Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ignis Scientia was, at his basest level, a very busy man.

During the course of any given day it was not uncommon for him to find himself not only double booked at some instances, but in fact triple or even quadruple booked. Somehow, and even he would hesitate to give a solid explanation, he managed. By the grace of the Six and Ebony alone, perhaps.

As it was, evenings like this were rare, and had primarily been penciled into his schedule at the behest of their young prince.

“It’s a party, Specs. Not a meeting.” Noctis had chided him about the way he’d written it into his schedule like anything else in his day, a block of time with a set beginning and ending despite the fact that Noctis seemed to have other ideas.

Which is how he found himself in this whole predicament in the first place.

Like any party that included the glaives, it had been less than an hour into the festivities that alcohol first started making an appearance. Any commentary he might have had on the matter, the fact that their prince and his friend weren’t old enough for one, was quickly dismissed.

“ It’s not like we’re out. ‘ Sides, what’ll happen other than a hangover? ” Gladio had played the voice of protest at that point, practically shoving a drink into his hands and quelling any further attempts to speak.

Why it had worked, he couldn’t say. Why he hadn’t continued to argue the point and had instead evaluated the drink that had been shoved into his hands with a bit of a grin before resigning himself to the thought that this was just how the evening was going to go , was beyond him. Maybe he had developed a bit of a soft spot for Gladio. It had been happening more and more lately, he’d noticed. Letting him get away with things that would have made him balk in the past- even where their charge was concerned, (things like letting him drink like there would be no comeuppance for the fact--) something that would have been ended very quickly before… whatever had changed.

The fact that Noctis had noticed enough to point out the fact as well…

“A what ?”

“You heard me.”

A crush, he called it. Noctis had put the thought to words and the more he considered it the more it rankled. On a surface level, he supposed it was obvious, the amount of time they’d spent together, close proximity did lead to these things… but it was just that. A passing interest. A distraction fueled by chemistry. To be frank, he didn’t have time for any of that nonsense.

“Ridiculous.” Ignis scoffed, fingers moving to push his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Of all the things. Just because I don’t care to argue about a drink ...”

Noctis, unflappable as always, shrugged a shoulder, returning a bottle of soda to the fridge. “You’re not as subtle as you think, Specs.”  Noct regarded him only in part as he spoke, making a face at the composition of his own drink before stirring at it with the nearest utensil on the countertop (dutifully ignoring the cringe that he received from his advisor). “Neither is he, y’know.” A pointed glance held the pause between them, making sure that the point came across very clearly. Like anything else though, it seemed not even that was able to hold his attention for too long, and Noct quickly returned his attention to his drink mixing, testing it again as Ignis took a moment to process.

Had they both been so distracted?

Seemingly pleased with his drink, Noct moved past Ignis, hand clapping over his friend’s shoulder as he went, “Might as well do something about it.” The grin was not lost on him, and he only shook his head in return.

For what may have been the first time in a good many years Ignis actually couldn’t come up with a counter argument.

-

By the time he resolved himself to the idea, the party was well underway and some had even left already. What had been neatly penciled into his schedule to allow him for several hours in the peace and quiet of his home rearranged itself to consume his whole evening.

If he had any doubts that this was a distraction that alone solved it. Handling this thing with Gladiolus should be done swiftly, before it continued further.

Encouraged by the alcohol, his thoughts have only led to his crafting something that he would have never considered sober. Reckless, some small, minuscule part of his brain reminds, the part that has been firmly shoved away by the third glass of whatever it was Noctis had decreed he drink for the evening (and that was a fact he would be dealing with later, he imagined). The whole of this idea was ill-begotten, reckless and… entirely too amusing.

“Gladio, a word please.”

Ignis found Gladio just as there was a natural lull in the conversation, things by this point having boiled down to such that the few members of the glaive that captured his attention were more than willing to be interrupted. This suited his purposes perfectly, and while he might have preferred there be a larger crowd to distract any who might’ve wanted to pry-- ah well.

Gladio regarded him almost like he's afraid he's to be scolded, a cautious sort of look glinting across his face before he shrugged, “Yeah, sure.”

A nod of his head back toward the entryway was Ignis’ only response before heading in that direction himself.  It was, after all, quite late and he needed to be going anyway. This was just the easiest way to go about it… nevermind that it would provide him with a quick exit should he have grossly miscalculated.  

They came to a rest not far from the door, and he pulled his shoes back on as Gladio went to lean against the cabinets there. “So,” he began, “if this is about the booze...”

“Ah, no.” Ignis could hardly keep the wry grin from his lips as he shook his head. “At the moment if I were to say anything about that I would be… quite the hypocrite I'm afraid.” He returned getting himself ready to make a quick exit, but paused under the shield’s gaze.

“Then what?” He could hear it, bordering the edges of words, that defensive sort of tone that crept in all too easily. “Really Iggy, what's going...”

He'd crossed the space between them in a matter of a second, closing the distance and sealing his lips to Gladio's.  Reckless. Not unpleasant… and very well received. After the initial shock if it wore off, Gladio returned the exchange with fervor, but Ignis withdrew from his space just as a hand teased over the lines of fabric. It was quick, intentionally brief, and it told Igniseverything.  

“What...”  Gladio was a bit slow on the uptake, it seemed, and Ignis could only afford a grin to the way it finally clicked over. He'd never admit just how endearing it might have been to watch the shield go red, mouth agape and staring.

“Just a thought.” Words cool as ever rolled off his tongue like he hadn't been holding them there since well before now as a hand moved to grab the doorknob behind him. “Do with it what you will.”

The slightest call was given over Gladio's shoulder to Noct, a farewell and reminder that he'd be back in the early hours of the morning before he's heading out the door.

A glimpse as the door closes affords him an amusing final look at the shield, still quite rooted to the spot he'd been left in.

Good.

Chapter Text

Ignis Scientia considered few things sacred. His mornings, the few quiet hours of his day without schedule or tether, were considered part of that list.

Long before the majority of the citadel rose, he would be up. Training in the quiet hours when few if any would be around to disturb him before returning to his apartment to shower and get ready for the day's itinerary.

The smell of ebony and peppers were already wafting through the air when his phone buzzed against the countertop. It served as an unwelcome intrusion to the peace, and he scowled at it over the rim of his cup. For several long minutes, he even considered ignoring it entirely, preferring to return his attention to his breakfast. No matter the issue, it could wait, surely.

With a heavy sigh, he admitted that ignoring it was not likely to happen.

By the time the second notification came through he realized that no, he would not have any peace this morning after all. Perhaps it was to be expected, given the last night's activities.

He flipped over his phone, expecting the name flashing across the screen to be that of his charge- complaining about a headache or any plethora of hangover symptoms. The name that is there instead was not who he expected.

Gladio’s name is emblazoned across the glass, a text message sent several minutes ago- and he can only imagine its contents. He takes his time in actually going to look at the message. After all, he is able to finish his breakfast as normal if the message wasn’t from Noctis and he highly doubted anything the shield had to say could be so urgent. Most likely, it had nothing to do with their duty and everything to do with what he had done the night before.

[Gladiolus. 0645] How’s your head, Iggs?
[Gladiolus. 0650] Need me to check on the princess for you so you can sleep it off?

Generally, comments like that wouldn’t have gotten much mind from him. Gladio did, on occasion, take over the morning when he was up and able to do so. Mostly when Ignis had his own meetings to attend in the early waking hours- but it was hardly new. This morning, however, Ignis saw it for what it was. Gladio had never been one for ‘playing it cool’ without making a complete ass of himself. This wasn’t as bad as times before, but it was obvious nonetheless.

Better though, he imagined, to play along and see where it would go.

Breakfast dishes relegated to the sink and his third cup of ebony for the morning well within his grasp, Ignis finally went to send a reply.

[ 0701 ] Quite fine, thank you. No need. Rare though it may be, I actually can handle a drink or two.

The phone had barely returned to the countertop before he heard it buzzing again. A small bit of a chuckle came forth at that fact, more huff of air than actual noise really, had Gladio been waiting so eagerly to hear from him? Another chink in that casual facade that he only imagined the shield was trying so very hard to make appear. It was only a matter of time, he was sure, til the question he actually wanted to ask would come up. Just had to lead the man there a bit.

[ Gladiolus. 0702 ] Think you had more than just two last night. You know Noct spent most of the evening spiking whatever you had, yeah?
[ Gladiolus. 0702 ] Little surprised you actually didn’t end up crashing there.

Ah, and he was inching closer to the true reason for the early morning contact. A little more goading…

[ 0702 ] Did he? Hm. Something i will need to discuss with him, I'm sure.
[ 0703 ] I would hate to think what happened after I left.

Of course, this was all careful leading, letting the shield think that when this was all said and done bringing up what had happened was his own idea. Ignis could hardly help but smirk at the thought as he left the kitchen behind to start getting ready. He’d already allowed himself more time than he should have, sitting and toying with the other man as he had been. Well, toying may not have been the proper word… but it was certainly akin to it. There was nothing in him that was actually teasing. He’d meant every bit of what he’d done the night before and if Gladio ultimately chose to either never bring it up again, or to go with it- he’d at the very least gotten it out of the way.

[Gladiolus. 0705 ] Eh, I kept him from too much trouble.  
[Gladiolus. 0705 ] Right, ‘cause making it back to the citadel drunk as a skunk is safe. You’d have strung the rest of us up for even thinking of it.

It wasn’t untrue, he noted with a bit of a nod as he glanced toward the screen and away from the mirror. During previous gatherings such as the last he had managed to confiscate all keys well before things got underway. As focussed as Noctis had been on getting him drunk, though, and putting the ideas into his head he had… well, he may not have been thinking all that clearly. It was, in all honesty, a mistake that could have become quite dangerous.

And that was why he needed the distraction handled.

He’d managed to finish putting himself together for the day, straightening his collar and adjusting seams as he headed toward his bag. Another glance was given toward the blinking notification on his phone and a rare grin finds its way to his features. Really, it’d been too easy to figure out the other man’s intentions.

[Gladiolus. 0710 ] Do you even remember half of the last night?

There we are.

[ 0713 ] Of course I do. I was hardly that far gone.

[ Gladiolus. 0713 ]  So you remember-

Ignis was laughing, Astrals help him he was actually laughing. It bubbled up unbeckoned as he glanced at the half finished thought that Gladio had sent him, shaking his head in spite of it all. The image of the man, standing slack-jawed and stupefied in the doorway as he’d left was saved so clearly in his mind that it only doubled the amusement, and as he locks the door to his flat a hand comes up to brace against it. Steadying breaths taken as he worked to compose himself.

Come now Ignis, no need to act like a teenager.

[ 0715 ] Remember what, Gladio? I remember a great many things.

[ Gladiolus. 0716 ] Ass. You know what I mean.

[ 0716 ] Do I now? Have I learned how to read your mind?

[ Gladiolus. 0717 ] Fine, be that way.
[ Gladiolus. 0717 ] So, was it on purpose?

That question gave him pause. It’d been the one that he’d been waiting for the entirety of the morning, expected it and even planned his response but now that the words were on the screen… he found himself a bit flummoxed. Sarcasm is what crept back up first, and it flashed through his mind to simply make a quip about it having all been a very inconvenient way to trip, but he dashed that quickly. It was an earnest gesture and being glib would hardly help things. If anything, it could make it all worse. He hardly wanted it to become an awkward point between the two of them, not if it didn’t need to be.

[ 0720 ] It was.
[ 0720 ] And if you prefer to dismiss it as drunken foolishness, now would be the time.

An out.

An offer to shake it off and forget every single piece of it. Shoving his phone back into his pocket, Ignis went about getting into his car and making the drive toward Noctis’ apartment. Gladio’s response could wait. He found himself both eagerly awaiting and dreading whatever that response might be, and the notification tone sounding several times in the span of time that he was behind the wheel only amplified the sentiment.  The drive could not have ended quickly enough for his liking. Not with his mobile feeling every bit a lead weight in his jacket.

Was the Shield still keeping his phone close at hand? Responses early in their talk had been so quick that he could only imagine that to be the case, a pseudo breakfast meeting, held over screen versus in person. A… strangely welcome interruption to what was generally a long period of peaceful silence. Did the silence worry him?

He’d made it into Noctis’ apartment before he actually went as far to remove his phone from his pocket, an attempt to pace himself and to not appear over eager in his checking or response. Even this was becoming a distraction. He’d things to do and this was hardly one of them. It wasn’t like Gladio was unaware of what his morning schedule typically included. No, he knew that Ignis was busy with his morning duties of making sure that Noct… was still alive, for the most part. Weekend or no, he still found it part of his duties- and given the night before it seemed a tad more prudent.

[ Gladiolus. 0725 ] Well. Good to know.
[ Gladiolus. 0728 ] Not getting out of it that easy Iggy. Can’t do that to a guy and just think it’s gonna go without comment.

There was no need to rush in his reply at this point, but he found himself rushing to respond regardless. Fingers quickly moved across the screen as he stopped in his tracks in the foyer, shoes haphazardly moved to the side as he attempted to manage both.

“Mornin Specs.”

Ignis glanced up from the screen toward the haggard face of his charge- blinking once, twice even, to confirm that he actually stood in front of him. For as tired as the prince looked, that glint of amusement was very clearly seen. Noct scratched at his chest, yawning as he moved back toward the couch and collapsed upon it, calling Ignis out as he did so.  “You’re late.”

“Yes, well…” and he found himself at a bit of a loss. What a morning this had become.  “Feeling up to breakfast, Noct? Or are we sticking to dimmed lights, water, and aspirin?”

The clicking of the other’s tongue and vague gesture in his direction answered the question for him. Very well.

He deposited his bag on the countertop and gave a cursory glance to the ramshackle state of the apartment as a whole ( nevermind the sorry state that Noctis himself was in- the prince had gotten himself into that and he felt no particular amount of pity), Ignis returned his attention to the message, half typed in his palm.

[ 0812 ] Without comment, no. Have you any thoughts, then?  

[ Gladiolus. 0815 ] A few.
[ Gladiolus. 0815 ] Not mad, at least. Still sorting the rest of it.  

Water and aforementioned aspirin are placed on the table in front of the prince laying prostrate on the couch cushions. He’s lucky to receive a muffled noise in thanks as it’s taken, and was quick to return himself to the task of cleaning up the mess that the glaives left behind. Bottles and caps litter the main area, and he made a mental note that if they’re to do something like this again perhaps it should come with an early introduction to the trash bin and it’s astounding qualities.

[ 0829 ] I imagine if you’d been terribly upset I would hardly have left with my dignity intact. Or my jaw, for that matter.

[ Gladiolus. 0830 ] Heh. Well you did catch me by surprise.

[ 0830 ] That was rather my intention.

A particularly loud clank of glass on glass startled him from the relative quiet of the room. Ignis glanced up from his phone to see Noctis up from his heap on the couch cushions and blinking blearily as he placed his glass into the sink with the various cups and dishes from the night before. It was a suspicious sort of look on his features, all too knowing for someone likely as tired as he appeared.

“Why are you grinning?”

“Paranoid, are we Noct?”

A squinting of deep blue eyes, gaze moving between him, the phone in his hand and back again. Even in this state, he could see the wheels turning. “You've been texting since you got here.”

There’s a long pause, and he purposely ignored the ping of a notification as Noct stared at him. “It’s nothing that concerns the crown.”  Ignis finally responded, a casual sort of comment that was much calmer than he actually felt.

“Great.” The prince finally relented with a shrug, making his way back to the couch he’d recently vacated to collapse down upon it again and pull a cover back over his head.

With a victorious look, Ignis went back to what he’d been doing, closing the drawer that contained the trash bin and picking his phone up from the countertop to look at the latest in his string of messages.

[ Gladiolus. 0832 ] Right. How’s lunch after you’ve seen to the princess?

Something about the invitation stirred strangely in his gut, despite the fact he had hoped this would be the end result of all this. It was, after all, something that needed to be discussed. In person better than in a text format. They could dance around it all they liked in text and never quite hit the topic at hand. He wanted to know Gladio’s thoughts. Wanted to know if he’d made an ass of himself (though he highly doubted that, given their conversation so far) or if the shield saw the same benefits in it that he did. Get it out of their systems and move on. Scratch an itch, as it were.

The clicking noise of his phone unlocking was louder than he imagined it would be against the relative silence of the apartment. He’d just opened up the message and intended to respond properly when he hears a groan from under the pile of blankets across the room.

“Either silence your phone or tell Gladio to shut up already.”

Well.

No point in arguing it really.

“Noted.” He responded simply, watching as the mass of blankets rolled to face the back of the couch, curling further in on itself. Maybe later, when he was feeling better, he’d get more grief from the prince about his little charade the night before.

Maybe later, he’d care.

[ 0834 ]  Lunch it is then.