fieryknowledge | (no subject)

"It is."

Gladio says, and he arranges himself so thst his back is propped up against the headboard, coaxing Ignis to rest his head in his lap. A very good incentive for that is a hand soothing through his fur, trying to put his lover at ease despite the manhandling from Gladio today.

"I promise I'll let you up an hour before we need to go. Thats plenty of time to put your game face on. Noctis and his stuff I'm gonna take care of all from here."

There was another huff of discontent from Ignis, but he let himself settle next to Gladio, his head pillowed in his lap. The big man got a couple more grumbles before Ignis went silent and thanks to the way his limbs had gone slack, it was clear he'd dozed off, just like Gladio had wanted.

It wasn't an easy sleep thanks to him slowly shifting back while he was out, but he managed to stay down the entire time.

Thoae grumbles were recieved with gentle smiles and no verbal soothing, Gladio writing emails as fast as he could to try and take care of everything. It was rare, if never seen before that Ignis was sick, so he spends a lot of time reassuring the appropriate people, especially Noctis, that Ignis would be okay, and everything would be settled soon.

He hears from his dad after a bit, confirming a meeting with the King and himself. Ignis look finally just a small bit peaceful that he pushes it back as late as he can, giving them a few hours in bed. Once that is handled, he looks down at his lover as he finally comes back to the human he knows, Gladio pensive and a little unsure.

What did he do to Ignis to cause this?

He knows it messes with his lover's perfectly scheduled life and can't help but feel bad. But at the same time... He can't help but be relieved as well. It has always been a point of contention about his relationship with a human to nosy nobels, and while Gladio would rather piss them all off than leave Ignis, he never had forgotten the fact that Regis, Noctis, or his father could eveantually order him away from him.

Or worse, demote Ignis entirely, take away the thing he had been born to do, serve Noctis.

He shakes his head, checks the time, and deeming it close enough, slowly runs his thumb over Ignis' cheek. Waking the man up gently the same way he often wakes up next to him.

Edited 2018-03-04 16:06 (UTC)

Ignis must've been tired if Gladio had been able to get so much done without waking him up. He'd be quietly pleased to know that everyone had been so concerned about his well-being, but that could come later. At the moment, he was busy snuffling and trying to drag himself to wakefulness. Being awakened by something other than an alarm or his lover's demanding libido wasn't common for him, after all.

Muffling a groan against Gladio's thigh, he shifted and willed his sluggish body upright, though the motion was difficult. He was sore and stiff, much like he'd been when he'd first started learning how to handle weapons and the reminder wasn't a good one.

"How long was I asleep?"

As Ignis sat up, Gladio took a moment to soothe him as he could. His poor lover looks sore, dischevled and a little bit lost. Gladio will keep him guided in the right direction.

"About two and a half hours, babe. Hopefully it helped a little. King Regis and my dad are gonna meet us in the private reciving room in an hour, so you do what you need to to get ready, okay?"

He knows his mate likes being well put together after all.

An hour?

Slim lips tugged down into a faint frown as Ignis hauled himself from the bed, grumbling under his breath. An hour wasn't nearly enough time for him to shower, get dressed for a meeting with his Majesty and the elder Shield, plus grab something for his grumbling stomach why in the hells was he hungry at this hour. The sleep had been nice, but he would've rather forfeit a bit of that to have adequate time to prepare himself for a meeting that could change his life.

Sighing under his breath, he padded off into the bathroom, scrubbing a hand through his mussed hair.

"I'll never be ready in time."

"You'll be plenty ready, babe. I'll make sure of it."

It's not often that Ignis lets takeout into their apartment, but Gladio assumes this can count as an exception. He answers the door and sets the food out while Ignis is in the shower, takes a few big bites himself before grabbing a can of ebony from the fridge for his mate as well.

They have to pass on sharing a shower this time, and while Ignis grabbing a few quick bites he scrubs down as well so he can pull out a new uniform and get presentable. One look at the other one tells him the jacket and shirt are unsalvageable, but he has had worse things happen before.

"You're kinda still uh... bit up around here, Iggy." Gladio gestures as he towels off his wet hair, around the man's neck. "Just thought you should know."

Sharing a shower would be a bad idea since both of them had a hard time keeping their hands to themselves when they shared. The takeout was met with a stiff of disapproval, but no real complaint. He ate as quickly as he could manage, mostly just to put something else in his stomach other than Ebony (since he knew Gladio might grump if he just went with coffee for breakfast) and was busy digging through his closet for something presentable to wear when Gladio mentioned his appearance.

".... a bit what?"

As he spoke, he reached up to pat an absent hand around said area, brows furrowed.

"Bit up."

He emphasises, coming forward to his lover. He sweeps a hand down from his cheek to his neck, thumb rubbing gently around one of his bite marks. It's pretty high up on his neck, despite Gladio's usual attempts to not leave anything visible on Ignis.

"Wasn't exactly thinking about it trying to get through to you at the time."

His fingers found the spot just as Gladio's thumb slid along it and damn if his skin didn't prickle up at the feel of his mate touching that still fresh mark. The contact tugged at deeply buried instincts that left Ignis ruddy cheeked and trying not to lean into Gladio's touch since that would mean even less time to get ready.

"... lovely. Just lovely."

Lips pursed, he scrubbed his hand over his face, trying to will away the pink on his cheeks as he tried to keep from thinking back to Gladio giving him those marks.

Gladio notices the change as well, and without thinking rumbles in approval from deep within his chest. Even his scent is still on the other, faint after the shower, and only someone standing as close as Gladio was now could notice.

"It's gonna be fine this time. They've know forever, anyway."

Gladio had needed permission to date outside of his clan from Clarus, not to mention he had been hopefully and obviously in puppy love with Ignis as a teenager. He leans in to Kiss Ignis on the forehead, trying to be soothing.

"What else can I do to get you ready?"

Edited 2018-03-06 17:39 (UTC)

"That's not the po-"

The protest stilled as Gladio moved even closer, his lips warm against Ignis' forehead. The contact was sweet and gentle and enough to help settle some of Ignis' misgivings. That wasn't something new, though. He'd know Gladio most of his life and trusted him. Falling for him had just deepened that and while he might protest some of the things that Gladio did, he knew that in the end, the big man wouldn't lead him astray.

There were still moments where he had to remind himself of that, though.

Huffing under his breath, he settle a palm against Gladio's chest, absently pushing him away even though his body wanted nothing more than to stay close to his mate.

"Just let me get ready. You're... distracting and in far too good a way."

"When we get oht of the city, you can have me all to yourself as long as you want, promise."

He lets Ignis push him away, reminding himself that it has to be everything he is suddenly experiencing all at once that makes Ignis think he needs to. Gladio knows that his mate shores up his defences and withdraws into his mask of perfection in stressful situations, when he needs perfection, and Gladio can't fault him for thst, not when so much is expected of him.

" 'm gonna get dressed. I'll put up the takeout and we can head out." He says as he parts, snagging his belt and formal uniform trappings like his aigulliette and pins to put on, busying himself as well.

It's just easier to secure himself behind that perfect mask when he's so very unsure of things. No one questions that side of him, the flawless veneer enough to distract anyone enough to keep them from realizing that in the end, Ignis is still a young man. He'd been raised to serve and guide, but years spent watching over Noctis had left him precious little time for himself and at moments like this, it was clear.

Green eyes remained on Gladio as he moved away, quietly watching him for a long moment as the other man put the finishing touches to his uniform. Even now, under stress, he couldn't deny how handsome Gladio was. Just the sight of him could still Ignis' busy mind at times and now was no different. It took a mental push to pull his gaze away from the big man so he could tend to his own business and this time, he did his best to keep from looking Gladio's way while he finished getting himself ready.

Gladio waits until they are just at the point where they need to leave to arrive just early enough to be considered timely. Ignis he knows doesn't really need help, but he is there to support him, and has always considered it his job as his mate to do so.

"Ready when you are." He calls out, leaning in the doorway, eyes on his lover. Ignis is gorgeous and he adores him, and he does so find it hard to keep his eyes off him.

In a way, he hadn't needed the verbal cue. Deep down, he always seemed to know where Gladio was. By then, he was ready, his own uniform neat as always. Usually, he wore more formal clothing, dress slacks and the like, but this just felt like something that needed the precision of his rarely seen uniform. Perhaps a silent show, matching Gladio as if to show that they truly belonged together, both as Noct's retainers as well as partners and mates. If the still livid marks resting above the collar of his uniform bothered him, he gave no clue.

Without a word, Ignis passed Gladio by as he slipped out the door, but there was no hesitation as he reached out, his fingers drifting along Gladio's arm in a silent show of gratitude.

Smiling briefly, Gladio's fingers catch Ignis' own, a brief squeeze to his gloved hand as they head out. Luckily their place is rather close by, and the private floor of the reciving room is mostly traveling upward by elevator.

In all honesty, he isn't sure exactly what to say to the King and his Shield about this situation. He doesn't have any sort of speech planned out, but he had informed them that it was of the upmost importance to the point of a personal emergency.

In the elevator with Ignis, he stays pretty quiet, focusing on what was coming up. But he does stay close to his mate, his hand resting gently on the small of his back in the brief privacy of the elevator that they have.

He wouldn't have considered it a personal emergency, even if it felt like one. Not when it was just dealing with him, not something of 'true importance'. Still, the Crown's willingness to see him so quickly when asked was gratifying. It was't a secret that Ignis liked Regis for the man he was, not for the title and Clarus... once Clarus had stopped intimidating him then he was younger, he'd learned to respect the elder Shield. He ust hoped that this wouldn't screw things up.

Ignis might be standing there, his face set in politely pleasant lines, but there was no way to hide the tension stiffening his back. Not when Gladio stood so close, his hand low on his back in a clear show of support.

"For once in my life, I have no idea what to say. I don't even know how to start."

Ignis says what they are both thinking, Gladio is well aware. He sighs softly and gathers the strength in him that he has been working on cultivating since this all started. A lot of this is likley his doing therefore his responsibility.

Besides, Ignis was his mate, he would do anything for him.

""We've got to tell them the truth, I guess is the place to start." Gladio says, gentle. "I don't mind doing the talking. If I forget anything I know I can count on you to chime in."

He can feel the elevator slow as they reach their floor, and even though it is a little risky, he leans in to kiss his lover properly, like he hasn't been able to in hours.

"I love you, okay? No matter what."

For a moment, Ignis felt his stomach drop at those words. Not the declaration of love, but the second part. No matter what- It sounded so... final. So ominous. He didn't like it one bit. Still, no matter his trepidation, he returned the kiss with ease, a hand sliding into Gladio's for just a moment, offering a squeeze before the doors opened and Ignis pulled away.

The meeting went well enough, or so Ignis thought. He could've been stripped of his rank and position altogether, but the older men seemed oddly understanding. While Ignis' circumstances were odd and rather rare, they weren't completely unheard of. It just showed how secretive the were community could be that this kind of information wasn't common or easily researched knowledge. The only real issue was that most weres went through their first shift at a much younger age, which is why Ignis seemed so off kilter. Only time would ease that so as decreed by Regis, Ignis was relieved of council duties for the time being, as well as many of his other daily time constraints. He'd still be responsible for Noct's well being and care as well as tutoring, but the rest could be taken on by secretaries and the like until Ignis had his newfound gifts a bit more under control.

The first order of business was a few days off to help him get a bit of rest and center himself from the sudden upheaval in his life. He might need the time off, but he wasn't too pleased about it. On their way back to their apartment, Ignis had fallen quiet, lips pursed in a pensive frown.

At least they hadn't tried to separate them. He wouldn't have stood for that.

Gladio had hoped for the best and prepared for the worst. His father amd Regis both adore Ignis for the good work he does with their sons. If they are a little suspicious of the timeline- Clarus does even point out that Gladio had not met with the pack on the last night of the full moon four days ago- They thankfully do not say anything about it.

("You are absoultely welcome to our pack, Ignis." Regis told him warmly. Clarus does run the majority of it due to circumstance, yet by birthright it is his, and in the future Noctis'. Though it is rare for royalty to shift. He is welcomed as he always has been, he will not be treated like an outsider.)

Of course, someone can always go dig through historical genealogy to find his actual clan, but Gladio seems so happy and relieved about those words that it will be brought up in an email later. For now THEY promise by the time the weekend rolls around kn a few more days Ignis can get out of the city for a bit and let his other form stretch. Accompanied by Gladio, of course.

"That went as well as it could have." Gladio says on the elevator ride back, much more relaxed posture now. He peeks over at Ignis, sneaking his hand into his as a thoughtful gesture.

"Are you okay?"

The feeling of that big hand curling over his pulled Ignis from his overthinking. The gesture was sweet and more of a comfort than Gladio could know. He was right, of course. The talk went well. Better than Ignis expected, honestly. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it hadn't been that. Such... open acceptance.

Sighing, he glanced up at Gladio, the public mask gone for the moment. In its place was nothing more than a tired, unsure young man.

"It's just a lot of things to take in. I've never really been a fan of personal change. You know that."

"I do know. I'm sorry it could not have come easier, Iggy."

His voice is a little more gentle now that they were alone, not having to worry about what words to say to The King and his Shield. The same soothing he had used to get Ignis into bed earlier today.

"I know it has to be hard but I guess I'd better ask- Would you want to go tell Noctis now, or should we wait until after school tomorrow ?"

"I'll take care of that later."

He didn't mean to sound so short with Gladio, or so closed off. Not when right then, his partner's presence was exactly what he both craved and needed. It was just his way of compartmentalizing things so he could handle them better. Noctis... was so very important to him. To both of them, yes, but for Ignis, the prince had been his everything for so long. Until Gladio and he had become friends then more.

"For now, I just want to get out of this uniform and into something more comfortable. I'll call him later and tell him that we're taking some time off and will give him the reason tomorrow."

"Alright babe. And if it will worry you less, I can be the one who ferries him to and from school until we leave this weekend, that way it's one variable to worry about."

Of course, then that puts him away for his mate for about an hour each morning and afternoon. At rhis state, it might be a little too much for Ignis.