"Hey, now." Gladio sounds mildly offended as he glances over his shoulder from where he crouches over a tent stake, securing it into the ground of the campsite. His fingers casually flip the hammer in the air, end over end, before catching the handle again with a careless ease.
"This counts as a real dinner. Besides, you've been driving nonstop since dawn. I figured you'd enjoy the break. It won't kill you to sit down and relax for the span of an evening, you know."
"It might," Ignis counters, though he does so with a rueful smile. The thought, at least, was appreciated. That said, it was incredibly difficult for him to take a break from looking after the rest of their band, even when out on the field.
"Well. If you collapse in the field tomorrow due to malnutrition, it won't be my fault," he goes on, his tone having warmed considerably, teasing.
"Oh ho," he chuckles, going back to his task for a moment, checking that the stake will hold firm before pushing to his feet once more and strolling over towards the other man. "That just means I'll have to be twice as impressive tomorrow to prove you wrong."
"It won't be any trouble," Gladio counters mildly, coming up beside him before reaching around to snag a bottle of water from the cooler they carried with them.
"Besides. Our Prince has a tendency to tumble headfirst into plenty of opportunities for me to get a workout in on a daily basis."
"'Tumble' doesn't seem quite the word when you encourage him so freely," Ignis offers in reply, sidestepping just enough to allow Gladio easier access to the cooler. "Though I won't argue that he isn't learning from the experience."
"It's good for him," the answer is grinned as fingers deftly twist off the cap of the bottle. "If we didn't give him a push now and then, he'd just nap in the backseat of the Regalia all day."
Gladio pauses to take a deep swallow before shooting a sideways glance over at the other man, still casually sipping his coffee. "Not all of us are inclined to fuss over him like a mother hen, after all," he adds with deceptive mildness, hiding his smile behind another drink of water.
Ignis arches a fine brow in response, his stance stiffening ever so slightly. Of course, he's well aware of just how much clucking he seems to do on a daily basis, though he would argue that a great deal of it has to do with trying to push the prince to take better care of himself, at least to a certain degree.
"I was entrusted with his care," he says in counterpoint. "I don't believe in leaving any job half-done, as you well know."
Gladio's grin widens a hint when Ignis stiffens beside him, but he doesn't look bothered by the response he'd elicited in the other man. "Oh, I'm well aware. You're very dedicated; no one with eyes in their head would ever deny that. But I still think you coddle him too much."
"Whereas you, on occasion, are too harsh," the bespectacled man counters, a smile pulling at one corner of his mouth. For all Gladio's prodding, he always means well. "Perhaps it's best that way. Together, we offer a balance."
"I'm not too harsh," Gladio argues, his voice gruff as he shakes his head. But he lets the subject drop at that, because it's an old argument and one they'll probably never agree on. Then again, Ignis has always seen the Prince and his needs differently than Gladio has. In that, in the balance they created between them, they made it work somehow. Ignis was right about that, at least.
"I don't leave any job half-assed either. And Noct isn't the only one who can benefit from a few workouts while we're out here."
It was an argument neither of them would ever win, for all the times they'd rehashed it over the years-- too many to ever dig into it in earnest now. They both knew precisely where the other stood on that particular matter. He raises a brow once more over his mug, questioning.
"Are you referring to me?" he asks, dubious. "I assure you, I'm in excellent physical condition."
"And what sort of programme, I wonder, do you have in mind for that?"
The question is cool and even, carefully disguising the smile that came along with it as Ignis turned back to his usual workstation, utensils unused as a result of what they'd settled for eating that evening. There was no use packing it all away when he'd only need to use it again in the morning, but busying himself with tidying it allowed him to hide the smile that was pulling at one side of his mouth.
"Hmmm." Gladio hums as he pushes to his feet and saunters over to where Ignis is keeping his hands occupied. He steps up against the other man's back, purposefully crowding into his space because that always gets him interesting reactions, and trails a single fingertip up over the line of one of Ignis' arms.
"I'll have to think about that. Sparring with you always has its surprises. It's only fair I return the favor. I'd hate for you to get bored, after all."
His reflexes are quick, as anyone who's seen him in combat might suspect, and he closes a hand around Gladio's wrist to keep his finger from trailing any higher-- but he doesn't push him away, nor does he take a step back, otherwise appearing to be perfectly at ease with this invasion of his personal space.
It was, after all, old hat to a certain extent.
"I do love to keep entertained," Ignis replies mildly, the smile pulling at one side of his mouth becoming more apparent, leaving the rest of his workstation as it was for now. "How good of you to consider me."
Gladio's voice is smug. Ignis has stopped the trail of his hand, but it also gives him the opportunity to keep said hand occupied elsewhere as he leans in to take advantage of the opening.
With no one else around to see, he doesn't mind pressing his luck and nuzzling in against the side of Ignis' throat, lips teasing playfully against warm skin while he keeps Ignis' arm caught at his side, preventing him from shrugging him off so easily.
Any protest Ignis might have offered would have been an act, something Gladio would have been well aware of. Instead, Ignis opts to save them both the time and trouble, tipping his chin ever-so-slightly to allow Gladio's lips and beard to brush against his neck, swallowing hard at the inviting feel of warm breath against skin.
He'd known it was coming, even played his part by baiting Gladio into doing something, but his eyes quickly survey their immediate surroundings, looking for any trace of their younger companions.
None so far. That much, he was grateful for. A shared tent meant that certain needs often went unmet far too long for his liking, but Ignis was ever concerned with privacy and a certain degree of propriety.
He snakes his free hand downwards, still gloved, hooking a thumb through Gladio's belt loop.
"Thoughtful, you say. I'm curious to know what you're thinking now."
"I'm thinking that the two of them are going to be occupied for a while," Gladio hums as he lets his hips swing slightly closer in response to the tug he feels on his belt loop, letting his form meld in against Ignis' back, a firm, heated presence. "Which has me thinking that maybe we should take advantage of having the camp to ourselves for a bit."
The warm weight against his back was all-too-inviting, familiar and yet something he felt he'd had to go too long without. Something beneath his skin seemed to spring to life, making him acutely aware of just how much he'd been craving this, and he's almost embarrassed by how quickly his pants seem to have become uncomfortably tight.
Almost. He doubts there are many others who would react differently, in his position.
He releases Gladio's wrist, reaching back to slide his hand against the other man's hip, discreetly pushing back against him, leaning into his touch while quite purposefully pressing against his groin.
"You won't hear me arguing for want of a proper bed. Who knows when we'll have time to ourselves again."
Gladio hums in appreciation, smile audible in his voice as he lets his other arm wind around Ignis's waist, encouraging the press back against him. His own hips rock forward in response and he rests his chin against the other man's shoulder.
"Was that meant to be a yes? It sorta sounded like a yes. Just with a lot more words and speculation involved."
Ignis lets out an amused grunt of laughter in reply, playfully elbowing the man behind him before he turns in full, reaching up to rest his hand at the back of his neck.
"Don't be an ass," he tells him, though his tone is all warm affection, and he pulls Gladio down to meet him as he leans in and seals their lips together, making his answer perfectly clear.
Gladio lets himself be tugged willingly, bending slightly to meet the kiss with a smile on his lips. The elbow had done little damage or dimmed his humor at all and his chuckle can still be heard, despite being muffled against Ignis' mouth. he lingers there, enjoying the intimacy they haven't had opportunity for in too long now.
Still, when they pause for a breath, he can't help but tease.
"Can't help it. And I still didn't hear a 'yes' in there, either."
He steals another kiss for himself, this one longer than the first, drawn-out, his fingers sliding upwards to knot themselves in Gladio's hair. He's always been a private person, a man who prefers to keep much of his personal life under careful guard, but being unable to freely touch and taste Gladio the last several weeks has been growing maddening. They steal time together whenever their merry band stops at a motel for the night, but they've been on the road and camping for near a week now, and Ignis isn't quite reckless enough to risk waking their companions in the middle of the night by satisfying his needs in a shared tent.
"Yes," he says finally, the word murmured against Gladio's mouth in turn. "Best make use of the time we have."
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No he doesn't.
"This counts as a real dinner. Besides, you've been driving nonstop since dawn. I figured you'd enjoy the break. It won't kill you to sit down and relax for the span of an evening, you know."
Don't tell him what he does or doesn't feel.
"Well. If you collapse in the field tomorrow due to malnutrition, it won't be my fault," he goes on, his tone having warmed considerably, teasing.
But that twitch you get when he does is adorable.
:|
"Don't go to any trouble. You wouldn't want to strain yourself," he remarks mildly, his expression otherwise carefully blank.
:D
"Besides. Our Prince has a tendency to tumble headfirst into plenty of opportunities for me to get a workout in on a daily basis."
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Gladio pauses to take a deep swallow before shooting a sideways glance over at the other man, still casually sipping his coffee. "Not all of us are inclined to fuss over him like a mother hen, after all," he adds with deceptive mildness, hiding his smile behind another drink of water.
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"I was entrusted with his care," he says in counterpoint. "I don't believe in leaving any job half-done, as you well know."
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"I don't leave any job half-assed either. And Noct isn't the only one who can benefit from a few workouts while we're out here."
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"Are you referring to me?" he asks, dubious. "I assure you, I'm in excellent physical condition."
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"And I'll be happy to help make sure you stay that way."
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The question is cool and even, carefully disguising the smile that came along with it as Ignis turned back to his usual workstation, utensils unused as a result of what they'd settled for eating that evening. There was no use packing it all away when he'd only need to use it again in the morning, but busying himself with tidying it allowed him to hide the smile that was pulling at one side of his mouth.
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"I'll have to think about that. Sparring with you always has its surprises. It's only fair I return the favor. I'd hate for you to get bored, after all."
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It was, after all, old hat to a certain extent.
"I do love to keep entertained," Ignis replies mildly, the smile pulling at one side of his mouth becoming more apparent, leaving the rest of his workstation as it was for now. "How good of you to consider me."
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Gladio's voice is smug. Ignis has stopped the trail of his hand, but it also gives him the opportunity to keep said hand occupied elsewhere as he leans in to take advantage of the opening.
With no one else around to see, he doesn't mind pressing his luck and nuzzling in against the side of Ignis' throat, lips teasing playfully against warm skin while he keeps Ignis' arm caught at his side, preventing him from shrugging him off so easily.
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He'd known it was coming, even played his part by baiting Gladio into doing something, but his eyes quickly survey their immediate surroundings, looking for any trace of their younger companions.
None so far. That much, he was grateful for. A shared tent meant that certain needs often went unmet far too long for his liking, but Ignis was ever concerned with privacy and a certain degree of propriety.
He snakes his free hand downwards, still gloved, hooking a thumb through Gladio's belt loop.
"Thoughtful, you say. I'm curious to know what you're thinking now."
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Almost. He doubts there are many others who would react differently, in his position.
He releases Gladio's wrist, reaching back to slide his hand against the other man's hip, discreetly pushing back against him, leaning into his touch while quite purposefully pressing against his groin.
"You won't hear me arguing for want of a proper bed. Who knows when we'll have time to ourselves again."
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"Was that meant to be a yes? It sorta sounded like a yes. Just with a lot more words and speculation involved."
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"Don't be an ass," he tells him, though his tone is all warm affection, and he pulls Gladio down to meet him as he leans in and seals their lips together, making his answer perfectly clear.
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Still, when they pause for a breath, he can't help but tease.
"Can't help it. And I still didn't hear a 'yes' in there, either."
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He steals another kiss for himself, this one longer than the first, drawn-out, his fingers sliding upwards to knot themselves in Gladio's hair. He's always been a private person, a man who prefers to keep much of his personal life under careful guard, but being unable to freely touch and taste Gladio the last several weeks has been growing maddening. They steal time together whenever their merry band stops at a motel for the night, but they've been on the road and camping for near a week now, and Ignis isn't quite reckless enough to risk waking their companions in the middle of the night by satisfying his needs in a shared tent.
"Yes," he says finally, the word murmured against Gladio's mouth in turn. "Best make use of the time we have."
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His answer is grinned against Ignis' lips as he indulges in the kiss before taking a step backwards and tugging the other man along with him.
"Besides, I think we both deserve a bit of private time, don't you?"
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