hey there! so this chapter is the original idea i had to start Gladio and Cia's relationship. hope you enjoy it.
...
Athenacia flopped on her bed while heaving a heavy sigh. Another 16 hour shift done and a well deserved break for her. She'd have some time to relax before the hospital held its annual casino charity on the weekend. Because she was one of the senior attendings in the emergency department her presence was mandatory. She hated events like this, had managed to avoid the last one. But it happened every year and Gin frequently asked the young doctor to go. This year there was no excuse, all shifts covered for the event. It usually took place in the most luxurious hotel inside of the Crown City. It was all at the cost of the Crown, essentially a way for Insomnia to acknowledge the hard work of the citizens. But politics suggested it was a way for higher up to pat themselves on the back for throwing money away. She didn't care much for any of it but was never one to shy away from her job. At least it was an open bar, the only thing that might make this bearable.
She rolled herself into the blanket, getting herself comfortable before finally allowing herself to rest. Her mind was still active, thinking about the day she had. As much as she hated to admit it, her job was a little boring without Gladiolus randomly dropping by to ask her out. He seemed to finally get the message after she had that fight with him in the Citadel. She felt bad about lying to him the way that she did, knew it was wrong. He was just trying to be nice, making sure she was home safe that night that she was stabbed. Hell if she had never lied to him then she wouldn't have been attacked the way that she was. All because she was too stubborn to let him do something nice for her. She sighed, rolling over so face one of the windows. She supposed to owed him an apology for the way she had behaved. She supposed if she ever saw him again she would make sure did right by him, even if he didn't want to go out with her anymore.
The sun was beginning to set and she hadn't noticed that she ended up having a nap. It was a dreamless sleep, the very kind that she liked. She rubbed her eyes, going to grab her phone from her nightstand. Only she didn't have it there. Groaning lightly she threw the covers off of her and rolled herself lazily out of bed. Once her feet touched the ground she stood and began to search through her things that were scattered all over her room. She had really let everything go since she came back from her recovery but that didn't matter right now. She only made things worse trying to find her phone and never ended up doing so. This wasn't good, she was going to need that for work and to ignore people when they wanted her attention. She sighed, putting on a change of clothes and then heading out of her apartment.
She sighed, closing her door and locking it behind her before coming toward the elevator. She pushed the button, calling down the lift so she could get toward the garage. She waited patiently until finally one of them came to stop on her floor. Once the doors opened she was about to step through them but stopped in her tracks, gasping slightly while her eyes widened a bit. Gladiolus was in there, his arms crossed and a brow raised when he locked eyes with her. Her heart began to hammer in her chest, tearing her gaze away and keeping her head downcast as she stepped into it. She made herself small while standing on the opposite side of it. She saw that the button she needed was already pushed and bit her lip nervously.
Her breath was loud in her ears, her heart still thumping. The air was hard to breathe in here and she wished that she wasn't so nervous. Earlier she felt like an asshole for what she had done to him and now that all the anger had disappeared she was far too timid to speak with him. Of all times to run into him this was not the best place. She chanced a glance in his direction but he was still fixated on the wall before him. The elevator finally stopped and the door opened. Her eyes darted nervously toward him, and he glanced at her briefly as well. She bit her lip once more, looking down and he decided he was going to step through.
"Um."
Her body reacted before she could stop it. He stopped in the doorway, looking back at her curiously. Her face was burning red as she tried to form words. She was still having trouble looking at him, wishing that her confidence hadn't shattered right then and there. She opened her mouth to speak, bringing her gaze toward him. But as soon as she met his amber eyes the words fell out of her mind.
"I..."
She looked at him helplessly. He raised a brow and then she lost herself altogether. She pushed passed him, darting out of the elevator and through the door to the parking lot. She didn't stop until she reached her car, absolutely mortified at what just happened back there. She was trying to catch her breath, leaning on her car and putting her head into her palms. She tried to calm herself down, hating that she let this all happen in the first place. She wanted to apologize to him really, but she wasn't expecting to see him like that so soon. She sighed then, realizing that was probably her only chance to do it. She blew it. Well, she would just have to hope that she would run into him again somewhere. She was going to be ready for him next time, that she was sure of.
...
Gladiolus finished his noodles, leaning back in his seat and taking a look out the window. He went out for them this time, deciding he wanted a moment before coming home. He was thrown for a loop when he saw Athenacia in the elevator at Noctis' building the other day. It wasn't like he didn't know that she lived there, but it was still a shock to see her. He had calmed down after their fight in the Citadel, being short with everyone around him for a couple weeks including his sister and his father. No one knew why he was so upset and he didn't talk about it. But he thought about it a lot, the entire situation from the start to the finish. She had turned him down plenty of times since he met her and started asking her out. Ordinarily he would have given up but there as something about her that kept drawing him in.
Because she just refused to date Crownsguard. She wasn't saying no to him, only his profession. There was no reason to word it the way that she had, and whenever he used to go and bother her at work she never actually sent him away. Surprisingly she was starting to smile at him more even she knew that he was about to ask her out for that beer. He let his own smile play on his lips at the memories, his eyes distant. Even now he couldn't stop thinking about her and how she obviously wanted to say something to him back in that elevator.
He wasn't sure exactly what he should do. But logically he knew it was best to move on. It wasn't like he was so hard on girls that he only had to focus on just the one anyway. She didn't want to go out with him that was very clear after their fight. On top of that she hadn't gone out of her way to talk to him. He was sure that she could find him if she tried. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a vibration in his pocket. He frowned when he saw that it was another Crownsguard reaching out to him.
"Yeah?"
"Gladio. Are you interested in some extra work next week? We're short staffed," the person on the other end spoke.
"Sure. Send me the info."
He hung up abruptly after that, letting out a sigh. His phone buzzed again and he read over the job. He had a brow raised, not having done security in quite a while. At least it would be something easy to distract himself. He paid for his meal and then left the restaurant with a sigh. Just as he was leaving he caught sight of a familiar flash of hair. He looked over curiously and was surprised to see Athenacia walking down the street. He almost laughed out loud, watching as she shoved off into a fancy dress store without noticing him. Go figure, always when he was about to take his mind off of her she just popped into his life, almost like it was fate. Keeping a smirk on his face he walked toward his car without another look back.
...
The benefit was a lot busier than Gladiolus first anticipated. He showed up in his uniform as required since he was working it. It was for the hospital staff in the city, an annual event that took place in order to acknowledge the hard work these people did. Gladiolus knew about it, had worked it before but this year was different than the rest. It was far bigger than the last time he was there for one. And he was older so he saw things in a different light than before. His face was also known a lot better than it used to be and the fact that his father was here as well only made him stand out even more. King Regis was present as well, for the first time in years. It was good for the people, lifting their spirits especially in this dire time of the war.
He was there early enough to watch people come in and out, attempting to make note of who was who in case he needed to know later. He wasn't in a place where he was painfully obvious either. He could tell it was going to be a long night already just by the size of the room they were in. He took a quick look around before his eyes caught a flash of red off in the distance. It was familiar and he realized then and there that it was because he knew the person it belonged to. Gin, the pregnant charge nurse was positively aglow as she walked into the room. She was definitely proud of the child she was carrying, that much evident on her face while she greeted passerby's that seemed to know her.
But it wasn't really Gin that Gladiolus was looking at. Beside her stood Athenacia, with a soft sort of look in her hazel eyes. He felt his breath catch in his throat as his eyes rolled over her form from head down to toe. She was wearing a black dress, one that clung to her body in every way. The straps came over her shoulders but the plunging neckline went down just below her breasts. Though they were covered and held in place very firmly it wasn't trashy at all, in fact very elegant. The rest ran longer, coming down to the floor and flaring out behind her a bit. But there was large slit at her left side that ran all the way up to her mid thigh. Her heels were also black, high and strapped over her toes and ankle. She was also shimmering with a bracelet and matching necklace. Her hair was waved which made it hang at her chin instead of her shoulders but earrings dangled from her ear lobes, the second one replaced with a shining sapphire. Her make up was light but every bit accenting her features and managing to hide those dark circles that usually hung beneath her eyes. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was perfect.
She held a small smile as she nodded at a few of her other coworkers. He watched as she walked away with Gin and he noted that her dress was backless as well. He could see the scar from the wound she sustained in the city streets the night he walked her to work. Not that he was really looking at it with the way she was walking. What was she doing to him? Not that it made a difference, she hadn't even noticed that he was there. She went to the bar to grab a drink, champagne it looked like before she found her seat. She was basically hovering around Gin but others spoke to her as well and he found he was only looking at her the entire time. Someone bumped into him and he was broken out of his reverie. All of a sudden it was extremely hot in the room and he tried to focus on his job. His eyes kept drifting back toward her however and he decided that he needed to move to so that he couldn't see her anymore.
However it seemed no matter where he went she was always in view. Sometimes she would laugh, food being brought to all the tables while she continued to converse with everyone around her. She still hadn't noticed him and he was getting a little upset about it. But the meal was over and it was time for the King to make his appearance. Everyone was in attendance, mostly in awe that he had come all the way here. Gladiolus watched the look on her face as she brought her gaze toward King Regis. She was frowning in thought, almost like she was seeing something that no one else could. He pondered that a little before crossing his arms and looking over toward the podium. The speech was short and very well rehearsed. He was doing it mostly for moral support, to build them up because the people that worked in health care knew exactly the sort of toll the war took upon the city. They were the ones that patched all the Glaives back up and sent them to battle. They were the ones that sacrificed all hours of the day to be there for strangers they never knew and never would know. They were the people no one recognized, working behind the scenes so that everyone could live their lives without the troubles of the outside world. It was good of the King to come here and acknowledge that. It's what made him so well respected and other people were able to see that just by his efforts.
And then he was gone and benefit began. Tables were brought out for people to enjoy some gambling, all of it going toward the hospitals to further medical research. It was also then that Gladiolus was nearing his break. In the midst of the confusion he managed to actually loose Athenacia's whereabouts. Not because he had tried to either, she was hard to see and even with those heels she was still short. He got himself some water before coming around the tables to have a look at what they were doing. He had an hour and figured he could kill time while also trying to take his mind off the one doctor here he was supposed to be moving on from. That was also proving difficult, stopping as soon as he managed to find her again.
Athenacia had her legs crossed, the creamy skin visible thanks to the slit in her dress. She took a drink of her cocktail from the straw and the placed it down before smiling at the dealer. She was a little flushed and Gladiolus knew how much she had drunk before she even started eating. She could hold herself really well despite being so petite. She placed her bet and ended up winning, the three other people upset at that. Two of them left and that left an open seat available. Gladiolus was quick to snatch it, changing his money quickly. He met her gaze after that and noted that she bit her lip in an almost nervous manner before going to her freshly dealt cards. So she had no idea he was here, at least he got the jump on her this time.
They didn't speak though the man next to her was trying and failing at flirting with her. She knew what he was doing and she knew that Gladiolus was watching. She had a nice pile of chips next to her as did the other men. Gladiolus was starting to put in his own wins and that gained the attention of the rest of the table. He offered Athenacia a smug smile and she only smirked before having another drink brought to her. One of the patrons left and it was only the three of them left. Gladiolus quickly checked the time and noted he was running out of it. He wasn't exactly sure what he was doing besides trying to show off in front of her. Would have been easier if he was the one sitting next to her instead of his competition. Though in that dress everyone was the competition.
"What do you say?" the man next to her spoke.
She smiled at him, looking at her cards quick and then bringing her glass toward her mouth. She bit the straw before taking a drink and then placing her bet. The man raised his eyebrows and then the dealer turned toward Gladiolus. The Shield kept his peripherals on the actions of the two beside him before he placed his bet as well. The man next to her wasn't paying attention, not until the dealer announced that he was out of the game. Gladiolus held a smug smirk and Athenacia flushed a little when his eyes found her.
"Not so lucky," she said to the man next to her.
He rose from his seat, coming to stand right next to her. Gladiolus raised a brow when he saw the man graze her elbow and lean in close to whisper something in her ear. When he left she was flushed further, something crumpled in her hand. She tossed it on the table beside her chips, a small piece of paper and then grabbed her drink to finish it in one gulp. She sighed, trying to compose herself and Gladiolus smirked. So that was how it was.
"Hey," he called out to her.
She grabbed her fresh drink, looking over at him curiously.
"The only person you need to be looking at is me," he spoke.
She was not expecting that, but smiled slightly and placed the straw between her teeth again. She put her drink down and then looked over at him with her own sort of smug smirk. He wondered what she was up to.
"Mr. Amicitia," she began, "What exactly am I looking at?"
His smile grew, "The winner of the next round."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because I have to get back to work so I'm cleaning you out before I go."
She giggled at him, biting her lip in a nervous sort of manner and looked down shyly for a moment. He let that foolish grin take over his face, the one that always seemed to take over when he was around her. When she met his gaze again she had that light in her eyes that managed to trap him to her face. She tore her face away and nodded at the dealer, placing her bet and waiting. She took another drink, keeping a smirk on her face as she waited for him to make a move. He took a peek at his cards and then placed his bet. When the dealer was ready she declared Athenacia the winner. She winked at him, and the night continued.
He wanted to win but he found out that she was just playing around in the beginning. Now that she was trying to win she was doing so very well. He was shocked, not expecting this turn of events at all. No matter how good he was she was much better and enjoying watching his pile deplete. He knew there was no way he could make up for it before he had to get back to his shift, but he didn't want to leave here with absolutely nothing either. It was hard to get a read on her, and he knew that it must have been from when she was a combat medic. He watched as she grabbed yet another drink and was impressed with how well she was holding herself together.
"So?" she raised a brow at him.
Before she could answer, she slowly uncrossed her legs only to reverse them so the other was on top. She did it in such an agonizingly slow way he was unable to look away, still following that creamy skin all the way down toward her feet and then back up slowly to her face. He was finding it hard to breathe again. That light was shining her eyes still and he knew that she was completely aware of what she was doing to him. How did he manage to lose control of the situation so quickly? Was it starting to get hot in here again? He smirked at her, knowing that somehow he was going to win her over tonight.
"All in," he said, "And if I win I'm taking you out for that beer."
She smiled at him, laughing a little at that. The dealer was waiting patiently and Athenacia flushed a little at what was happening. Finally, she nodded at him, waiting for the hands to be dealt. Once they were there she looked at her cards quickly though didn't react like usual. The bets were placed and stakes on the table. Gladiolus was the one who issued them so he would be first to show his hand. And he was confident about it to, having played well. He won, he knew he had.
"You got it, Doc?" he smirked at her.
She kept her calm hazel stare up on his face. He was so happy that he managed to best her this time and she loved seeing it. It made something stir within her, something she hadn't felt in such a long time. She enjoyed toying with him the last hour, especially after her embarrassment the last time she saw him. The alcohol was definitely helping but also the fact that he still managed to approach her. That and the fact that he still wanted to go out with her. She smiled at him, taking a look at the cards and then she sighed in a rather dramatic way.
"You win," she said.
He clapped once loudly and she couldn't help but giggle at him. If she knew he was going to be that happy about taking her out then maybe she should have just given him the chance in the first place. She couldn't take her eyes off him. He rose from his seat and walked toward her, reaching dangerously close to her personal space as he grabbed for the paper that was given to her by the other man.
"You won't be needing this," he said, tossing it into one of her empty glasses that wasn't cleared yet.
He then placed his hand on her bare back, causing her to take in a sharp breath. She kept her eyes on his face while he grabbed her phone that was sitting in front of her. He put his own number in it, texting himself so that he had hers before putting it in her hands. She never left his gaze, her skin burning where he was gently touching her. He was painfully aware of the the effect he was having on her, and she couldn't take it anymore. He leaned in closer, his lips grazing her ear as he did so. He almost lost himself when her scent invaded his nostrils in a sort of hostile manner and made him light headed.
"See you soon."
He pulled away after that in order to marvel at his own work. She had a dreamy sort of look to her face, one that he hadn't seen before. It made him smirk, especially when she bit her lip once more. The alcohol on her breath was a clear indication of the source of her boldness tonight and he knew that going any further was not going to be fair to either of them. He eased off of her and she took that opportunity to stand on her own. She gave him one last glance with a shy smile and then began to walk away slowly. He held that smirk on his face still, looking down at her pile of chips and the cards that were face down. He picked them up curiously and then he frowned at what he was seeing. Her hand was far better than his, she could have won.
He looked up her in disbelief and she had just managed to turn to face him. She gave him a much more confident smirk this time at seeing what he was doing before she turned her back once more and continued to walk away. He was stuck watching her until she couldn't see her. She managed to put a sway in her hips that captured him completely and it took him a few moments even afterward to figure out where he was and what he was doing. He looked down at her winning hand again before slamming the cards on the table. The crooked grin reached his face at the thought of knowing she threw the game just to go out on a date with him. All in all, it wasn't a bad night to come out and do some extra work.
...
thanks guys! going to finish the main story now which is almost done!