(no subject)

[fieryknowledge]

It wasn't uncommon for Ignis to be out late at night. Between his work and keeping an eye on his charge, nights were definitely something he was used to, though most would say he was a creature better suited to the sunlight. Most of the time, he just offered those that dared say anything a cool stare and his back as he moved on past them. It wasn't really him being rude. He simply didn't have the time for such silliness. Not when there were always things to do.

On nicer nights, he would walk himself home from Noctis' and tonight was no different. The moon was close to being full, if not already full, and the night was pleasantly warm. The walk might be longer than most would like, but he enjoyed the chance to have some peace and quiet while mulling over the business of the day. Court politics could anger the calmest among them and the chance to think things through had left Ignis better able to handle such things.

Comments

[fieryknowledge]

Ignis made it to work the next morning, but it was a close call. Running 'late' had left him in a bit of a mood, but he brushed it off to nothing more than lingering aches and simply being so thoroughly worn out thanks to a certain someone. The next morning found him feeling a bit under the weather, but there was no cause for concern there. It was passed off as nothing more than a bug passing through the Court and Citadel proper.

Three days later and all that changed. As the time had passed, Ignis' mood grew sharper until, finally, he snapped at someone and stormed out of his usual mid-morning session he spent with finance ministers and the like. He felt hot, feverishly hot, and that just served to make his temper even shorter. He was making his way back to their shared quarters when a young Kingsglaive stopped him, clearly concerned about the adviser's clear unwell condition.

The poor unfortunate soul was sent scampering away when Ignis snarled at him, teeth bared in a feral display. The young man that Ignis had damn near bitten quickly found his way to the Shield, knowing that Gladio would not only know where to find Ignis, but that something was desperately wrong with his partner.

[sworn_shield]

Gladio was walking the perimeter of the Citadel when he is approached by a flustered young man, out of breath and panting out an explanation to him. Cor gives him a look with narrowed eyes, having known Ignis from a very young age and suspicious of what Gladio-It could only have been him, after all, to put him in such a mood.

Gladio frowns, and goes to excuse himself from his duties. It does take him a bit to get away, 20 minutes or so, but approaching their shared apartment has him padding faster toward it. Even in his normal human form, something isn't qhite right.

[fieryknowledge]

When Gladio arrived, he'd find the door unlocked and cracked open, which was unusual. Ignis was as much a stickler for security as Gladio was, both of them learning from the best and clearly both damn good at their jobs. Just inside the door was Ignis' usual blazer, left in a heap on the floor. Something else unusual. Ignis was fastidious when it came to keeping the apartment clean and had been since he was a very young man. There were no lights on other than what filtered in from the hallway outside the front door.

Even worse, there was no sign of Ignis.

A whisper of breeze trickled in from a cracked door, leading out onto a small balcony that Ignis usually frequented on slower mornings, usually to greet the sun with a cup of coffee in hand. Now, there was no sun to be welcomed, only the fading light as stars moved to replace it. On the patio sat a hunched figure, breathing a sharp rasp as if each breath was painful.

[sworn_shield]

The open door puts him on alert. Gladio's hackles rise and he summons his sword, eyes narrowing as he started to sweep the apartment as quickly and quietly as possible. He doesnt call out to Ignis, in case the other is distracting some bad company. But he can smell his mate close by, and it doesnt take long to find him.

"Iggy? That you?" He calls out, noticing the balcony door open and pushing it further. He stops dead in his tracks as his night vision adjusts, those pained noises from the other tugging at his woeey, turning it into panic.

"Ignis, it's me."

[fieryknowledge]

It started out soft at first. A low rumble as the hunched form moved just enough to turn toward the voice. A moment later and that rumble had shifted into a snarl as brilliant green eyes glared over at Gladio. Gone was the soft sage of Ignis' eyes, replaced by a feverishly bright wintergreen. The face was still human, muscles tense with pain and what had to be a acrid whiff of fear from the adviser.

[sworn_shield]

Gladio freezes for just a second, looking at- Well, he knows it is Ignis. At the same time, more. The man lets his sword go and slowly crouches down to be more level with the green eyed beast in front of him, meeting that snarl with a low rumble of his own.

"Ignis; My mate." He tries, remembering running into his sisters own first transformation, of familiarity helping. He pushes out his scent, but doesn't yet try to touch the man.


...Did he do this to him? He had bit him several times the other night, but that had certainly not been the first time he had done such a thing. They have been together for years by now.

[fieryknowledge]

The voice was what hit him first. That rumble, followed by his own name slowly silenced the growl, but Ignis remained tense. Every muscle seemed locked into place, even when Gladio's familiar scent washed over him. After a moment, the brilliant green faded as Ignis closed his eyes, his hand moving to scrub across his face as if trying to brush something away from his skin.

"Something's wrong-"

That scent of fear was still there, curling around Ignis even as he scratched at his cheek. He had no idea what was happening to him and clearly, that lack of knowledge disturbed him.

[sworn_shield]

Gladio hates hearing, feeling Ignis' fear like this. As his friend he wants to protect him, as his mate he wants to tear apart whatever is causing the problem. Gladio moves to sit on the ground, not caring about his uniform as he opens his arms up, herding Ignis to him gently, to somewhere they both knows is safe, with him.

"We will figure it out, okay? You don't have to be alone." Gladio will help, do his best to articulate to whomever he needs to what the problem is. He takes a deep breath of his lover's scent in, trying to be soothing.

"I'm going to call my dad, alright? I think- you kinda sounded like a were . He might know what to do."

[fieryknowledge]

"You can't."

It was all too easy to let himself move into Gladio's embrace, burrowing as close as he could manage there on the floor of their balcony. The tension singing through him was so great that he was almost shaking with it, his voice a low rumble as if he were trying to keep it as human sounding as possible. Another bit of shifting as he leaned up, his nose burrowing against the side of Gladio's neck, as if to suck in as much of his scent as possible.

"I can't be a were. That's only for the nobility. It's hereditary."

[sworn_shield]

Gladio does everything he can to try and calm Ignis. His scent is heavy and there, trying to soothe and exert his presence both even as he holds his mate. He brings a hand up to rub at the nape of his neck, gentle at first and all the more firm as he goes, using all the tricks he knows worked on him and Iris both when going through trying, strange times.

"It's okay babe; I know it's... Unusual. Stranger things have happened that were able to be explained. I'll be right here the whole time."

He won't push the idea, not yet. Ignis needs to be calm first, because he knows it will only distress him more for others to see him panicked.

[fieryknowledge]

It took several long minutes, but the fear in Ignis eased a bit with each pass of Gladio's hand. The tension stiffening his muscles bled away slowly, leaving a keen wariness lingering in the back of his mind. It was hard to think too much with Gladio's scent clouding his mind, but in a way, that was a good thing. It kept him from overthinking things and that had always been a bad habit of Ignis'.

If Gladio called his father, he had no idea. Not while he was tucked away there in Gladio's arms, his mind locked on the heat slowly curling under his own skin and Gladio's scent rich in his nose.

"It's too hot."

[sworn_shield]

His poor Ignis. He has seen his lover in some bad states before, overworked and nearly vibrating with the need to burst, but this was almost twice as bad. If he had helped him then- Well, he can do it again now.

He takes a deep breath in, and eventually his hand stops over the back of his neck. Laying heavy but comforting, just like his touches when he takes charge for his lover. He wouldn't normally head straight to sex to fix their problems, but sometimes Ignis needs to get out of his head, and letting Gladio take over is the easiest way.

"Then let me take care of you, Iggy." He murmmers. His eyes are their usual steady hue, and he tilts his head to kiss into his mate's hair, arm coming around his back. "Let me take you to our bed, lay you out and cool you down, okay love?"

[fieryknowledge]

"No-"

There it was again. That low growl, just a hint of it coloring Ignis' usual cultured tone. He shifted again, body restless as if to try and shrug away from the weight of Gladio's hand along the back of his neck.

"Don't want to be inside. Too closed off. Makes my skin feel... tight."

If he truly had turned into a were somehow, it seemed as if he was fighting the process without realizing it.

[sworn_shield]

Gladio holds onto Ignis, even with his restless shifting. If he lets him go, if he rubs off, Gladio couldn't bear it if something happened to his lover. They are so high up in their apartment, and with little wilderness around what Ignis want- What his instincts tell him he needs can't be found here in the city.

Instead he shifts, pinning his lover to the cool floor of the balcony underneath him. Gladio growls lowly, trying to keep his lover's attention on him. If Ignis made a bad move, tried to do something his haywire instincts tell him and end up hurt...

He'd never forgive himself.

"Ignis, my Ignis." He growls low. Mouth finding his lover's neck. His marks from a few nights ago are faded but there, and he bites them back to life. ""Then stay with me, focus on me. I am yours as much as you are mine."

[fieryknowledge]

It's a good thing Gladio had pinned him down when he did. If Ignis had the chance to get loose, he was likely to bolt which would've been a bad thing for everyone involved. Good thing or not, Ignis didn't take kindly to being so restrained. Lips curling up away from teeth that looked a bit sharper than usual, he growled back, his fever bright eyes back on Gladio.

That growl faded off into a low whine at the feel of teeth at his throat and without thinking, he tipped his head, instinct pushing to bare his throat to Gladio. The sensation was something familiar and soothing while the rest of his body seemed to set up open rebellion against his usual good sense. Slim fingers reached up, grasping with nails that were longer than their usual blunt state, seeking something to help ground him.

" 's hard to. Something's wrong with me. I feel... wrong."

[sworn_shield]

Ignis tilts his head back and the twinge of want that always goes through Gladio when he does surges, more potent than usual. His love, his mate, all his, but there was something more there as well. He doesn't know it yet, but the instinct to secure his own pack and leave his Father's own starts right here, right with the correct person- Or were, it should be said.

Gladio rolls his shoulders into Ignis' touch so the man can feel him, but doesnt hover over him long, instead lea s his significant weight into the man's body. Pinning him still, but Ignis knows this, knows that this is warm, safe and theirs and always will be.

"Let me help," He murmmers against the man's fair skin, marks becoming significantly darker, scented over each one as Gladio's claim. "Focus on me, love, not yourself. Open up to me and let me in. I've always fixed it before, haven't I?"

Anything, Everything he needs, Gladio will give.

[fieryknowledge]

The heat under his skin was growing more unbearable, but it wasn't from his proximity to Gladio. No, the heat was all his own, making his nerves sizzle and his skin tighten as if some great beast was stretching under it. When his nails dug into Gladio's shoulders, the damn near rend the heavy material of Gladio's uniform coat but there was no apology from Ignis. Not when he was so clearly lost in the scent and feel of Gladio so close to him.

How could he have missed that rich scent of his before? Oh, he knew Gladio's smell intimately, but this... oh, this was different. Smell and scent had a distinct difference and until now, Ignis hadn't really noticed. Now, he did. Gladio smelled like wood smoke and musk, like the leather he always wore and sun warmed fur. Ignis wanted to roll around in that scent until it seeped into his own skin, wrap it around him like a warm fur....

There was an absent nod from Ignis as he finally realized that Gladio was talking to him, his voice as reassuring as his words.

"Please. Help me."

[sworn_shield]

Gladio allows his were instincts to take over, purring soothing things into his lover's ear, only letting go tear his jacket the rest of the way off. He sets it beside the other and dives in to kiss him, hard but slow and full of passion, of everything he needs to keep his attention on him.

"Mine." He growls low, and his hips rock down against Ignis'own, a little inappropriately hard for the situation. "I'll take good care of you Iggy, always."

Each kiss promises more and more ofnsuch, as Gladio's hands practically rip whatever clothes were left on the man.

[fieryknowledge]

There was no protest at the sound of ripping cloth. Usually, that would've earned Gladio a sharp look or a chiding comment or two, but Ignis just shifted, trying to get free of the newly rent fabric. His newly bared skin was coarser than usual, a light thatch of what looked like ash gray fur starting to show itself.

He hadn't noticed, though. The changed were already underway and Ignis had no clue yet. Not when his attention was so clearly captivated by Gladio. The feel of lips against his kept his mind away from the heat starting to surge under his skin, the ache of his fingers where claws were starting to settle into place. Moments later and he was growling into yet another kiss, lifting up to meet Gladio's lips with his own, demanding and wanting.

[sworn_shield]

Pulling away his clothes confirms what Gladio had already known, perhaps seemed drawn to. Ignis was a were, though only time would tell of what Clan. That did not matter to hin though, because the only pack his lover would ever need would be his, Gladio would make sure of it.

Ignis' demands are met with yeses, giving hin what he wants. Gladio is rough in shoving his hand down what was left of the man's pants, bur even as his hand grasps his cock to stroke he is lost in the heat of this moment. He has never felt anything like this before, and he tears ar his own clothes, too restricting and hot, to do his best to meet him, join him skin to skin.

"Ignis-"

[fieryknowledge]

Each second under Gladio's hands melted away the more human side of Ignis. The hand around his cock left him rumbling his approval, lips curling back from pointed teeth in a fierce smile even as he tipped his head back, sucking a quick breath into burning lungs. There wasn't a part of him that didn't feel hot now, the heat a living thing surging under his skin.

Slowly, he drew his clawed hands over Gladio's shoulders, leaving welts in their wake. For a moment, Ignis wanted to dig them in deeper, draw blood to see just what Gladio tasted like, but the sound of his name pulled his attention back to the moment, his vibrant eyes locked on Gladio's after a moment of searching.

"My mate-"

[sworn_shield]

He cant help but growl as those nails drag through his skin. Its a good kind, of enjoying the pain Ignis gives over top of pleasure, and hearing those words from him...

Once he is able to free his cock, he ground his hips down Into ignis' own, hand wrapping around the two of them. He jerks them off with an artless pace, just hard and fast to get them there, to make it through.

"Come home to me, my mate." He pants to Ignis, coaxing him through his change, his own body shifting to meet him there, a visual and physical coaxing so that he stopped holding on. Not that he could, not wirh Gladio's tongue tangled with his own when he comes back to kiss him, not wanting to be apart for more than a moment.

[fieryknowledge]

A moment later and heat washed over him. It wasn't the heat of climax, but it was similar enough to leave Ignis breathless as he let it rush through him. Another flash of heat and his skin felt like it split asunder. It was painful and for a long moment, not in the good way he enjoyed. Claws dug into Gladio's chest as he clung to him, his voice rising in a pained cry just as his hips pushed up into Gladio's broad hand and the next cry was one of completion.

It was the quickest he'd come since he'd first started seeing Gladio. There should be shame in that, but at the moment, his mind was still reeling from the fading pain wracking his body.

A few moments longer and Ignis was there, still lithe limbed and pale, but the sheen of his new fur couldn't be denied. It shone in the dim light of the moon, silver and copper and when he looked to Gladio again, his eyes were hazy and vaguely confused.

"... what-"

His voice died off at that, clearly unused to the new timbre.

[sworn_shield]

Ignis writhes underneath him, in pain and pleasure and needy. Gladio never lets him go, even when he snarls as his back is torn at, lycan form emerging from him to start the healing right away. He presses his face to Ignis' cheek as his mate trembles in the strange feeling of part pleasure, part all of his new senses coming in.

He doesnt say much, instead presses his weight down against the man. Ignis' scent has burst through him in levels he has never had bedore, and Gladio can almost taste it. But his weight is warm and comforting, a promise to protect him as only his mate can do.

"It's okay, Ignis. Your body's changed, but you are still you." At his core, he means. Instincts can be rough sometimes, Gladio would very much know.

[fieryknowledge]

Everything seemed sharper then. Gladio's scent was so rich that it was almost too much now, and when he settled himself heavy on Ignis, the heat was distracting. Shaking hands pulled away from Gladio's skin as a slow realization settle over the adviser. This time, there was a hint of dismay and panic in his gaze.

"This... it can't be. It can't."