Messenger
An Assassins Creed III and Final Fantasy XV Crossover

Being away from the city is nice. Noctis and Ignis were taking care of business elsewhere and as for Gladio, he had the day to himself. And when those days came around, he always went out on the frontier to hunt and enjoy the quiet for a while.

His hunting had been mostly successful and he had been sure to put his game where the wolves and mountain lions couldn't get to it. And now that meant that he could relax, having food for the night. The only thing he had left to worry about was finding shelter.

Having climbed a tree, he watches the world below him, finding peace in just that. He takes a deep breath, the wind ruffling his hair and he blinks slowly. He's alone, or so he thinks he's alone, hearing the sound of hooves hit the ground. He turns, expecting to see those bumbling idiots patrolling the area, but instead he catches a familiar face.

It's that messenger.

It still slightly vexed him how the other had managed to slip out of his grasp and get away, but he'd given up the chase at the time despite the increased urge to follow through on his threat and kill him, since it was likely the guard would be on him soon. Besides, he needed information before he could kill him. He'd decided then that he'd track the kid down later, after he made himself scarce.

That had proven a little more difficult than he hoped for. What few times he managed to catch sight of him, the kid turned and disappeared faster than he could follow. It wasn't on accident and it wasn't just him. He dodged all of the assassins wherever he went, and for the time being, they decided it wasn't worth it to hunt him down. The kid was a symptom, not a cause, and the Templar's were a problem that needed to be ripped out at the roots. Kill the messenger, they'd just find another one.

He'd sworn he'd get the information next time, if that time came at all, and silently lamented that maybe they should have sent Noctis. Noctis probably could've done better and not scared him so bad, but... what was done was done.

Now, he watches as the horse passes and he slowly begins to follow, moving carefully through the trees, trying to remain as silent as could be. This could be his next opportunity...

An opportunity that almost slips through his fingers again. At first, Gladio doesn't even notice the mountain lion. But it doesn't take him long, considering the way the horse starts acting and his eyes narrow, searching for the threat, only to see it bounding down the cliffs.

Before he has time to react, the horse takes off and the mountain lion sprints off after it. His first instinct is to jump down and chase after them, but he hesitates. Dealing with a mountain lion out here was dangerous enough. If Ignis and Noctis were with him, it wouldn't be much of a problem. But by himself? He has confidence, but mountain lions were a force to be reckoned with. Regardless, he knows if he hesitates too long, his person of interest will be dead.

He heaves a sigh and jumps down, making sure he doesn't hurt himself in the process. There's a sting in his ankles where he hits the ground yet he rolls to hopefully help. Jumping up, he chases after the messenger and the mountain lion. Hearing the screams shortly after, he cusses to himself before trying to run just a little bit faster.

It takes him longer than he likes to see the mountain lion pinning the blond down. He doesn't even think, acting on natural instinct. He moves quickly, quietly, and shoves a blade through the back of the lion's neck.

After a moment of struggling with it, its screeches die down as he shoves the blade further. He throws the lion to the side, looking at the messenger and blinking.

Blood. There's blood all over his hands. But he doesn't care right now. The horse is dead and there's blood everywhere. He offers his hand, taking a deep breath. "Are you alright?"

The messenger doesn't respond to him. There's a moment of concern that maybe there's a wound that he doesn't see, but after quickly scanning him over, he can see it's just his arm. He can take care of that quite easily. He'd patch it up.

He steps back, enough to give him space for when the disorientation of shock passed. After all, even if the kid was with the Templars, he's internally questioning if the messenger knew that. "Hey... you still with us? Do you need help back?" His hand is still extended and he hums quietly. "Can you move your arm?"

Gladio watches him and the realization hits him too late that the messenger's going to run. He heaves a sigh, dashing off after him and cursing under his breath. He had to get to him before he makes the mistake of running onto the thin ice of the river, which is concealed by the snow, but he knows the territories that used to belong to his people well. He tries to warn him about it, but the other doesn't even slow.

Gladio reaches out for him, as if that'd do any good, as he plummets into the river. Without hesitating, he dives into the water, knowing that if he doesn't succeed, this could be the end of both of them.

He squeezes his eyes shut and swims even as the current tries to sweep him away without mercy, holding his breath and his lungs start to burn. He can only do this for so long.

Gladio goes on though and starts trying to grab for him. For a few moments, he thinks that maybe it's late and the young man is already gone until he's able to grab what he thinks is his coat. He forces his eyes open and catches sight of a familiar blond and swims up. He has to get out. He can't hold his breath much longer.

He hits the ice with his fist and is able to surface, making sure the blond is on the bank before he pulls himself up, coughing and gasping. His hair clings to his face but he's not done yet. He looks at the other, who shows he's alive by hacking and coughing after several delayed moments. He's breathing heavily himself and at the moment, he doesn't care that he's cold and tired and wet. He'd get the somewhere warm soon, before the cold and the wolves could get them both.

"Goddamn... "

It takes a bit to get to the inn and he holds the blond as close as he can, explaining what happened to the innkeeper and after the innkeeper leads him to the room and leaves, Gladio starts stripping them both of their clothes. He finds a cloth that he can dry the messenger off with, and he lays him in bed, covering him with the thick blanket.

He hesitates for a moment before moving to lay with him, getting as close as he can. It takes a minute or two before the warmth starts setting in and exhaustion hits him. His eyes flutter a few times before they close and sleep almost immediately comes to him. Unconsciously, he curls around the blond, giving a tired hum. At least they're alive.

Gladio's sleep is only interrupted by the coughing fits that the other keeps having and he opens one eye to make sure he's alright after the coughing stops. It wasn't always someone like this kid was close to him like this. Others he would've already killed, and in the messenger's case, he would've let him drown, or at least left him to freeze or get picked off by predators after retrieving the messages he needed.

Yet, he had saved him. It's odd...

He buries his face in locks of blond and gives a breathless sigh.

Falling back into the clutches of sleep, it's dreamless for once. And the next time he comes to just a bit of his senses, he realizes he has an arm draped over the other. It's a brief moment of consciousness and he doesn't even care to move. After almost freezing to death, it's nice to be warm. Even if it's with someone that could be a potential threat, but Gladio's almost certain he can handle him if it comes down to it.

That the messenger starts to stir is obvious to him, but only enough to snuggle closer to him, and he can't help but be amused even if he doesn't open his eyes. He stays quiet, simply musing to himself that this was an odd yet pleasing experience.

Despite the death that could have been involved.

He simply decides to enjoy this for a moment longer, nuzzling against him and giving a low purr-like rumble in the back of his throat. He even goes so far as to curl around him a bit more, trying to enjoy what he's sure are the last moments of warmth. It wasn't often he was able to enjoy the simpleness of being close to someone.

He nuzzles in another time, knowing that the messenger is likely to flee in the next few moments. But... perhaps with a bit of persuasion... he can talk to him. But for now, he's not saying a word.

Its a very rare occurrence that Prompto manages to get so warm, much less in sleep. Rather, it simply never happens, at least not in winter, and not for a lack of trying.

His employer provides him board for his work, but its only a little more than bare minimum, never freezing but never quite as comfortable as he'd like either.

In sleep, he doesn't even think about it, nestling into the heat, tucking his head down against it. Its nice. He hopes every time he sleeps will be this nice again. Nestled against the warmth of another body, the sound of a heartbeat in his ears, firm arms around him.

For a time, he accepts it all as just a really good dream, even when his coughing briefly rattles him half-awake until he falls back into sleep. Its a good, long rest that he hopes his employer won't mind, stretching his legs out with a tremble and a sleepy groan, that mostly ends the same as things before; nuzzling against Gladio's chest and humming contently.

At some point though, this time is different in that he realizes something is off.

The more he stirs, the more he realizes the warmth isn't his imagination, blinking his eyes open hazily. He's-

...where is he?

And who is he with?

He barely recalls anything at all, much less anything useful, and its a small surge of rising panic that brings him more alert. And what he discovers in coming more awake is he is very, very, much too close to someone he shouldn't be.

He noticeably freezes up and his breathing goes almost unnoticeably shallow and quiet, like a small animal trying to blend in and make another, bigger animal forget its there or maybe even think its dead.

Biting his lower lip in a tight purse, he doesn't make a sound once realization sets in, not reacting at all to being snuggled against and curled around.

But he's very, very tense. Impossible-not-to-notice tense.

Gods, what does he do? He has nowhere to go and he doesn't see pulling away doing him much good, with the others' arms around him.

Especially not after running away before, he'll expect it, won't he?

He'll probably cut his throat, or...

What might he have done already?!

Its so hazy in his memory how he even go here and he starts trembling with anxiety, swallowing hard around a lump in his throat and his breathing coming more shakily, agitating his throat until he starts sputtering on another fit of coughing.

Gladio suddenly stretches his arms over his head before curling up again around him, though he's not sure the man is awake. Not until after he exhales a deep breath.

"Sorry I didn't take you out to dinner first."

He tenses further, if that's even possible, and when he hears Gladio speak to him in that rough baritone, he finally moves. He pushes Gladio away with hands on his chest, rolling to get out of bed and unintentionally takes some of the blankets with him as he falls to the floor.

At first he goes to scramble to his feet and bolt for the door, and he halfway makes it there, before the realization hits him that he's completely naked, underwear and all, and lets out a flush-faced squeak of indignity. He doesn't even consider leaving the room without clothing, yanking up the blanket on the ground to cover himself with and instead backing into a wall, bordering on hyperventilating.

Gods. Lying naked in someone else's bed. And a man's at that. A man he's sure wants to kill him.

"What'd you do?!" The demand comes out as a high-pitched squeak, still beet-red, a startling contrast to his light blond hair and otherwise pale skin.

Gladio watches him with deadpan expression. With an entirely unimpressed look, he hums, closing his eyes for a moment only to reopen them and blink slowly. "I saved you." He yawns, shrugging a shoulder, almost nonchalantly. "A mountain lion attacked you and killed your horse. It would've killed you too if I hadn't stepped in. Then you ran from me and fell through the ice of the river. I saved you from drowning and freezing to death." A soft huff as his eyes narrow. "You're welcome."

A small pause before he starts again. "The mountain lion hurt your arm. I have yet to tend to it. But your clothes are drying and should be dry within the next few hours." He rolls over to his other side and puts his back to Prompto, closing his eyes once more, this time, keeping them closed. "However, if you're fine going out there and freezing to the brink of death again, go ahead."

At first Prompto watches Gladio with lips pursed in a tight line, brows knitted closely together, and visibly bristles at the very sight of the man. Even more because - oh gods - he's completely naked and- and- they were laying together. Laying together naked. And he-

Oh, the number of days he was going to be spending in confession after this, assuming he lived that long.

He was honestly waiting for the worst, whatever 'the worst' was, for the other to spring up and attack him, slash his throat or worse. Instead...

Instead came claims of saving his life, and it took a great deal of conscious effort to recall everything Gladio was talking about.

A glance at his ravaged arm, which he was only now realizing how badly it burned, backed up what Gladio was saying. And he did remember that monster cat. He couldn't recall a river...

When..?

Or maybe... he recalled cold, and darkness, and choking...

Oh.

Oh, then that was... but then he-?

For a moment his eyes wandered the floor boards with a look of intense concentration, trying to piece all the memories back together until he had a solid chain of events in his mind. His breathing settles more evenly for a moment, glancing back up. He finds it much easier to keep focus when its Gladio's bare back facing him instead of those smoldering eyes and the chiseled lines of his face.

He breathed in slowly, then let it out just the same.

"...why would you do that?"

Gladio's silent for a moment before he sighs tiredly, relaxing a bit. "I'm not as heartless as you've probably been led to believe, and you still have time to change." There's a moment where he goes so quiet he seems to almost drift off into sleep. "Don't make me regret what I've done."

Prompto furrows his brows and narrows his eyes, turning his head almost into a tilt of both confusion and suspicion.

There has to be something more to it. Its far too simple. Too nondescript to pass for a real reason.

And 'don't make him regret it'? What does that even mean? He's not the one who threatened and hunted down the other. Just what sort of game was he playing at?

Whatever it was, he'd gotten his warning, and this was all too strange to just shrug off and say his thanks as if the last time they met, Gladio didn't hold a blade to his neck.

"You're after something," he states in a matter-of-fact tone, like he won't be persuaded to believe anything less. Even as he says it, he glances towards his clothes, silently inching closer to them and hoping he can go unnoticed. Maybe if he keeps them talking long enough, the rustle of clothing with go unheard. Whatever happened, he needed to get away from this man. He was still physically larger and dangerous. Dangerous enough to take down a mountain lion like it was nothing. "I know who you are you know. You and your friends. You- you're murderers. You kill people however it suites you, just like you tried to kill me."

"At the moment, I'm not after anything." It's spoken in a low growl, menacing growl. "And just who told you that? Ardyn Izunia? You believe him. Good for you. But perhaps you need to look past the surface because he's not what he claims to be."

Prompto hears him spit the name Ardyn Izunia like its a poison. He doesn't understand it. Just what do any of them have against him? The man is odd, sure, but his words are always softly spoken and reassuring, and the things he speaks of wanting... they're good things. A perfect world, which... the world as it is now is not, but he was going to change things.

It was something he knew the man was deeply passionate about, and he couldn't help believing in the vision Ardyn wanted to make into reality, no matter how many people thought it wasn't possible. The world needed more people who believed in that, didn't it? A world without suffering, with real equality? He couldn't see good in someone who was against that.

"You're naive. Grow up and face reality, kid. We aren't living in a fucking perfect world." It's now that he sits up and turns to look at Prompto again, eyes burning with a deep-rooted hatred. "You think you may know everything but you don't. We do what we have to. So shut the fuck up."

Every inhale Prompto takes shudders in his chest and makes his bare shoulders quiver. Even only sitting there, Gladio intimidates the Hell out of him, and its near impossible not to show his fear, but there's also a touch of stubborn defiance, trying to stay strong regardless.

"Mister Izunia is a good man that just wants to bring order and stability to the new world. I know we don't live in a perfect world, not yet... but... maybe he'll be the one that changes that. Its people like you that keep it from being that way."

It doesn't take Gladio long at all to stand up and lung at Prompto, grabbing him by his throat and lifting him into the air. Prompto's not exactly not expecting it, but he isn't exactly expecting Gladio to lung at him either, instinctively trying to retreat and going from red in embarrassment to pale with fear. He doesn't make it far, with nowhere to go and Gladio is much faster than his size implies.

He chokes out a startled noise, one hand closing around Gladio's wrist while the other is still on the blanket trying to retain whatever dignity he has left, as if that matters at all. Gladio snarls before growling something Prompto can't understand, glaring up at him.

For a moment he just dangles, and Ardyn's words ring through his head again, informing him of danger. That the Assassins were dangerous and would kill him.

He hardly even gets the chance to kick or fight back before the sound of a door closing reaches his ears and he's dropped back on his ass, grunting out something not-quite-a-squeak, but almost.

"Why're you naked?" The voice is one he's unfamiliar with and still reeling when he hears it. "And who is he?"

He manages to look past Gladio's ankle from the ground. Really, he wasn't expecting anyone, but certainly not someone who looked to be around his own age, with black hair and paler skin than Gladio's tanned complexion.

Part of him had almost hoped it would be someone that might help him, but immediately recognizing the other's attire as an assassin garb, that hope died quickly and horribly. When he thinks on how casual and familiar the voice spoke to Gladio, he's not sure why he thought it would be anything more to his favor.

"It's not what you think." Gladio huffs. "And he's the messenger I've mentioned."

"Uh huh... I see." The young man takes a deep breath before reaching into his bag and looking Prompto over for a moment, seeming to contemplate something. "Ardyn's on our tail. We've gotta get moving."

Another huff from Gladio as he goes to grab his slightly damp clothes, grumbling under his breath all the while.

The younger assassin shakes his head with a sigh before turning his attention to Prompto, quirking a brow. "Will you be joining us?"

Prompto's silent through the whole exchange, watching them both. At first he almost wonders if the younger one is looking for something specific in his bag. Something to use against him. There's clear, wary distrust in his eyes, which briefly follow Gladio as he moves for his clothes. The question makes him furrow his brows suspiciously, turning his head a bit to give the ravenette the side-eye.

His response comes very quietly, but with a notable guarded tone. "...and what if I refuse?" Sure, he's almost betting they'll prove his fears right, but that'd mean his death and that is an outcome he'd definitely rather avoid.

"It doesn't matter." The other replies, glancing at the door before back at Prompto. "You're not a problem so we don't have a reason to harm you." He gives a small shake of his head before looking to Gladio, crossing his arms over his chest. "However, if you are to stay here, we can't promise you'll be safe."

Its not what he expects to hear, but just because the other preaches nice words doesn't mean he means them, even if the other black-haired male is far less scary than Gladio. However, the implications of a lack of safety puts him on edge. Is that a threat? Its hard for him to tell. The other doesn't make it sound like a threat, but who was to say it wasn't?

Gladio shoots Prompto a look, pulling his hood up. Prompto gives him a wary look in return, standing up slightly so he can shuffle as far away from the larger man as possible.

Gladio gives a small huff before starting for the door. Shifting a bit, he curses about his garb still being damp. Sighing, he cracks the door open, preparing for them to make their escape. "We don't have much time." Gladio growls, still clearly irritated. "Make your decision."

It surprises him that they both make to leave when he's still alive, but regardless of whether or not they've killed him, he still doesn't trust them. He doesn't voice it, or anything really, staring mutely but intensely with clear distrust on his face.

Another muttered... something that he can't understand but assumes is an insult, Gladio glares for a moment before turning his attention to the black-haired male. They have a silent exchange and move for the door. The younger of the two assassins glances at Prompto one more time and he gives a sad smile before they're both gone.

Its not until they leave that Prompto realizes just how much he'd been holding his breath, as much as was possible without stopping breathing entirely. He's not really sure he's safe, but at least he doesn't have eyes on him where he needs to hide just how rattled he is. Admittedly, its a relief, one Prompto welcomes with sinking to the floor with his back against the wall behind him, keeping the blanket gathered over him and simply forcing himself to take even breaths and calm his racing heart.

Just in time for the man in question to all of them, Ardyn, appears, all dressed in his fine clothes and hat imported from France. He doesn't waste any time in walking over to Prompto with a look of worry on his face. "You poor thing..." He says softly. "What happened to you?"