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Gladio knew exactly where Ignis would be. Sitting at a table in the back of the library buried under a mound of books that were either exactly what he needed or completely random and nothing what-so-ever to do with studying for high school entrance exams.
“Hi,” he whispered leaning across the table and parting the sea of books to see the slightly stressed fourteen-year-old behind them.
Ignis jumped slightly and looked around blindly. Poor thing looked exhausted, stressed and up to his eyeballs in past exam papers and Gladio wondered when the last time his friend got some rest.
“What are you doing here?” Ignis hissed and Gladio tried not to take it personally. “I told you I can’t entertain our friendship this month, or at least not until after I’ve taken these exams.”
“I know,” Gladio replied, walking around and shifting the pile of books from the seat next to Ignis before sitting down. “But as someone who has already taken their high school entrance exam and passed,” he added before Ignis could rebuke. “I thought you could do with some encouragement.”
“Can you do Trigonometry, Calculus and Algebra?”
“Er…,” he could, in a sense, but Ignis shouldn’t need to know that. Not for his exams. What was the point of being tested on something you hadn’t learned yet? “You don’t have to worry about that, they won’t ask you anything you haven’t already learned.”
“They did last year,” Ignis squeaked diving for a piece of paper in order to prove a point.
“No, they didn’t” Gladio replied firmly. “I should know, I was there.”
“Ha,” his friend exclaimed brandishing a piece of paper. “See!” and he pointed to three very distinct questions that Gladio couldn’t even fathom trying to figure out. Then he saw the reason why. “Iggy… this is a university entrance exam.”
“Yes.” He gave Gladio a look as if to say ‘and?’
“You’re taking high school entrance exams.”
“Yes,” Ignis repeated, this time a little more matter of factly. “But I figure if I can pass a university entrance exam then the high school exams should be a walk in the park.”
Gladio chuckled and shook his head. “That’s not how the system works.” he glanced at his friend more than a little impressed that he would even attempt the university entrance exam. That was like learning to walk before you could crawl. But then again this was Ignis Scientia and he was probably born walking.
It was just one of the many things Gladio admired about him. That and his attention to detail, his dedication to Noctis, the colour of his hair, the way his lips turn up slightly in a smile. The way his eyes shine brightly whenever he’s talking about something he’s invested in. The way he makes little noises when he can’t find the right word to say. Gladio had said it was because his brain is so full of facts and figures there’s no room for basic functions like speaking. Ignis had snorted at that, he’d been drinking coffee and it had dribbled all down his front. Gladio thought it to be the cutest thing ever.
Okay so maybe, just maybe there was a chance that Gladio liked Ignis a lot more than a friend. But they were young, and Ignis hadn’t said anything to him. Well Gladio hadn’t said anything to Ignis and it wouldn’t probably stay that way until the right opportunity came along, or he worked up the courage to do something about it.
Ignis had been talking, explaining how he hoped to know everything he could complete his studies at a must faster rate and therefore graduate quicker and dedicate more time to helping Noctis.
“And when were you planning on eating and sleeping?” Gladio asked interrupting him during a recitation of his future daily schedule.
“I can eat on the go and I only really need two hours of sleep…”
“Uh huh,” Gladio didn’t believe him. Already he could see he was looking rather pale, with more bags under his eyes than in the trunk of Jared’s car after a supermarket run. “When was the last time you ate?”
The fact that Ignis couldn’t answer him straight away told Gladio everything he needed to know. He plunged his hand into the front pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a Ziploc bag. “I made you some encouragement cookies.”
Ignis’ eyes opened wide in surprise and he glanced around in alarm.
“You brought food? Into a library?” he hissed as if it was a big scandal.
“For you to eat because I knew you wouldn’t have eaten anything.”
“But… it’s a library…” Gladio could see that Ignis was struggling to choose between his head and his stomach.
“It’s empty, everyone went home hours ago. We’re the only ones here and no-one is going to know.”
“I’ll know…” Ignis muttered but reached into the bag and pulled out a cookie. Nibbling on the end as he read over a sheet of notes. “It’s good,” he murmured and Gladio felt his heart soar when a hand absentmindedly reached for another one.
Gladio watched Ignis a while, smiling at the way he took the tiniest bites of the cookie or the way when a crumb fell on the table, he’d wet his finger and place the finger over the cookie to pick it up before licking the finger the crumb was on.
“I don’t think I can do this.” The confession was quiet, so quiet that Gladio almost missed it.
“What makes you think that?”
Ignis gestured exasperatingly. “Look at me, I’m sitting in a closed library, not studying what I’m supposed to be studying. I have to be up early for a training session before school and I haven’t eaten all day. Something that my best friend knew and saw fit to bring me cookies. Cookies that are really good by the way. I’m a failure!”
Gladio frowned and reached over to take a hold of Ignis’ erratically waving arms. “You’re not a failure,” he whispered. “And you can do this.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m here, I’m here to cheer you on, I will always be here, come rain shine, or high water. I will stand by you.” Gladio swallowed, he felt his breathing slow. If there was ever a time to admit his feelings it would be now. He’d already set the stage, said everything else, how hard could it be to just continue with his train of thought.
Very. Apparently, but Gladio did the next best thing. He leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Ignis’ lips. He pulled back slowly, smiling at the O Ignis’s mouth made in surprise.
“What was that?” he asked and Gladio was relieved to find he wasn’t angry, there was an emotion in his eyes, one he couldn’t quite decipher. But it wasn’t anger or even disgust, it was a positive emotion.
“Me cheering you on,” Gladio said shyly with a blush.
“Ah…” Ignis’ faced flickered through emotions and Gladio watched every one of them. Puzzlement, thoughtfulness, worry, flushed… “Can I have another one?”
Gladio’s face broke out into a huge grin and almost launched himself at Ignis, controlling himself just before they smacked into each other. “As. Many. As. You. Need.” he said punctuated each word with a kiss.
He pulled back, still grinning. “It can also be used as a reward as well,” he said with a wink and Ignis laughed. A proper laugh, one that Gladio hadn’t heard in ages and it was the most beautiful sound in the world.