Gladiolus quietly watched Ignis as he gathered fruit. There was something about him that was so out of the ordinary. They were both of bloodlines that were entirely dedicated to the protection and well-being of the King. Sometimes it was hard to face the reality of Noctis being the new King. Back at the castle Noctis commonly caused quite a bit of trouble. Throughout all of his antics—Ignis was always by his side. Occasionally he would catch wind of just what went down. Noctis and Ignis would get caught—and Ignis would instantly take all of the blame. There was never a serious harshness in his tone when he reassured Noctis that it was "quite alright," that is was "his job." Was it really his job to take the fall like that? Perhaps it was. Even now Ignis took on the weight of the world for Noctis. It was all he seemed to know. Would it damage his duty if he thought of himself—even for a moment? Gladiolus continued to carefully watch Ignis as he moved from bushes to trees to gather various fruits. His slender hand would reach out towards a piece of fruit, then his thumb would either apply a small amount of pressure or run over the surface. He was testing for ripeness and imperfections. That was so like him, always trying to find the best for Noctis—for everyone really. A warm smile soon danced along his lips. Watching Ignis was interesting in many ways. From the way he moved to the way he maintained such a professional posture during odd tasks. His warm smile soon faded to a look of concern. The longer he watched the man the more he realized he was suppressing pain.

The adviser would move a certain way and tense up, sometimes he would even flinch. Without even a noise Ignis would reposition himself and continue on with his work like nothing happened. "You should really take it easy on yourself." Gladiolus kept pushing for Ignis to back down from such a straining task. His voice was laced with genuine concern and care for his companion. It just didn't feel right to sit by and watch him push against his injury. Even if it really wasn't that bad it was obviously causing an issue. "I assure you once more, I am alright." Moving so that he could look over his shoulder, Ignis gave the other a soft smile. His tone softened as he spoke, "I appreciate your concern Gladio." Again, he turned right back to his work. There was no winning in this situation. It was something Gladiolus had to accept for the time being. "Well.." He trailed off softly, his gaze flicking towards the fruit above him. "If we're going to gather fruit we might as well gather as much as we can carry. Just in case." Ignis now moved to face Gladiolus with an expression that showed genuine surprise. "Just in case." He repeated with a smile as he moved to stand by the shield's side. "Just in case you happen to eat some on the way back?" Gladiolus could only reply with a laugh. Ignis gave a small laugh of his own. It was something soft, something Gladiolus was surprised by every time. "If you insist on extra that is what we shall do." Ignis moved awkwardly to reach right above Gladiolus head. There was a particular apple he'd had his eye on since they'd entered the area. "Pardon me." Ignis turned towards Gladiolus so they could share a gaze with each other. It was rather obvious Ignis had something important he wanted to say. At least that's what his expression said. "What all do you know about the surrounding plants?" Gladiolus had already laughed before realizing Ignis was actually serious. "Did I say something amusing?" He questioned as Gladiolus scratched the back of his head. The shield's gaze was now on the plant life around them. It sure was a lot to take in. The greens of the trees and bushes contrasted against each other in a beautiful way that only nature herself could manage. The ripe berries added a much needed splash to the overwhelming amount of green. The bark of the trees was a nice touch of color as well. Some of the bark favored a red undertone while some of it was a cooler toned dark brown. "Well, there's a lot here. How much time do you have." Gladiolus rested his arm on the adviser's shoulder, a smile staying with him as he overwhelmed Ignis with his knowledge of the area. By the end of their conversation Ignis was also smiling.

"I see. You really do have a talent for memorization. I could never do such a thing. Nature is rather overwhelming. My knowledge simply rests in a cook book. I rarely do the extra research on where to find my ingredients unless it's necessary."
"Really?"
"I'm afraid so. I would have to dedicate a lifetime to learning everything."
"Well you've got a lifetime, Iggy."
"One that must have the King as my main focus."
"You make that sound like a bad thing."
"Certainly not my intention. I regret nothing when it comes to my position."
"Never gets tiring for you, huh?"
"Never. Noctis is a bright young man with a wonderful future ahead of him. I'm very proud of him."
"Yeah, me too."
"I just can't shake the feeling that the road before us is going to be hard on him."
"You can't protect him from everything."
"I cannot help but feel that I must."
"He'll never be a true King if he's blind to hardships."
"I suppose you're right."
"Here's to hoping."
"Certainly."

The walk back to camp was rather long— it seemed even longer with two heavy armfuls of fruit. Usually Ignis wouldn't mind such work. Had it not been for Gladiolus convincing him to carry more than they needed. "I'm afraid this is far more troublesome than I could have imagined." Ignis spoke in a tone that appeared to be scolding, it was his soft laugh that brightened up the end of his sentence. "You just have weak arms." Gladiolus mused back at the man in attempt to carry the same tone. He moved to carefully nudge him on the shoulder, a warm smile rested comfortably on his lips. "Compared to you, maybe." That was the comment that threw Gladiolus off of his game. Was that a compliment? He knew Ignis meant nothing harsh by the words. There was something about the adviser's tone that made him question his intent. "Something bothering you, Iggy?" Gladiolus quickened his pace to the point he moved past Ignis, a piece of fruit slipping from his grasp in the process. He turned the face the stubborn man with a gaze that was overwhelmingly concerned. "You don't sound like yourself Ignis." Gladiolus took the chance to speak with reassurance once more before Ignis could reply. As always, he was ahead of the game. Ignis had already caught the rolling piece of fruit under his shoe. There wasn't exactly a way for him to pick it up—but that didn't quite bother him. They had too much already. "Don't worry about me." The adviser's soft words hit the air with a selfless tone—one he used quite often. No matter where they were or what they were doing Ignis would always make his troubles out to be nothing. Gladiolus found himself feeling guilty every time he listened. How many times had Ignis really been suffering in silence? "Is this about your back pain?" Such a simple question caused such an odd expression across Ignis's features. The truth of it all rested within his eyes. What beautiful eyes he had...-now was not the time to think about that. Gladiolus took a step closer to his companion, a brow quirking in an expectant manner. "Isn't it?" He pushed the question once more. The answer was obvious. He wanted Ignis to acknowledge what was going on. Until the man learned to cope with these kinds of things he would have to try to help him express himself more.

"It is, but you shouldn't worry over such simple things."
"Simple things? This is your health Ignis."
"It's just back pain."
"You're playing it off as if it's a small ache."
"I have no intentions of letting any pain stop me."
"If it's preventing you from moving properly, it should."
"There's no time for that, Gladio."
"No time to rest?"
"Noctis needs me."
"He can take care of himself."
"He's yet to prove that."
"I can take care of him."
"That's a heavy burden to bear."
"So you want to do it alone?"
"It's what I was raised to do."
"But you're not alone. Don't you see that?"
"This has less to do with loneliness and more to do with responsibility."
"Don't be like that."
"You know it's true. I'd give anything for the King. Pain is a small price to pay."
"And what happens if it gets worse?"
"I won't let that happen."
"That's out of your control, Ignis. Let me help you."

The two were standing face to face now. Gladiolus was breathing heavier, his breaths freely leaving parted lips while Ignis's breathing was through his nose. The adviser's lips were pressed into a thin line as if he was holding back something. Gladiolus could only assume if was frustration. Ignis wasn't the kind of man to wrongfully snap. He barely did when he rightfully should have. "Leave the fruit behind, Ignis." The two never broke from their gaze, even as Gladiolus spoke. "You've the confidence now that we won't need extra." Ignis spoke in a defensive manner. His gaze wasn't challenging—but it did seem to look questioning. There was still softness resting in his eyes. It was that softness that reminded Gladiolus that he didn't need to be as aggressive with Ignis. Noctis needed the aggression, Ignis didn't. "I'm sorry.." He trailed off into a whisper, his gaze finally breaking away from Ignis. "I don't mean to be aggressive with you. It's become a habit these days. I'm under a lot of stress." Ignis moved to crouch down as Gladiolus spoke to him. His arms gently released the fruit he had gathered onto the ground. They then found a new place on Gladiolus's shoulders. "We are all under stress. You are not alone, Gladio. We all have these moments." A sigh of relief was released into the chilled air. "Thank you, Ignis." The two shared a tired smile. It wasn't often they got to discuss these things. It felt nice to be able to speak out without having to worry about what their words would do to Noctis. Their feelings were to be suppressed into something manageable for the King. That was their job. "Come on, let's head back to camp."