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Gladio had gotten up in the middle of the night for a glass of water and checked his phone for the time on the way back, surprised to see new texts from Prompto. While the Prince's best friend had quickly earned Gladio's trust and affection, they weren't exactly close enough friends to text each other without good reason. Frowning slightly in confusion more than worry - after all, Ignis had been staying with the boys tonight and there were no messages or calls from him - he opens the chat log.
hey big guy
sorry to bother you so late
Gladio bites back the ever present urge to mentally shake the kid and text him that, for the millionth time, he isn't bothering anyone, then keeps reading.
so uuh Iggy said he was staying the night here in Noct's apartment
but i just got up and he's not here
just getting a glass of water and stuff
Gladio does a double take at that. In part because Prompto sleeps like a rock despite being an early riser, and never wakes up at night. But more importantly, because it isn't common for Ignis to go back on his word, specially not when it concerns keeping the Prince company. Specially not when said Prince's birthday is tomorrow.
do u know where he is?
you're probably asleep sorry, but i just wanted to ask if you know something cause Noct looked super sad yesterday and i think it would be better if Iggy could be here in the morning
anyway night! :D
Well, that explains why Ignis had slept over at Noct's apartment. He can't handle seeing the Prince sad without staying glued to his side, whether Noctis likes it or not. He rereads the last message, smiling at Prompto's considerate nature, and thinks of how lucky Noct is to have these two in his life.
Still, it's odd enough for Ignis to vanish without a trace, before an important date no less - if he'd been summoned to some emergency meeting he would have at least left a note - even odder if Noct had a bad day. Maybe he and Specs had fought?
Still puzzling over the situation, Gladio makes sure to write a small note explaining everything for Iris, should she wake up, before putting a coat on and exiting his apartment building into the cool night air. He starts walking aimlessly while typing a reply to Prompto.
Hey Blondie, thanks for letting me know
I don't know what happened either, but I'll try to talk to him
Night
He goes to close the chat log before adding a last message as an afterthought.
And before you freak out, it ain't a bother. I was already awake.
It's a half-truth at best, but he'd rather lie a little than endure Blondie's avalanche of texts later about how he was "so sorry and didn't mean to make Gladio lose sleep" or something.
Satisfied with his reply, he opens Iggy's log, confirming no messages sent and sees he's been offline since this afternoon. Undeterred, Gladio opens his location sharing app and lets his finger hover over the name Ignis. He and the adviser, as well as several higher ranking officials, had set it up ages ago in case they ever needed to find each other during an emergency. The Shield's mind harshly points out how this is not an emergency, but after a moment of hesitation he presses the button anyway. Ignis would be warned his phone was being tracked, and who was tracking it, as well as Gladio's location, but he figured his uncharacteristically long absence from the chat log meant he would likely not notice.
Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, he does a double take for the second time this night. The hell is Iggy doing at the Citadel at two in the morning when he's supposed to be with Noct? Maybe he really was at some emergency meeting that Gladio hadn't been invited to. Or even warned about. Without leaving Noct and Prom a word. Yeah, no.
Gladio spots an Ebony vending machine on the way and decides to buy a can. Specs will probably need it if he's making secret trips to the Citadel at this hour.
Speeding up his gait, he arrives at the towering building in no time, all of their apartments close enough to walk back and forth in under half an hour.
With his position as Shield, he can get in whenever without much ceremony, something he is grateful for as he steps through the main gates, up the wide staircase and into the building where the little dot on his screen shows Ignis is.
Gladio can hear his own steps echoing through the low lit, mostly empty halls, save for a few ever present guards ready to spring into action should anything occur. So far it seems a peaceful night, no threat or crisis to drag him out of the soft comfort of his bed, and yet here he is. Here Ignis is, for whatever reason.
It proves quite hard to locate Ignis since the app doesn't account for the amount of floors the massive Citadel building has. He's trying not to think of how long it's taking to find the adviser and what this would mean were it truly an emergency when he stumbles across a room with the door slightly ajar, and silently pushes it open.
The cramped office space is a complete mess, stacks of paper strewn about the table and chairs spread around the room, pulled away from their usual positions. Guided by the faint glow of a lantern, the only light source in the small room, Gladio spots Ignis right away, hunched over some document, shoulders tense and hand carding through disheveled hair. He quietly snickers at the sight of the adviser wearing a loose t-shirt with an old coffee stain, apparently not having bothered to dress up or do his hair, before turning off location share. If Ignis were to check his app history later - and he probably would - he'd know he'd been tracked, but he could deal with that later, not at - he glances at the analog clock in the wall above Iggy - two twenty five in the morning.
Iggy is still reading something, as before. The fact he doesn't notice his small half-suppressed laugh is actually a bit worrisome now that the Shield thinks about it, given his normally sharp perception, and he decides it's about time he made his presence known.
"You ok, Specs? It's real late, you know."
Ignis startles and looks back with eyes wide open and Gladio thinks with a mental chuckle that he looks like a kid who just got caught raiding the fridge at night. He'd caught both Iris and Noct doing just that more than once, so he knows the picture all too well.
"Oh."
The adviser says nothing more as his shoulders sag in relief and he turns back towards the source of his worries. Still, Gladio notices him relaxing at the sight of him and wonders how out of it Iggy must be if he didn't immediately recognize his voice.
Approaching his distressed companion, he places a hand on his shoulder - this time the responding startle is much smaller - and looks at the offending piece of paper. Or tries to anyway, as Ignis immediately turns it over and places it out of reach before resting his gaze on the taller man. Well, maybe not resting. There's nothing restful about the fierce expression that Iggy is directing at him, eyes slitted and mouth pressed into a hard line.
Gladio can't help the smug, lopsided smile that slowly graces his face, amusement only pulling at the corners of his mouth further upon seeing Ignis' glare grow harder in response. He knows that particular stare very well. The way the young adviser's lower lids close ever so slightly, the laser focus of his pupils, the small furrow in his eyebrows - all details almost imperceptible on their own, but they still manage to change his entire complexion. He knows that those most often on the receiving end - mainly Noctis and, on occasion, Prompto - are very aware of those little tells that signify Ignis' patience finally running thin.
But Gladio knows better.
Knows Ignis better.
Better even than Noct, who might as well be Iggy's brother with how much of their lives they'd spent together. Because the truth is, no matter how much those two care for each other - and they care a lot, Gladio knows - there will always be a side of Ignis that he refuses to show the Prince. Not out of distrust, but simply recognition of what his own position doesn't call for, doesn't allow of him - of either of them, Adviser or Shield - no matter how much Noctis would protest that notion.
Ignis' vulnerable side, the side that allows himself to show exhaustion, to show uncertainty, to show desperation and panic and maybe even tears on the worst of days, is only known to Gladio and nobody else. He is the only one who knows that what Noct and Prompto think they know is wrong, because Ignis has never allowed his own patience to fray at the edges in the Prince's presence, diligently bottling up his frustrations to deal with later. That cold stare he currently wears is nothing more than a tool, a desperate attempt at intimidation to restore order, restore control, when his usual gentle reminders and even his stern requests have failed him. It is nothing like the actual signs of a thinning composure that only Gladio ever gets to see - the nervous tic bringing him to push up his glasses for the umpteenth time, the darting eyes and the slightly trembling fingers - all signs of a too young man reaching his limit under the immense pressure he endures daily, rather than simply the exasperated caretaker that the two high schoolers see him as. And Gladio understands, he truly does. Without the insight into some of his darker moments, it's all too easy to forget Ignis is only human, no matter how well he hides it.
The moment seems to last forever, the same frown still decorating Ignis' face, but starting to lose intensity with each tic of the barely audible clock, Gladio's smirk standing its ground admirably in comparison.
And that's because Gladio knows better.
He knows Specs can scare other people with this very glare, but never him. He's in a unique position, neither a teenager that Iggy holds some authority over, nor a superior that he can't glare at no matter how much he wants to. They are truly equals. Something that is so rare, and so precious to both of them. It's why they allow each other to see their hidden sides. Why they act so differently when alone together. Why the ever composed Ignis will be the one venting out his frustrations while Gladio, normally quick to let his blood boil, sits back calmly and takes to reassuring him.
Ignis' expression finally lets up, lowering his gaze with a defeated sigh and somehow looking both a lot older than he is with exhaustion marked clearly on his face and a lot younger, lacking his carefully pressed shirt and copious amounts of hair gel. Gladio lets himself smile a bit wider in victory of their unspoken staring match before speaking up.
"You know your ice queen stare doesn't work on me, Iggy."
There's one too many beats of silence before the other man's response comes, muffled by the hand now pressed to his face and dragging down as if trying to pull it off. "Indeed. I don't know why I still try."
The hint of amusement in the adviser's lament is a short-lived relief for Gladio, who then quickly steels himself upon getting a good look at Iggy's face for the first time tonight - his real face, not that mask of a glare. Six, he looks fucking miserable.
"Today was a hard one, huh?"
This time there's no reply as Ignis seems to finally give in to his visible tiredness and sit down on the closest chair, elbow supported on the corner of the table and propping his own head up. Gladio notes he still has the paper he was fretting over face down on the spot his arm is resting, not that he would try to look again. If anything, Gladio is at least thankful Ignis no longer looks like he's trying to rip his own face off, his other hand resting idly on his knee, but he still looks exhausted to the bone.
More minutes pass awkwardly in silence, the entire room unmoving save for the pointer of the clock reminding Gladio of the ungodly hour of night it is, and how it only grows later and later with each tic. Each tic that he can't handle anymore as he breaks the stillness by gently closing the door, then pulling a chair and sitting near his companion - not directly across like a superior at a meeting, not right by his side like when accompanying the Prince to a fancy dinner, but simply nearby, tilted slightly in his direction as if instead of a cramped office, they were sitting in some porch together drinking beer, like normal guys their age probably do.
He certainly doesn't have beer, but he pulls out the can of Ebony he made sure to bring and hands it over, receiving a low thanks in return.
In a different situation, Gladio would probably have enjoyed this companionable silence, a welcome reprieve from the bright and busy citadel halls ever present in both of their routines. It makes his mind wander back to going camping with his dad as a teenager, down to the lighting of the small lantern that's barely enough to keep the dark away. Yes, that's what this reminds him of - sitting around a campfire out in the wilderness, letting the chirps and buzzes of nocturnal critters and the starry sky above wash his worries away - those precious moments of relaxation.
But this isn't relaxing. Not when Ignis won't stop fidgeting with his half-empty can, gaze downcast to the damn paper as if he could continue reading the other side it he just looked at it hard enough.
"So," Gladio starts, trying his best to keep a casual tone, "what's the big deal?"
This time the answer comes too quickly.
"There is no "deal", Gladio. And you should be sleeping right now. Noctis will be training with you tomorrow morning, in case you've forgotten."
He hadn't forgotten, of course. He never once did. But the sharp tone doesn't bother Gladio the way it might have had it been spoken by someone else. He can let out the steam tomorrow at training, but Iggy needs some other way to vent, and he's willing to endure that for his sake.
"You're one to talk." Despite the accusatory phrasing, his tone is neutral, no sign of anger or frustration. "You've always been early to bed and early to rise. Whole reason I came here is to drag you to bed."
With a deep sigh of resignation, Ignis makes to get up, knowing he's lost this battle he's too exhausted to even fight, before Gladio's interrupting voice makes him freeze in place.
"But not before you tell me what's got you so on edge. Come on. Out with it, Specs."
Sitting back down and placing the already empty can of Ebony on the table, he pushes up his glasses as he notices Gladio looking over towards the sheet under his arm.
"I suppose you won't let me sleep until I've disclosed all my grievances to you. Fine, then."
Gladio is already used to this. Ignis may let him see his vulnerabilities in a way no one else can, but he still has to work for it. The adviser despises venting to anybody, even him, and Gladio knows his friend well enough to be aware of why. A mix of pride and not wanting to burden anyone else that eats him up inside.
Despite the petulant "fine, then", Ignis is, in fact, still not speaking, seemingly mulling over his words before saying anything.
Gladio keeps his gaze steady and gentle, trying to coax him into talking. All of a sudden the younger man seems to lose all steam, sagging into his chair, drained of any fight he still had in him.
"Noctis' sixteenth birthday is coming up. Tomorrow, in fact."
Gladio knows that, of course, but doesn't say as much, instead letting the silence stretch on a bit longer while Ignis, now looking downcast and pensive, prepares himself to elaborate. Eventually, he looks back at Gladio and takes a breath.
"King Regis won't be able to spend the day with him this time."
Ignis says it a little too fast, like he's trying to get the crux of the issue out as quickly as possible. Realization washes over Gladio, who immediately understands. For as absent as Regis was from his son's life - had to be - he'd made sure he never missed a birthday. Until now.
"I don't know what exactly is so important to warrant missing the Prince's birthday." Ignis continues, irritation coming through in his tone, staring at his empty can of Ebony as if he could refill it with his mind. Gladio thinks maybe he should have bought more than one, but on second thought he'd best not fuel his friend's coffee addiction any more than he already does. Especially not at - another glance at the clock - two forty in the morning. "It's... above my pay grade, I believe. But my suspicion is something related to the rising tensions with the Empire, and the recently built military base right at the border."
Gladio thinks the same. It's hardly a conclusion that requires a sharp mind like Iggy's, considering the topic's prevalence in every single meeting lately. Still quiet, he lets the other man go on, sensing he has more to say. True to his suspicion, Ignis speaks once more.
"Well, no matter. What matters is Noctis is very..." He pauses, closing his eyes to search for a word before settling on something he doesn't seem quite satisfied with. "He's very upset that his father won't be with him tomorrow."
Gladio understands that feeling all too well. Not only from experiencing Clarus' absences as a kid, but also from seeing their effect on little Iris. He knows exactly how Noctis feels and "upset" is really not quite the word. It's more complicated than that. It's knowing you can't be angry because your father is fulfilling an important duty, but being angry anyway. It's feeling guilty because you're angry. Because you're too old and too privileged to be whining about missing parents on birthdays, but damn, can't he really spare one day? It's knowing full well he cares, but still feeling, irrationally, like he doesn't.
So Gladio just nods sympathetically and waits for Iggy to keep going, until realizing he's apparently done talking.
"That's a shame. But why are you out here, then?" Gladio reminisces on the birthdays, his and Iris', that he'd had to spend without Clarus, and how much Jared's presence at the Amicitia household had brightened the day. "I'm sure if Noct can't have his dad with him, he'll want you to keep him and Prompto company instead."
Ignis has the gall to look touched by the observation, as if Noctis' appreciation for him weren't clear to anyone who can look a little past the teenage boy's eye rolls and annoyed mumbles.
"I plan on doing just that, don't worry." The adviser turns his gaze to the piece of paper still under his arm, before picking it up and turning it over. "I've been writing plans for tomorrow. I want Noct to have a fun birthday regardless of the company or lack thereof."
Ignis passes the paper to Gladio, who takes it and starts skimming over the various items scribbled and then crossed out, complete with notes on the issues with each idea.
Going out fishing That's what he does with the King, it will sadden him.
Chocobo ranch Noct likes Chocobos well enough, but it would be more to Prompto's liking than his.
Movie night Not special enough, he may do that at any time.
Aquarium This will just make him miss fishing.
The list goes on and on for what seems like forever, every idea thoroughly criticized and deemed unfit for a birthday outing. Gladio forces himself not to laugh at Specs' habit of writing everything down as though explaining it to someone else, even if it was just his own personal notes. He finally reaches the end of the list, handwriting growing worse by the line, finished off with the idea of going camping, crossed out in several strokes with the very eloquent commentary "No." as Ignis had seemingly remembered the young Prince's dislike of sleeping outdoors.
Gladio hands the list back to his companion, who now looks like he could keel over at any moment. He stands to attention when the paper has to be practically shoved at his face, then picks it up, light blush on his cheeks.
"As you can see, I can't seem to come up with any good ideas."
"No wonder, it's super fucking late." Gladio notes Ignis' frown deepening at that and his cheeks growing redder, a mix of frustration and shame, and watches as he takes his own look at the clock, as if only now remembering it exists. Judging by the shock on his face, he had no idea what time it was.
"My, I've been here for hours... I hope they haven't noticed my absence."
Gladio decides not to comment on that, instead opting to clear up his biggest question.
"Speaking of absence, why come all the way to the Citadel? You can scribble on a piece of paper at home."
Ignis eyes the stacks of documents on the table, and Gladio suspects he is holding off information, but apparently tired, three in the morning Ignis is easier to convince than regular Ignis as he gives in right away with a sigh.
"I was... also trying to find out the reason for King Regis' decision. But I've given up on that now." He gets up from his chair with a bit of effort and starts putting the mess of documents away. "You are right, I really should go back. Good night, Gladio. Thank you for the talk."
Gladio follows after Iggy and stands up as well, helping him tidy the room before placing a hand on the smaller man's shoulder.
"Iggy."
Ignis looks at him inquisitively, looking tired and sad, but no longer frustrated. It's quite a relief.
"Listen, I know you wanna do right by Noct. But don't worry this hard, alright? I've got you." Ignis keeps his gaze steady and shows the barest hint of a smile.
Gladio thinks for a second before speaking up again.
"I'll cancel Princess's training tomorrow." It's a decision he normally wouldn't make, not even for a birthday, but he can make an exception just this once. Ignis, who would have disapproved any other day, looks relieved at the idea. "If you want, we can meet up and I'll help you plan something good while he sleeps."
Ignis perks up at those words, expression truly softening for the first time since Gladio had found him.
"Thank you, Gladio. I appreciate it, truly."
Ignis turns to leave and places his hand on the doorknob.
"And Specs?"
He turns back to look at Gladio.
"He's gonna love it. Doesn't matter what we do, he'll be happy with your effort, alright? His friend's efforts." Gladio has no time to feel sappy as something clicks in his mind. "Hell, I'm pretty sure Blondie's up making plans of his own right now. Texted me earlier about "getting a glass of water", but you know that kid never wakes up at night."
Ignis smiles in return before apparently realizing something at roughly the same time Gladio notices he just let Prompto's involvement slip.
"Welp. Night, Iggy."
Gladio hastily pushes past the door while Ignis takes out his phone, but the larger man's already turned the corner by the time he hears the indignant "Gladio!" coming from behind him.
He'd better get some much needed sleep.
After all, tomorrow will be a long day.