed entirely comfortable with each other. When had that happened?
Ignis had known Noctis a long time, and had been his constant companion for most of his life, but Gladio had never seen them seem so…at ease with one another.
He continued watching them out of the corner of his eye. He still wasn't sure that Ignis needed to be around Noctis, and he definitely didn't think that they should've brought him down here.
Still, he was glad to see Ignis relax slightly. The man had been so tense since they left Altissia. Had he been wrong to keep Ignis away from Noctis? He didn't know.
He watched as Noctis stepped back and tilted Ignis' head back. His fingers gently drew circles on Ignis' cheeks. Gladio frowned, his eyes widening as Noctis leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against Ignis' lips.
Oh.
Gladio turned away, staring into his empty Cup Noodles like he could see the future there.
When had that happened?
Why hadn't he realized?
He was angry at himself. It was his job to watch out for the prince, and he had completely missed this. Two men that he had known for most of his life and they had managed to keep it a secret.
Had it happened when he left them for two months? Had it happened before they left Insomnia? It couldn't have happened after Altissia, so it had to be before, right?
Did Prompto know?
He sighed. It didn't matter. So, Noctis and Ignis were a thing. It was just another reason they shouldn't have brought Ignis with them. Romantic feelings could just get in the way.
He would force Noctis to talk to him tomorrow, before they set out for Tenebrae. He'd force the prince to see reason.
That's what the shield did. When Noctis couldn't think, he did it for him. When Noctis couldn't fight, he was there. He was just going to have to force him to see that Ignis couldn't handle it anymore.
It was going to hurt.
He knew now that Prompto had been right. Noctis would never forgive him.
FFXV
Noctis stroked Ignis' cheeks. "Better?"
"Yes. Thank you," Ignis whispered. Noctis pressed his thumb gently against Ignis' lips.
"Anytime." He lowered himself to the ground next to Ignis. He rested his head back against Ignis' thigh.
They sat there in silence, the only sound was the fire crackling. Ignis wasn't sure how much time had passed when he heard Gladio walk by.
He tensed, mind going blank with remembered rage. He heard the zipper to the tent and he assumed Gladio went in when he heard it zip back up.
He wished he could cry without it hurting. He was breathing hard, fists clenched. He started when he felt Noct's hand pry his hands open. Noctis didn't say anything; he just held Ignis' hand. They sat like that for a while. The tent went silent.
Noct's head grew heavy against Ignis' thigh. Ignis' squeezed his hand.
Noct lifted his head and blinked at him.
"You should go to bed, Noctis," Ignis whispered.
Noctis yawned. "I'm good."
"No, you're not. You don't know what you're going to face down there tomorrow. You need sleep.'
"We."
Ignis tilted his head. "What?"
"We. We don't know what we're going to face down there. You're coming with us."
Ignis was silent for a moment.
"I shouldn't have come."
"Don't say that!"
"I'm just in the way. I can't do anything useful and having Prompto focus on me is taking his focus away from you. Gladio was right." Ignis' voice cracked. He swallowed, trying to get himself under control.
"No, he wasn't. Look, Ignis, you're not useless. Being blind hasn't made you stupid and you're still the smartest man I've ever met. You a master strategist, and let me tell you, we're going to need that. If it was just me, Gladio, and Prompto, we'd just charge right in and get our asses handed to us on a silver platter. We need you, Ignis. I need you."
Ignis bowed his head. Noctis stood up and wrapped his arms around Ignis' shoulders, pulling the other man against him.
"I need you, Ignis. I'll always need you."
Ignis' arms went around Noctis' waist. Noctis stroked his back.
"Thank you," Ignis whispered against him.
Noctis dropped a kiss on the top of Ignis' head and yawned. Ignis squeezed him and let go.
"Go to sleep, Noctis."
Noctis looked down at him. "What about you?"
"I'm just going to sit here. I have a hard time falling asleep. I will just sit here and enjoy the fire."
Noctis tilted his head.
"You don't want to wake up panicking in the tent with the others."
Ignis nodded. "That too."
"Okay. If you're sure," Noctis said.
"I'm sure." Ignis reached up and Noctis took his hand. Ignis squeezed his hand, tracing his fingers over Noctis' palm. "Sleep well, Noctis."
Noctis snorted. He gently disentangled himself from Ignis and walked to the tent. He paused after unzipping it, glancing back at Ignis.
Ignis' face was turned towards the fire, light dancing over his face, reflecting strangely off the scars. He ducked into the tent. Gladio was on his side, Prompto pressed against the bigger man's back.
Noct pulled his boots off and crawled into his bag. The tent seemed bigger with only three of them in it. He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes.
He wished Ignis was next to him, but he understood. At least, he was trying to.
FFXV
Ignis listened intently until he couldn't hear any noises coming from the tent. He took his gloves off and stuck them in the cup holder on the chair. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
The fire toasted the front of him. It was a gentle heat, not like the burning rage he had felt earlier that day. He had been telling Noctis the truth when he had told him that he had never felt a rage like that before.
He hadn't realized that it was possible to feel rage like that. It had blocked everything else out. It had hurt; it seemed to have flared up the pain behind his eyes.
He sighed. Thank the gods Noctis had been able to talk him down. He would've never forgiven himself if he had actually hurt Gladio. He would have to be careful. It wasn't fair to the others for him to lash out at them because he was hurting. He would hate himself if he hurt them because he couldn't handle his pain. When he could think clearly around Gladio, he'd have to apologize to him.
When he could breathe around the man without falling into that pit of rage.
He took a deep breath. There were ways to manage to his pain. Noctis wouldn't like it. Hell, he didn't like it, but slicing into his skin seemed to help.
It wasn't like he would be able to see the scars.
He still didn't want the others to know. Noctis would probably figure it out, but the others couldn't know.
It helped.
He could feel his pulse pounding behind his ruined eyes.
It helped.
Ignis' dagger appeared in his hand. He lifted his shirt.
It helped.
He pressed the dagger against his ribcage, under his arm. It was exquisitely painful there. He dragged the dagger across his skin in one swift movement. He felt blood trickle from the wound.
He hissed. As the blood welled from the wound and snaked its way down his side, it seemed to alleviate some of the pain behind his eyes.
He sliced himself again.
And again.
Again.
He wasn't sure how long he sliced shallow cuts into his side. Finally, the dagger disappeared back into the void. He slumped in the chair. His shirt was sticky with blood, but his eyes didn't hurt.
He would rest here, for a moment. The pain was quieted. His rage had leaked out of him like his blood.
He would rest.
FFXV
Gladio opened his eyes. He could feel Prompto's body pressed against his back, and he could hear Noctis' steady breathing. Ignis wasn't in the tent.
Gladio sat up and crawled out of his sleeping bag. Prompto muttered and rolled into the spot of warmth Gladio's body had left. Gladio unzipped the tent and stepped out.
The fire was low. Gladio walked over to and stoked it. He turned to face Ignis and froze.
The man was slumped in the chair, chin resting on his chest. His hands hung loosely at his side. Gladio took a step closer. There was a large, dark, wet spot on Ignis' shirt, on his side under his arm.
Gladio knelt next to Ignis and touched his side gently. He pulled his fingers back and looked at them. They were bloody. He closed his eyes.
Gods, no.
He lifted the edge of Ignis' shirt. Shallow cuts crisscrossed Ignis' skin. A few still leaked blood, but most had clotted. He dropped the shirt and stood up, pacing across the camp.
He paused, staring down at Ignis' hands. He frowned and leaned over to look. The back of Ignis' knuckles were scabbed and raw. It looked like teeth marks.
"Fuck," Gladio muttered.
Ignis was hurting himself. There was no other explanation for it. Gladio ran his hand through his hair.
He hadn't expected this.
He wondered if the others knew.
Now he was even more convinced that Ignis couldn't come with them into Tenebrae and beyond. He clearly wasn't in a good mental state, not if he was cutting himself. If they had left him in Altissia, he could've gotten help from someone.
He shook his head.
Prompto had said that he thought Ignis would kill himself if they left him. Looking at the man, Gladio thought that maybe Prompto was right once again.
With a sigh, Gladio grabbed one of the extra blankets and draped it over Ignis' shoulders. He didn't want Ignis to suffer, but he couldn't keep up. He had been in the way during the battle, and then after…
Gladio dragged his hand over his face.
He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have walked by him. He didn't regret much in his life.
He regretted that. The moment he heard Ignis scream, he knew. He knew that he had gone one step too far.
He hadn't expected Ignis to retaliate with violence. He couldn't shake the expression that had been on Ignis' face, or the low growl of his voice.
Gladio had felt a moment of true fear. Ignis had always had perfect control over every emotion. Seeing his perfect control shatter had been terrifying.
He remembered the flash of heat from Ignis' fire spell exploding at his feet. He looked into the darkness at the edge of the camp.
Tomorrow he would make Noctis see reason. Tomorrow he would talk to Ignis, and try to get the man to accept help. He couldn't keep cutting himself.
Tomorrow they would set out for Tenebrae.
But one of them wouldn't be coming.
Gladio would make sure of it.