Author Notes:

"Hmmm, this opening scene feels familiar. What do you think, Prompto?"

The blonde blushes furiously. "Shhhhh, you'll spoil it."

"They do look cute like that, don't they?"

Prompto nods. There's a long silence before the gunslinger said, "Alright, enough fourth wall breaking. Back to the story. This is where it starts to get good."

ANYTHING TO HELP YOU SLEEP

CHAPTER 3

Sleep enveloped Ignis like a generous lover.

He didn't dream that he could remember, but he didn't have nightmares either. His internal clock awoke him gently, which was rare. Normally it grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him out of sleep with a sense of urgency. But not today. Today it kept its arms around him in a warm embrace, not wanting to let go. Ignis shifted a bit and sleep tightened its grip and…hold on a tick…

Ignis gently felt the arm around his lower abs. Thick forearms, with the raised edges of the tattoo mingling with old scars. Gladio's even breathing and steady heartbeat let Ignis know for sure that the shield was still in deep sleep. Ignis decided to lay his head back down on the pillow and try and get another hour or so in while he could. He didn't mind Gladio's arm around him. It wasn't uncommon in the tent for one of the group to have one of his arms wrapped around them in the morning. Gladio might never admit it, but he was quite the big-spoon when he slept. Especially in close quarters with people he trusted.

Granted Ignis usually had a shirt on in those other instances.

At the moment Gladio's breath on his shoulder wasn't anything to be concerned about. That is until the shield shifted himself and Ignis felt something hard press against the back of his thigh.

Gladio is a notorious heavy sleeper, thought Ignis, reassuring himself. This is probably just a normal morning bodily function. It is a natural occurrence and…oh gods that's a tongue on my shoulder. Ignis felt an almost inaudible rumble emanate from the man behind him as he could feel his breathing begin to pick up.

Gladio was about to wake up. This would be a rather awkward situation if Gladio woke up to find them like this. He might get embarrassed. He might think twice before helping Ignis in the future if he needed it.

Considering all this, Ignis reluctantly lifted Gladio's arm and slipped out of the bed. He made sure that the shield was still sleeping while he silently made his way to the bathroom. When he got there he closed the door quietly before leaning on it with an exasperated moan.

There were many times in the past that he'd admired Gladio's physique. And more than once Ignis had taken care of himself with the thoughts of the shield's mouth on him, even if Gladio hadn't given the slightest hint of being into men. It was a pipe dream at best.

He wasn't sure who or what Gladio was dreaming about, but for the moment he pretended that it was him. Ignis turned on the shower and stripped down waiting for it to get warm. His member already painfully at attention before he wrapped his hand around it.

The one thing about being blind; you don't have any annoying visual interruptions when your picturing the man who's currently in your bed giving you a blowjob. He pictured those amber eyes he remembered looking up at him as he worked.

Ignis slid his other hand back, teasing his entrance. It had been quite a while. The last time Ignis had been intimate with anyone was before they'd left Insomnia on their way to Noct's wedding.

He imagined Gladio's member that was just pressed against his thigh rubbing against him here instead. The thought alone was enough to lead Ignis willingly to the brink of climax. He let out a low moan as he came and hoped to the gods that Gladio couldn't hear it.

Ignis panted and let the endorphins flow through him for a moment. He put his head under the hot stream of water, letting it wash his tension away.

When the wave had passed he found his soap and proceeded with his actual shower.

Gladio held Ignis in his arms as the strategist shed his shirt and tossed it away. Ignis ground down into him from his lap as they lay sprawled on the floor of the sparring room. Their blunted weapons cast to the sides as they locked lips. A sparring match of a different sort going on in their mouths.

The dream was so vivid, Gladio could swear he could actually taste Ignis.

Nimble hands worked their way up his shirt before pulling it over his head as well. Ignis bent over and lavished attention on his collar bone and nipples. Looking up at him with bright green eyes as he worked his way lower.

The overhead lights in the gym started to brighten as Ignis' tongue traced its way down the scar crossing Gladio's abs. The lights became unbearably bright as the strategists teeth grabbed the hem of his workout pants…

Gladio groaned and buried his face in the pillows in front of him to shield him from the early morning light streaming through the windows.

Ironic that the sunrise, the thing they fought so hard and long for was the primary source of his ire at the present moment.

He was almost happy to find the strategist vacant from the bed and the sound of the shower running. Gladio didn't want any awkward moments with the raging hard on he had at the moment. He debated slipping out of the room and heading back to his own, but then he ran the risk of running into someone in the hallway with a tent in his pants. The dream was so vivid that for a moment he felt like he really could taste and feel Ignis' skin beneath him.

Frustrated, he flopped back down onto the sheets.

That's when it hit him. Ignis' smell. It was his bed after all, so it made sense that it would hold his scent so strongly.

Gladio weighed his options, listening to the water running. He knew that he would have a minute or so warning if he heard the water stop. Quickly he sat up and checked in one of Ignis' end table drawers, finding nothing but a few pens and an extra pair of glasses. He reached over to the other end table and opened it up, finding what he was looking for. "Good man," he said. Pulling out the tube he squeezed some lube in his hand, making a mental note of the other contents of the drawer before laying on his back.

He lowered his sweatpants just low enough to get a grip on his throbbing member. Precum was already seeping out of the tip when he began running his hand up and down the length.

Gladio moved quickly, not knowing how much time he had. He was already worked up quite a bit, so when the coil of orgasm began to wind itself in his stomach he didn't fight it. Grabbing a nearby pillow he held it over his face, partially to muffle the sound but also for the smell.

Ignis had a very specific cologne that he'd worn since he was in his late teens. Beneath that aroma was the smell that was pervasively Ignis with an undertone of cotton and laundry detergent. Gladio pictured Ignis on top of him like in his dream. That combined with the thoughts of what was in the end table sent Gladio toppling over the edge just as he heard the flow of water stop.

He didn't really have time to bask as he snagged a few tissues from the end table and cleaned himself up before stuffing them in his pockets to throw out later. He rearranged the pillows to a reasonable level of disarray before laying atop the blankets casually and turning on his phone. He opened some random app and played around on it just as the bathroom door opened.

He noticed a series of texts from his subordinate just as Ignis walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

- Good morning, Sir.

- Training went well this morning.

- There are a few rookies that need additional training at night ops.

- Should I schedule a session with you this evening?

- Please advise.

Gladio grimaced. He hated evening training, but they had an inspection coming up at the end of the week and it would mean more work on his part if any of them failed their assessment. He texted back.

~ Thank you for covering this morning.

~ Yes I can train tonight.

~ Have them meet in the west briefing room at 1900.

-Roger.

~ I don't want to be out too late.

~ Make sure they know their shit.

He looked up at his phone to see Ignis zipping his trousers up. Son of a bitch, he'd been so preoccupied with work he'd missed seeing Ignis naked. If only for a second. He wondered if Ignis knew he was there… or thought he was watching.

Gladio cleared his throat.

"Morning," said Ignis as he pulled an undershirt on.

"You seem to be a bit more chipper today," said Gladio. Maybe it was the hot shower, but Ignis had a definite glow to him.

Ignis nodded. "Indeed. That was the first full night of sleep I've had in a fortnight." He made his way over to his closet and felt around his shirts. There were small tags hanging from each of them that Ignis ran his fingers over.

So that's how he got himself so immaculately dressed every day. It made sense considering he obviously couldn't look himself in a mirror. Gladio wondered how he went shopping.

"You need me to stay again tonight?" The words left Gladio's mouth before he even knew he said them.

"I would certainly not object," came the answer. "I appreciate your assistance greatly, but I hope I'm not putting you out."

"Not at all," he cleared his throat again. "S'not like I have anything better to do." Then he remembered he actually did have some responsibilities. Unfortunately. "I have training with some new recruits around sundown. I could be here around eleven or so, if that's not too late."

"It's a date."

X~X~X

Author Notes:

CrossedQuills hands a bowl of popcorn to Prompto and gets comfortable. "This gon' be good."