Rest Stop, a Final Fantasy XV fanfic by Raberba girl
Part 2 - Gladio (rough draft)
They first noticed it when Gladio, growling softly, stepped right in front of Noctis and Prompto to glare at the perfectly innocent alpha they'd been talking to.
The other alpha, older but smaller than Gladio, gulped and stepped back. "I'll just leave you to it, then," he said, and hurried off.
"Leave us to wha-?" Noctis started to wonder, but then Gladio was wrapping a beefy arm around their shoulders and another around Prompto's and practically hauling them away.
"Gladio, we didn't get our snacks yet!" Prompto protested. The alpha's only response was to pause and dip his head to leave a possessive scent-mark on her neck, causing her to yelp in surprise. "What-?! Gladio, why-?"
"Pack Omega," Gladio growled, and heaved forward again.
Prompto's wide eyes met Noctis's. Although she was technically the only omega in the group and therefore kinda-sorta pack Omega by default, they were only a sidepack and there hadn't been much weight to the role until Gladio had suddenly cemented it just now. "Well," Noctis remarked, "it's not like any of us mind."
Prompto's cheeks flushed with pleasure. "Hadn't thought we were that serious yet," she said, looking shyly happy.
Gladio headed straight to where Ignis was filling up the car and herded the younger ones close, then turned and started blatantly keeping a lookout.
Ignis looked at the alpha, then at the packmates sandwiched between them. "Huh," they remarked.
"I think Gladio's going into rut," Prompto announced.
"Yes, I gathered as much."
"He didn't let us get snacks," Noctis complained.
"Well, we have plenty of proper food," Ignis pointed out. "You two can stand to go without your processed rubbish for a few days."
"Iggyyy," Prompto whined, but was still too happy at the idea of being part of a serious pack to do more than that.
Ignis sighed. "Gladio, I rather wish I'd known about your condition before we accepted that hunt."
"We can still do it," Noctis pointed out. "Heck, we can probably just point Gladio in the right direction, then sit back and relax."
"Noct, that's mean," Prompto giggled.
"It's not like he gets nothing out of it. Soothing the instincts makes it feel better, right?"
"Yeah, but he's not in his right miiiiind right now," Prompto cooed, her vanilla scent swelling as she nuzzled Gladio affectionately.
"Still pre-rut," Gladio grunted in faint annoyance, even as he wrapped an arm around her and aggressively nuzzled back.
"Geez, Gladio, tone it down, everyone really is gonna think she's your mate."
"My 'mega," Gladio growled into Prompto's neck, and she purred harder in response.
Noctis stared. "Unless...you really are receptive, Prom...?"
"This would be quite a different scene if she was," Ignis pointed out dryly.
"I've just never been around an alpha like this before!" Prompto declared in delight. "He's so sweet! I want to keep our pack and nest safe~"
Noctis and Ignis shared an unhappy look. People who grew up in functional packs ought to know what it was like to be cared for by their Alpha in rut, but if Prompto had never experienced it before, it didn't put her primary pack in a good light.
Gladio suddenly scooped up Prompto in his arms and held her close, growling at everything that moved even though no one outside their pack was even close.
"Awwww, Gladio, you keepin' me safe?"
"Don't touch my 'mega."
"You're so big~ and strong~ and brave~"
Noctis pointed at them as they looked Ignis dead in the eye. "I am going to zap them with a Lightning spell if they don't cut it out right now."
"Agreed. Into the car, all of you; we'll head to a Haven near our quarry and make camp early."
o.o.o
Gladio was restless and agitated during the trip, growling every time Ignis nagged him to put his seatbelt on and stop sticking his head out the window. Then he got into an argument with Noctis, their exchange rapidly growing more and more heated until Prompto crawled into the back seat, purring a little frantically as she put herself between her two riled-up packmates. Noctis climbed into the front and Prompto, obeying Ignis's order to get buckled, spent the rest of the trip with her upper body sprawled across Gladio's lap as he brooded over her.
As soon as Ignis stopped the car, the other three burst out of the vehicle like they couldn't stand to be within its confines another second. The younger two leisurely stretched, but Gladio immediately got the tent set up in record time and then turned to boom across the camp, "Prompto, make a nest."
She shivered at the authoritative tone but didn't obey right away. Instead, she ambled over to smile and croon up at the alpha, "What kind~ of nest? Should it be a big nest or a little nest?"
"Good nest for packmates," Gladio mumbled, definitely affected by rut-haze as he stuck his nose in the omega's hair.
"Am I your packmate?"
"Mine."
"Do you love~ your packmates?"
"Good girl."
"Prompto," Ignis snapped, "stop teasing him and get to work."
Prompto smiled and briefly bared her throat in apology for the delay, then scampered off to gather up bedding and clothes.
Gladio crouched and watched intently the entire time Prompto worked. The moment she was done, Gladio surged to his feet, marched over to Noctis, caught them up in his arms, then marched back to plop the beta into the center of the nest. Prompto burst into laughter.
"What...?" Noctis mumbled in confusion, half their mind still on the video they'd been watching on their phone.
Ignis, pausing in their food prep, peered at the scene. "Gladio...did you just-?"
"My pup," Gladio declared, shoving Noctis and Prompto closer together and then all but draping himself over the nest protectively.
"Noct~ you're our baby!" Prompto crowed in delight.
"I am TWENTY YEARS OLD!" Noctis protested.
"Yes, but you are the closest thing we have to a young pack member who requires special care and protection," Ignis mused.
Noctis groaned and buried their face in their arms in embarrassment. "A royal heir is not the same thing as a baby," they griped, their voice muffled.
"Come here~ little one, let me groom you," Prompto cooed.
"Don't even, Prompto, I will bite you..."
They nested until Gladio was soothed enough to be sure his packmates were safe, then they went out to get the hunt over with while they still had some daylight left. The alpha pretty much took care of the whole thing himself, not giving the others much of a chance to even help. "Told you," Noctis said.
They returned to camp to eat and settle in for some long-haul nesting. Once night had completely fallen, Gladio got up and went to the edge of the camp, reaching matter-of-factly for his fly.
Prompto frowned as she watched. "Is he...?"
"No way," Noctis said immediately. "No way he'd- TITAN'S BALLS, GLADIO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"He IS!" Prompto shrieked, clapping her hands to her cheeks in horrified amusement.
Gladio, ignoring them, calmly made his way around the perimeter of the camp.
"How does he even have that much pee, was he freaking saving it?!"
"Gladiooooo!"
They watched as he completed the circuit, Noctis utterly aghast, Prompto pressing her hands over her mouth to hold back her hilarity, Ignis in clinical interest. As soon as Gladio zipped back up and started to return, though, Ignis straightened and barked out, "Wash your hands first."
The alpha growled, but reluctantly changed direction toward the soap and water.
"Astrals," Noctis breathed as Prompto muffled her howls of laughter in their shoulder, "I thought people didn't do that anymore!"
"Certainly not at the Citadel," Ignis said, "or in typical urban homes, but it's not uncommon in rural areas. I should guess Gladio's instincts are stronger out here, and he has never been particularly modest."
The alpha in question, now clean, strode back to the nest and settled around his pack, purring. "You are disgusting," Noctis declared.
"Think twice 'bout hurting my pup," Gladio mumbled, prompting an outraged squawk from Noctis and complementary purring from Prompto.
Gladio kept guard all night and then slept most of the day, affectionately fussed over by Prompto. Noctis squinted at her at one point. "Not that you're a tomboy or anything, but I've never seen you act this omega-ey outside of heats."
Prompto's cheeks went a little pink. "It's just...really, really nice to get to be this omega-ey."
Noctis fidgeted a little bit. "Wanna come fuss over me for a while?" they offered.
Prompto brightened. "Can I?!"
"Might as well, since we're stuck here, anyway."
Prompto immediately bounced over and purred as she settled Noctis in blankets and started grooming them. "I love you, puppy~!"
"Ugh, I didn't mean like that," Noctis groaned, but didn't fight her. It actually felt kind of nice. Prompto groomed them a lot, but never with the almost...maternal scent that was cocooning them now. They rested their head on Prompto's shoulder and breathed. They didn't remember much about their mother at all, but if she had lived...it probably would have felt like this, getting to be held in her arms and lavished with her love.
"Thanks, Noct," Prompto whispered. "I love Fluffy and Sunny," she said, referencing the stuffed chocobo she'd had since she was a baby and the much bigger plushie she'd gotten as an adolescent, her go-to toys when she was in heat and needed things to cuddle and dote on, "but it's...really nice with a real person."
"Yeah," Noct said awkwardly. Being beta, they didn't know what it was like to experience the high emotion and neediness of heat or rut, and even though their father was often busy, Regis had still regularly made time to nest with his only child. Ignis was usually there to cover for the king when he wasn't available. It was strange and kind of scary to think of having no one to nest with most nights. "Did Gladio trigger a heat or something?"
"I don't...thiiiink so?" Prompto said uncertainly. "I'm...a little horny, but it's like in the background, not all MUST HAVE BABIES like if I was in a real heat. His pheromones are definitely affecting me, though."
"Okay," Noctis said, relieved that the pack's alpha and omega weren't in cycle peak at the same time. Noct really didn't think they'd be able to handle it if two of their closest friends became mates, it would be weird and...feel a bit like being abandoned. That was probably a selfish thought, though, so they'd keep it to themself.
o.o.o
When they were all jerked from sleep that night by a sudden nearby roar, Gladio was already tearing off into the darkness, roaring back, while the others were all still trying to get their wits together. Ignis and Noctis shoved their boots on and raced after the alpha; Prompto splashed cold water in her face to shut up the instincts screaming at her for so violently leaving her warm nest, and followed as quickly as she could.
They had trouble even finding an opening. Gladio was so quick and aggressive that he practically tore the daemon apart single-handed, and he bellowed in victory less than ten minutes later. Then he turned and strode toward the younger pack members, flinging his arms around them and hauling them along almost faster than they could keep up with. He growled at Ignis to follow.
"Manners, Gladio," the beta grumbled.
Back at camp, Gladio kept fussing over his pack Omega and his 'pup,' checking for injuries and scenting them and crowding them overprotectively until Noctis said in exasperation, "Gladio, enough! I want to go back to sleep."
"You were so brave and strong, taking on that monster," Prompto piped up. Gladio turned his attention back to her and buried his nose in her hair. "You're so good at protecting our pack, I feel so safe with you~"
"Indeed," Ignis joined in indulgently, suppressing a yawn. "You did good work out there, Shield Amicitia."
"Yeah, yeah," Noctis sighed, "you put those muscles to good work. Nice job."
The reassuring praise settled Gladio and he finally curled up again, Noctis and Prompto between him and Ignis. Noctis fell asleep almost immediately, but Prompto whispered to Gladio and ran her fingers through his hair until he finally drifted off as well. She sent a thumbs-up to Ignis, then rolled over and went to sleep herself.
o.o.o
"I would advise against you two spending time in close proximity today," Ignis remarked as Prompto and Gladio moved the nest outside into the fresh air.
"Aww, but I still want cuddles! And we're pack, it's not like he's going to mount me."
"Nevertheless."
"Hnnngh..." Prompto smiled when Gladio wordlessly wrapped his arms around her and burrowed into the nest, clutching her like a stuffed animal. "Welp, decision made. I can't exactly escape from this anytime soon."
Ignis sighed and went back to washing dishes.
It was another quiet day, though more tense this time as Gladio's rut reached its peak. Ignis puttered around camp and Noctis lounged in one of the camp chairs and the other two remained in the nest.
Early in the afternoon, Gladio suddenly rolled over onto Prompto, nearly crushing her; he held her facedown and set his mouth on the back of her neck. Then he went very still. Prompto did, too, letting out a soft whimper.
Noctis had straightened and gone tense as well, heart pounding a little as they watched. Gladio's alpha musk was stronger than ever; Prompto's scent of sweet contentment had changed, growing receptive but with the barest hint of fear. This wasn't...quite as platonic as the last few days had been, and Noct suddenly remembered what Prompto had said about falling a little under the influence of Gladio's rut.
This wasn't a good time for pups, and Gladio and Prompto both knew that. Even under different circumstances, Gladio had shown no sexual interest in Prompto and she didn't seem like she was ready to start a family yet. Now, though, in a sidepack with non-traditional dynamics where Gladio was in the worst of his rut and Prompto was less resistant than usual, they were in danger of doing something they'd regret later.
"Gladio," Ignis said in a firm, measured tone.
Gladio growled a little and Prompto whimpered submissively again. Neither of them moved. Although his teeth were on her neck and his body pressed right up against hers in a blatantly dominant position, he didn't bite down. He hadn't claimed her as his mate yet.
"Do you want this, Prom?" Noctis asked carefully. "Real-you, not heat-you. Do you want this?"
"...No," she whispered.
Gladio exhaled and lifted his face a little. "...Say it again," he growled. She cringed in response, her scents of invitation and revulsion both sharpening proportionately. "Stop that, you're making it worse. Say it or I can't get off."
"..."
"I CAN'T Prom!" Gladio exploded.
"Get off," Prompto gasped out, fingers suddenly digging into the ground as her receptive scent finally faded enough to be overtaken by the fear. "Get off, I don't want it, I don't-"
Gladio lurched off of her and stalked a little unsteadily into the trees, presumably looking for some nasty wildlife to kill to take the edge off.
Prompto was shaking, and Noctis had to help her sit up. "You okay?" they asked in concern as Ignis came to settle by the omega's other side.
"I wanted it," Prompto gasped, her scents softening into something like sadness and longing. "M-My body really wanted it, in my head I was like 'No no no' but at the same my body was like 'Yes yes yes' and I'm- I- I'm not even in heat, why...?!"
"It's merely instinct," Ignis soothed, gently running their fingertips up and down her spine and in the hair at the base of her neck. "The hard facts are that he is an alpha and you are an omega, both of you are unmated, he's in full rut, and you care for him, regardless of the specific nature of those feelings. As good a pack as we are, we are still ultimately a sidepack, where dynamics do not follow tradition and things occasionally get muddled."
"Yeah... Oh Six, I can't believe I almost let him...!"
"Once his rut is over and you are both clear-headed again, I suggest you give your feelings and goals some thought. When you've got them pinned down, it will be easier to resist blind instinct next time."
Prompto nodded and curled up, leaning into her packmates. "You can say 'I told you so,' Iggy," she whispered.
Ignis nuzzled her gently and said nothing.
o.o.o
Gladio wouldn't look at Prompto when he came back to camp and kept his distance, even staying away from the nest once evening fell. The omega, looking miserable, recruited Noctis as a chaperone and practically crept up to Gladio, offering him his share of dinner.
He looked at the food, then at the omega, then glared. "Pretty mixed signals you're giving off, blondie."
"That's not what I meant!" Prompto yelped, practically shoving the food at Noctis. "It's just, it's dinnertime, and Ignis worked really hard and I know you've got to be hungry, you need to eat..."
Noctis held out the plate, and this time Gladio was able to take it now that it wasn't being offered by an unmated omega. He paused, staring down at the food. "I'm sorry, Prompto," he said in a low voice.
"No biggie," she said, the strain in her voice evident despite an obvious attempt to keep it light. "Besides, even if we had messed up, I can think of a whole lot worse mates than you, big guy."
The corner of his mouth quirked. "Get out of here, Prom," he said affectionately.
She scented him with her wrist, and then crept away again with Noctis, looking relieved.
o.o.o
Gladio slept more heavily than usual that night, lagging behind when the others all went to fight a group of wild animals that gotten close enough to pose a threat. As they fought, he sat down on a rock and just watched blankly. "Gonna help us out, Gladio?" Prompto shouted over her shoulder at one point.
"Is Noct in danger?" Gladio called back.
"I can handle it!" the royal beta insisted, driving their sword into another beast.
"Then I'm staying here. I'm tired." He remained on the rock during the entire fight, every bit of his energy saved for if he had to jump in as a last resort. It never came to that, though, and the other three managed to finish off the beasts on their own.
"Useless lump," Noctis said when they came trudging back, affectionately elbowing their Shield in the side. Gladio dragged them close and scented them, then nearly fell asleep sitting up.
"Let's get you back to bed," Ignis murmured, helping Gladio to his feet. Prompto ducked under Gladio's arm to support him on his other side, and they made their way back to the nest.
o.o.o
Gladio was back to normal the next day, waking up earlier than anyone and looking very refreshed after some exercises and a dip in the nearby lake. He ate twice as much as usual and then started packing up, even though Noctis was still asleep. "Let's get this show on the road, we've wasted enough time."
"So who won, Iggy?" Prompto asked with a grin. "Most troublesome cycle peak goes to~...?" She gestured between herself and Gladio.
"Mine is the one that nearly ended with an out-of-commission Crownsguard and pups," Gladio mumbled, cheeks flushing in shame as he glared at the tent he was disassembling. "I'd say I win."
"Hey, I'd still have been useful for a few months, we would have been back in Insomnia by the time I was far enough along for maternity leave!"
"Why are you even joking about nearly getting statutory-raped?!"
"It's not a joke, I'm just saying if it had happened, I wouldn't be useless immediately!"
Gladio and Ignis both stared at her, surprised at the sudden intensity of her distressed scent. "...You're not useless, Prompto," Ignis finally said.
"Yeah," Prompto mumbled, not looking at them as she put out the embers of the campfire.
Ignis sighed and then frowned as they turned to Gladio. "For heaven's sake, we're not in that much of a hurry."
"I just wanted to get going already."
When Noctis finally awakened, it was to find themself on bare ground in the open air, since everyone had apparently packed up camp around them. Ignis was coaxing them to eat whatever breakfast they'd just pushed into their hands, and Prompto's and Gladio's respective chirping and rumbling were somewhere nearby. Noct was still too asleep to discern more than their name and occasional random words.
"Blah blah blah Noct blah pup..."
"Blah blah Noctis blah blah little..."
They must have fallen asleep again, because when they next opened their eyes, they were leaning against Gladio in the car as Ignis drove and Prompto chattered about something in the front seat. "Rut's over?" Noctis slurred, trying to sit up.
"Yeah. About time," Gladio commented, not looking up from his book.
"Noct~ welcome back to the land of the living!" Prompto cheered.
"Hi." Noctis yawned and rubbed their eyes. "You guys okay?"
"Yup."
"Good. I'm glad I'm a beta; cycles kind of suck."
Prompto snorted and Gladio rolled his eyes. "I'd say you're crazy, but then sometimes I think you might have a point..."
o.o.o
A/N: Btw, I'm not bothering to stay at all canon-compliant with this series. I'm using canon plot events that work for me and ignoring ones that don't.