Noctis+Luna – 153 😁 Thanks!

153. “You didn’t tell me it was karaoke night..”

Prompt List here.

One thing the Luna enjoyed, ever since marrying Noctis, was
the life all around the city.

From the Citadel she could see the lights of the city during
the night, and how the city came to life during the day. Rarely had Luna seen,
growing, people who weren’t restricted with rules and regulations that had been
enforce with an iron fist. Here, people didn’t have fear in their eyes.

Another thing she enjoyed was the music.

She’d grown up with Niflheim’s stilted music, deemed fit for royalty while the lively music of the people was considered vulgar. But here in Lucis, even in the citadel, radios played music. Lively, upbeat, music.

One such song was playing in her and Noctis’s quarters now. Ever since she moved in, she’d been listening when she had time. And while she was supposed to be in meetings with Noctis and the rest of the council, she’d had a headache. And once he’d heard that, he fretted over her until she excused herself from the meetings.

But now that she felt better, she was sitting at her desk, penning a letter to Ravus about her new life in Insomnia. However, as she wrote she didn’t notice that she was humming. Not even when she switched to singing along with the notes.

It was then, while her mind was preoccupied, that Noctis slipped into the room. He listened for a short while, a small smile on his face as he watched his wife. Once she was singing along with the chorus again, he crossed the room, and put his arms around her shoulders.

She slightly jumped, but when she turned her head and saw who it was, a smile lit up her face.

“Noctis. I didn’t hear you come in.” She glanced at the clock and then back at him, “I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.”

He gave a small laugh and replied, “You didn’t tell me it was karaoke night, otherwise I would have been here sooner.”

She hummed in a amusement and kissed the corner of his mouth in response.

Story between reader and Ignis. She’s known the guys for ages and is invited to a camp gathering and becomes upset due to her years long crush on Igis and fears rejection due to his duties and lack of interaction so she leaves mid way in secret and sits on a high rock crying and having anxiety but she’s found by her crush himself.

(Righto! Second story ever using second person. :D….TBH this
ended up being a character study on…well, you the reader. Pfft. WILL ALSO BE A TWO PARTER! D: It’s been forever since I’ve been able to write guys, and I’ll hopefully have the second part done soon. I hope this is alright!)

It’d been a long time since you’d last seen them all. Since
before Insomnia fell to be exact. So, the invite was welcome when it’d come. A
night out with the boys at the camp site, just for friends to catch up. You
were going of course, being one of the unfortunately few survivors that got out
of Insomnia. Iris and Jared, along with Talcott, were also going. A few people
from Hammerhead were coming out as well.

It would be a small affair, but one that meant a lot to you.
You saw it as a signal that things would return to normal. After all, it wasn’t easy being the last
living member of your family. And everything you’d owned had been left in your
fallen city. A gathering of friends was just the change of pace you needed. A
night to forget about the problems being a refugee presented.

You’d been staying with Iris for the past few months, just
until you saved enough working in Lestallum to get your own apartment. Even
though Jared had assured you that you’d be welcome to stay with them if you’d
like, it didn’t feel right. They’d done enough when they had taken you out of
the city with them.

You were lucky.

You’d been Iris’ tutor in some of the subjects she was
struggling with in her high school classes. You had been going to the
university at the time, and welcomed the Amicitia’s offer of a part time job as
her tutor. Your mothers had been friends and that day, it had saved your life.

The attack happened during one of your sessions. Your mother
had been in the next room speaking with hers. It happened so fast, and both
your parents rose to protect their children. You, being of a lower name, had
been told to escort her away and OUT of the city. It had been hell, and you’d
had to cut through most of the chaos to reach the gates. Of course, it was
later, when you’d reached the city of lights, that you’d been informed of your
family’s passing.

Normal would be welcome.

You moved across your room and grabbed your jacket, carrying
it in your arms rather than put it on. It was too warm in the city, but you
figure that if you were going to be outside city limits until morning, you’d
better have it with you. Iris and the other had already gone ahead with
everything else you needed. You’d have gone with them, but the shop you worked part time in needed you to stay for a bit longer than usual. Not that it mattered. You
could still make it before the sun was completely down.

You left the room and descended the stairs, waving at the
hotel clerk as you left through the doors. As you headed to where you had last
parked, you greeted everyone and chatted as you went. It had become habit, and
though you found being greeted so warmly by strangers’ odd at first, it quickly
became a part of why you loved the city.

A small smile crossed your face as you reached the parking
lot and slipped on your jacket. Both hands found their way into your pocket,
one pulling out a pair of shaded goggles, the other pulling out your keys. You
couldn’t wait to see the boy’s reaction to what you had managed to buy, and then
get working.

Without further ado, you lifted your leg over the motorcycle
and took your seat. The engine started easily enough, and you gunned it out of
the lot, flying down the road faster than what any car could do. Or that’s what
it felt like anyways. You gauged the sun and then mapped out your route in your
head, speeding up.

You’d make it.

You did not make it.

Night had fallen quicker than you’d anticipated, and you
cursed your luck as you turned on your headlight. It was bright enough to light
your way, and you were certain your bike was quick enough to avoid any major
trouble. But it still made your heart beat a little faster with worry. You’d
taken off your sunglasses and returned them to your pocket so you could see a
bit better, but it was still too dark to see much beyond the headlight. You
could see the lights from the camp site ahead of you though, so you relaxed a
bit.

And thankfully the Astrals must have been smiling at you,
because you got the rest of the way unharmed. As soon as the engine was cut,
you quickly hopped up into the haven and dusted off your jacket. However, right
as you were about to greet everyone, you found yourself wrapped in a pair of
arms and tightly squeezed.

“You’re late!!” Iris squeaked, lifting you off the ground. An
Amicitia through and through, the girl had more than enough muscle to manage
that and squeeze the life out of you while she did it.

You wheezed and lightly kicked your feet. “S-sorry! Sun went
down quicker than I thought it would!”

Your arms found hers and you tried to pry her off once she
set you down. But it was hopeless as Talcott rushed the other side of you and
wrapped his around you as well, excitedly babbling about his day. Normal for a
boy his age, and hearing him set you at ease. Though you didn’t want to admit
it, you all were very attached to each other. Having lived together for the
past few month, and being survivors of the mess in Insomnia, had made you all
closer than friends. Family would have been the word to describe your
relationships with them, if the word didn’t hurt so much to think about.

“We called the hotel and they said you had left two hours
ago. We thought…” He said, a slight waver in his voice calling you back to the
present.

You sighed heavily and draped your arm over him, “I’m
alright. I would have called to let you know where I was, but didn’t dare to
once the sun went down.”

Iris squeezed you tighter for a second and then let go.
Talcott on the other hand held on. But you didn’t mind. Instead you walked
beside him as he led you to Jared, who subtly fussed over you as well. At least
he trusted your skills enough to get there unscathed. It was only after all
three had ensured you were unharmed that you could go and join the small
gathering at the campfire.

Instead of saying hi, you just plopped down in an open spot
and grinned at everyone. You had taken Iris’ spot, which no one noticed until
Iris made Gladiolus scoot over. It was only then that everyone’s eyes slowly
slid over to you and you smiled.

“Long time no see fellas.”

“Holy shit you made it.” Noctis said.

Prompto responded by lightly smacking him in the back of the
head. “At least say hi first Noct!”

“I did!”

The two proceeded to bicker back and forth, forgetting you
were there for a moment. Which was fine. Sunshine and the prince always were
easily distracted. You were used to waiting for their attention. However, you
weren’t expecting the voice that spoke next to affect you so much.

“What he meant was, it’s great to see you again.” Ignis
said, softly smiling.

You grinned and tried to brush off the sudden feeling of
breathlessness. “Likewise.”

You’d assumed that after the trauma of Insomnia, and the
ordeals you’d been through since then, that the feelings you’d held for Ignis
would have dissipated. Most other childish notions had. You were an adult in
full now, and adults didn’t get crushes. Or so you told yourself. But clearly,
by just your reaction to hearing his voice, you still liked him.

You cleared your throat after an almost unnoticeable pause
and looked across to Glaido and his sister. “I thought there were others supposed to be here?”

The shield nodded and said, “There were. But they couldn’t
make it this time. Maybe next time when we all get together.”

“And next time, we’re all staying in the hotel!” Prompto
called before getting distracted again.

You looked over to him and blinked in surprise, as he and Noctis were
busy grappling back and forth where they were seated. They were doing their
best to annoy each other by pushing and jabbing the other when they weren’t
expecting it. It was mildly entertaining seeing the two. Prompto managed to get
Noctis moving, while at the same time the prince managed to get the flighty
blond to calm down…Well, calm down as in stay in one place.

“They…always at each other like that?” you said with a
chuckle.

Ignis chuckled as well, noticing what was going on, “Unfortunately.
It gets old after a while.”

“I can imagine. God, the car rides must be terrible.” You
teased, loud enough to get the other’s attention.

“We -ow- We’re not that bad.” Noctis grumbled, trying to
protect the side of his ribs where Prompto had just jabbed.

Ignis looked at you with a raised eyebrow, as if asking ‘See what I put up with?’

And you laughed.

Somewhere in the heart of you, you knew it hadn’t been a
crush at all. It had been a seed and somewhere along the line, it had bloomed
into love. But if you still called it a crush, you’d hoped the feelings would
fall away. Or at least make it easy to suppress. Because unfortunately, just
the feeling of your returning crush was enough to tip you backwards into the
past. It made you nostalgic. Just hearing his voice took you back to Insomnia.
To memories you simultaneously treasured and wanted to forget. There was a knot
in your throat that you barely managed to swallow down, and you yawned to cover
up the burning you felt in your eyes.

You still had not dealt with your grief. You didn’t know how
to.

Gladio whistled lowly at what Iris had said and caught your
attention, pulling you out of your thoughts before you wound up crying in front
of everyone thankfully. Iris was talking about what life had been like, and
what you had been up to in Lestallum. Hearing your current life grounded you
back in the present. You let her speak for you, not fully trusting your voice yet,
only correcting small details when you had to.

“-sometimes when she’s getting back from a hunt, she’d so
banged up we don’t let her near her bike for a week!” Iris finished, and you
gave an embarrassed laugh, finally joining back in the conversation.

“That’s only happened twice.” You countered, trying to keep
your face from turning red.

“And counting.” Talcott added with an innocent smile.

“Hey!”

“Bike?” Prompto frowned, cutting in. “Bike as in…?”

You coughed and turned away, not meeting anyone’s gaze as
you replied. “Motorcycle.”

“Aren’t those kind of…” Prompto said with a concerned look
on his face, “…dangerous?”

“It got me here didn’t it? And what isn’t dangerous these
days?” You laughed it off, playing it as a joke, and everyone, thankfully, let
it slide, returning to brighter topics.

You knew the risks of riding a motorcycle. Considered dangerous
for their lack of protection in the case that their riders should wreck. (You’d
experienced that first hand plenty of times while learning.) Also, the high
speeds one could attain on one was also many peoples concern. And that was inside
a brightly lit city. Outside the city? Easy pickings for a Daemon. What you’d
run into a lot of was people worried for your health, both mental and physical,
for choosing to ride your bike. But the speed was worth it. You could drive
from Galdin Quay to Lestallum in half the time it’d take a car.

Plus, what was a little danger these days? Just by being a refugee from Insomnia you were always in a bit of danger.

You didn’t try jumping back into the conversation after that, becoming
muted once more. You simply sat back and enjoyed being with the others again. And the didn’t seem to notice. So you considered everything alright.
(But you couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was staring at you. And if you
had happened to look to your left, you’d have seen a pair of green eyes
watching you.)

:o how about if ardyn’s (sorry if you dont write for this chara !) had a past lover and one of the chocobro’s s/o looks exactly like them?

omg. I love this. I want to write this as a drabble. (I’m horrible at drabbles but here we goooo!)

The six could be cruel.

Ardyn knew this. But until now he didn’t know just how cruel they could be. When they made him immortal, doomed to walk this plane of existence for the rest of his days, he thought that had been the pinnacle of their cruelty. No. Bringing them back was the cruelest thing by far. And seeing them love another was even worse.

He stood watching from a distance, close enough to hear them laugh. They were sitting at the edge of the haven, their lance in their lap, and feet dangling over the edge of the rocks. Behind them, the boy was training with his shield. The adviser was preparing them all a meal. And the blonde gunner was fiddling with his camera. But after his general observation, his eye’s focus was on the person watching the darkness, with their back to fire. Always watching, just like before…He wondered if it was just their face they possessed or if they held some memories of their past life? Did they know what came from the dark?

It had been so long ago he had loved them. And though age had somewhat stolen away the memories of their visage, he was certain it was indeed them. With dark brown hair as wild as his, that shone like a raven’s feathers in the light.

A tanned face, wide brown eyes, high cheek bones, delicate nose, and smallish mouth. Features so beautiful and a body that appeared so fragile yet was so strong, how could it be anything but them? Features that six themselves must have picked out.

Or that’s what they said. Back in the day, when he was king and they were the oracle, their looks had both been held in high regard. Shallow. Their people had been shallow and fell in love with their faces, not knowing how hurt either of them had been by their ascension as the first king and oracle. If he was being honest, they exaggerated their strength. The person he had loved had been weak behind closed doors, and they’d often go to sleep crying into his arms. And he…well, never mind his own shortcomings.

Anything they had was certainly not from six though. The six only took what they wanted, and gave no regard to the wishes of the mortals they took from. Even their gifts took their price. When they took death from him, they also took them. They left pain in death’s place. Eternal life, because his soul was sullied. Eternal loneliness, because they were pure. And now? He must be damned, to see that face again, and know that they couldn’t be the same person. They only looked like them…Or so he told himself.

He had his doubts. He’d been watching them all for days. Especially them. They sounded the same as before, with a lilting voice much like his own. They fought in the same way, with grace, strength, and nimbleness that few could match. The only thing different was that they fought with a lance instead of the trident now. Tiny little mannerisms, like touching their nose when thinking, tilting their head when annoyed, always looking into the air when daydreaming…They were all the same. It made him think that it was possible they were a reincarnation.

Almost.

Part of him hated them for forgetting if it was true. Even if it wasn’t, he hated them all the same. Because how dare they be born with that visage. A reminder of what he lost. How dare they love another. How dare the six mock him one last time, pitting someone who looked like them, that gave him such hope that it might be them, against him.

He watched on, his face growing distorted and angry. They in turn stared unwavering into the darkness and, he pretended, meeting his gaze. He knew by now that they were a steadfast guard, their attention not easily taken from the task at hand. He loathed to admit that their sense of duty was the same as before too, but it was true. His Oracle had been as attentive as this person to what they thought was their burden. And yet…

When one of the four approached them, they willing turned from their duty to face them, accepting the love and affection offered them. They turned their back on the dark. Something that made his heart clench uncomfortably. They let the man take them by the waist, hold them close and press his lips to theirs. They even smiled with the same adoration on their face that had once been only for him.

He had enough for the night.

He’d watch over them from the dark until he could bear no more. And when the starscourge came this time, he’d take them. He’d take them and never let them go. Even if it turned out they only looked like his lost love, he would be content until the boy rose up as a king and killed him. Even then, he’d find a way to take them with him, even if it meant cutting their life short. And he’d kill the one they thought they loved if he dared try to stand between them.

He watched them with both love and hate in his eyes, and then turned and left.

When their lover walked back to what he was doing, they turned back to the darkness at the sudden rush of emotions they felt coming from behind them. A strange gust of wind pulled at them, as if calling them into the darkness. But then it was gone, and they felt…

Loss.

Hi, how about Gladio confessing and first kiss with a very shy and timid crush?

Alrighty! ~~Did someone say drabble? I heard drabble.~~

They didn’t handle loud noises very well. So seeing the grey clouds hanging in the sky above them wasn’t a very comforting sight. But they figured that had enough time to get home before the storm. Part of them prayed to the six that it’s be a quiet storm. The other part prayed for their anxiety about it to go away. But that didn’t happen.

Clearly.

All it had taken was one thundering boom from behind them and they had jumped almost a mile in the air with a squeak. They clutched their chest and turned around, eyes wide with fear. But then they relaxed, slightly, and frowned when they recognized the source of the noise. Gladiolus Amicitia. Who had tripped and fallen on the ground behind them. He was only an acquaintance, but even they knew he wasn’t clumsy. There must be something on his mind they figured.

They quickly darted over and began to help him back to his feet without being asked. Not that they were much help considering their size compared to his. It was like a mouse attempting to pull a cat to it’s feet. But it was the thought that counted, right? And so long as they didn’t make a fool of themself in front of him, especially him considering how much they liked him, they’d be fine. Meanwhile, Gladio huffed in embarrassment and gratefully accepted their help.

“T-that sounded like i-it hurt. Are you a-alright?” They asked once he was back upright. It was a little hard for them to speak to him properly. They didn’t really talk to him much, and their nerves prevented them from making an effort to fix that. But then again, it wasn’t just him. The same was true for almost everyone else they knew. They just weren’t very good with people in general.

He grunted and then answered, “Yeah, I’m fine, just didn’t see that rock there.”

“O-oh.” If they didn’t know better, they’d say that his face was a little rosy from his fall. They glanced at the ground and tried finding the rock, but couldn’t see one. Perhaps he kicked it off the road when he tripped.

He glanced down and then back up at them, coughing before saying, “You can let go now.”

“Oh!” They repeated and hurriedly let go of the arm they had grabbed. They then took a step back and hid their hands behind their back. “S-sorry!”

They glanced up at him and saw a weird expression on his face. They should have been paying attention dang it. They should have noticed they hadn’t let go, and now he thinks they’re weird, and he’ll probably avoid them and …their imagination began to run off with those thoughts and they couldn’t really handle it right then. So they did the only logical thing they could think of. They promptly turn around and began to walk away without another word.

Gladio was a little confused by the sudden departure, but didn’t let it daunt him.

“Hey wait!” He called, and jogged to catch up with them. Which, to their annoyance, it had only taken a second for him to do so. His stride was much larger than theirs after all.

They stopped where they were and turned to face him. Their expression questioning why he’d called for them to wait. (Those thoughts still began to pick at the back of their mind.) But that was when the sky decided to remind them it was still cloudy. Another crash, this one having nothing to do with the guy in front of them, shook the air and they squeaked again, covering their face. A slight shake settled into their shoulders and they had to remind themself to breath.

“Are you alright?” Gladio asked, leaning down and sort of brushing their hair out of their face to try and see them better. Never mind that their hands were in the way.

They had to count to ten before they could manage to pull their hands away and look up at him. And even then, they couldn’t trust their voice. So they nodded, lowering their shaking hands and looking up at the sky with panic.

When they felt comfortable enough they whispered, “I’m…I…Just…l-loud noises scare me.”

They looked off to the side, not wanting to meet his gaze. They fully expected him to make fun of their for their fear. But instead he only hummed in understanding. “Do you want me to call someone to get you? I can if you think you’ll have trouble getting home on your own.”

They shook their head no. “No one to call. I live on my own.”

He frowned at that. “So what do you do during other situations like this?”

“Wait it out.” They laughed humorously, their fear making them bold. “Nature doesn’t give me a choice to do otherwise.”

They eyed the sky wearily, feeling their fear begin to take over a bit. The next one would probably make them scream with how much anticipation they were feeling. They exhaled shakily. “I’ll be fine. I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”

They went to walk away again, but stopped when they felt a hand circle their wrist. “I’ll sit with you until it passes.”

Their eyes widened and they turned back around. “E-excuse me?”

“I said I’ll sit with you…if you’d like that is.” Gladio once again coughed into his hand, trying to cover the slight redness rising to his cheeks.

They were about to reassure him that, no, they’d be alright. But it seemed like the storm just wanted to mess with them, and another crash sounded from the sky. They flinched and spoke without thinking. “Alright!”

He look almost as surprised as them. “R-really?”

If they hadn’t been so freaked out, they’d probably have noticed that was the first time they’d heard him stutter. Ever.

“Y-yes.” They mumbled. “Can we please just go?”

He nodded and offered his hand to them. “Lead the way.”

They gladly took his hand, forgetting how this might look to others for the time being and just focusing on getting to their home. Gladio thanked his luck and the six for this. Ordinarily, they’d turn and run off from anyone who tried speaking to them after a few minutes. And plenty at school had tried to speak to them. They were just…awkward around others. Even he could see that. But somehow he was tagging along with them to their house. (And even holding their hand.) Perhaps the six were smiling down on him today?

They eventually lead him right to their house, and let go of his hand to fish for their keys in their coat pockets. Right when they found them and were about to open the lock, the thunder rang out again. They dropped their keys and wrapped their arms around themself. Gladio, simply wanting to be there for them, bent down, grabbed the keys, and opened the door. He then circled his arm around their shoulders and ushered them inside the house.

When they recognized they were inside they breathed a sigh of relief. But then they realized they had company and looked over at him. His arm was still around them and he was watching them, with an almost concerned expression. Like he was afraid they were going to bolt into the depths of the house and never return. They were tempted to honestly.But instead, they offered to take his coat and pointed to where he could store his shoes.

“It’s not often I have visitors,” They said softly, “We could just go to the living room if you want.”

He nodded, not opposed to the idea. “That sounds fine. Which way?”

They pointed to a nearby doorway. They both took off their coats and removed their shoes before going any further into the house. Once that was done, they led the way into the living room and made a beeline for the couch. There they had a throw that they wrapped around themself before curling into a ball and peeking out at him.

“Y-you can sit down…Sorry by the way. Normally I’m a little better at playing host.”

“You’re doing fine.” Gladio side with a small smile, “It’s understandable since you’re a little preoccupied with being a burrito.”

They felt their face flush and buried their face in the blanket with them and quietly whined, “Don’t make fun of me.”

It was then they could hear the rain start and the both were silent for a moment. Gladio was listening for any signs of thunder. They were already convinced that it was coming and began to shake again. When no sound was forthcoming, he turned his attention back to them and gave them a soft look.

“Here, make some room.”

He suddenly crossed the room and sat beside them without waiting for them to scoot over. They squeaked indignantly and wiggled to try and get a bit further away. But then he put his arm around them again and pulled them back over near him.

“I think it’d help if you had something steadying you.” He muttered. He was grateful that they had their face covered. They couldn’t see how red he was getting. “I know I don’t like facing my fears alone.”

And though they were loath to admit that he was right, it did help. Having something warm around them and, surprisingly, hearing his heartbeat was helping ground them. So they didn’t try wiggling away again. But they kept shaking. Nothing was going to help them stop.

“Alright. If you need to move though, just tell me and I’ll shift over.” They muttered, their voice shaking almost as much as they were.

Then both fell into a comfortable silence.

Night soon fell and the storm, after hours of pouring down, finally showed signs of letting up. There had been a few times when the thunder had come back, but with Gladio beside them to shush their frightened cries, it somehow wasn’t as back as it could have been. And they were nearly enjoying the company.

Gladio on the other hand was a bit appalled that they’d normally just go home during something like this and just sit here, terrified and alone the whole damn time. He was really glad he had run into them when he did. The though of them coming back to an empty house and doing this on their own, again, was horrible. Hopefully, after today, it wouldn’t happen again. And now that the storm was over, he could actually tell them what he had been planning on telling them before they had revealed their fear.

“H-hey. Uh…can we talk?” He started, slightly lessening his hold on them.

They peeked out of the blanket and nodded. “S-sure. I don’t know how much of a conversation we can have with me so flustered, but I’ll listen.”

He nodded and then continued. “So…there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“Me?” They grew a little curious.

“Yeah, you.” He inhaled slowly and then exhaled. “I’ve…I’ve liked you. For a really long time.”

They froze and then looked at him in the eye while very quickly turning pink. “R-really?”

“Yeah. Like…since I first saw you if I’m being honest.”

Thy blinked at him and let the blanket fall off their head. “A-are you serious?”

He frowned at having to repeat himself again. “Yes. I am serious.”

They’d fall silent for a while, and he’d end up looking away from them. “If…If that makes you uncomfortable, I can go.”

He stood up, fully prepared to leave and forget about what he just said. But then a hand shot out from the blanket and grabbed his wrist like he had done earlier. “No! I mean…no. It’s just unexpected is all.”

They looked up at him and tried to pull him back onto the couch, their face beet red. “I know I’m a little out of sorts right now. But…I can honestly say the same. I like you too.”

They did their best not to hide when they said that, but they couldn’t meet his eyes. He didn’t care. His heart was pumping wildly upon hearing what they said. Possessed by the moment he leaned forward, pulled the blanket back, and pressed a kiss to their forehead. A small hum of surprise came from them, but that was about it. When they finally worked up the courage, they stopped hiding and looked at him again.

He was faced away from them and almost as dark red as they were. A small chuckle left them. Coming down from the fear they had felt led them to being a bit braver than usual. So they reached over and turned his head toward them. Right before pressing a kiss to his mouth.

This time he was the one who was surprised. But he grinned at them all the same. They knew they didn’t know each other that well outside their crushes. But they were willing to get to know each other. Especially after they realized that Gladio was the kind of person to sit with someone when they’re afraid. And Gladio was drawn to their quiet demeanor, and felt the need to just…be there for them. And for each person, they looked forward to discovering what they could about one another.