A Speck of Dust

Summary:  In the hustle of the Crown City, you suddenly find yourself in a situation you never thought you would be in, caught between two worlds with an impossible choice lying before you. You quickly learn how much grey is in between the black and white life you thought you once knew. Some AU I suppose. Still bad at summaries. Gladio x OC, Ignis x OC, Gladio x OC x Ignis. femreader. smut.

The Best Ones Lie

...

Gladiolus and Ignis both sat across from each other at the booth where they happened to meet up after work. In the morning, the large man had gotten a ride to work with the intention of finding his own way back to his apartment, however, plans changed and he decided to wait out his time before he moved on to another establishment. Ignis had his own mind elsewhere, absently swirling the liquid in his glass and looking as though he were mesmerized by it. Neither of them spoke, the revelation that they were likely dating the same woman far too troubling for words. The shock of it had Gladio drinking while Ignis remained withdrawn, looking for a way to unravel this carefully. It was a delusion he wished to place himself in, unwanting of this situation and its truths.

The glass slamming down on the table interrupted his thoughts, emerald hues breaking their connection with the clear liquid and finding that of his friend. Gladio had often expressed his interest with the girl and it was easy to see that his mind had already begun to fester an anger that Ignis was certain he himself repressed. The Shield conveyed his emotions in a much different manner, anger on the outside to deal with the pain that truly stung him. Ignis was much the same when it came to holding everything, likely a side effect from living their lives for their liege.

"What's her name?" asked Gladio.

Ignis sighed, knowing that as soon as he said it out loud that there would be no avoiding the truth. It would do them no good to live like this anyway, giving the man the information that he required. The look on his face was all the confirmation needed, Gladiolus finishing the drink in his hand and ordering another. Ignis followed suit, wishing to dull his senses in order to push the pain he felt away. It was silly to think that he could run from it instead of facing it head on, to think that he even wanted to but matters of the heart were far more complicated and he allowed himself to fall deeply this time.

"The best ones lie," grunted the Shield in disgust.

"Are we certain this is, in fact, the same woman?" mused Ignis, "From what you've told me, the likeness merely ends at three things."

It was a loose thing to cling to - and completely out of the norm for him, however, his mind was swimming. As much as he knew it was futile, some part of him wished that it wasn't true, that his love life hadn't just blown up in his face. Gladiolus grunted again, downing the glass before rising to his feet. Ignis quirked a brow in his direction, impressed with how well he was holding himself after witnessing his consumption.

"Let's go."

The large man jerked his head, turning his back and making his way out of the restaurant. Ignis followed him, curious about where they were going. Surely Gladio didn't plan on driving in his condition? No, instead they were on the nearest subway, going away from the Citadel and their homes. The look on his face, Ignis had seen it before when something greatly disturbed him about Noct. With no explanation by the time they got on the second train, the man was unable to contain his curiosity about their destination.

"Where are we going?" asked Ignis calmly.

"You'll see."

After a short ride, they were back at surface level and came a few blocks to another bar. Music blared from the inside, a live band that drew in customers waiting to gain entry. It was called Andalus and Ignis had never heard of it before, however, it did look like the sort of place Gladio would frequent on his spare time. Getting in wasn't an issue, Ignis following his friend to the front of the line, who nodded at the bouncer and stepped through the dark, wooden doors. It was far larger on the inside than it looked, people rubbing against him on their way around and pushing past in order to find a place for consumption. Gladio stuck out like a sore thumb in his height which made it easier in case they got lost. Once they made it closer to the bar, Ignis understood exactly what they were doing here, his heart sinking.

"That her?"

Ignis saw his girlfriend tending to patrons. It was a busy place and had the music not been blaring in his ears he was certain that she would have spotted them - though she did keep looking in one spot frequently with longing. Glancing over at his friend, it was obvious that this was the girl he had also been courting, meaning there was no way to deny the truth parading in front of them: they had been dating the same woman.

It was uncanny, the two men worlds apart in mannerisms, interests etc, and yet, they managed to fall for the same woman who showed hardly showed any signs of likeness. How could this happen? And for so long? Surely there was an explanation, however, the fact remained that they were lied to, deceived in one of the worst ways he could imagine possible and it was a bitter taste.

Exhaling deeply, the music died down and Ignis finally answered.

"Yes."

...

As soon as you got back to your apartment, you slammed the door and locked it. Pulse still erratic, you were light headed from rushing and the lack of food, likely dehydrated after the vomiting. Gladiolus and Ignis didn't leave for a while, and every time they came near the bedroom you were terrified despite that you were locked away in the bathroom. When they did finally exit the apartment you found it hard to move, body quivering while you remained on the floor. It wasn't for at least an hour before you felt it was safe to leave, gathering up your clothes to wear and then bolting out the first chance you got. The whole way home was a blur, going through the motions until you saw the safety of your building. Ironic that this disgusting place was where you sought haven.

Collapsing on your bed, the weight of what you had done was heavy upon you. This was likely the closest you had come to being caught and you knew that this couldn't go on much longer. The warning signs were all there, you needed to stop being so stubborn and do the right thing or it was going to blow up in your face. You were a terrible person for continuing this and it served you right for how you felt right now.

The vibration beside your head cut through your thoughts, persisting which told you that someone was trying to call you. Instead of rushing to get it, you didn't bother to look, unwilling to interact with anyone socially today. Even Douchebag next door banging some random girl he lured into his bed was hardly enough to register in your mind. When your phone stopped your eyes squeezed shut, desperate to sleep in order to think coherently.

It didn't stop. Eyes burning, you groaned before reaching for it, squinting at the brightness of your screen and looking at what was so desperate for your attention it couldn't wait. Messages and missed phone calls greeted you, from Gladio, Ignis and Lexie. Seeing the names of the boys made your stomach drop and you tossed the device away in disgust. It didn't last long, your curiosity getting the better of you and opening up those waiting messages. A sad smile formed on your lips, reading the text from Ignis first and then Gladio's.

The large man was hoping you were okay, suggesting that he was happy to take care of you if you happened to not make it home. You must have slept at some point because it was near lunch time and he had managed to send you a very detailed list of the things he was going to do when it came to you being ill. You were almost to embarrassed to read it, and you were at home by yourself in bed. Gladio had such passion it made your heart melt and you only hoped that you were able to keep him stimulated in the ways that he needed. It was like a fire that never died and you didn't want to snuff out the flame with your poor actions of how you were treating him. Leaving him to find someone that could make him happy was the best option, you loved him so much you wanted the best for him and you weren't it.

Ignis was simply greeting you in the morning as he always did. It wasn't a long paragraph, just simple words to brighten up your day and make you smile before bed. You always tried to tell him that he didn't have to do anything for you, that you were capable of feeding yourself, however, he always insisted that he enjoyed it. Surely the man couldn't love to cater to everyone's needs all the time? At least you could fight him on cleaning up and make him coffee that had his eyes lighting up. The longer you stared at the screen you noted another message coming through, looking for an opening in order to spend some time with you. Ignis was like a flood, sweeping you off your feet and carrying you to a distant land that left you so full of love you could hardly comprehend it. That man deserved the best in the world and you could never give it to him. You loved him so much, you knew that you had to give him the chance to find someone else, someone that would be much better than you ever could.

Rolling over, you hugged one of your pillows tightly and began to sob into it. You were such a monster for what you were doing, the full extent of what Elise had been telling you finally hitting you in the face. This was wrong on so many levels but you had pushed it aside because you wanted to spend as much time with them as you could. Now it was getting to close and you knew that that the only way to end this was to stop seeing them, as much as it was going to break you. The thought of their pain if they found out what you were doing was unbearable, and they were too good for you to do that. No, it was better if you ended things, today, once and for all.

Reaching for your phone, you ignored the messages from them and went straight to Lexie. Of course, people had bailed on her and she wouldn't be able to cover the event going on tonight. Wiping your tears, you told her that you would be there, knowing that you owed her a great deal. Tomorrow you would meet with Ignis and get the dirty work done, and then later on in the night would also cut Gladio loose. There was no more running from this, it was getting dealt with.

Exhaling deeply, you composed yourself as best you could before jumping out of bed and heading straight for the bathroom. You were a mess, but getting ready for work would take care of it. The tasks at hand were distracting, but not enough to keep your mind off what you were preparing yourself for. No amount of makeup could hide the fact that you were depressed, however, this was a good thing that you were doing and you just had to keep telling yourself that.

The neighbour was having another round with whatever weird girl he managed to lure back to his place and you found that to be the perfect time to head out. The shift you were covering didn't start for a few hours but you wanted to be early enough to try and prepare for the influx that you would be facing tonight. Depressing music was what you were after but you decided on something more uplifting in order to try and get your head in the game. It failed, songs that you danced to with Ignis cropping up on the list more often than it needed to. Honestly, where was it when you were actually looking for it?

The train ride to work was quicker than usual, likely because you weren't on a time crunch. Running into Andalus, Lexie was extremely happy that you showed up when you did and quickly you began work. Another girl had called in which meant that you were going to be short staffed tonight and have no time to hear yourself think. Perhaps that was a good thing, however, you were having trouble keeping your personal life off your face. A couple of hours in and the Glaives entered, as well as enough people to fill the place up. A lineup began out the door as the band began its first song. It was going to be a long night.

You were trying to be positive about your shift, attempting to exude the same amount of energy as normal. Lexie likely knew that you were still in your same predicament and the last thing you needed was to bring that all to work. Even the Glaives appeared to have trouble cheering you up, something they noted but you waved off as exhaustion. It wasn't exactly a lie, the sick feeling within you still lingering from early on this morning and the lack of food you indulged yourself in contributed to that same nausea. The night had been busy enough that there wasn't a lot of time to think about your situation, nor answer the phone on the breaks that you didn't take since there was no time. This was one of the busiest nights you had worked in a long while and it was almost hard to keep up with insufficient staffing.

The music played loud, making any conversation with your patrons near impossible. Absently your gaze wandered to the side of the bar where Gladio usually resided when he was here. Part of you wished to see him, that familiar comfort he provided, however, it was wrong to wish for such things and that was why you were avoiding both of them in the first place. It was getting too close and you needed to stop it before you seriously hurt them. If only you had done something sooner, but now it was far too late.

As the night progressed it didn't appear to be slowing down. With no moment to sit, you were gathering up the garbage in a desperate need to get outside for breather since it was heating up inside the bar. Three bags in either hand, you grunted at the weight as you made your way out the doors, careful not to rip any of the bags. Dropping them with a sigh, you flung off the top of the dumpster before tossing each bag in one by one. When you were finished you slammed the lid closed, exhaling deeply and readying yourself to return to your shift. The music played loud enough that it could be heard out here, quiet enough though that your thoughts weren't jumbled together. It was a nice reprieve and you wondered when you could go home and drown out your exhaustion.

"Barista by day..."

"Barwench by night."

Your heart stopped as soon as you heard those words. It wasn't even the sentences that got you, it was the voices, one after the other as if they were together in the same place. Turning to see confirmed your worst fear, the thing you had wished to avoid the most. Gladiolus and Ignis stood before you, the Shield with his arms crossed appearing to contain the rage he wished to unleash at the revelation he made. The other man was better at hiding his emotions and yet, you were able to see the crushing blow you delivered when you faced them, leaving no other explanation for what was going on here. Both men were far enough away that even if you were to walk to the door they still couldn't reach you. Tears had long since welled up in the bottom of your eyes, each second agony as you looked between the two men. This was it, there was no more running from it. This had to happen here and now.

"I had hoped that my suspicions were false."

"Ignis..."

The tone of his voice cut into you like a knife, but the worst of it was the way he couldn't even look you in the eye. Your bottom lip quivered before the tears fell, finding it hard to breathe as you continued to look at him.

"Told you, Iggy, the best ones lie."

Gladio's sneer made you visibly shrink, shifting your gaze over to him and feeling your heart break into millions of pieces. You truly were the scum of Eos and he made sure that you knew it.

"Gladio... I..."

"You what? Like playing games with people?"

"No, I-"

"Then what?!"

The man's voice echoed and you visibly flinched. That look in his amber hues, they weren't just angry they were hurt and this was one way he expressed it - not that it wasn't justified, you completely deserved it. This was too much at once, the words you wished to speak failing with every attempt. Now your body shook with your sobs and as much as you wanted to run you found it difficult to move. Your eyes flickered between both men, desperate to do something more than you were.

"Please, explain yourself."

Ignis, polite as always and restrained finally found your face. Those sharp features pierced right through you, making you swallow before claiming your bottom lip. Gladio's rage made it easier, but this calm and collective nature only provoked that sinking feeling in your heart. The guilt that had been eating away at you since you first found out about this messy situation no longer repressed itself away, the wall shattered by that emerald gaze. Even with him as vexed as he was, you still found that he was offering you the courage you needed to finally come clean about what happened and why. You truly didn't deserve either of them.

"I..." you shook your head, fists clenched at your side as you tried to gather your thoughts. The only thing you could do was tell them the truth, "I never meant for it to happen this way-"

"Yeah, right," scoffed the Shield.

"Gladio," warned Ignis.

You were grateful for the interjection, even if it was harder to have to explain the insane thoughts that were going to pour from your mind. Honestly, you'd much rather they yell at you for doing this to them and then walk out of your life, but you didn't deserve to get off that easy.

"I met you both around the same time, maybe even the same day, I can't remember exactly," You began, "It was a time in my life when I was just starting to come back out of my shell, the void I stuck myself in after everything that happened with Connor. I didn't even notice that you were hitting on me," you looked at Gladio, "I figured you just wanted that quick lay and it would be over. Playing that game with you brought me out of that rut I was in and I never would have guessed it would come this far. And you," you shifted your gaze to Ignis, "Coming in for all of that coffee I didn't think much of it. You're so perfect the thought of someone like you wanting anything from me was insane."

Again you averted your eyes. The memories of all the time you spent with each of them flooded you all at once, making you tense. They were all cherished, even if stolen in deception and you wished that you could go back. The problem was, you'd likely do it again up to a certain point, selfish in your desires for each of them. You were a monster. Wiping the tears from your cheeks, you exhaled deeply, composing yourself enough and facing them once more.

"I didn't actually put together that I was dating either of you until it was too late," you dared not shrink beneath the Shield's scowl, "Things with you were so casual and you didn't strike me as one to settle down with one woman. As much as I wanted to keep seeing you, I knew that actually dating you was unlikely so I didn't acknowledge the fact that we already were," Ignis was next to meet your stare, "I could never wrap my head around you. I knew that you were too kind, probably to the point that you get hurt and I convinced myself that I was far from your type anyway. Things with you were much slower and when the idea of actually dating you came to mind you were distant and didn't really show much of an interest in me until I began to understand how reserved you were.

"Lex and Elise were the ones to point it out to me. I was so caught up in my world of delusions I should have seen it," you shook your head, "Nothing had gotten too far, I could still fix it without hurting either of you. I had intentions of leaving one, but..." a choked sob escaped you, still looking between the two of them, "By the time I worked up the nerve it was too late. I fell in love and I could never choose between you."

"It ain't that hard," snarled Gladio.

"It is!" you cried.

"More of your lies."

"The only things I lied about were my work schedule and about seeing each of you behind your back, that's it! Everything else was true! I love you-"

"Bullshit!"

"I do!"

You whimpered before them, finding it difficult to continue. This was the hardest part, explaining your actions and the reasons for what you had done. After that you had to live with it, knowing how you wronged two of the most incredible people you had the privilege of knowing. None of this was right.

"I do love you, I love both of you so much. The biggest obstacle, the reason I let it get to this point was because of how deeply and even it was. I never thought it was possible for this to happen, but I'm torn, divided in a perfect balance that makes me incapable of leaning on one side over the other. You're both so perfect, so I opted to leave and I had every intention of doing it but... it was so hard."

The weight of your words made your legs wish to tremble beneath them, silence following your last one and enabling the tense atmosphere to claim you. Neither man spoke, nor looked you in the eye and you found yourself catching sight of your feet. Clouds above you finally decided to weep, matching the distress faced by all of you and you knew that there was nothing else left.

"I know that none of this excuses me for what I've done," you said softly, "I'm a shitty person for doing this and I can only blame myself for letting this happen. I'm sorry that I hurt you and I'm sorry that I couldn't be who you wanted. I truly hope you just forget about this and find someone you deserve. You're both amazing and beautiful people, and I've wasted enough of your time."

Biting your lip, you glanced up quickly - only to be met with those same looks. What did you expect? There was no way for this to end well and it was foolish of you to think otherwise. Exhaling another quivering breath, you wiped the last of your tears away, and the rest of the rain that began to drench your forehead.

"I... I have to get back to work. I know it means nothing, but I love you and I am sorry for the pain I've put you through."

Summary:  She tried leaving, submerging herself in work to escape the horrors she had seen. The horrors she kept seeing. She never wanted to go back to that life. But when the Empire takes her home, she’s forced to face her past. Can she move on? Can she cope? Or will she require a bit of help? still bad at summaries, still working on it. ever so slightly more than slight AU gadioxoc

Despair

...

Athenacia's hair blew as to its maximum height in the cool gusts pushing against her. Nothing but windy up at the top of the lighthouse. The sun had gone down while she was up there, having left shortly after Gladiolus mentioned her being a mother. A sizeable pile of empty bottles occupied the seat next to her and she lost count of how many beers she had, letting the amber liquid slide down her throat. It was the first time she had drunk since Cor had banned her from it and at this point she didn't care, wiping a tear that rolled down her cheek. This was where she had come after she left without saying another word to Gladio, unable to leave the grounds on her own - unwilling even. Now he was probably gone to fix whatever had been bothering him and once again it hadn't ended well between them. Athenacia hated herself for her reaction but no one before had said something like that; it was so unexpected she didn't have time to think.

It wasn't his fault. The man was complimenting her in a way he was sure she would have liked and she had ruined that by running away in anguish. Idiocy, she was trained not to let her emotions dictate her behaviour. Thankfully, no one had come to check on her, not even Ignis to try and force her to eat. None of it mattered, they had their mission and it was better that she was left alone to wallow in her misery. Taking another drink from her bottle, she leaned her head against the cool concrete of the lighthouse, taking in the clear sky above her. A sigh escaped her as a chill began to seep into her bones, however, she made no attempts to move. Getting up wasn't an option, she'd likely stumble and fall, bringing unwanted attention her way. Finishing off the last of her beverage, it was replaced with a fresh one, hazel hues distant as they once again found the stars. Despite how much she had, she felt nothing but despair: Despair at her own actions that lead her up here and despair at why she was so upset in the first place. The position of the moon told her that it was late, and this was likely where she'd sleep for the night. Stumbling back into the house drunk and finding it vacant of the people she had spent the last two weeks with would only hurt far worse and was too emotional as it was. In mid-drink she heard the elevator get summoned down to the bottom, indicating that someone was on their way up. Great.

Sighing, the lift began to come back up so she rubbed her eyes of the tears she shed while taking another long drink. The cool metal floor was starting to hurt and hindsight told her that next time she should bring a pillow. Athenacia scoffed at the thought: next time. Vibrations on her bottom pulled her from inside her head, eyes moving toward the direction her uninvited guest would arrive from. Depending on who it was she could make up some stupid lie about coming in and then never intend to actually do so. Most people were nice enough not to press her on things she didn't want to talk about so it wouldn't be too hard to deter them. Her jaw dropped, however, when it was in fact Gladiolus meeting her gaze. Athenacia was certain he was long gone by now, left to tend to the business that had been plaguing him for a while; Business that he had chosen not to disclose to her. There was no sense in pestering him either, knowing that he would tell her eventually after he solved it, however, that was not the case, he was standing in front of her with an almost sad look on his face.

Gladiolus was not expecting to see her like this. After he had complimented her maternal skills and she had run off, he was at a loss for what to do. The words replayed in his head, remembering how she was with the children in the hospital back in the Crown City. Athenacia appeared to love them and that belief was reinforced after watching her interact with Talcott. It was a beautiful thing to see and he only wanted her to know that she didn't have to yearn for something like that, yet she did not react the way a normal person would to such a compliment. Instead, she looked like he had laid a devastating blow to her and then ran off without saying anything. Gladio was left confused with no solid direction to go in. The wound would fester should he leave for his mission and after last time he wasn't interested in more distance after working so hard to get close to her, so he waited as patiently as he could for her to make an appearance. She didn't. Time wore on, everyone had eaten their food and still, there was no sign of the doctor. Athenacia would stay away the entire night and she didn't have a phone in order for him to find her.

After a quick look around he noted her truck was still in the parking lot and her things remained in the corner of the house. Athenacia wouldn't go far without her weapon, that he was sure of. It was best if he just went on his own to find her since she wasn't going to come out. The man wanted to know what he had said that was so wrong, she owed him that much. Finally, he found her here at the top of the lighthouse. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, evident completely even through that faded purple left eye. It was likely she had been sobbing the entire time she was up here, desperate to hide her despair. The pile of empty beer bottles beside her made him frown, wondering how she had even found those in the first place. Fresh tears fell down her cheeks and she wiped them away, tearing her gaze away from him. Gladio saw her face only once more when she tipped her head back to finish the bottle she was holding and toss that into the empty pile. When she grabbed a fresh one he immediately ripped it from her hands, gaining her attention back.

"You've had enough," said Gladiolus sternly.

Athenacia only huffed, shaking her head and then letting it fall against the building, "Sit," she instructed, jerking her head beside her.

Gladio kept the frown on his face as he stared at her and she jerked her head again, more insistent this time. He complied, getting down on the ground and somehow fitting in beside her and the wall of boxes she had built around herself to stop the wind from getting to her. Athenacia tried to reach for the unopened bottle in his hands, however, he moved so that she couldn't reach it. Sighing, she let her hand drop lazily on his lap before bringing it back to her own.

"That's mine," she said.

"You don't need anymore."

"It's not up to you to decide what I need."

"Judging from the pile you're going to need a sober doctor to pump your stomach."

"I'm the doctor here and I know myself and when I've had enough, now kindly give that back to me."

"No."

"It's my last one."

"I don't care."

"You don't have to, just give me my damn drink!"

"I'll toss it if you don't stop."

She scoffed, "You think I just can't just find more? I know how to solve my own problems."

Athenacia waved him off, plunging her hand into the pile of empty bottles beside her. There was no help for it, she would have to use him in order to get up and go find that stash the old man had down at the bottom of the lighthouse. Placing a hand on the large man's shoulder beside her, she began to push herself up - only to be swiftly pulled back down without any effort. Groaning deciding this time to find space on the ground in order to push herself up, however, he easily stopped her once more, getting annoyed with this foolish behaviour. She was in no condition to be wandering around.

"Athenacia," he growled in warning at her after the third attempt.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're mad, you're big, you're scary," she waved her hands in defeat, "Whatever."

The physician let her arms drop and turned her head to look away. The chilly stare boring into her only made her cringe and she deserved it too, she was being a real asshole right now. At least she hadn't any dark liquor, that only guaranteed her belligerence. Truth was, she only didn't drink it because she couldn't find any. What was she doing anyway? Gladio wasn't here to fight her, he came to check on her because she was an emotional wreck at him only trying to compliment her. Athenacia was such an idiot for fighting one of the only people on her side. For years she fought with Cor and he was only trying to help her, she wasn't going to have a repeat of that. At least this was something she could actually explain to him without having to reveal the full secrets of her dark past.

"You might as well drink it," she slurred her speech a little.

"Why?" he asked.

His voice was hard and rightfully so after her crappy attitude. While he knew she had a drinking problem, this was a part of her he had never seen before. Gladio recalled the story Ignis had told him the day they had left the city: how he had come by the day after they had their fight in the park and her apartment was completely trashed. How Cor was walking out with a box of full alcoholic containers and demanded that she remain sober. There was even broken glass in the books he had borrowed from her. Was this how it started off that night? She was so upset with their fight that she drunk herself into stupidity and trashed her home? If that was the case he wasn't interested in letting her inebriation continue, even if there was only one beer left.

"Because I'm going to tell you a story," replied Athenacia, letting her head flop against his arm.

"You're gonna tell me what this is about?"

His voice was softer but he kept his gaze on the dark ocean as he felt the wind rustle his hair. The box pile hardly reached his shoulders so he wasn't as protected as she was from the bitter wind. Holding the beer bottle loosely in his hand, he was struck that she was going to divulge something about herself from her past. If this amount of consumption is what it took he would happily just leave it behind so she didn't have to hurt herself just to feel okay with it.

"Yeah, I will."

"Then I'll wait."

Athenacia laughed, "No trust me. You'll want it after you hear this load of shit."

Gladiolus looked down at her, curious as to what she was talking about. This woman rarely cursed so he knew that this was something big. It was hard to hide the discontent on his face, however, luckily she didn't see it so she wasn't deterred Finally, he would learn a small part, or maybe entirely of why she was so broken when he had met her. Looking over, he watched as she wiped more tears from her face, before heaving a heavy sigh and beginning her tale.

.*.*.

The steady sound of beeping began to make its sound throughout the room. Athenacia took a deep breath in, opening her hazel eyes slowly. Immediately she squeezed them shut, wincing at the sunlight coming in through the windows and reflecting off of the white walls. Trying again was much easier and she found that she recognized this place, having been here plenty of times before during her training. This was the recovery room of the infirmary at the Citadel, one of the private rooms with the radio playing easy music softly beside her. Hazel hues found the clear bag of liquid hanging beside her bed, dripping into the line that was attached to the intravenous on her right arm. Her left hand had a clip on it, the source of the beeping on the monitor for her pulse that sounded normal.

Immediately she brought her hands to her neck, eyes wide and pulse quickening. Bandages were there, covering the inevitable scar that would forever remain with her. Exhaling deeply, her body unclenched as she closed her eyes tightly, remembering the gleam of the blade that had done it to her, the blood pouring down her, gushing with no way to stop it. That injury alone should have killed her, yet here she was, alive and mostly well thanks to the drugs they were putting into her body. Those hazel orbs examined the monitor, happy with the stats that she read on them. Athenacia went to turn her body to shut off the radio - only to find she was unable to fully do so under the blanket. An obstacle blocked her path and she smiled fondly. There was a full grown man with his arms folded underneath his head as he laid on them. Fingers tentatively slid between the locks of short, blond hair. It felt greasy, as if he hadn't showered in days which made her wonder how long he had been here. He stirred, lifting his head as she moved her hand to rest on his elbow, his emerald orbs meeting her gaze and smiling.

"Hey," he said softly, lifting his head and taking her hand.

"Hey," she smiled at him.

The man came toward her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead and rubbing her cheek with his hand. Athenacia's smile grew before he placed a gentle kiss on her lips and then went back to sitting. His thumb strummed across the back of her knuckles, soothing her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I'm drugged up," she smirked.

He scoffed, "Good."

"How long was I out?"

"Four days," a much gruffer voice answered her question.

Both of them snapped their heads to the open door, recognizing their unexpected guest. Cor Leonis had his arms crossed over his chest as his eyes rolled over the scene with distaste. The man never looked impressed by anything. Athenacia was shocked to see him truth be told, no longer wasn't her medical proxy nor her emergency contact. After everything that happened between them in the last couple of years she was certain that she would never see him aside from official business. Yet here he was, and as she gazed at him she realized that he was the one who brought her here. Flashes came back to her before she blacked out, Cor being the last person she saw and then woke up here. The Marshal had come out there and she had no idea why.

"Out, Crino," barked Cor.

"Grun can stay," said Athenacia coldly.

"Out. That's an order," repeated the Immortal.

"It's fine," replied Grun, gaining her attention. She was about to protest, but he silenced her with a soft kiss, "I'll be back later," he assured her.

The girl nodded at him, watching him leave past Cor and out the exit. The Marshal made sure that the door was closed firmly before coming to stand next to her bed. Athenacia glared at him the entire time and he didn't falter his gaze. Cor knew this would be a short visit so he didn't sit, merely waited for him to drop her attitude. Finally, she tore her gaze away and looked over at her monitor, noting her vitals while trying desperately to ignore him and wishing he would go away.

"You look like shit," observed Cor.

"I'd like to see how you're doing after what I went through," she shot back at him.

"Watch your attitude," he warned.

"Go away."

"Some thanks this is for saving your sorry ass."

"What are you even doing here?" asked Athenacia, turning to look at him with a scowl.

"Checking on you. That a problem?"

"Why?"

"Because you almost died."

"So what?"

"So now it's a crime for me to see how you're doing?"

"Only when its fake."

He grunted, "Least I got my answer."

"Good, so leave. Send Grun back in."

"We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you. You're the reason I was out there in the first place."

"You made the choice, Virum."

"Did I? Since I was little girl you had me prepped for war. Was there really a choice?"

Cor frowned, looking away. Was that guilt she was seeing? Didn't matter right now, she didn't want him here to begin with. Athenacia turned her eyes back to her hands, still feeling Grun's gentle caress upon them. The images of what happened came to her and it made a tear roll down her cheek. Cor was the last person she wanted to be with right now after that - not that she was ungrateful for him bringing her back here but they didn't exactly get along. No, she much preferred Grun who would soothe her pain without even trying, Cor just reminded her that she was a monster.

"We need to talk," he tried again, a little softer.

"I don't need anything from you."

"You were singing a different tune when I found you."

Her nostrils flared, "You going to hold this over my head to now?"

The man's jaw tightened, an indication he was getting bottom of his patience. Ordinarily he was calm, but Athenacia always managed to get under his skin.

"You're an ungrateful shit, you know that?"

"Then what are you still doing here?"

"You and I need to have a serious conversation about this."

"I don't want to fucking talk to you, Cor! I don't even want to see you!" she shouted at him.

"So I'm only good when you need something?"

"Just go away, I don't want you here!"

He growled, "But you'd rather run around with Crino?"

"Yeah, I would."

Cor scoffed, "That guy changed you, Cia."

"No, Cor, war changed me. You only have yourself to thank for that."

He scowled, "I'll come back another time. We need to have a long discussion about what happened out there."

Athenacia let a tear fall from her eye, willing the images to leave her and cut into the fresh wounds. She drew in a breath, bottom lip quivering before speaking again.

"You know what happened. I killed everyone," she said darkly, tearing away from his gaze.

"You know what I mean."

The girl kept her glare on her own hands, refusing to face him. Cor didn't say anything more before leaving in a huff and slamming the door behind him. As soon as it was closed tears poured out of her eyes and she rolled over to bury her head in her pillow. It wasn't even him she was mad at, she was just unwilling to confront the true monster she was. The only thing she wanted to do was forget the whole thing happened.

...

About three days later Athenacia was released from the infirmary. Immediately she returned to her apartment in downtown Insomnia in order to shower and change into some fresh clothes. Cor had been seen since the first day he had come to check on her, but Grun was there every day, spending most of his time with her. While she knew it was medically impossible, she did like to think that his presence is what ultimately motivated her to get out of there sooner. That, and the idea that Cor would come back to hound her about things she'd rather not talk about. Grun would be by later when he was finished at the Citadel and she smiled at the thought as she opened the door to her home. Weeks had gone by since she was last here, leaving a thick layer of dust on top of everything, a small range of garbage in various piles from the foyer into the kitchen and the living area. Scrubs and pieces of old Glaive uniforms scattered all along her furniture, leaving a trail to her laundry room easily spotted as the curtains were up, letting sunlight billow into her massive windows. The breakfast nook had old take-out food containers covering it, all of them eaten clean so she didn't have to worry about mould, however, there was a ripe sort of smell in there regardless.

Athenacia walked down the hall and entered her bathroom, peeling off her scrubs and dropping them with a pile of bloodied Glaive uniform onto the floor. Exhaling deeply, she brought her gaze to the mirror, taking in her own image for the first time in a while. The very first thing she noticed was that her hair was extremely long, down to her waist and her natural dirty blond colour. The girl ran her hand through it in disbelief, wondering why and how it had grown out like that. Of course, her thoughts were interrupted by her fingers getting stuck in the matted and greasy locks. Gross. There were a few scrapes on her face and all over her body but for the most part, she would come out of this without any lingering injuries. Except for one, it seemed. Her hazel eyes found the white bandage on her neck, the gleam of the blade that slashed her fresh in her eyes. Pulse quickening, she pushed her dirty hair out of the way to get a better look. Carefully, she peeled off the tape and revealed the underlying wound. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared into the open gash upon her flesh. Dark purple skin contrasted against her usual pale complexion, the laceration still looking as fresh as the day she got it and running from halfway down her neck, stopping just below her shoulder. The thickest part was on her clavicle, where she could easily see the depth of it almost. It bore into her while a tear fell. The image of a man shrouded in shadow came into her mind, his gleaming blade in his hand, ready for her. He swung it once and she was on the ground, screaming as she began to bleed. This was the result of that attack and she would forever carry this reminder of her own failures.

Slamming her fists on the counter, she shook herself out of her thoughts, tearing her gaze away and turning on the faucet in her tub. Athenacia winced when she got under the scorching shower, letting the water fall over her and down her body. The gash stung but she pushed through it, desperately wanting to wash all the grime off of her. The blood wouldn't come off, tears streaming down her cheeks as she scrubbed her skin raw in attempts to wash away her sins. Body quivering, she gave up with some relief, turning off the taps and stepping onto her mat outside of her tub. Carefully she patted down the wound before drying off the rest of her body. In just a bathrobe, she walked out of her bathroom and into her bedroom, opening the walk-in closet. At the back of it was her med kit on the dresser there, and she grabbed it before returning to her bathroom. The steam on the mirror was wiped away and she began to clean up the wound she sustained, knowing that it needed to stay covered and not wanting anyone to see it anyway. When she was finished she closed her kit and sighed.

There was no more time to think about it, distracted from her thoughts by someone closing the door to her home. Frowning, she walked out of the bathroom to see who was there before smiled warmly at Grun, who came in with what smelled like real food. He wore a similar smile to her own as his eyes found her. The containers were placed on the breakfast nook and he scooped her carefully in his arms, pulling her close and kissing her. Athenacia laughed against his lips, keeping her arms around his back. Crino kissed her again and again, having her backed up against the hall wall leading toward her bedroom. When he pulled away he kept his forehead against hers with a smile on his face.

"Hi," he said finally.

She laughed, "Hi."

"I brought us dinner."

"I smell that."

Grun had his lips crashing onto hers once more, tasting her and letting her fresh scent fill his nostrils. Athenacia pulled him as close as she could against her, missing the feeling of him while she was away fighting and then in recovery. Sneaking her hands beneath his shirt, she ran it up his back while his lips found her again. Smirking, he pulled away

He kissed her again softly, "I'm thinking I might just want to get to dessert."

She bit his bottom lip, staying close as she whispered against his lips, "I'm on some wicked pain meds that make dessert a very viable option."

Summary:  She tried leaving, submerging herself in work to escape the horrors she had seen. The horrors she kept seeing. She never wanted to go back to that life. But when the Empire takes her home, she’s forced to face her past. Can she move on? Can she cope? Or will she require a bit of help? still bad at summaries, still working on it. ever so slightly more than slight AU gadioxoc

The Next Step

...

Gladiolus and Athenacia returned to the haven just in time for dinner to be finished. As they arrived, Gladio kindly offered her his seat but she refused, going all the way on the other end to sit on the ground near Iris. The man only grinned at her while she pointedly ignored him during their meal. No one bothered to ask them why they were soaked; her sour face and Gladiolus's pride seemed to tell them all they needed to know. Instead, Athenacia engaged in conversation with the younger Amicitia, starting to think she was dating the wrong one and extremely aware of his eyes on them the entire time. Iris was purposely sat beside Noctis while the physician found herself again engrossed in a conversation about them growing up in the Citadel together. She enjoyed hearing about how they were brought up, understanding how close they were with every tale she was told. But they were interested in her as well, in how Cor had raised a child without anyone really knowing about her. To her he was just Cor but to them, he was a legend, so fixated on his own duty that there was never time for a family. Once she had started, they were all listening to her speak.

"It wasn't like a family dynamic," she explained, "I lived there but I only really saw him during training. He was a very busy man."

"But he read to you before bed?" asked Prompto with a laugh.

"Yeah, when I was younger. That kind of stopped after he put a weapon in my hand."

"He's never really focused on just one person before," said Noctis.

"I was a bit special. While I was still living in the orphanage there was this really sick baby. I wasn't very old but they couldn't figure out what was wrong and the child was going to die. But I could see the magic ailment. Once the staff told Cor that's when he seemed to take an interest in me."

"You saw a magic ailment?" inquired Ignis.

She nodded, "Yeah. That's sort of my specialty, why I became a medic. I kept a lot of people alive because I could see the magic disruption beyond their physical wounds. Most of it was burns, easy to treat but sometimes I lost patients."

"That's kind of cool," said Iris.

She smiled, "I suppose. I've always been able to do it."

The conversation shifted after that, moving onto Cor's training with them. Prompto had a crash course before he had left the city and Athenacia was impressed that he had passed. It seemed strange, that they all had a connection with this man and he had isolated her from them. For good reason, she was a Glaive with nothing to do with Crownsguard but still, she was shocked she hadn't run into them once given their involvement at the Citadel. The girl wondered if there was a specific reason for it, or if maybe that's just how things went.

The fire continued to burn and dinner was long since gone. The sound of their laughter and the waves crashing onto the coast was all that was heard in this small haven. Athenacia was finally dry after sitting so close to the flames and feeling warm. Grabbing a change of clothes would have been best but she was running out of semi-clean ones and she was still mostly avoiding Gladiolus, catching his looks toward her. The man appeared to enjoy watching her interact with his sister and the Prince and she wondered if maybe he was looking for any signs of her earlier discontent. Holding a small, sad smile, they began to speak of Altissia. That was where they would part ways and it still made her upset to be away from them, from, however, she would not hinder their cause and she couldn't travel with them, she had unfinished business here first. They had to go meet Lady Lunafreya in Altissia and gain yet another blessing of a god. That woman sure did move fast. Athenacia probably would have been there with her had she not left in the middle of the night - though the young doctor would have done the same thing had she the opportunity.

"The tides will turn once we get the Ring," said Gladiolus.

"The Ring?" asked Athenacia confused.

"The Ring of Lucii," supplied Ignis, "Passed down the royal line, a means to summon the old Kings and Queens of Lucis. They judge who is worthy of their power."

"The Oracle has been holding onto it this entire time," said Prompto in awe.

"She means to pass it onto Noct, him being the heir and Chosen King of Light."

Athenacia frowned in thought, "So if they judge who is worthy, it means that anyone could wear it."

"Certainly, though there aren't any alive to tell the tale."

"No right, I get that. But potentially someone with no ill intentions could put it on without being Caelum and still be granted the power should the old rulers deem them worthy? They could utilize the Power of Kings?"

Noctis looked over at Ignis curiously. The Adviser's face was thoughtful as her words swam through his head. No one spoke, the question hanging in the air. No one had really thought about it since the Ring had never before left Insomnia. Now there seemed to be a whole new set of rules to consider, one that they had never even thought of before. Athenacia kept her gaze on him, needing this answer.

"It's not impossible," he said tentatively, "Though I daresay I cannot perceive a likely situation while the Oracle holds it."

"So that's how he did it," replied Athenacia to herself, her eyes going toward the fire.

"What are you talking about, Doc?" asked Gladiolus.

Athenacia looked up at him, her mouth opening and ready to reply only to be stopped. They were all looking at her, waiting for her to elaborate and she frowned in thought, not sure exactly how to begin. None of them ever asked her much about the fall of the city and she didn't want to bring it up, knowing how hard it was for them to see the aftermath of the attack. Iris refrained from speaking as well and it made her wonder how long the young girl was in there to begin with. Surely her father would have arranged transport knowing there was a mole in the Kingsglaive? Heaving a sigh Athenacia knew that eventually, these boys would want to know and given how intent they were on her at the moment, now was probably the best time.

"The day the city fell, I was in the hospital, working. After Tash had died at my carelessness, I went to find Cor. He was on his way inside the Citadel but I stopped him from going," she looked at Noctis, directly into his eyes, "I wasn't kidding. The wall fell, the crystal was taken and they reigned hell on us the second they could. They fell from the sky without stopping and I'm lucky to be alive. But while I was fighting with Cor to get out I lost the use of magic. We both knew what that meant..." she didn't leave his gaze, knowing that he wanted to finally hear first hand what happened to his home, "I was separated from Cor, fighting my way around the hoards of them and I ran into the Oracle. She was with Nyx-"

"Nyx Ulric?" interjected Noctis.

She nodded, "Yeah. He was supposed to get her out of the city but Libertus was also there and he took care of that. Nyx was fighting Drautos-"

"Titus Drautos?" asked Ignis incredulously.

"Yeah he..." she stopped, observing their confused faces, "You don't know..."

"Know what?" asked Gladiolus.

"Cor never told you?" she looked back at the Prince incredulously.

"Told me what?" asked Noctis confused.

"About the mole."

"Mole?" asked Prompto.

"The day before the ceremony, I performed an autopsy on a Glaive, Crowe Altius. I discovered that she had been killed and left for dead by another Glaive by the name of Luche. That only told me that there was a mole within the system. She was killed because she was on her way to escort Lady Lunafreya to Altissia to meet you."

Athenacia's voice was hard, her fist balling in her lap as she glared into the fire. The images came to her mind: of Crowe's lifeless face contorted in agony, the smell of fresh trash about her, the residue she had found on the internal organs. A tear rolled down the doctor's cheek. She never had the time to mourn her loss. The small hand placed on her shoulder told her that Iris was offering sympathies. Bless her.

"I'm sorry," said the young girl.

"She was my friend and she was killed by her own people," said Athenacia in that menacing tone.

"Apologies, but I'm failing to see the relation with Drautos," said Ignis.

"Titus Drautos was the mole. He's General Glauca."

The look on Prince's face made her heart wretch. Athenacia wished she wasn't the one that relayed this information, assuming that Cor would have told them what happened. There was really no reason not to, however, the Immortal didn't bother and she felt guilty because it was likely that he was so focused on her that he was rushing them away so he could start his hunt.

"He killed my father," said Noctis in a very low and dangerous voice.

"He's dead," replied Athenacia in a much similar tone, "Nyx killed him with your own power."

She didn't falter her gaze, wishing she knew what was going through his mind.

"Good," he said finally.

"He was able to use the ring?" asked Ignis.

"For a time. It cost him his life," replied Athenacia, "He was also my friend. They all were, even the ones that turned."

"You were from the same place," said Gladiolus.

"What?" she looked at him confused.

"Galahdans. You were both from Galahd."

She blinked, not understanding him at first, "Right, yeah," she shook her head, "Sorry, I... haven't really had the time to reflect on it all."

"None of us have," said Prompto.

"How were you able to escape?" asked Ignis.

He had that suspicious look to him as he regarded her.

"I don't really remember. There was so much going on after I parted ways with everyone," she replied, putting her gaze into the dancing flames.

He was still unconvinced, "But you remained mobile," he stated.

Athenacia nodded, "It's like I told Iris, I crossed swords with someone I had no business fighting. I don't know who he was or what he wants but I wasn't about to bring danger around everyone else," her voice hardened as she shifted her gaze toward him.

If he had something to say he should have just said it, there was no need for this dancing around like she was too stupid to know he was on to her about something. Athenacia didn't have to tell him anything, had no reason to justify her secrets and she was sure he was keeping his suspicions to himself lest others would start to question her about it. Since there was nothing else, she tore her gaze away and sought the comfort of the flames. No one spoke for a time, the note in the air heavy with grief and deep thoughts. But eventually, Prompto brought them out of their negative reverie. Bless him.

The boys eventually fell into the whims of their phone game. Athenacia had no idea what it was nor did she really care to find out, instead, she looked through pictures with Iris. The young doctor had absolutely no idea how Prompto managed to gather them all, especially during the fighting, however, she was thankful he managed to get mostly her good side, hating that purple eye even though it was fading. Athenacia smiled a little as she observed them. There was one of her with all her chains out back in the thicket. Her arms were across her abdomen, her head down with her eyes closed. He had managed to capture it while she was still in mid-air but right before she touched the ground, it was truly a masterpiece. She came across another one, where she was sat on Gladiolus's lap with her face red as she was looking at her hands and he had that usual grin he wore while teasing her. Another picture where she was sitting in a seat and he was leaning against her legs, her hand on top of his head and buried in his hair while they both dozed.

The last one she observed she spent the most time on. It was from earlier today on their way to this very haven. Athenacia was staring into the distance of the ocean, and Gladio had just come to lay his arm around her. What struck her was the way he was looking down at her. It wasn't that grin he wore while teasing her, it was something else, something that made her heart flutter and her breath catch in her throat. The girl couldn't say she had ever seen someone look at her like that and her hazel eyes left the screen to seek him out. Gladiolus had a smile on his face while he played his game, however, he did meet her gaze, winking at her before going back to his phone. Athenacia bit her lip in that usual nervous manner, feeling the heat on her cheeks and a warm feeling spread through her body as she once again looked down at the picture.

...

The dawn came too quickly for Athenacia. With hardly any sleep gained she was up far too frequently throughout the night. It wasn't her nightmares this time, she knew that today they would reach Caem and the journey together would be over. The morning was crisp and the air was still as the water carefully flowed along, ignoring her thoughts. The girl was sat at the end of the small dock, her feet in the water and the only one awake, watching the stars begin to fade and the sky start to lighten up. The lighthouse was looming over her it seemed, easily able to see it up on the cliff. Footsteps were felt in her hands on the wood and she turned around - only to be met with Gladiolus, shirtless and sandy eyed. Athenacia gave him a small smile before returning her gaze back to the calm water, moving aside so that he was able to sit next to her, his own feet dipping into the water as well. Absently his arm snaked around her waist, his right hand on her thigh but not moving it. She leaned into him, wishing to enjoy as much of his company as possible. The man was tense, which was almost as peculiar as the fact that he was up extremely early, telling her one thing.

"Still having that dream?" she asked lightly.

"Yeah," answered Gladio, "But not for long."

"You figured it out?"

"Think so. We'll find out soon."

Athenacia looked up at him, wishing to know what he was thinking. She wouldn't pester him for the information because he never did that to her. Those amber hues were distant, his thoughts plaguing him as he looked out into the ocean. Smiling slightly, she brought her lips to him, planting a gentle kiss under his jaw where his neck met with the bone. The coarse hair prickled her lips but she didn't mind in the slightest. Gladio met her gaze and she felt that same flutter in her heart from the previous night. The way he was looking at her seemed much more intense now that she could see it for herself. Pulse quickening, he pulled her closer and she kissed him once more.

The rest of the morning was quiet. They broke down their camp with minimal words before walking back toward the area where the vehicles were parked. It seemed that none of them wished to end the journey just yet but there was no choice. Moving forward was the only option, they had taken long enough to get here in the first place. So they moved but at a slower pace it seemed. Once everything was packed away, Athenacia got into her truck from the driver's side. Gladiolus took the driver seat and began to follow the Regalia once again. The girl sat against him, keeping her small hand in his own and her head against his shoulder. They entered a tunnel almost immediately, unable to see how much closer they were getting. Coming back into the sunlight made her squint, a small pulsing beginning from behind her right ear. Rubbing it absently, her heart dropped when she saw how much closer the lighthouse was. Once they crossed the bridge then that would be it and it felt that was happening far too fast. As soon as they began to slow down after exiting she internally sighed. This was it.

Athenacia saw the big truck used from Hammerhead, knowing the logo well. Gladiolus pulled up beside it, staying a fair distance from the Regalia as he parked. It was a few moments longer before she released his hand for him to turn off the engine looking over at her and offering a sad smile. The man knew as well that this was where they would part ways, handing her the keys before opening the door and stepping out. Grabbing her two bags and her weapon to bring with her where she would be staying, she exited the vehicle and fell in step with the Shield as they began their ascent toward the massive lighthouse. If anything, she was sure the view up there would be spectacular. Cindy, the young girl Athenacia had likely known longer than anyone she could think of aside from Cor, was waiting for them as they arrived. There was a smile on her face despite the dirt there and she happily greeting them with a compliment to the Regalia.

Immediately Athenacia noticed the look of enamour take over Prompto's face. It made her smile as they followed her up toward the lighthouse. The doctor listened as they spoke of the boat that was in dire need of repair. It seemed they wouldn't be setting sail for Altissia just yet and part of her was a little happy about that, however, it was decided that the boys would leave to find the last piece of the puzzle, Mythril. Where they were going to get it was unheard of just yet but at least Athenacia could spend some more time with them before they left. They were still walking toward the lighthouse but then detoured to the right. The physician was able to see a house sitting there, big enough for refugees that had come from Lestallum. Off to the left was a garden started and people wandering around. So this was where she was going to stay until she met up with Cor, until she could take the next step forward in her own journey. At least there would be work to keep her busy.

"TIA!"

Athenacia's attention snapped toward the source of the noise, hazel hues softening at the sight before her. A very excited Talcott was running as fast as he could from the house toward her. Tossing her weapon and bags aside, she dropped to her knees gently. The young boy was closing in on her and she kept her eyes on him, ready. When he finally was close enough he jumped at her, throwing his little arms around her neck. Athenacia was ready for it, enfolding him in her arms and falling backward with a dramatic grunt. She held him tightly once her back hit the ground, rolling down the hill a few feet before ending up on her back again. The girl was almost a starfish while the boy giggled at her, sitting up over her. Through lidded eyes she was able to decipher where he was, and by the sound of his giggles as she kept her head to the side.

"Get up, Tia," said Talcott between laughs, shaking her slightly.

"I can't I'm dead," she replied, opening one eye and then closing it again.

"What?"

"I'm dead, I can't get up."

"No you're not," he continued to giggle at her.

"I am too!" she looked at him sharply.

"How?"

"I was slain, by the mighty Talcott!" she held the back of her wrist to her forehead in a dramatic pose

He laughed harder at her, "But you can't be dead!"

"Oh? And why not?" she dropped her arm.

"Because dead people can't talk!" he insisted.

"Are you a doctor?" she asked him seriously.

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"Because you told me!"

"What? I did not!"

"You did!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, you taught me that Tia!"

Athenacia smiled warmly at him as he continued to giggle at her. Gladiolus observed them from where he stood. Her bags and weapon were at his feet and she was still on the ground while Talcott was sitting over her, pushing her to get up from where she was. The Shield couldn't see any of the grief she carried around with her, only a woman that was untainted by anything she had experienced, that had light in her hazel eyes shining like it never had before - almost as if it had never faded in the first place. Gladio felt something as he watched her, something he wasn't sure he could identify. It only grew stronger the more he fixated on it and he couldn't help but smile as he continued to observe them.

"You have to see what I did!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"What did you do?" she asked, her eyes widening in anticipation.

"No, you have to come see!"

"I do?!"

"Yes! Get up Tia!"

"Okay hurry though because I'm about to lose my mind!"

"You have to get up first!" he giggled at her.

She groaned, "I forgot. Quick, before I lose my mind completely!"

Talcott continued to laugh again, moving off of her. Athenacia rose to a sitting position and he grabbed her hand, pulling her arm eagerly. Using her free hand to get to her feet, she scurried with him passed the others and into the house in the distance. Gladiolus watched them go, keeping that same smile on his face before reaching down and picking up her things, walking toward the house with the rest of them. Cindy had left them beforehand, deciding it was best to get back to the garage.

As they came up to the front door, Gladiolus put down Athenacia's things near the side of the house where Iris was waiting for them. Taking a quick look around, he was satisfied with what he was seeing. They would be safe here, especially with the few Crownsguard that were walking around. There wouldn't be a need to worry as much when he left to take care of his business. It would be better once they got everything all up and running as well but at least now they had a doctor on sight that could see to their needs. The door to the house opened and Athenacia stepped through it, that smile on her face and same light in her eyes still - until she caught sight of all of them. Gladio knew that she didn't want them to leave but she would never voice her thoughts like that. Keeping her gaze on them, she walked down the steps and joined them while they spoke with Iris. The doctor stood in between the siblings and waited patiently for them to finish, knowing they would want to hear what Talcott had told her.

"Jared's notebook said Mythril was up north in a lake," said Iris finally.

"That's the Vesperpool," supplied Athenacia, "The ruins there will have what you're looking for. They're impressive, I've seen the outside of it before. The lady in there," she gestured her head toward the house, "Monica? She said it was under Imperial watch so getting in might not be easy."

"You'll want to be prepared before you go," said Iris.

"Yeah, just give us a second," said Gladiolus, looking over at his sister.

The teen nodded, walking into the house. Athenacia took a step back, noticing her things near the entrance and walked toward it, trying to give him the space that he needed. Hurrying back inside, she placed her little belongings off into the corner, not really having any space for herself. Actually, it dawned on her that she would be very awkward once Gladiolus and the others left. No one inside the Crown City was very friendly to her before the fall and now the rumour was she had been the reason they were all in this predicament. Better to find a place to stay that was far away from their hateful eyes, somewhere outside perhaps.

"Do your thing. Not like we could stop you anyway," she heard Noctis speak as she stepped through the exit.

"You know me too well," said Gladiolus smiling.

"You're leaving," stated Athenacia from the door.

Gladiolus found her gaze, barely taking notice of Noctis and the others vacating, giving them their moment now. The girl walked down the steps and came to stand in front of him, looking up into his eyes. That calm hazel stare pierced through him as always, making it impossible to hide anything from her. She was the only one who knew that there was something bothering him and that he planned on taking care of it. Here she was to see him off, somehow knowing that what he planned to do was dangerous.

"Don't worry, Doc, I won't be gone long," he grinned at her.

She smiled, "Who's worried?"

Gladio was about to say something when Talcott had burst out the door and ran toward her again. The man watched that light return to her eyes while she regarded him, that feeling taking over him once more. Athenacia bent down so that they were eye level.

"Tia I fixed it, come see!" he said excitedly.

"Just give me a minute okay?" she asked him gently.

He nodded, running away back into the house. Gladiolus reached for her, letting his emotions run away with him as he pulled her for a kiss. Keeping his arms around her, he watched her small white teeth capture her bottom lip as she looked away for a mere moment before meeting his gaze once more.

"He got attached to you quickly," said Gladiolus amused.

She shrugged, "He's an orphan. I get it."

"You'll be a great mom one day, Doc," he smiled down at her.

Summary:  In the hustle of the Crown City, you suddenly find yourself in a situation you never thought you would be in, caught between two worlds with an impossible choice lying before you. You quickly learn how much grey is in between the black and white life you thought you once knew. Some AU I suppose. Still bad at summaries. Gladio x OC, Ignis x OC, Gladio x OC x Ignis. femreader. smut.

Somebody. Someone

...

Every breath you drew in was shallow - quick, with your heart thumping in your chest. Each step taken outside of the bedroom boomed in your ears as you tried to comprehend what was happening right now. In Gladiolus's bed you resided, completely naked with only a wall separating not only you and the owner of the place, but also your other boyfriend, Ignis. You were dating two men that knew each other and they were in the exact same room of the same building where you were trying not to have heart failure. This had to be a nightmare, couldn't be real, however, both men were happily chatting in the kitchen, oblivious to the fact that one of the major things they had in common was a few feet away. As soon as you recognized the accented voice you were awake, alert, and internally freaking out.

What were you supposed to do? Surely you couldn't just go out there, it would cause massive chaos for everyone. It was bad enough that you were dating the both of them and keeping it a secret, but to have Ignis see you here in his friend's apartment just rolling out of bed? It was a terrible way to find out that someone he cared for was lying to him like this. Certainly he wouldn't come in here, especially if Gladio knew that you were naked beneath one thin sheet since the man was practically a furnace. That didn't change that you were in a very unwanted position, desperate to free yourself of it as soon as possible.

And then it hit you. After all the close calls lately, maybe this was the sign that it was time. You knew it was a dangerous game you were playing and that it was wrong to keep it up as long as you had. Both of them were here now and you were stuck between a wall and a hard place. If any opportunity was going to present itself to come clean, this was it and you would be a fool not to take it. Composing yourself as best you could, you squeezed your eyes shut in an attempt to summon the strength you needed to get up and face the music.

"Your coffee supply is astounding," noted Ignis.

"My girl makes it good. I'll see if she's up," replied Gladio.

"Splendid."

Your heart nearly stopped when you heard that. The footsteps to the bedroom were getting closer and as ready as you were going to be, you threw the sheets from your naked body and prepared yourself to finally do this. Exhaling deeply, you broke, rolling out of bed with a thump on the hardwood and bolting into the bathroom, slamming the door behind you. Nausea built up so bad you vomited into the toilet bowl, violently as it had been a while since you had eaten something. Not two seconds later you heard a knock at the door before it was opened, Gladio coming in and closing it after seeing you were still naked.

Heaving, you released another round before groaning, leaning your head against your arms. The cool tiles on your bare skin were heavenly, Gladio crouching down to meet your gaze. You offered him a smile, rubbing your eyes before sighing. This was embarrassing, but maybe it was for the better. At the moment you weren't even sure where your clothes were and going to meet Ignis in this situation felt like a slap in the face. If this was going to happen you needed to find a time to arrange it properly and this wasn't it.

"You good?" asked Gladiolus, gaining your attention.

"Just queasy," you replied.

"Iggy's here. I been bragging about your coffee, if you're up for it."

At the mention of Ignis you felt a fresh wave of nausea, desperate to keep it at bay in order to not arouse any suspicion. This was going to be much harder than you thought, no wonder you hadn't bothered to get this over with in the first place. Elise always made it sound so easy but she was never in such a position where there was no mutual consent between all parties. How you envied that woman and her ability to have no shame.

The Shield was still waiting for an answer so you offered another weak smile in attempts to hide your sickness, gently shaking your head from side to side. Gladio kissed your forehead, long and lingering before leaving the room. A relieved sigh escaped you, leaning your head back and allowing the cool tiles to calm you down once more. You wouldn't feel better until they were both long gone from here, no chance of running into you while you made your way back home to hide there.

As Gladio came back into the kitchen, Ignis fixed him a curious look before going back to his phone. The schedule was busy today and he was looking for an opening for some free time. Perhaps moving some things around would suffice, leaning against the counter after seeing a momentary shake of the Shield's head.

"Is the young lady feeling unwell?" asked Ignis curiously.

"A bit," shrugged Gladio.

"That is unfortunate."

"She'll be fine."

"That's good to hear."

Ignis offered a small smile, looking up briefly from his phone. Gladio grunted before disappearing back into his room, likely to check on his girlfriend before they left. Sighing, the bespectacled man let his eyes wander over the apartment. Frowning, he saw at the foyer a very familiar pair of shoes. Absently he made his way over there, noting the size and wear of them, all very much something he had seen before. Odd.

"'Sup?"

The man turned toward the owner of the apartment, arms crossed and a brow quirked in his direction. Ignis imagined he looked a bit ridiculous observing the shoes there, however, he was certain he was just imagining things. What did he know about them anyway?

"Must be a popular women's fashion," replied Ignis, gesturing toward the ground.

"Well obviously they're not mine," Gladio snorted.

"Indeed. Just a coincidence that they are the same as the young lady I have been courting."

"Must be."

Ignis had no choice but to agree. After all, he had heard plenty of things about Gladio's girlfriend and deduced that she was very much indeed nothing like his own. Having similar tastes in footwear didn't mean anything, merely reminded him that he needed to free up some time to spend with her. However, the dirt splotches were placed in the same spots from the last time he saw them...

"Ready?"

Gladio interrupted his thoughts, nearly startling him before he offered a nod of his own. Taking one more quick glance at the shoes, he followed the Shield out the door, closing it behind him and proceeding toward the exit.

...

During a routine training session, Noctis was puffing himself up quite a bit with his ability to win one over his Shield. What baffled him was how Gladio appeared to not even care, distracted by something which was usually unheard of. No one took training more serious than Gladiolus, not even Ignis who didn't believe in any form of slacking off. After another few rounds (most of which victory belonged to the young Prince) the two of them took a break on a nearby bench, Gladio downing a bottle of water while looking through his phone. Noctis was much the same, sighing when he read a message about the next item on his agenda that he didn't even make. Pocketing the phone, he looked over at his Shield who had an all too familiar smirk on his face as he tapped away on the screen.

"Who's that?"

Noctis asked the question but it wasn't out of curiosity, merely to distract himself and hope that his other obligations would somehow disappear. Gladio was completely immersed in his phone, the grin on his face growing before he was finally finished. The man had it bad and it had been a long time since Noct had seen this side of him - though to be fair he didn't pay that much attention to his love life in the first place. Gladio was a flirt but when he was serious it showed in nearly all of his actions, no matter how nonchalant he wanted to act about it.

"Somebody. Someone," he answered, going straight back to the mobile device not two seconds later.

The Prince scoffed, rolling his eyes and looking around the room. Gladio's answer meant he was hardly paying attention to anything else - which would explain exactly why this session was going to easy for him. At this point he wanted to personally meet the girl and thank her for the distraction she provided, even if it was abnormal.

"You know I'm a little surprised you haven't flaunted her in front of Prompto by now. It's been months," observed Noctis, leaning back on his hands.

The Shield was still tapping away, appearing to have not heard, however, that wasn't likely the case. Gladio put the phone down, using the towel around his neck to wipe more sweat from his forehead. Glancing over at Noct, he smirked before leaning his arms on his knees.

"I don't need Prompto bothering her," replied Gladiolus.

"He thinks she isn't real, but if she's gonna keep letting me win then maybe I'll thank her."

"You'll probably give her a heart attack," the Shield grinned.

Noct groaned, "One of those people..."

"Your Princely ass is intimidating to ordinary citizens. You should know that by now."

"How do you even know that if she hasn't met me yet?"

Gladio smiled, remembering when their mutual friend had come to his place and blurted out his career. The look on his girlfriend's face, the way she was hardly able to keep it together was almost exhausting at the time, however, now it was a fond memory. Usually she was so calm and collected, seeing that side was almost refreshing. There were things that got to her and the Shield was determined to keep getting reactions out of her.

"Trust me, it's a bit much for her to handle."

"If you say so," Noct shrugged, "Iggy's seems pretty imaginary too."

"The coffee girl?"

"Yeah. If I didn't run into her I wouldn't believe she was real."

"Need to get the name of that place and do a random drop it."

"Specs was driving so I don't remember it, and he hasn't gone back since with me."

"Damn."

The Prince nodded before going back to his own phone. A heavy sigh escaped him, the rest of his time scheduled doing things he'd rather not be. Gladio picked up on it, tossing the towel away and rising to his feet. Noctis looked at him curiously, smirking when the large man jerked his head back to the floor. At least if he was going to be late for anything else, he was doing something productive.

...

In his office, Ignis looked longingly out the window at the perfect day he's missing out on. Ordinarily he didn't have the time, and now wasn't a good day for it, however, he felt that today his mind wandered more so than usual. The morning itself was odd, not expecting Gladio to be at his apartment and then seeing those shoes. It reminded him that he hadn't heard much from his girlfriend in the last couple of days which appeared out of the ordinary. Normally they could go a few days without seeing each other due to the clashes in the schedule. Stolen lunches and coffee dates that never lasted long enough were the best that could be managed, but communication was nearly religious.

Taking time off hardly ever occurred to him, but after this morning something didn't sit well with him. Going to see the girl would likely quell his anxieties, a gnawing feeling he was starting to get the more thought he put into seeing those shoes. Gladio often boasted about his significant other, and as far back as Ignis could remember they were both in school for a similar field, however, that was where the likeness ended. The Shield's girl was calm, outspoken and very much into adventuring the outdoors as he was while Ignis had a timid, quiet girl that enjoyed dancing and fine wine. The two women were not likely in the same sort of spectrum and yet, they never had the chance to meet after all these months.

Whenever the thought of a social gathering came it generally ended the conversation. Most of the reason Ignis himself hadn't combined his worlds was merely the fact that he enjoyed the moments they were able to steal together. Part of him wanted more, wanted to include her in aspects of his life that he was trying to keep separate. It was strange, never intending to come this far and yet, he found himself smiling fondly at the idea of a companion. Necessity compelled him to continue on his line, however, he had no idea that it was something he'd come to want and so soon in his career.

Tearing his eyes away, he found himself going back to the blank phone, opening the messenger application and finding no response from the person he was waiting for. At this time of day it was likely she was out working or enjoying herself while she had the time off. In a few months she would be off on her own, into the world and away for weeks at a time. It would make the moments together now even more precious and Ignis wished to solidify the nature of his relationship. Distance makes the heart grow fonder and yet the man found himself unwanting of the whole situation. He would never hinder her dreams and aspirations, merely wished that it didn't involve the dangers outside of the wall. The only thing he could do was have faith that she was well trained for the journey ahead of her. Perhaps he could educate her in self-defence, something to ease his mind.

Placing the device down, he was about to return to work when he felt the vibration. Instantly he reached for it, internally sighing with relief when he finally saw that his girlfriend had replied. Ignis was hoping for a quick meal after work, however, he frowned when he read that she would be otherwise engaged. Ordinarily he wouldn't put so much thought into it but he knew that her presence would certainly quell the uncertainty racing through his mind. Perhaps in the morning, or even a quick Ebony sometime during the day. Exhaling deeply, he composed his reply before putting the device down. There was work to be done, and not enough time for completion.

"Who were you texting?"

Ignis looked up sharply, having not heard the Prince enter his office and finding it hard to believe that he had let his guard drop. Was the young lady so distracting that even he couldn't hide the fact that he was elsewhere?

"Somebody. Someone," replied Ignis, still startled by the intrusion, "You're late," he remarked, noting the time and wanting to change the subject.

Noctis scoffed, "Whatever. Where are you dragging me?"

"I expect you to refrain from tardiness, however, I was able to anticipate it and have ensured we will arrive at the meeting on time."

"Meeting?!" the Prince groaned.

"Indeed," said the other man, rising from his seat and walking to the door, "Shall we?"

...

At a bar down the street from the Citadel, the Shield walked in for a quick drink, noting that Ignis happened to be sitting in his usual spot. Gladio was surprised that the other man was already there, having no idea how he could get any work done, however, it was more his style than anything. If it wasn't for the fact that this establishment was so conveniently close to work the large man wouldn't have even bothered stepping in. Going home would have been a good option but after spending so much time with his girlfriend, he was enjoying the company of others. Said girl was busy working and Gladio was going to make his way there later, wanting to whisk her back to his apartment. Lately she showed no interest in going home and he was okay not letting her, unimpressed in her crumby living situation.

Without an invitation, the Shield sat down at the table, Ignis looking up and nodding before putting his papers away into his briefcase. Drinks were brought and the two of them wound down after a long day at work, sharing many of the same grievances when it came to their charge. It was a ritual between the two since they were younger. Although the location had changed over the years, it was good to get these things out. With the girlfriend constantly avoiding social situations it was difficult for her to be around anyone in order to understand the nature of the job.

As the conversation wound down, both men were on their phones briefly before going back to Citadel affairs. The Shield of the King often had more intel and Gladio happily offered it to Ignis, knowing the man could use it in to figure out how best to deal with their biggest pain in the ass: Noct. When there was nothing left to talk about the subject of their significant others started to come up. Gladio loved to brag about his girlfriend but usually when Prompto was around since he enjoyed getting a rise out of the guy. With Ignis it was different, that man able to see everything, even the things he wasn't intentionally looking for in the first place. There was also the fact that these two had been life long friends, practically brothers. Things were just different between them.

"I was certain you would be entertaining your young lady tonight," said Ignis, clearly able to read his thoughts.

"Later. This is peak hour for her, I usually show up after it calms down," replied Gladio.

"Ah yes, I recall you mentioned she worked in an establishment much like this one."

"Not nearly as classy. Popular Glaive spot though."

Ignis nodded while the large man took another drink. Throughout the day since he left, Gladio had been trying to figure out if she was feeling better and suggesting she come spend another night with him. Usually she answered fairly quickly, however, today she was going through one of those dead spells where she tried to avoid him. Maybe she really was more under the weather than she let on, morning sickness so sudden that he wondered if he should be more concerned about it - especially since shew as at work for her regular shift.

"I'm happy to know that she has recovered from this morning," said Ignis, cutting into his thoughts.

"Yeah. Still not herself, she's been avoiding me most of the day," mused Gladio, finishing his glass.

Ignis sighed, "That is unfortunate. I find myself in a similar predicament."

"Explains why you're here."

"Indeed. I was hoping to catch her, however, she is otherwise engaged."

"Too bad, I'd like to meet her."

"I too feel it is time."

Both men fell into a mutual silence, Gladio ordering another drink and Ignis taking a quick peek at his phone. There was still nothing but that didn't mean much. If she was busy with something she usually didn't answer until the morning, which was when he was hoping to see her anyway. Perhaps he would drop by her apartment in the hopes of catching her long before her day began and treat her to breakfast.

"Maybe we'll just meet up at that bar instead. At least then she can't avoid you," mused Gladio, nodding at the waitress who brought him another drink.

"I certainly feel at times she goes out of her way to make her presence scarce. As if she's afraid of something."

"Tell me about it. You should have seen mine's face when I asked her to come up with me the other day."

Ignis frowned in thought, remembering how Gladio was a little late coming to pick him up. It was shortly after his girlfriend left, certainly they could have bumped into each other in the elevator, however, the Shield was stopped by his girl instead. There was no mention of anyone else and why would there be? Still, the timing of it all was quite coincidental, even if the two young ladies were not similar in many ways. The bespectacled man really needed to put these fears to rest, things he observed and likely was pushed aside in order to continue his courting. Matters of the heart were complicated and often blinding.

"What did you say her name was again?" asked Ignis, having trouble remembering.

"Never really did," Gladio shrugged.

"I do recall you mentioning a post-secondary education."

"Yep. That's over and done with."

That was troubling. The one thing they did have in common was over at the exact same time, though if they were roughly around the same age then that was purely coincidental. Ignis was not far away in age from Gladio so it was likely that they were courting two women in the same age group. The mere fact that they were in similar fields shouldn't amount to anything, nor the shoes. However...

"They must be similar in age and size."

Gladio shrugged, "Maybe. Bring 'er around and then I can tell you."

"If only she weren't as elusive as yours."

"You said your girl was shy. Mine ain't. She ain't afraid of nothing except meeitin' you for some reason."

Ignis sighed, letting those words sink in. The man recalled when Gladio had told him about how she had found out about his career and the reaction she had to it. To a lot of people it was hard to take in, understandable why the young lady wouldn't want to put herself into a position like that. Perhaps he was reading into this too deeply, looking for things that didn't exist because he was having trouble accepting that there was someone in his life. The vision of his future never accounted for this before so her perhaps those insecurities were a fear of not having the girl in his life at all. Curious.

"Indeed," the man smiled, "An Ebony would have been most welcome this morning."

"It's really too bad she couldn't make you one though, she's really good at it," said Gladio, smirking with his words beginning to slur.

"Yes well, I've no shortage of exquisite Ebony myself. The young lady I'm courting is a barista after all," replied Ignis.

"Yeah but you ain't tried nothing until you had this."

"I'm afraid I do not have much of a sweet tooth."

"Nothing like that."

"I've been enjoying more Breve than Ebony."

"Me too, she puts this coffee together in the machine-"

"It's a special blend of espresso with a lovely aroma."

"With whiskey on the bottom and-"

"Altissian creme."

The last two words were said in unison, both men looking at each other. Gladio frowned while Ignis had his mouth open, ready to speak, however, the words wouldn't come to him. As realization dawned on the Shield, he put his glass down, connecting all the signs he hadn't noticed until now. Ignis sighed again, reaching for his own drink and going over all his suspicions in his head.

Summary:  She tried leaving, submerging herself in work to escape the horrors she had seen. The horrors she kept seeing. She never wanted to go back to that life. But when the Empire takes her home, she’s forced to face her past. Can she move on? Can she cope? Or will she require a bit of help? still bad at summaries, still working on it. ever so slightly more than slight AU gadioxoc

Misdiagnosed

...

The morning progressed a lot smoother once Gladiolus and Athenacia had returned from the river. The girl blanched at the sight of her own vomit pile, to which Ignis tasked Gladio to smooth away with water. Happy to comply, the young doctor was forced into a chair in order to rest. It wasn't just the vomit that made her sick, it was the sight of a burn mark in the chair she was sleeping in and she was hoping that no one had taken notice of it, assuming it had happened sometime with the fire popping. Averting the stern gaze of Ignis, she merely accepted the cool drink of honey and ginger for her nerves and kept her attention to her patient. That man likely suspected something of her anyway and Cor wouldn't want him asking questions. At least Prompto was feeling much better, his concussion had taken a big turn in the right direction. When Athenacia had a moment, she put on a pair of latex gloves and started probing around. The swelling had gone down considerably and his conversation wasn't as delayed as yesterday. Okay, so she cheated a little while he slept but no one really needed to know that. His vitals were normal and she took note of it all before she was again forced into a seat to try and relax.

Noctis had made his appearance as well, just as breakfast was ready. Athenacia noted that he looked much better than last night when they had spoken, smiling briefly at him and he gave her a small nod before accepting a plate of food from Iris. The girl happily sat beside him in a chair, leaving Gladiolus the only one without a seat, a problem that he solved quite easily. Handing Athenacia his plate of food left her curiously holding both meals and it was far too late for her to stop his actions when she realized what was happening. Gladio lifted her easily out of her seat and then placed her on his lap once he took the chair from her, making her squeal and face turn that familiar shade of crimson at his actions, wondering how she miraculously hadn't managed to spill either of their breakfast.

"Thanks, Doc!" said the Shield, taking his plate with a grin.

Athenacia had no words, still in stunned silence at what just happened while Prompto was laughing at her red face, wasting no time in gathering his camera to capture the moment. It wasn't until far too late that she had snapped out of it and sighed. That boy was always getting her most embarrassing moments it seemed. Gladiolus kept that grin on his face, the other three in their own world of a conversation, however, the morning would end and when it did the time to hit the road was upon them. Everything was cleaned, packed and ready to go in what seemed to be record time. Once everything was ready, Gladio took his spot in the driver's seat of her truck. The doctor struggled to open the passenger door, groaning in frustration at its refusal to comply with her wishes. Glaring at the Shield who began to laugh instead of helping her, she gave up entirely and climbed into the bed with a huff. Gladio opened the back winder, enabling her to hear him laughing at her. Athenacia groaned again, putting her back to him and crossing her arms as she pointedly looked away.

"Come on, Doc, I'll help you," he said between laughs.

"I'm fine right here, thank you," she said curtly, keeping her gaze on the water.

The Regalia drove away, leaving the two of them where they were. Athenacia watched as it got further, wondering why he was still sitting here. There was no reason to be sitting here, she was fine on the bed of the truck.

"I'll open the door for you," offered Gladio.

"I'm fine. You better get going or we'll get left behind," she replied.

"I'm not moving until you're up here."

"You don't need me in there."

"I'll get lonely."

"Then you should have gone in your fancy car."

"Come on, Doc, get up here."

"No thanks."

"Don't make me come back there," he warned.

She scoffed, "You wouldn't! We're falling behind."

"We'll be even further behind if you make me get out of this seat."

"How do you figure?"

"Because if I have to come back there I'm going to take my time getting you up here."

Her head snapped to meet his gaze. Gladiolus was giving her that wolfish smile and it made her feel heat on her cheeks. Athenacia held her glare though, neither of them moving. The longer they stayed like this the further away the others would get. She also knew that he would make good on his promise, she just wasn't sure whether or not she wanted him to or not. There was no denying it was long overdue, she craved him, however, her logic stopped her from giving in to her whims. The last thing she wanted was the others coming back to check on what was taking them so long. Finally he removed his gaze from her, opening the door and she grew scared.

"Okay, okay!" she conceded, stopping him in his tracks.

Gladiolus smirked, closing the door as she moved to open the window as far as it could. Tossing in her med bag first, she then placed her sheathed weapon on the seat. Finally, she put her arms through the window, pulling herself in. When her upper body was in, she rolled to get her legs there as well and was startled by a swift swat on her left rear cheek.

"Gladio!" she seethed through her teeth as she moved to sit.

He only laughed at her, "Just thought I'd give you a hand."

Athenacia growled at him while he continued to laugh, starting the engine and taking off finally. Turning her gaze away from him again, her face turned red at his actions and she kept her feet on the dash since there was no room for them on the ground. When the Regalia came into view she was able to relax a little, dropping her hands and leaning back in her seat. They were quiet during the drive, Athenacia shutting her eyes tightly. The sun was out and the skies were clear but the rays were hurting her head, rubbed her sinuses above her eyes and wincing at the pain she felt. Lying down and burying her face in her arms was a nice reprieve, smiling when she felt Gladiolus's hand come to rest on her shoulder. Moving it to help block out the light from her eyes, she kept her hand on top of his while he drove, absently wove designs into his skin. That seemed to alleviate the pain and she internally sighed with content. Before long she was dozing, keeping herself conscious but letting her eyes rest in order to ease her pain.

As the time passed she started to feel nauseous. There seemed to be a pulsing wave of dizziness coming from just behind her right ear. Wincing, she sneaking her fingers underneath Gladio's massive hand and rubbed behind the source. It calmed her down a bit, however, she felt herself have a heat flash, trying to remember something important about that spot. Another wave of nausea hit her and she felt sweat coat her entire body. The pulsing only got worse, leaving her light headed and the pain in her sinuses was returning, her face distressed at what she was feeling.

"Doc, you're really warm, you okay?" asked Gladiolus.

He removed his hand, which was almost drenched in her sweat. Looking down briefly, he noted how she covered her face at the light. It wasn't like this morning, she felt more feverish now, like she had caught a cold. He waited for her to answer as she remained still.

"I think I just need some air," she said finally in a light voice.

He nodded, "I'll take care of it."

Athenacia heard him honk the horn - probably to get the attention of the others - before feeling him begin to decelerate, pulling over off the road. She had no idea where they were but once the engine was off she slowly peeled her hands back from her face. The sun rays were still hurting her sinuses but lack of movement helped her nausea and dizziness. Slowly she got up, reaching for the door handle in order to get out. Of course the thing wouldn't budge and she sighed in exasperation, hearing Gladiolus vacate his seat. There was no sense in wasting time so she exited on his side. Gladio stood, not touching her but ready to steady her if need be. The physician caught the curious glance of Ignis while Iris, Prompto and Noctis were looking over the railing at the ocean. Athenacia carefully made her way over there, breathing in the fresh air and feeling her nausea subside. Gladiolus stayed close to her and she wished Ignis would stop staring at her. Clearly he didn't trust her and he had every right not to, however, not for the reasons he was probably conjuring up in his mind.

"Are you ill?" asked the bespectacled man finally.

"No, I think I misdiagnosed," she lied quickly, "My symptoms are that of a mild concussion."

"How did you miss that?" asked Gladiolus.

"Carelessness. I was so focused on Prompto I wasn't really giving myself much thought beyond my obvious physical wounds."

It was sound reasoning and convinced the Shield. Ignis, however, seemed suspicious still but chose not to comment on the matter. At some point they were going to have to confront each other, luckily she had been avoiding most topics of her origin long enough she was adept in it. The doctor wasn't really worried about him figuring out that she was some kind of monster, however, the Imperial spy theory was still at large - though the fate of Athenacia Virum hadn't actually been revealed into the media, she figured that some people might have blamed her for what happened in the Crown City. None of that even mattered, she always had Cor on her side and only a fool would openly defy him.

"Sorry, I just need a minute," she said, hating that she was holding them up.

"Take all the time you need," replied Ignis.

Athenacia smiled at him before he turned his attention elsewhere, leaving her with Gladiolus looking out at the sea. Sighing, she slumped down to her knees, trying to calm down her panic attack. The pulsing behind her right ear had ceased for now and her nerves were getting better, almost as if it were a shot of epinephrine. There were other people enjoying the view: two off to her right and two on the left. The girl leaned her forehead on her hands, that were still grasping the railing. Gladio was a tower over her, hovering protectively despite no danger around them. Her body temperature was lowering, she no longer felt coated in any sweat. The breeze rustled her hair on her back, reminding her that she hadn't bothered to put it up this morning and her bangs were stuck to her forehead from her previous perspiration. Her skin cooled down, forming goosebumps all along her bare arms and she took in a large breath, the nausea finally going away. Those sensitive ears of hers perked up when she heard the men beside her talking.

"Heard about the Imperial base?"

"Yeah, some Lucians went in and raised hell!"

"They raised hell alright! Put the base commander in the hospital."

"I heard that was Athenacia Virum."

"The Imperial spy?"

"Yeah, that one. After she brought down Insomnia she ran back to her masters. The Lucians caught up with her but she turned on her own men to try and keep up her cover."

Athenacia's grip on the railing tightened. She had no idea it was this bad, that the rumours about her had come this far. So she was blamed for the complete fall of the city, she had thought that maybe it would have died down by now, or that she would have been kept out of other mouths. Where did they even get the idea that she was anywhere near that base anyway?

"What does she even want?"

"The downfall of the royal family. The Prince is alive somewhere and still her target."

"The Immortal is stupid to trust her."

"One day that bitch will get what's coming to her."

"Wish it were someday soon."

Athenacia kept an angry frown on her face, absently she moving her hair so that it was hiding the identifying scar on her neck. Gladiolus lifted her from her knees gently, keeping an arm around her shoulders while she tried to make herself as small as possible.

"Let's get out of here," he said in disgust.

She didn't respond but allowed him to lead her back towards her truck.

...

The drive toward Caem continued with Athenacia still feeling sick to her stomach but not the same way as before, now she was just sick knowing she was the scapegoat of the Lucians. Absently she fingered the scab on her left cheek, the one that had started to peel away in some places. The one she had gotten from Caligo after saving a crowd of Lucians from his wrath. There was nowhere she could go without being reminded of the monster she truly was. No one even knew what she looked like, they were just making it up as they went along. In troubled times people always looked for someone to blame. Perhaps that was her punishment after what she had done all those years ago. Internally sighing, she kept her gaze on the ocean, slouching with her legs up on the dash. She couldn't even enjoy the calm beauty of it after what happened earlier, feeling Gladiolus take her hand away from her face and keep it within his own.

"Doc," he called to her gently.

Athenacia didn't wish to acknowledge him, the words of those men still running through her mind. She didn't need his sympathies, hated that she even let any of this get to her. She was better than this and she knew it.

"Hey," he squeezed her hand slightly.

"What?" she replied, a little coldly without meaning to.

"You can't-"

"I don't want to talk about it," she cut him off, taking her hand back.

Gladio frowned, glancing at her briefly. The physician crossed her arms over her chest with that same scowl on her face staring out the window. It was a shame such a beautiful sight was being wasted with hurt feelings. Times like these he wished there was something he could do for her. Back in the Crown City, it was a lot easier to distract her from those kinds of people, however, things were a lot different now. Not only were they not in the City but she was being blamed for the treaty going awry; a treaty that she wasn't anywhere near, a life that she walked away from after the first time. In the city she could live as normal a life as possible and her walls crumbled a lot easier. Now they were back up in full force. It seemed that once he had managed to break through they just rebuilt themselves and stronger than before. Certainly it was a challenge to keep at them, but he wouldn't quit.

"No one that matters believes that," said Gladiolus.

"I said I don't want to talk about it," she repeated curtly.

"I just wanna make sure you know that."

Athenacia looked over at him, the scowl fading from her face. The man had his eyes trained on the road and she was able to see how her distress appeared to bother him. This wasn't the first time she had seen that look before, tearing away her gaze and internally sighing at her own behaviour. It would be foolish to fight someone on her side, she had done enough of that as a youth so she relaxed her defences. The day was growing later and she could see a large lighthouse come into view. It was Caem, meaning their journey together was ending. All the hardened feelings she had dropped with that realization. Last time they parted ways it didn't end well and she didn't want that to happen again this time. Now more than ever she wanted to be close to him.

Shifting over to where he was, she sneaking her hand into his own and leaned her head on his shoulder while keeping her eyes distant as they once again found the lighthouse. A wave of sadness burst through her, as she squeezed his hand tighter. After all the time since the fall of the city and all the isolation she put herself in she was happy that Cor forced her on this journey; that she was able to spend the time with Gladiolus, restoring the hurt feelings and fixing the issues in their universe. Athenacia watched as the Regalia began to slow down, the brake lights shining back at them and the Shield followed suit, pulling over just as they finished crossing the bridge. Curious, she sat up as he turned off the engine before opening the door. It was odd to stop when they were so close, however, if it meant more time with him she wasn't going to complain. Walking to the front of the truck, she leaned against the hood as she waited patiently for their next move.

"What's up?" asked Gladiolus.

"I want a better view of the ocean!" said Iris excitedly.

"It is going to be dark soon, finding shelter would be the best course of action," mused Ignis.

"Camping again?" groaned Noctis.

"You got a problem with camping?" challenged Gladio.

Athenacia smiled. Obviously, this was a very frequent discussion on their journey. Noctis opted to not engage, which may have been smart on his part. Regardless, settling down for the night was the decision. The doctor didn't mind, happy to spend more time with them since they were basically a hop and skip away from their destination. Grabbing her med bag and weapon, she purposely avoiding the passenger door of the truck, certain it wouldn't open for her anyway and she really wasn't interested in frustrating herself for no reason. Memories flooded her as she followed them down the stairs, Iris getting excited once they made their way toward the shore. Athenacia stopped a moment, as the sun was getting lower to the horizon. The sky wasn't orange yet but it would start soon, a peaceful view of the water finally and then looked on toward the lighthouse solemnly. A sad smile passed across her lips, those earlier feelings of sorrow returning at the inevitable separation she would face once they arrived. An arm snaked around her shoulders and she looked up to see Gladiolus standing next to her. The others were walking away, Iris along the shore with Noctis and Prompto. Before they go too far, she allowed the large man beside her to lead her away, still keeping his arm about her.

There was a haven right near the waterfront, a place she had been to once before that she remembered. On top of that, the Prince had the perfect place to catch them some dinner. Iris and Prompto were happily enjoying watching him fish, something the young doctor did not understand at all, however, she helped set up camp, just as the sun was starting to turn the sky a vibrant orange. Once she was finished, Ignis busied himself with getting dinner ready while Gladiolus had a fire going and that's when she decided to take off her boots. Running her fingers over her shin, the scab from the drill hole was starting to flake away like her other lacerations.

Rising from her seat, she took a look at the water and smiled at the young ones fishing, taking in all the sights before her. Athenacia wished to store them in memory, not wanting to lose this feeling as the lighthouse still to loomed over her. Sighing, her gaze moved down the coast, beckoning to her. Hopping down from the haven, she walked toward the shore, allowing the water to hit her feet. The sun was just above the waterline, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Smiling, she began to walk away, completely engrossed in her thoughts as the jagged and rocky ground beneath the water forced her to keep her balance. Athenacia thought about Caligo and where he would be once he healed, thought about Ardyn, the Imperial Chancellor that had chased her around the country. Their last meeting had left her nothing but confused about her own origins and while she couldn't trust that man at all - anything he said - she wanted to know his truth, wanted to know what about her was so special to them. More than ever, she wished to meet her mother, the woman absent from her life. Would she even know that her child was still alive? Her hand absently went to her neck, the missing necklace there. The doctor sighed again, wishing that Cor were here so she could speak with him. He had to know what was going on, and had to know something more than he was telling her. All her life she was certain he was keeping things from her, yet he avoided questions so that he could never lie to her.

Athenacia screamed when she felt herself being lifted off the ground. She was met with the smiling face of Gladiolus, who firmly had an arm around her shoulders while holding her legs up at the knees. Relaxing, she let his warm feeling spread through her body, remembering the last time he had held her like this. Well, she tried not to get further into that night, but the start of it was alright. Wrapping her small arms around his neck, she pulled him for a kiss, wishing that their time together could be extended somehow. A content sigh escaped her as she leaned her head against him, her forehead just under his jaw and she breathed in his familiar scent.

"What are you doing out here?" asked the physician, looking up at him

"You looked lonely," answered Gladio.

"I assure you I was not lonely."

"You don't have to lie to me Doc, I know you get lonely without me."

She laughed, "The ego it just never fades, does it?"

"What would you do without it?"

"Live peacefully I think," she smirked.

"Watch it, or you'll end up in the ocean."

"Sounds like a better time than entertaining your ego."

He shrugged, "You're the boss," he began to walk deeper into the water.

"What?!" her eyes widened, moving to look at him, "No! Gladio, I was kidding!"

"Sounded pretty serious to me, Doc," he grinned at her.

"Honestly, I'm not interested!"

"I gotta make you wet one way or another."

Athenacia sputtered as her face turned a very dark shade of crimson. The man only laughed at her as they were up to his knees in the water and she held onto him tighter, not wanting to go in. Keeping the grin on his face, his hand around her shoulders dropped so that he could dig his fingers into the sensitive flesh at her ribs. Her resolve was much higher than the last time he had gotten her to detach from him, however, he still won in the end, struggling as she desperately tried to take control of herself.

"Gladio! No!" she shouted once he had finally succeeded.

Her body plunged into the water with a huge splash, Gladio keeping the grin on his face and waited for her to emerge so he could see her disgruntled look. The sun was low enough that he couldn't see her through the surface of the water and she was taking her time to get back up. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, the waves grew calmer with each passing second and there was still no sign of her. Taking a step forward, he could feel the jagged edges on his feet and wanted to make sure she hadn't smacked her head, certain he was far enough in that rocks wouldn't have affected her. Before he could conduct his search, something small jutted into the back of his knees. It was quick and he had no choice but to fall into the water as well, taken completely by surprise. Surfacing quickly, he saw Athenacia swimming to shore, leaving him in the wake of her laughter. She wasn't getting away with that. Gladiolus easily caught up to her, grinning at the squeal she released when he grabbed her ankles and pulled her body toward his, letting his knees touch the sharp rocks to steady himself. The girl was still struggling, however, he managed to wrap his arms around her, holding her wrists as they crisscrossed against her chest. Athenacia was still giggling as he kept a tight hold on her against him.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

She only laughed harder, "I'm a doctor, Gladio, I know all the weak spots."

"You'll have to show me someday."

"After what you just did? You'll be lucky if you get to see me doctor at all."

"See you doctor?" he quirked a brow.

She giggled again, "Just trying to dumb it down for you to understand."

He brought his lips to her neck, capturing the flesh there, "Don't make me punish you," he said in a low and very husky tone.

The excitement within her jolted awake. Athenacia wanted nothing more than for him to do just that, however, she did not make the same mistake twice. They were in a very similar situation back in the Malmalam Thicket and had been gone long enough, someone would come looking. The sun had almost completely gone down, they were best not sitting around in the dark anyway and she was unarmed. No, the logic knew best, she wouldn't let herself get caught up in her own selfish desires, no matter how hard it was to fight them off. Turning to face him, she tasted him while she could, feeling one of his hands leave her wrist and slowly work its way down toward her abdomen and pull her closer against his body. Gods he was making it so difficult and she allowed him to continue, pushing herself into him as his other hand released its grip and found one of her breasts. The tiniest moan escaped her as his hand was dangerously close to her pant line. When he released her from their kiss he stared at her a moment, taking her in and remembering that dreamy look.

And then he pushed back into the water with a grin.

Gladio was laughing as he rose to his feet beginning to walk away from her. He turned once he heard her growl, only laughing harder at her. Athenacia looked extremely displeased with what had just happened, finding her own feet and attempting to stamp away from him. The actions only caused him to continue to roar, as he gave her left buttock a firm smack on her way by. Growling again, she tried to swat away his hand as she passed by, wishing to get as far away from him as possible.

"Hey Doc," he called after her once his fit of laughter subsided.

"What?" she turned to look at him with her arms crossed.

The Shield walked up to her, keeping that same grin on his face and she didn't falter her glare, truly upset with letting him get to her in the first place. He bent down so that his mouth was close to her ear, the scar on her neck reflecting into his peripherals. Goosebumps formed on her neck as his breath touched her.

"Told you I'd make you wet," he smirked.

Gladiolus roared with laughter again as he pulled away. Although the sun had gone down he knew that her face was extremely red as she sputtered in anger and embarrassment to regain her composure. Finally, she growled again, her fists clenched at her side as she looked at him.

"Y-you wish!" she said in a huff, walking away from him.

Summary:  In the hustle of the Crown City, you suddenly find yourself in a situation you never thought you would be in, caught between two worlds with an impossible choice lying before you. You quickly learn how much grey is in between the black and white life you thought you once knew. Some AU I suppose. Still bad at summaries. Gladio x OC, Ignis x OC, Gladio x OC x Ignis. femreader. smut.

Waste A Moment

...

Gladiolus left his car outside of the apartment building, nodding at the doorman on the way in before walking to the elevator. It was early in the morning, before the sun had even risen, however, he had things to do and the schedule worked out better this way. Having some time off a few days ago was more than enough leisure, especially since he wasn't particularly just lazing about for most of it. The amount of stamina he used when being intimate with his girlfriend astounded him at times, really taking it out of him after the first couple rounds before he had to recuperate for the night and continue in the morning. Smirking, he wondered when he could get that girl alone again, not surprised that she didn't answer her phone last night but knowing she would as soon as she saw it.

As the lift travelled down the floors he pulled out his own phone, noting that there was still nothing waiting, however, it was far too early anyway. If it wasn't for the fact that he had to be awake he was certain he would have slept in at least another two hours before getting up for a run. Rubbing his eyes, a sigh escaped his lips just as the elevator doors opened in front of him. Before he had a chance to step inside, a very familiar figure found its way straight into him, making him grunt and immediately reach out in order to catch whoever was trying to run through him like paper.

"Sorry!"

The girl in his arms shouted, stumbling slightly before gasping as she looked up. Gladio was a bit shocked to see that his girlfriend was here, running out of the very place that he was entering. Frowning, he was able to note the redness in her eyes and the sheer surprise of his appearance - though it was a strange situation.

"Gladio!" your eyes were wide upon seeing him, fully awake now.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Never one for idle small talk, you tried to quickly find a reason for being here, one that didn't involve revealing to him that you were seeing another man at the same time. The Shield kept his gentle grip upon you, waiting patiently for an answer while the elevator behind closed and went up the floors.

"Oh I... um.. Terra," you blurted.

"Terra? That girl from the other day?"

"Yeah, I... spent the night at her place."

The man grunted, nodding in understanding and you were happy he was still holding onto you or else you would have surely fallen to the ground with how weak your legs just became at the weight lifted from you. You felt his thumbs rub against your bare skin before one of them pushed on a sore spot on your shoulder. Wincing, you looked over and felt another wave of panic flood through you, wishing your sweater hadn't fallen down your arm. You were so tired that you hardly noticed anything, desperate to keep Ignis from coming down with you in order to give you a ride to work. It was better this way, you needed some space to try and sort out your thoughts, which didn't help with Gladio literally waiting on the other side of the doors.

"What happened there?"

It was the mark from last night he was inquiring about, the one that you thought was on your neck. You were able to see that the teeth marks had faded, however, a bruise still remained, oval and dark against your skin. Absently you tried to hide it, along with your shame as you kept your eyes averted from him.

"Just bumped into something," you shrugged it off.

Gladio laughed, meaning you were in the clear. At least some part of you was a clutz so it was easy to believe you would have run into any object without noticing. You weren't sure if you should be offended or thrilled, either way, you dodged the bullet this time. And then it hit you.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, meeting his gaze.

"Carpool," he answered, letting his hands drop.

"What now?"

"Here to grab Iggy so we can go to work. Schedules are the same this week."

You nodded, feeling the burn in your eyes return momentarily before his words sunk in and had you alert once more. Gladio was on his way upstairs to meet Ignis, the very man that you had spent the night with. You literally would have been caught if you didn't leave when you did and that thought had your heart racing.

"You wanna come up?"

"C-come up?" you almost squeaked.

"Yeah. Iggy wouldn't mind, probably like to meet you."

"Uh..."

This was an overload, you weren't ready for this right now. Oh how you wished that you had actually slept last night instead of all those extra activities. What were you even supposed to say to him? Yeah that'd be great. We can all have a huge conversation about how I've actually been fucking both of you since we met. Yeah right, if only it were that simple. None of this was easy and it was far too early for you to even function let alone deal with the mess you had created for yourself.

"I can't," you said.

"Ah, come on star shine," said Gladio, drawing you closer to the point that his face was mere inches from yours, "You gotta meet them sooner or later. I prefer later but, getting it over with works for me to."

"I..."

You having trouble focusing, his musky scent invading your nostrils and making you light headed. Obviously the man was freshly showered and it was utterly intoxicating. In a haze, your lids grew heavy, your nose ghosting along his before a tentative kiss was placed against you. You were swooning, far too caught up in everything that is Gladiolus to notice that time was wasting. If it wasn't for the elevator chiming its arrival behind you, certainly you would have gone anywhere he wanted without a second thought.

"I can't," you replied, putting some distance between you, "I have to get home."

"We can drive you," suggested the Shield, keeping you in a loose embrace.

"My place is too far out of the way."

He shrugged, "I'm sure he won't mind."

I know he won't since he was going to anyway.

"Some other time. I'm not even close to being presentable to meet one of your friends, especially if they live in this fancy building."

"I don't care about that."

You smiled, allowing his words to warm your heart before kissing him again. The fact that your appearance wasn't much of an issue to him reminded you of how casual and easy things were with him - so much so that you never clued in that he was the Prince's sworn Shield. Gladio never made you feel out of place and it was something you absolutely adored about him.

"You may not care," you whispered, "but I do. Please?"

Gladiolus released an exasperated sigh and you smiled at knowing you had won. The man pulled you in for another kiss, one of his large hands squeezing your rear cheek and making you squeal.

"I'll see you tonight," he said, releasing you from his hold.

"Yeah," you smiled before whipping around to confirm what he just told you, "Tonight?"

The elevator doors nearly closed so he stuck his arm through in order to keep them open.

"Yeah. Tonight."

"Did we have plans?"

"We do now."

You were so shocked that you had no reply, gaping at him while the echo of his laughter was all you were left with.

Gladiolus continued to snicker before he was on the right floor, walking down the hallway and barging into the apartment without knocking. Ignis was awake, sipping from his mug and leaning against the counter. The Shield was easily able to see that the man hadn't slept much in the night, quirking a brow before taking the mug on the island and a long drink from it.

"This is good," said Gladio, looking down at his beverage.

"A happy concoction from a very important lady," replied Ignis.

The larger man gave his friend a knowing smirk, suspicions confirmed when a brush of pink reached his cheeks and eyes averted back to his mug. Gladiolus took another drink before setting his own down noisily and crossing his arms over his chest, taking a quick look around the apartment. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, amber hues settled back on Ignis, waiting patiently for an explanation.

"You hiding her from me?" asked Gladio.

"Don't be preposterous. The girl merely has other obligations."

"Mhm, nothing to do with me."

"If you must know, your presence was hardly thought of let alone mentioned this morning."

"Too busy huh?"

Ignis released an exasperated sigh as Gladiolus laughed. Either way the man had fallen into a trap and there was no way to avoid it. At least his girlfriend wasn't here to endure the unpleasant qualities the Shield possessed, certain she would find such behaviour unappealing. Of course, it was hard to know after meeting Elise on more than one occasion.

"You're a little later than expected," said Ignis, changing the subject.

Gladiolus stopped laughing, however, kept that grin on his lips before taking another drink. It was a look that was growing more frequent on the man's face, something Ignis had not failed to notice as of late. Perhaps it was easy to spot now that he himself often felt much the same way.

"Ran into my girl on the way out," replied Gladio.

"Splendid," Ignis nodded, "She lives in the building?"

The Shield snorted, "I wish, be easier to keep an eye on her. Got a friend here though so at least she was in a good place last night."

"We are fortunate to be in our positions."

"You got that right."

"Since you are late we must depart before we become tardy as well."

Gladio downed the last of his coffee, nodding once before turning toward the exit.

...

Eyes burning, you lied on your bed completely exhausted after your morning shift. Elise wasn't there again, however, came to relieve you after the lunch rush and you were never more thankful in your life. You were so tired you didn't even have the energy to shower, wishing you took the time before leaving Ignis's apartment instead of feeling disgusted at your own filth. The thought of Gladio convincing you to go upstairs was enough to get your heart racing. All kinds of hell would have broken loose should you have accepted his invitation. Your mind wandered, thinking about the horrors of it, of walking up to the door and coming in with the large man behind you. The two of them would surely look shocked to see how familiar you were, especially when they saw each other.

You would shrink back at the disappointment in each of their faces, the pain you caused them by going behind their backs the way that you did. It didn't matter which one looked at you, it was the same amount of agony that you didn't want for either man. Gladiolus would be in a fit of rage, of that you were certain and Ignis's disappointment would shatter your inner being to pieces. Explaining to them what happened solved nothing, you were at fault for this and there was no way to justify your actions. Tears streaming down your face, you go to leave - only to be stopped by the large man as you walked by. The scowl on his face didn't cease to hurl your guilt any further, Ignis walking up to you as well while you were stuck, waiting for the killing blows you more than deserved.

They never came, the hand holding you still firmly and gently pulling you away from the door. Gladiolus blocked it, blocked your escape as you faced Ignis who was closing in on you. Pulse quickening, you recognized that look in his eye and it confused you completely. You flinched when a pair of large hands were placed on either side of your hips, holding you still as Ignis claimed your lips, swallowing a surprised squeal at what exactly was going on here. The taste of him was enough to melt your brain, all senses heightened as you allowed the spell to take over. Your skin began to burn where you were being touched, one hand on the large one and another reaching for the lean man before you. The second kiss was much more anticipated, pushing you against the man behind you as there were no more gaps between you and Ignis either. Heat pooled into your core as you were easily able to feel the arousal on both sides, moaning at the way they pushed against you.

Gladio placed a kiss to your neck, igniting a fire within you as Ignis tasted you once more, one hand on your breast and toying absently with it while another larger one fondled the opposite, rear cheek. You weren't sure what to do, trying to keep up with what was happening long before it started. The more time that passed, the hungrier you grew as you moaned loudly, both of them breaching your clothes on top and bottom and toying with your bare skin. You were so hot you could hardly breathe, eyes shut as you tried to figure out what to do aside from feel. There was so much going on all at once, so hard to focus and you could feel the release building up quickly, coming out much faster than you anticipated.

It was the knock on the door - or maybe the wall - that had you jump awake. Rubbing your eyes, you noted the smell on your hand meant that you were quite busy in your sleep, making you groan as you reached for your phone. Six hours you slept, not even noticing the messages that came through while it was beside your head. Sighing, you noted the text from Gladio and jumped up immediately. The man was on his way and you didn't want to keep him waiting, hopping in the shower after tossing the device away.

...

A few days later found you again at Gladiolus's apartment, having the night off work finding it hard to get your mind off him. After that run-in you had with him on your way out of Ignis's apartment, you were more careful about keeping the boys and your time with them separate. You hardly slept at your place, maybe once since the last encounter, dividing your time between them evenly and creating a balance that you were enjoying, running away from the guilt and horrid feelings that surfaced when you were alone. Ignis you saw last night so tonight you made time for the Shield.

Gladio had fed you his steady diet of noodles once you both had gotten back from a hike you particularly liked. It was more romantic than you were used to, the sun setting just behind the Citadel as you sat there in his embrace watching with distant eyes. There was never anything more beautiful before and your only regret was that Ignis wasn't there to see it with you. Lately you had yearned for the two of them to share in these intimate moments with you at the same time instead of separately, however, you knew that it could never be, making sure they weren't together with you. Still swooning, you handed Gladiolus his beverage - whiskey heavy - and joined him on the bed. That look in his amber hues drew you to him, enfolding his arms around you after taking a long drink and allowing you to taste your handiwork.

Hands found their way beneath the hem of your shirt, fingers running along your bare skin in such a light way you were certain you shivered but was too caught up in the moment to really take notice. Gladio was mesmerized by something in you, easy to see swirling around in those orbs as your breath hitched in your throat. Gently he pulled you closer for another kiss, hardly as aggressive as usual which was throwing you off. You were lowered down from your position above him, wrapping your arms around his neck in order to stay attached to him. With clouded eyes you were struck by the raw emotion you saw in his own gaze upon you, lost in it completely as he lowered himself gently toward you to claim your lips again, soft and light, and igniting a fire within you.

Fingers raking through his hair, a long drawn out sigh was swallowed by him as he sheathed himself fully within you. His hot breath on your face beckoned you for another taste, slow thrusts deep inside. Each pulse sent you further over the edge, every inch felt in those slick walls right to the end and back out, making you clench in order to keep him in place. Liquid amber orbs followed you, grunts from him and small moans escaping you. Legs closed around him, unable to set a pace you wanted. The intimacy between you was more than enough, something never done before and invigorating you further. It wasn't long before you were clutching him tightly, telling him exactly how you felt in a simply cry into his ear.

Gladiolus wasn't far behind you and you held him in place when he was finished, refusing to let his warmth leave you just yet. A gentle kiss was planted to your forehead and you smiled, holding him close. This was so off for the both of you, however, you enjoyed every second of it, loving that you were going further in your relationship. If only it could last, if you were able to find a way to offset your divided heart and know where you wanted to be. For now, this is exactly where you belonged and you didn't want to waste a moment.

A pang from your stomach is what initially disrupted you both, Gladio raising his head slightly in order to quirk a brow in your direction. Claiming your bottom lip, you giggled at the look he was giving you, only getting louder at the faces he made with each time you clenched around him. You were disappointed when he left, still feeling him on your leg and trapped beneath his weight. Mesmerized again by that look in his eye, you pulled him close before your hunger eventually won in separating the two of you.

"You eat a lot," he noted.

The man had rolled off you, grabbing his boxers before tossing you his shirt. You huffed, covering yourself up and following him into the kitchen. This place always felt so barren, even the fridge had hardly anything in it. Even your hovel of an apartment had some personal traits that indicated you lived there but here it was more like a hotel than anything. There were some clothes in the drawers, sure, however, no trace of belongings otherwise. It was almost as if he didn't reside here at all and it always made you curious but not enough to ask about it. Gladio always appeared to be more at home when he was outside rather than stuck in four walls and perhaps that was the reason he didn't feel the need to decorate.

Since there was nothing to make aside from noodles - which you weren't interested in eating again - the Shield took the liberty of ordering in while you were busy preparing more drinks for the two of you. Gladio watched you work, constantly placing himself right behind you and impeding on your ability to finish what you started. Ordinarily you were able to ignore him, however, he had finally succeeded in distracting you enough that the counter on the other side became the next place he took you in that apartment. You weren't really complaining, everything back to normal but leaving that lingering feeling of earlier when things were out of the norm for you. Of course, all those thoughts were gone as soon as someone knocked at the door shortly after you came for the third time that night, your face bright red and the last thing you saw was a smug smirk before Gladio went to answer the door. You could kick him for that if you weren't certain that it would break your foot. The nerve of that guy! Almost as if he timed it on purpose. The man merely grinned at you while you ate, making you smile despite yourself. Too bad he didn't make noodles or you would have dumped them all on his head.

The night progressed with more teasing on his end and plenty more intimacy from the both of you. Another round had you seeing stars, holding him close while he slowly thrust into you. Whatever the reason he was taking things easy was fine with you, enjoying the moment before you were both finished and hardly able to keep yourself away any longer. You weren't certain if he whispered in your ear, or if you were dreaming it as you let yourself fall into slumber.

...

The blinds, they weren't closed. Grunting, Gladiolus winced as the sun seared into his vision, making everything red behind his eyelids. Rolling onto his back didn't help, it was too bright in the room for him to escape the morning. He was about to roll the opposite direction, however, you clutching his arm tightly rendered him immobile. Smiling lightly, he sighed before coming back to his former position, grabbing a pillow to put over his head in order to hide from the blinding light of the sun.

That was no help as seconds later an alarm went off, making you inhale deeply as you forced your eyes open and Gladio already moving to dismiss the disruptive noise. Groaning, you rolled so that you were nestled against him once more, allowing yourself to fall back into your dreams for another brief moment. This time the phone was vibrating and on instinct you reached for it. Before you tossed it aside you noted that it was Ignis calling and briefly wondered why he would be trying to reach you so early. Certainly he could wait until later? Usually he would never try to talk that early, merely left a message for you to wake up with.

It didn't matter, you were already asleep and hearing another distant noise somewhere while you dreamt. Another disapproving moan escaped you as your head fell from a large shoulder and back onto a plump pillow, a kiss placed to your cheek before all that warmth was gone from you. Stirring, you tried to stay awake and figure out what was going on, unwilling to waste a moment, however, you were so tired there wasn't a chance for your eyes to remain open. The sound of the water running told you that the man was in the shower - which was odd since usually he was up early for a run. Groaning once more, you wished that you had the energy to join him, assuming that he had to work and not knowing when you would see him again.

A content sigh escaped you, smiling when his fresh scent reached your nostrils. Lazily you opened your eyes in order to observe him change, curling the sheets around you more and then watched him walk out the bedroom door. Lids fluttered shut once more as you burrowed yourself deeper into the mattress, hearing him rummaging around in the kitchen and grumbling about something.

"You appear to be spending more time here as of late," said a familiar voice.

"It's quieter," grunted Gladiolus.

"Perhaps."

"Look Iggy, I figured it would be easier to meet here instead of there."

Summary:  She tried leaving, submerging herself in work to escape the horrors she had seen. The horrors she kept seeing. She never wanted to go back to that life. But when the Empire takes her home, she’s forced to face her past. Can she move on? Can she cope? Or will she require a bit of help? still bad at summaries, still working on it. ever so slightly more than slight AU gadioxoc

Sad Realization

...

The sun was retreating into the horizon, causing the sky to be splashed with pinks, oranges and blues. Crickets chirped their ancient song and the breeze blew in the cool night air. The fire hissed and popped as it burned, providing warmth and light in the area. Athenacia sat in a chair beside Prompto. Noctis was on his other side, still looking guilty about something. Anyone who took notice just ignored it. Iris and Ignis were also in chairs while Gladiolus opted to take the ground. They had finished their meal, cleaned up and really had nothing to do besides wait for the sun to come back up. They were talking about the day's events, and old memories they had shared together - except for Athenacia, who stayed quiet and observed. The night air was filled with their laughter and teasing of each other. Iris had the look of pure happiness on her face, truly enjoying the time she got to spend with all of them. She too would be very sad when they parted ways in Caem.

Gladiolus was leaning against Athenacia's legs on her left side. While she was trying to put distance between them, he was attempting to reassure her that there was no need for that. She felt responsible for something he had initially started in the first place. The Shield had just gotten her to drop her guard after the trauma she suffered, he did not want her to pull away from him again. Her walls were some of the toughest to break and he seemed to have trouble staying inside of them, like she was afraid of something bad happening if she did let him in. So she fought against him - probably as a second nature - and she was a very worthy opponent. Good thing he was incredibly stubborn, however, she didn't want to deter him completely either. While keeping watch of Prompto and listening in on some of their fondest memories of growing up she had managed to slip her small fingers into the dark brown locks. Slowly she caressed the top of his head while having her fingers run through the hair gently. It was easy for her to tell it was helping with whatever tension had built up inside of him since they were reunited. Gladio was very good at keeping it to himself but she was better at seeing things that most people couldn't. She was sure that he would tell her on his own time what was going on, just as she knew he trusted her to confide in him when she felt that she could. Athenacia was a healer at heart and wished to ease his pain in any way that she could. Her feelings for him only amplified that need.

As the night wore on, the faithful trek to bed began. It started with Iris who vacated to her own tent first. Ignis was the next to leave, wanting a full nights rest since he was going to be the first to wake up in the morning. Gladiolus was dozing against Athenacia's legs still, not wanting to leave her touch just yet. Prompto was also drifting off in his chair while Noctis still had his solemn look on his face as he stared into the dancing flames. The doctor had almost a similar look, neither of them speaking, not wanting to wake the others nor really knowing what to say anyway. It had been quite an eventful day. Gladiolus fell into a deeper sleep, light snores erupting from him, gained the attention of the woman he was resting against. Athenacia leaned forward, having a look at his peaceful face. The corners of her mouth twitched into a small smile, bringing her right forefinger to the bridge of his nose and ran it down the length, all the way to the tip lightly, causing him to stir. She repeated her actions until finally, he came to swat her hand away. When that didn't work he opened his eyes, realizing what was going on. He met her calm gaze and she only jerked her head toward the tent lightly. Releasing a heavy sigh, he pushed his forehead against hers a moment before getting up and going to bed.

That only left the Prince. Athenacia rose from her seat as well, taking another round of Prompto's vitals with her tools. They were normal and he had managed to hold a conversation since his injury, so it was probably safe to let him sleep. Noctis watched her every movement, right until she was settled back in her seat. The girl returned her gaze to the dancing flames in front of her, feeling exhausted already. Her body hurt from all the activity today. Once he had gone she could heal herself properly. Maybe she could get a nap in the truck, that would be nice.

"How did you do it?" asked Noctis.

Athenacia looked over at him curiously. It seemed he was waiting for this moment the entire night. Prompto was passed out and everyone else had gone to bed but only he remained, with that look of guilt he had been wearing since they left the thicket. She had wondered if he was going to say anything at all, was surprised that he managed it. What's more, she didn't know why he was choosing to have this conversation with her. It wasn't like the two of them were close at all. While she enjoyed his company and was able to carry a conversation with him, her troubled past had always led her to keep her distance from him.

"Do what?" she kept her voice light.

"How did you watch them die?"

The girl sighed, taking her gaze away and leaned back in her seat, trying to think of the best way to answer his question. Images of the battlefield and lost souls came to her mind: the trying times of war, friends bloodied and beaten dying in her arms, the smell of decaying flesh and sounds of screams all around her. That red sky, daemon eyes and azure glow that overtook everything. Athenacia quickly pushed all that away, her gaze still hard as she stared into the flames, flames that took everything away with their simple touch. Her fist tightened though she did not let him see it.

"I didn't handle it very well. I walked away, remember?" she spoke finally.

"But after a long time."

"True. Nothing can really prepare you for something like that. It never got easier, there just wasn't a choice. We always went in knowing we might not come back out, trained to fight like it was our last day. I have my limitations and sometimes that always forced me to come to terms with it."

Athenacia saw his face harden at her words. Clearly she was not helping the situation whatsoever but what did he really want from her? She was a coward mostly, never wanting to fight in the first place and opted to run away whenever she got the chance. However, this wasn't something she could just up and leave from, she had to tell him the truth because if he didn't realize this then he may very well make a big mistake. The physician truly wished that he hadn't asked her about it. Ordinarily, she wouldn't talk about her past or anything to do with it but she felt she was left without a choice after serving his father for so many years.

"If you weren't here... Prompto he..." he couldn't speak.

Immediately she understood what he was saying. This was the closest he had gotten to losing someone in front of him. The reality she had spoken of weighed heavily on him for the first time, a sad realization. Noctis was so preoccupied with the grief he carried around from losing his home. There was so much put on him all at the same time, she was truly impressed with how he was holding it together - even if it was just barely. Athenacia understood why King Regis did not want to burden his son with maintaining a wall against the Empire. He was simply too young, just a child. Of course, that was besides the point of being the Chosen King.

"Next time-"

"Stop," she commanded, "If you go into something thinking you'll fail then that's exactly what you'll do."

"I don't want anyone else to die."

"I wish I could say that they won't. I wish I had the power to stop it."

"So do I."

"But you do. That's why you're the Chosen."

The Prince looked unhappy to hear that. They were silent again, both of them gazing at the dancing flames before them. Athenacia waited for him to speak again, knowing that this conversation wasn't over. There was nothing she could do for him, not knowing exactly how to help him since she had no idea what he had been through. Until she had been dating Gladiolus for a while in the city, she really had no idea where he was and how he got there and it seemed as time went on she was just discovering more about him that was supposed to be a story.

"Why me?"

His question caused her to laugh without actually meaning to. Noctis looked at her in alarm and she gave him an apologetic look, trying to stop her giggles. Athenacia wasn't sure she hadn't heard someone ask "Why me?" when they were faced with something they felt was impossible. As soon as he had asked she clearly saw in her head the child that was described to her by Gladiolus and the others, catching a glimpse of the memories everyone besides her shared for herself.

"Why not you?" she replied with a smile still on her face.

"What does that mean?"

"You inspire people. You bring out the best in them without even trying. They gravitate toward you. They believe in you. I believe in you and I never even thought it was all real, just a children's bedtime story."

The Prince held a thoughtful frown at her words. Athenacia watched him as he tore his gaze from her, going back to the fire and she internally sighed, only being reminded of why she never did psychology. Flesh and bones were much easier.

"No one else should have to put themselves in danger for me," he said sullenly.

"Everyone knows the risks," she replied, "They made that choice themselves. You can't feel guilty because you never made them do it."

Noctis sighed, looking even more upset than before. The physician turned her eyes toward her patient instead, monitoring him and missed her nurses for things like this. Glancing over at the solemn Prince, she wished there was a way for her to help him. He was just a child, he wasn't ready for the burden placed upon him. Without another word, he got up and went into the tent under her calm hazel stare, sighing at the reality of his situation.

...

The next morning Gladiolus woke up to both Prompto and Athenacia sleeping in their chairs. Ignis and Iris were already up getting breakfast ready while Noctis was still sleeping in his tent. The fire was burning down which meant that the young doctor really was up most of the night keeping watch over her patient, shoes off and underneath the chair. Her hair was down, falling against her softly as her chest rose and fell gently, her head limp against the back of the chair, falling toward the left and allowing him a glimpse of the scar on her neck. Gladio ran his eyes over it quickly before stretching and taking a peek at the morning sky. Everything seemed calm and crisp.

Looking over at the doctor once more, he noted she was beginning to twitch. The Shield recognized the signs, she was in the middle of one of her nightmares, face in distress but no one else seemed to take notice. Gladio walked over there, nodding at his sister and Ignis as he passed by. Athenacia began to jerk her head this way and that, her eyes shut tightly. Gladiolus watched as she seemed to be in more pain the longer it went on. He reached for her right hand, holding the balled up fist gently he noted she felt abnormally hot, more than she usually did but she wasn't sweating. Athenacia took in quick shallow breaths, causing him to frown as he knelt down and took hold of her cheek. Gladio shook her gently in an attempt to wake her, skin growing warmer and warmer, causing him to worry.

"Doc," he nudged her slightly.

Athenacia didn't respond, only began to shake as tears started to fall from her Shield wiped them away, keeping a firm grip on her arm while he again tried to rouse her from her nightmare. There was sweat forming on his hand where he was touching her skin.

"Doc, wake up," he said a little louder.

Her shaking became more violent as more tears streamed down her face. Her body temperature kept rising and he was forced to let go of her hand before it burned him. By now Ignis and Iris had taken notice of what was going on, looking over concerned. They didn't move, however, waiting for a signal from the Shield before they acted.

"Doc!" he shouted, taking hold of her shoulders gently and trying to jerk her out of sleep.

Gladio couldn't hold onto her for long, grunting at the pain from the burn at her touch. Was she sick? Her entire body felt almost like it was going to burst into flames. Athenacia didn't show any signs of a fever, she wasn't even sweating, making it hard for him to understand what was happening to her. This did not seem like a normal nightmare and had no idea what he could do for her aside from trying to wake her up.

"Cia, wake up!" he tried again, desperately wishing to reach her.

The doctor cried out once, not appearing to hear him. Gladiolus was growling as he tried to stop her from falling out of her chair, pushing past the pain. All eyes were on them, except Prompto who was in a deep sleep and Noctis that remained in the tent. The Shield knew that Ignis was waiting at the ready for assistance if need be, knew that the Adviser was studying this in order to act accordingly.

"Athenacia!" he yelled loudly, his voice echoing all around him.

The girl took in a sharp breath, opening her eyes in alarm. Gladio was intent on her face, shaking his head slightly. For a moment it seemed like her eyes were more almond shaped and red. Must have been a trick of the light because he definitely only saw scared hazel eyes looked all around her. Tears poured out of them as she began to hyperventilate. Gladiolus held her shoulders gently, trying to get her to focus. Athenacia was still shaking and her temperature had cooled down considerably, having trouble getting air into her lungs with her face pale. The Shield moved once he saw the warning sign, taking hold of her hair and placing that hand on her back. His other hand took her right one for extra support.

Athenacia leaned over and vomited, bile spilling out of her mouth and onto the ground near her feet. Gladiolus took the hand from her back and held it up, stopping both Ignis and Iris from coming any closer to try to help. Dismissing them, he replaced his hand on her back and rubbed it gently up and down. He kept her hair from her face as she let go of another round, gripping his hand tightly while she wretched. Spitting out the last remaining bit, her breaths became slower, remaining hunched over and not quite sure if she was done yet. Gladiolus let go of her back in order to take a glass of water from Ignis, nodding at the man before holding it in front of her face and silently offering it to her. Athenacia placed her lips on the edge of the cup and he leaned it back slowly, allowing her to take a small drink. The doctor heaved, the water moving and more bile spilling from her mouth. This one wasn't nearly as big as the last, indicating that there was no more left after this.

Again, he held the water to her and this time she took it with her own free hand and she swished it around in her mouth before spitting it in her vomit pile, taking another drink. Handing him the cup, she wiped her face clean and frowned in disgust at the bile on her hand, holding it far from her face as she sat up a little. Gladio met her gaze then, the realization of him being there finally registering to her while she hadn't released her grip on his hand and he patiently waited for her to be ready. It wasn't long before she averted her eyes in shame and he placed the cup down on the ground, helping her to her feet. Athenacia kept her eyes downcast as he led her away from the haven and toward the water. Once they reached the edge she released her grip upon him and submerged her dirty hand, kneeling down so that her legs were also wet. Gladiolus watched carefully as she cleaned up her face as well, hearing her sigh heavily and keeping her hands on her thighs as she distantly looked out in the sparkling water. The Shield had never seen her like that before and it worried him that she only appeared to be getting worse, recalling the words she had spoken to him at the haven in the thicket. Was there truly no way for her to recover from the horrors of war? Assuming that was what kept her awake at night.

"Doc..." he didn't really know what to say to her.

The girl rose from where she was knelt, shaking her hands and turning to face him. Her left eye was getting better, the purple even more faded and occupying less of her face. The scab on her cheek was flaking off and he couldn't see the wound from yesterday, tucked away in her hairline. Her creamy skin was red from the cold water, and she walked carefully out of it while shivering slightly. Instinctually he enfolded her in his massive arms, her head resting against his bare chest near the bird. Gladio frowned, noting how cold she was not when mere minutes before she was ready to burst into flames. Athenacia was always abnormally warm but during her nightmare... He had no idea how to help her, especially with the way she seemed to be keeping it all to herself. Didn't she realize that she didn't have to?

"I'm sorry," she whispered into him.

He held her tighter, "You didn't do anything," he told her gently.

"I almost puked on your feet," she pointed out.

He shrugged, "I don't care about that."

"You would if I actually hit you," she attempted to lighten up the mood.

"No," he murmured, kissing the top of her head.

Gladiolus released her, bringing his hands to rest on either side of her face. Athenacia looked up at him and he could see that she was uneasy, making his frown deeper while wishing that she would let him help her with this. Sometimes it seemed she was more stubborn than he was. What was she so afraid of? Didn't she know by now that he wasn't going to hurt her? Why was she hiding?

"Doc, I hate seeing you like that," he said finally.

"Sorry," she dropped her gaze.

"No I," he grunted trying to form the words, "You need some help, you felt like you were literally on fire."

"Did I hurt you?" her attention snapped to him.

The fear on her face caught him off guard. Her breath was getting quicker and he could feel her heart rate increase with the veins in her neck. Tears began to form in her eyes as she desperately waited for him to answer her question, ready to collapse in anguish if he said the wrong thing. Why was she so scared? It was almost like she knew she could cause harm to someone with what happened, as if something like this had happened before. None of that even made sense.

"What? No, Doc, no one's hurt-" he began, confused

"Thank the Gods," she said with a huge sigh of relief.

"Why did you think-"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"Hold on, what are-"

"- scare you. It's nothing I'm fine-"

"Slow down, I-"

"-just thought that maybe there some lasting damage-"

"Doc, wait a sec-"

"-wasn't sure if I'd have the right antidotes and-"

"I can't understand-"

"-definitely not the tools to treat unknown ailments-"

"Athenacia!" he shouted finally, stopping her in her tracks.

He had her full attention, the shock evident all over her face. Gladio never used her real name, not even the simplified "Cia", but it seemed that it was the only way to slow her down. The girl was tumbling words out faster than he could even react and all he wanted was for her to relax. He didn't even know what to say to her, too many things racing through his mind. At least she was alright, however, he knew that she would be better if she had confided something in him, allowed herself to lean on him just as she made it very clear she was there for him. Sighing, he rubbed his thumb along the scabbed cut on her cheek before letting his hands drop, holding her gaze as she waited for him to say something, anything - because she was increasingly worried the longer he was silent. Gladiolus sorted through his thoughts, trying to find the best way to form the words he wished to speak. Unfortunately, he was not a master like Ignis. It was always hard when it came to her, he much preferred teasing her, that was simple.

"Listen Doc," he began, still unsure of himself.

The Shield sighed, still keeping his gaze on her. There were still tears waiting to fall in her eyes, clearly holding her breath in anticipation for him to speak. It was moments like these he wished he was better at communicating how he actually felt. He was good with people but not when it came to emotions, far better with actions.

"You're not alone. If you need help, let me help you. I want to..."

She shook her head sadly, looking down, "I'm not going to distract you from your job."

He frowned, "You're not a distraction," he said firmly, taking her chin with his hand and gently lifting it so that she was facing him, "It's you and me, remember?"

Gladio watched the conflict swirling in her eyes. The walls he was desperately trying to hammer through were beginning to crack. Athenacia was having trouble letting them fall but he was getting there, far too stubborn to quit on them anytime soon and knowing that he could break them down completely. It was a slow process, one that he was fully willing to take on until the very end. What could have happened to make her so weary of allowing him into her life? Who had hurt her so badly that she couldn't fully repair herself? How was he supposed to make her realize that all of it was unnecessary? She wanted to let him in but for whatever reason, she was afraid to do so.

Finally, she just nodded once at him, despite hiding behind her own defences.

Summary:  In the hustle of the Crown City, you suddenly find yourself in a situation you never thought you would be in, caught between two worlds with an impossible choice lying before you. You quickly learn how much grey is in between the black and white life you thought you once knew. Some AU I suppose. Still bad at summaries. Gladio x OC, Ignis x OC, Gladio x OC x Ignis. femreader. smut.

Shameful

...

A few days later you found yourself working at Miseria Cantare, Elise making you do a double shift as punishment for leaving her alone the other night and not letting her borrow Gladio. Of course, you were certain that the real reason was just because she was mad that you hadn't solved your problem, knowing that she was the type of person that called out people when they were being shitty. It wasn't even just that, she knew it was one of the busier days of the year and purposely made sure that you were stuck here all day. In fact, you had hardly any time for yourself since exams ended, stuck working both jobs as well as juggling the boys so that they weren't going to show up at your place at the same time. Most of the time when they asked what you were doing you lied about working, merely for the fact that you didn't think it was worth the risk of them coming over. The other issue was the Douchebag neighbour that suddenly had taken more notice of you, making it a point to glare at you in the hallway or lobby.

You pushed that all from your mind as you worked, kept busy with no time to take more than just a break in between shifts. It was closer to the cafe's ending hours that you had a moment to sit down, the last patron gone and no more to tend to. With a heavy sigh you sank onto a chair in the back room, eyes shut and head leaning back before bringing your attention to your phone. There were a few messages, none of them from your boss, however, which made you groan outwardly. If she really wanted you to figure things out then maybe she should give you the actual time to do it. There was no winning with that girl, completely unhappy that you were supposed to come in tomorrow and open the cafe.

Despite that you were acting like you hated it, you actually wanted to be at work, any excuse to not be alone with either of the boys and execute the plan of leaving them so that they would be free to pursue someone they more than deserved. Originally you were going to cut Gladio loose the last time you saw him, however, he had been drinking and when you wanted to speak to him in the morning (somehow moving to his bed from the couch), you found that the words escaped you. It was shameful. The mere thought of never seeing them again tore you up inside, the large man's denied hangover striking you as absolutely adorable as you proceeded to do something about breakfast. It was a morning unlike any other you had spent with him, a lazy day spent mostly in his bed full of giggles, take out, near nudity and plenty of intimacy. Generally the two of you were out, exploring some nature trail and having a good time being active but with how close the two of you had gotten there was no need to go out of the way to impress one another. You loved a good hike with him, however, it also felt good to change things up.

A smile passed across your lips at the thought. You had grown so close to him, everything about that day feeling so natural. Hell, neither of you really checked your phones, lost completely in the moments you were sharing together before you had to part ways. You knew that you couldn't end things with him, instead deciding that you were just going to have to settle for one. It was the reason you were submerging yourself into work, into avoiding Ignis. Luckily that man was so busy himself that it wasn't as hard as you thought, however, the communications between you two was tough to ignore. That man always made sure you greet you in the morning and bid you a good night at the end of the day. No matter what you had those two texts from him and then those few in between that easily turned into full-blown conversations. You enjoyed your time with him, Ignis able to stimulate you in ways you never dreamed before, reaching deep and touching your soul. As hard it as it was, you really needed to give him what he deserved and that wasn't you.

Checking your phone, the break was over and you hadn't a chance to answer any of your messages. It would have to wait, you had to get the shop ready to close so that you could go home and come back early in the morning to do it all again. At least it wouldn't be as late as the bar, a cafe having no business being open in the evening anyway. Once you got to the front you noted the lack of customers and slowly began the process of closing shop. While it was super busy the time went by faster, this last hour was wearing you out more than the constant moving. When the clock finally said the appropriate time, you walked toward the front entrance, ready to lock up for the night - only to be startled at the last minute customer appearing to rush to the door.

Your eyes widened when you saw Ignis appear on the other side of the glass, shocked that he had come out so late after you knew that he was supposed to be busy. So much for putting distance between you, this not the ideal situation while you were exhausted and in a crisis. The man was looking at you expectantly and since you weren't ready to rid yourself of such perfection, you opened the door and allowed him to step inside before you locked it behind him.

"I apologize for the intrusion. I found my work done with sooner than anticipated and looked forward to surprising you."

That gentle smile and the sound of his voice had you swooning, not noticing how you glowed in your cheeks and grinned almost foolishly. Sometimes he was so surreal it shocked you, wrapping your arms around him and planting a firm kiss against his lips in order to confirm this wasn't some sort of dream.

"Perhaps I should make this a habit if this is the sort of reaction I'll be receiving."

You giggled, kissing him once more before leaving his warm embrace and continuing your duties in the cafe. While you prepped everything for close and began cleaning he kept you company, allowing you to happily chat away about how well you had done with your exams and the upcoming plans for travel that you hadn't even begun yet. Ignis listened, that same look to him he always gave you and it made you feel like you were afloat. All earlier thoughts of what you had to do were far from your mind, facing the fact that you hadn't seen him since he stayed the night at your apartment and you missed him more than you knew until now. Once everything was clean you were both outside in the night air of spring, sun setting a bit earlier than you remembered from last year.

"I better get home," you said, looking at him with a sad smile, "I have to be here in the morning to open."

"Pity. I was hoping perhaps you'd come to spend the night with me," replied Ignis softly.

The man took a step closer, his heat radiating toward you and making your mind blank. That familiar spell took over, drawn to him completely as your hands slowly made their way around him, hardly noticing the action while you were locked onto those emerald hues. A soft sigh was swallowed by him, eyes fluttered shut as he kissed you so gingerly you weren't even sure it was there until the gap between your bodies was closed firmly. Ignis deepened that connection, making heat pool into your core and leaving you no choice but to accept his invitation. Staying at home would be better, it was closer to work, however, you knew that he wasn't interested in disrupting the neighbour. After all, the man was always so considerate of you, there was no sense in denying him what he wanted, he deserved nothing less.

You nodded once, eyes clouded while your pulse remained erratic. This was shameful, going with him to the car and getting in knowing that you were meant to stop things from getting worse. There was no rationality in your brain, just the spell put on you by this man as always, the drive to his house much quicker than you ever remembered it being. As you stepped into the entrance of his home you were suddenly happy that you decided to come, the aroma of food in the air telling you that he had planned this out before coming to the shop to get you. It warmed your heart how thoughtful he was, how could you ever hope to live life without him now?

"You did all this for me?"

The question was more involuntary than anything, seeing the way he was easily able to put together food that was prepared in advance. After eating more than you probably should have, the expensive wine was already getting to you and all your sinful thoughts clouded your judgement.

"It's no trouble," he replied, "I enjoy spoiling you."

His words made you grin foolishly once more, stopping what you were doing and looking at him. The man went on as if he hadn't said anything at all, however, the hint of a smirk on his face told you otherwise and you nudged at him before going back to your work. You were both in the kitchen, doing the regular dance of who was going to clean up and deciding that it was easier if you both did it. When you were finished, another glass of wine was poured and the two of you were enjoying one another's company. Ignis looked as if he had remembered something, pulling out his phone and tapping on it a few times. Music flooded your ears, the kind that you had grown accustomed to hearing when he was around and you quirked a brow in his direction.

"Come," he instructed, holding one hand out to you.

With ever-growing excitement you didn't hesitate to take it, nearly squealing as you placed your glass down and followed him to a large space near the speaker that would be sufficient enough. It had been ages since he took you dancing, holding you close as always and leading you in steps you remembered from years previous when it was a dream of yours. You were lost completely in his movements, flowing with such ease that you weren't entirely sure this was a dream or not. When it finally ended you were a bit sullen, the pout making him smile down at you.

When the next song started it was something you were unfamiliar with, looking at him sharply and finding that he wasn't going to offer an explanation. Ignis guided you in the unfamiliar steps and you found that it was hard to keep up with him, having no idea what exactly you were doing. The man kept you close, confident in his movements as always and you were beginning to grow nervous you were going to mess things up. When you would look down to try and get an idea of what you were supposed to be doing, he would nudge your head back up to his gaze, trying to assure you that there was nothing to worry about.

"Follow me here," he instructed calmly, keeping your attention focused on those clear, emerald hues.

"I'm not sure I-"

"Hush," he cut you off, "You're thinking far too much. Dancing is a language all in its own. Simply tell me this way."

You were still dubious, but with the way he was looking at you there was nothing left to do but comply, holding his gaze and trying your best to appease him. Ignis gave you one nod of approval, continuing to lead you a little slower while you did your best to follow. How were you supposed to communicate like this anyway? When you were learning dance it was solo, hardly ever a need for a partner. Keeping your eyes focused on him you tried to let your mind wander, allowing the music to fill your ears and bring you away from your surroundings.

In a much bigger room, the two of you danced together. The floor below you a rich marble, pillars surrounding the walls - all ornately decorated, like you imagined the inside of the Citadel to be. Ignis was there, dressed his best as always and you were with him, in one of those evening gowns he had purchased for you a while ago. Those emerald orbs were focused solely on you, the spell taking over making it near impossible to think about anything else. As the music wound down the song ended, but another began just as quickly and both of you moved once more. While you were again uncertain of the steps taken, you had no trouble staying with him, hardly noticing the grin on your face as you continued. Ignis held that gentle smile as he always did, looking on lovingly and making your heart flutter with each passing second. Your body was starting to heat up, his proximity becoming very evident in your mind and you flushed.

The music came to an end again and you were almost panting as the illusion vanished, caught up in the way his body pressed against yours and trying not to ruin the moment between you. Ignis's hand on your waist felt like it was pulling you closer and soon you were going to have to hold on tighter in fear that your knees would buckle beneath you.

"You communicate very thoroughly," he complimented.

It took a few moments to register that in your mind, "Thanks?"

That smile on his face grew before he claimed your lips so suddenly. Another gentle sigh was swallowed by him, your eyes fluttering shut as you tasted him. Perhaps you both had drunk too much wine, or maybe this was merely the depth of how much you loved him. Either way, you held on for dear life, refusing to allow yourself to fall from just one kiss. When he came back for a second it was much firmer than the first, his arm pulling you closer so that there were no gaps left between you. There was still music playing in the background, Ignis sill moving you absently as his delicate fingers found the hem of your shirt at the back, reaching beneath and caressing your bare skin. You were still tasting him, desperate for more with each minute that went by, as if you would die without him.

You were breathless when he pulled away, chasing him before realizing that he wasn't going to give you any more. As your lids opened to meet his gaze your breath hitched, knowing that look and feeling heat pool into your core as your wrists burned from the last time you saw it. One of his hands dipped lower, dropping to the curve at your backside and caressing it in a more aggressive manner than you were used to. That look in his eye flickered darker for a mere moment, however, you had no time to contemplate it as his lips were on you again. This time he was backing you away from the current space you had invaded, past the living room and down the hall into his bedroom. If it weren't for the momentary break for air you wouldn't have known where you ended up, far too distracted by how he was handling you right now.

As you both tumbled onto the bed you saw your opening, moving so that you had him pinned beneath you and wishing to take back some control you had previously lost. Those artful hands were on your hips, one closer to your rear mound and firmly gripping it beneath your pants. As you distracted him with your lips, your hands were busy with the buttons at his shirt, desperate to feel his skin against yours once more. The undershirt was problematic, blocking your way which meant that you left him to go to his navel, revealing that toned stomach and staying near his belt. Your hands were rubbing him through the obstacle of his pants, refusing to let him distract you while you worked, unlatching the buckle and trailing kisses as low as you could go before you reached more clothing.

Once you had finally reached your goal, Ignis sat up instantly, stopping you in your tracks and leaving you confused. It was easy to see that he was unravelling, his own eyes conflicted as they looked down at you. While maintaining that gaze, you took him slowly into your mouth, tongue swirling around his girth and feeling very satisfied when you saw those emerald hues roll to the back of his head, an involuntary moan escaping his throat. You delved deeper, knowing that there wouldn't be any more protesting at this point, watching him from your vantage point and allowing it to fuel you further. One hand stayed at his base while the other toyed with his sack, making his fingers rake through your hair in order to urge your on. You didn't need it, you wanted him to feel as good as he made you, moaning yourself and relishing in his reaction. No wonder he got such a kick out of this, remembering how he had mapped out your own body the first time.

Beneath you his hips quivered, you knew you almost had him. The way his hold upon your head tightened told you that he was losing control of himself and you took that as your cue to increase your pace. At the back of your throat was the top of his length, his body tensing and cock throbbing with you before it finally wept. The shuddering breaths coming out of that gorgeous man did nothing to satisfy your hunger of him, watching the thin coat of sweat glisten off his chest, enamoured with him completely when he was like this. Gods you loved him, you could never hope to live the same without him in your life.

Almost as if he were hearing your thoughts, his gaze found yours and his hands gently cupped your cheeks before leaning down to kiss you softly. You melted into him, your hands on his bare skin and wishing there was nothing in your way. Ignis held you close, lovingly and kept his forehead against yours. That was only a moment, a large squeal erupting from your lips as he moved so swiftly to switch your positions. The man claimed your lips again, another surprised grunt leaving you.

"Hush. I'd hate for you to lose the privilege of your voice, I do so enjoy hearing it."

You drew in a shaky breath after he spoke, his own tone in a whisper and enticing more of that heat to your core. That dark look in his eye, it invigorated you to wrap your legs around him, desperate to please him and yourself at the same time. Ignis allowed it, merely for the fact that it lined up with what he desired as well. Your own shirt was lifted above your head, hastily discarded with your bra in order for him to work on your exposed breasts. Breath hitching, your hips bucked upward, into his half-hard length and knowing that it was impossible while you still wore pants. Next time you were going to remove your own clothes first in order to avoid this sort of annoyance. Your mind was far from that, Ignis sneaking one of his hands into your folds, silky secretions spread all around as he rubbed against that bundle of nerves.

A long drawn out moan escaped you. Between his work at your breast and right at your core you were already writhing beneath him. It threw you off how low he got before coming back and teasing your soiled entrance. The sound of your moans filled the room, Ignis taking his time as he teased you. Fingers raked through his hair, desperate to feel every inch of him and crying out when he finally penetrated you. Those hands knew just where to go, rubbing against you instantly and forcing your body to convulse, every movement on your end completely involuntary. You were nearly gone, succumbing to his will and your mind only focused on chasing the release he was promising you with all of his actions. It was when a lone digit found its way into the neighbour hole that brought you back, frowning briefly before the others began pumping into you again.

Ignis left your chest in order to drink in the view, his free hand running up and down the length of your body as he did so. Those moans were still leaving your throat, harder to hold in as his pace increased to the point that you were certain you couldn't hold it in anymore. You were so far gone you didn't notice when he had left your face to kiss your lower lips, that tongue joining the fray and making your back arch. You were screaming as your hips ground into every part that was touching you, the dire need of your release a top priority as you lost yourself to him completely.

"I..." you could hardly form words, "I can't... I can't hold it..."

"Don't."

That command immediately made your rapture crash through your body. It was so intense you were certain that you would pass out, feeling the edges of your awareness wish to black out before they were clear again. You were still writhing, chest heaving in desperation to catch your breath as Ignis continued his movements, however, much more slowly in order to bring you down. You were definitely out of shape, coated in much more sweat than he was, stuck lying there and unable to move aside from when he made you.

When he came back to your side you reached for him, still reeling from your release and trying to keep maintain contact with him. Ignis ghosted his fingers along your flesh, making you shudder as the cool air found your skin, finally composed. The back of your hand found his face, eyes glazed over as you stared up at him, still deep under his spell. At some point he had removed his glasses and you marvelled at the unobstructed view of those orbs, watching you as intently as you did him and bringing your hand to place a gentle kiss there. The hand that was holding his head up ran through your hair, smiling down at you.

"You've been very well behaved today," he said, "I'm impressed."

Your wrists burned at his words, but not in a way that you wanted. You knew the implications, that you would be unable to move them should you start doing things out of line and it scared you as much as it intrigued you. As if on cue, those emerald hues darkened and your hands suddenly had a mind of their own.

"I see," he smirked, "You wish to be punished. Perhaps I was wrong all along."

His words already had you dripping with anticipation, wondering what he was going to do. Those eyes darkened further before he acted, snatching your hands away and forcing you onto your stomach. Putting his weight on top of you, he reached for something in the drawer that you couldn't see before coming to your neck and biting down hard, causing you to yelp in surprise at his actions. It was for only a moment, his lips caressing it softly and sending you back to your swooning. When he pulled away your wrists were once again bound to the headboard, a fine silk holding them in place firmly.

"I suggest you do not misbehave any further, my love."

The warning had you shudder, heat rising to your every nerve as he pulled away. What had you unleashed? There was no time to figure it out, another one of those surprise gasps escaping you when you felt two digits in the wrong hole, no warning but lubed up from your previous actions. Ignis kneaded the flesh with his other hand before his length was once again inserted in its previous sheath.

It wasn't like the other times, there was nothing gentle about this. The man behind you plunged in relentlessly, your eyes wide at the action before you were clenching both holes around him. Your hands were desperate to move, wishing to take some form of control as you pulled at your bonds as best you could. The inability to move made the way he slammed into you far more intense than usual, his other hand coming to the front of your heat and deliciously circling that engorged flesh. Your mouth was left unattended and somehow it felt like it needed more attention, even though it was impossible with everything happening below your waist. That feeling was almost shameful. The pattern between the thrusts of his fingers and his cock were so precise they never left you empty at the same time. It was far from your mind how the confusing action made you feel, far too gone with all the ways he was stimulating you.

This was too much, you couldn't hold out any longer, however, you wanted to endure every moment that you could. It was to no avail, your back arching as you came for the final time that night, body tense and breath gone. The orgasm was by far the strongest you had that you could remember, dragging out longer as he was still plunging into you with vigor. Finally, he followed you to the climax and you hoped that it was as wonderful for him as it was for you. On instinct, you clenched every part of your body in order to draw it out as long as you could, hating that you were unable to move your hands.

When he pulled out, you fell to the bed in a huff, body utterly exhausted after everything it had endured. Ignis removed the cloth holding your wrists and inspected them critically, rubbing his thumb over them and frowning at the mark left. It wasn't as bad as the belt, however, you were extremely happy with it and kissed him in assurance. The man smiled but you knew that he was still concerned, eyes darting to the top of your shoulder and running his fingers along there gently. It burned as you remembered what he had done there, certain that it was your neck but far from your conscious mind during that whole process.

"I must learn to be more careful," he said, almost sounding defeated.

It was your turn to frown, holding his head in place and kissing him once more. You held his gaze, scooting closer in order to draw warmth from him.

"I told you before," your voice was a whisper, "You could never hurt me."

Summary:  In the hustle of the Crown City, you suddenly find yourself in a situation you never thought you would be in, caught between two worlds with an impossible choice lying before you. You quickly learn how much grey is in between the black and white life you thought you once knew. Some AU I suppose. Still bad at summaries. Gladio x OC, Ignis x OC, Gladio x OC x Ignis. femreader. smut.

When Worlds Collide

...

"Hey star shine."

Panic flooded your every nerve; from your core, out to the end and back again as you stared in disbelief at Gladio. The man showed up at your door far too early in the morning, unannounced and you could only gape at him as you were very aware of the toilet flushing from your bathroom. Ignis was in there and if you didn't do something soon, the large man would be spotted and you would be caught, stuck in shock when worlds collide. The running water of the sink had your heart pump wildly in your chest, trying desperately to move, to do something as the seconds were running out. While this confrontation was surely inevitable, you wanted to do it on your terms and if you didn't act then that would be ripped away from you. When the water turned off and the unmistakable sound of the door handle jiggled, your first instinct was to push Gladio out of the entryway, slamming the door behind you and start pulling him down the stairs.

Once you were out of the building you stopped moving, nerves still reeling and pulse erratic as you tried to figure out what exactly you were doing. The crisp morning breeze kissed your bare skin, making you shiver and come back to reality. Gladio draped his jacket over your shoulders and you looked up at him, mouth still agape in shock from his sudden appearance.

"What was that about?" he asked, frowning as he drew you closer in order to warm you.

"Terra."

It was the first word that came to your head, your mind desperate to fill in some holes and figure out what exactly you were going to do right now. Ignis certainly would wonder why you had suddenly left the apartment so abruptly and could come looking for you. The man was perfect though, he would give you a specific amount of time before he deemed it worthy enough to figure out why you had run off without your phone. Thank the Six you had a lock on it so that he couldn't see any messages, wondering if Gladio had mentioned that he was going to be dropping by in the morning. You should have checked your phone, that would at least have given you time to get out of this mess.

"Terra?"

The large man's voice brought you back to him, looking up and meeting his gaze. Clearly he was confused, as he should be with the way you were currently acting. Think, you had to get out of this, Terra was really good at problem solving, however, not to this sort of extent. What about Elise? Who were you kidding, that girl would open wide and take them both - which was the source of your dreams lately but wouldn't help you right now. That was not how things worked. Lex. Lex was rational, she would think of a way out of this, a lie that might suffice.

"Yeah, Terra. She uh... she stayed the night," you replied.

"And is she some man eating monster?" he smirked.

"Yes!" you shouted, happy that you finally had an explanation that didn't involve the whole truth, "She has boy troubles. There's this guy she's been seeing and then this other guy and they're like, totally different and she's torn between them."

"So she's hiding?"

"Uh... yeah well... She's almost been caught and just needs a minute to regroup."

"So she's dating two guys at once and can't keep them apart? Doesn't sound smart."

"Well... it's complicated cause they're friends but she didn't know that until much later and it's just a messy situation."

Gladio grunted, "When worlds collide in her face she's gonna regret it. I'd never stand for that sort of shit."

You sighed, "Yeah. You're right," you said, feeling tears well in the bottom of your eyes as you averted them.

"What's wrong?"

The man frowned, coming to cup your cheek as he met your gaze once more. You tried to hide the fact that your heart was plunging down below your feet after hearing how badly you were hurting him with your every action. The longer this went on the worse it was, you should confess now and get it over with, tell him the truth because he deserved it with how amazing he is to you all the time.

"I just feel bad," you said.

"You shouldn't. It's her mistake, her actions and she has the power to stop it."

"But what if it's not that simple? What if before she even realized how bad the situation was she fell in love? There was no way to love one more than the other, they're both such good people that her heart is so evenly split in two and the decision is impossible."

"You sound like you know from experience."

"No!" you said instantly, brows knit to worry, "I just... I can understand, somehow."

Gladio sighed, wiping the stray tear that fell from your eye without even noticing. It brought your attention back to him, the man leading you to sit with him on the cool, concrete step before the front door. You shivered again and he kept you in his embrace, soothing you in a way that you knew you didn't deserve.

"If that's the case and she loves them both it still doesn't give her the right to lie to them," said Gladiolus, his hot breath tickling the back of your ear, "What we want and what we need are two different things. She needs to come clean and let it all work out the way it's supposed to."

"It'll destroy her to see them hurt."

"No one is gonna get out of that without pain. She either picks one or they both decide if they can live with what she's done and continue to be with her. When you love someone you want what's best for them, and she should know this isn't it. No matter what it's gonna come out, the truth always does."

Another tear fell but this time he couldn't see it since your back was pressed to his chest. You leaned your head on his shoulder, inhaling that intoxicating scent and wishing that you could remain here longer. He was right, you knew it from the beginning and you wished that you had the nerve to tell him the truth of the matter. The silence between you was heavy, and you wished that this moment with him wouldn't end.

"So I take it you're not up for a hike?"

His voice broke you of your reverie and you looked at him, smiling. With unshed tears in your eyes, you took his face in your hands and kissed him, wishing you weren't the monster that you were both speaking of. This man was hardly deserving of what you were putting him through and somehow you had to find the courage to come clean. Today wasn't it, but you weren't going to let it go on much longer.

"Not today but I'll let you know when I'm free next," you replied.

Gladio nodded, rising to his feet and kissing you once more before taking his jacket and leaving to his car parked out front of the building. It was with luck that he didn't see Ignis's vehicle in the lot behind, knowing for sure that would have given you away. When the Shield was out of sight, you went back to the apartment and found Ignis ready to come after you. A smile passed across your lips at his predictability as the perfect gentleman.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, looking at you curiously.

"Yeah, it was Elise. She needs me to open up the shop, she can't make it in today."

"I understand. She is quite a character."

"That she is," you kept the sad smile on your face.

...

A couple of days later you were at the usual cafe with the girls. Lexie had called the meeting after seeing you come into work later on in the day after you had nearly been caught. It was still hard to wrap your brain around that fact, Ignis reluctant to leave you after that, however, you were able to assure him that you would be fine as soon as you reached Miseria Cantare. Elise was a bit surprised to see you, but with some more of that luck, you were able to keep Ignis from coming inside and blowing the whole operation. The barista kept her eyes on you as you waited until you felt it was safe to go home and try to get more sleep.

It eluded you, dreams filled with the possible scenarios that didn't leave you lucky enough to keep them separate. Every time you closed your eyes, Ignis caught Gladio and the large man told you exactly the type of rotten you were for doing this to both of them. It was why you were having so much trouble when you came to Andalus later on in the night, refusing to tell Lex what had happened and forcing her to drag you out for lunch so that the two women could hound you for what was going on in your complicated love life. At first she made it sound like you two were just going to get something to eat, however, once you saw Elise sitting in the booth you knew that it was going to be another one of those meetings and you weren't sure how to handle that.

"What did you do now?" asked the barista, evidently annoyed at the very idea of having to be here.

"What?" you frowned, desperate to play innocent.

"You know exactly why you're here," said Lexie, sitting on the other side of you.

You sighed, burying your face in the menu that you practically knew by heart. Hiding was not going to help you, here you were out in the open and these two were very nosy as well as persistent.

"You did make progress right?" asked the bartender hopefully.

"Sure, yeah," you waved off, keeping your attention away from them.

"Well I know you're still dating Ignis," said Elise, a little too loud for your liking.

"And Gladio is at the bar as much as you..." Lex trailed.

"Yeah, sounds about right," your reply was straight to the sandwich options.

"So have you figured it out yet?"

"Figured out what?"

"Which one you're cutting loose?"

"I'm... still working on it."

Lexie sighed, "When are you gonna come clean?"

"When worlds collide apparently," scoffed Elise.

You looked at the girl curiously, her tone something you hadn't heard since the day you started to wake up after Connor left you. It was a long time ago, wallowing in your own self-pity and she finally had enough of it. Elise had a way of looking at the world that made you question how she was brought up to be so cynical. The cold hard facts about life that everyone knew and ignored passed through her lips with ease, as if nothing in the world could hurt her anymore. This was one of those moments, you could see it in her eyes, how upset she was with you at your actions.

"You need to do it and you need to do it now," said the barista, "This shit has gone on long enough. You're passed the point of return, I've seen the way that guy looks at you, and you're a piece of shit for letting it go on this long."

Immediately you looked down at your hands, her words cutting through you like a knife. It was true, you knew it to be so whenever you thought about the situation by yourself. Often you found that you were running to one man or the other in order to evade your thoughts, desperate to have them help cure that painful ailment only you were able to rid yourself of. The guilt would eat away at you when you were alone, just as it did now that things were so close to getting out in the open. Elise was right and so was Gladio, this needed to stop and you had the power to do it.

"It's not as easy as it sounds," you said softly, "I'm torn completely in half. They're both so perfect and I... I can't decide."

"Then they deserve better. You're a shitty person for this."

"What she means is, maybe you should cut them both and move on," said Lexie.

There was that rationality that drew you to this girl in the first place. There was truth to her words, if you couldn't commit to one man then it was best you let them both back in the world to find someone that they more than deserved. Elise knew this long before you did, was all for fun and games but she was right, this had gone on too far. The barista took things personally when someone went out of their way to be inconsiderate of others and while she knew that you were having trouble, she also knew the most logical answer to the problem. The fact that Lex agreed with her only told you the truth in the matter, however, it was more of an easier said than done situation.

"You're right," you said, "You're both right. Gladio is supposed to be at the bar tonight and I'll... I'll do what I have to when my shift is over."

"Good," Elise crossed her arms.

Lexie squeezed your arm, giving you a sympathetic look before ordering something to eat. At this point you felt no appetite, trying desperately to keep the nausea in your stomach from bubbling up your throat and onto the table. Neither girl acknowledged your lack of contribution to the conversation, going on about what they had been up to while you were off in your own world. As it turned out, Lexie was starting to see someone a little more frequently than was normal for her and you found that you were much more interested in that, allowing it to take over the dark thoughts in your mind and smile for the first time in what felt like days.

...

Andalus was busier than you remembered in a long time. At first it was a bit overwhelming, however, you soon learned why it was fuller than usual. The Glaives were back in town and there were a select few that always made their way into the bar. They were regulars and you were in charge of them, loading up a tray and bringing it over to their table. You were on edge, knowing that Gladiolus would make his appearance at some point in the night and remembering what you were supposed to do in order to solve your current problem. It was the right thing to do, you knew and so did everyone else. If only Elise hadn't insisted on being there that night as well, deciding that it was finally time to meet the other man so that she knew why exactly you were being a "little bitch" about the whole thing. The problem with that was more so that she was drinking and that girl had a mouth on her sober, drunk was much worse.

It was something you tried to keep far from your mind, letting another bartender deal with her while you focused on your patrons. The band in tonight was playing your style of music and you danced along the way to the tables, starting to feel at ease while losing yourself to the music. The Glaives were thirsty tonight, another order placed on your tray and brought over to them. On your break you were in the back, taking a quick breather and checking your phone. The message from Ignis made your stomach drop with that guilt eating away at you, however, you replied in order to maintain that things were alright. You were going to face both men in order to break it off with them, you owed them more than that.

There was something else, an email that made your heart nearly stop. It was the results of your exams, the final marks in and grades posted. The room around you blacked out, only the text on the screen visible and your finger hovering over it in order to open it and see your next step in life. At this moment you wished that both of your boys were here to share this with you, knowing how important this was and all the support you received from them. Exhaling deeply, you clicked on the email and read over your results, heart ready to burst out of your chest.

A foolish grin took over your face, shouting in excitement as you jumped from your seat. You made it, you were going to be able to start travelling in the summer. In disbelief you stared at the text again before taking a screenshot and sending it to Ignis and one to Gladio. A huge weight lifted off your shoulders and you pocketed the phone, keeping the smile on your face as you went back to work with a bounce in your step. Another round was ordered by the Glaives and you took it to them graciously, Nyx catching that you were in a much better mood than when they had first come in.

"You passed?" he smirked at you.

"I did!" you squealed in delight.

They all cheered, raising their glasses to you before taking long drinks. You laughed at their enthusiasm, recalling earlier how you were catching up on everything that was missed while they were away. Crowe was still as saintly as ever to put up with the rowdy bunch and she appeared to be relieved when you came to bring them their orders, taking that time to ask you how everything was going.

"We'll have to take you out sometime," said Libertus.

"A lady always needs protection out there," smirked Tredd.

You giggled again, waving them off and then turning to leave. The slurred words meant that you were going to have to keep a closer eye on them, but not before the smile on your face dropped and your eyes widened. Elise was at the bar still drinking, and beside her was Gladio. Oh hell no. You made a beeline for them, having zero intention of allowing that girl to ruin your night or your relationship, you had done enough of that already yourself.

"I can see why she likes you so much," Elise slurred her words horribly, slapping the man on the arm.

Gladiolus raised a brow, smirking at her before turning his attention to you and pulling you in for a kiss. It was unexpected, making you squeal again and then lose yourself.

"That's fucking hot," said the barista beside you, tipping her head back in order to drink from her bottle.

"Work. Now," said Lexie, giving you a pointed look.

"I passed!" you yelled loud enough for her to hear, still within Gladiolus's embrace.

The girl smiled, nodding at you once before going back to her business mode and jerking her head behind the bar.

"Work now, fuck later," Elise laughed at her imitation of her friend.

You rolled your eyes, taking her drink away from her ("You greedy slut bitch!") and disappearing behind the bar. Gladio took a seat beside the inebriated red-head, his beverage placed in front of him before you were off to do your job. The music played louder and you were so busy that you hardly had time to babysit Elise that was stuck at your boyfriend's side. It was dangerous, that girl drinking a lot more than you had seen her in a long time and very capable of blurting out the wrong thing. The barista was outspoken on her best days and she was already angry at you for the situation you had put yourself in.

Thankfully when you were there to deal with their drinks you had no indication that she was revealing your secret, having some sort of self control. Gladio, however, appeared to enjoy her company and for some reason it made you feel good to know that he liked your friends. The two of them getting along was a welcome sight, and you couldn't help but notice that he was looking at you most of the night. The band played on and you were starting to feel better, finding yourself dancing with Elise on your next break under the watchful amber gaze of your boyfriend. The way he was looking at you, it was so common since he blurted out his feelings that the thought of never seeing it again devastated you. Elise didn't seem to notice, or pretended that she didn't while Lexie finally got the girl back to her seat. Gladio had excused himself, leaving you with the girls alone.

"Okay, I get it," said Elise, "But you're still a shitty person."

"Thanks," you replied dryly, going back to your job.

The night progressed and you were relieved that it was slowing down. Elise was babbling about something as you came back behind the bar, collecting the empty drink containers and readying them for disposal. Lexie was closing tonight, your shift nearly over as you made your last round. The Glaives had long since departed, overdoing it but promised to be in to see you one more time before they were off again. The band died down and began packing up their things while you heaved a heavy sigh once the clock said you were finally done. You finished up everything you needed to do and met Gladio by the bar, Elise leaning heavily on him to support herself.

"Take that mess home," instructed Lex sternly, going to deal with another patron.

"Yes ma'am," you huffed, turning to your friend.

"I'll just g'home with this one and you can go away," said Elise, clutching Gladio's arm.

The big man raised a brow at her, "No boundaries, huh?"

"She's just jealous," you shrugged, leading the way out of the bar.

"Yeah, I wish I could date guys this gorgeous. You fucking slut," the barista continued, "I mean I knew the guy was hot from pictures but DAMN!"

"Are you done?"

"Not even close sister! I'm gonna take him home and you can go wherever I'm not."

You sighed heavily, recognizing the drunken state she was in and began to lead them away from Andalus. Gladio clearly wasn't going to drive, deciding against it after allowing Elise to bully him into drinking with her. While she was a mess, he was able to handle himself better, supporting her weight and keeping one of your hands in his own. It was only two trains to her house, helping her up the stairs and fumbling for the keys to the door. Once she was inside she pulled you close, startling you.

"Don't forget the thing."

Her voice was stern, finger poking into your chest before she pushed you away. Had Gladiolus not been there to catch you then you were certain your head would crack open from falling down the concrete stairs. The door slammed in your face as well and with another sigh, you both turned to leave. Instead of taking the train, Gladio called in a ride and before you knew it, you were in his apartment, listening to him tell you how... interesting Elise was. It was unfortunate that they met while she was half in the bag, the barista a much less embarrassing person when she was sober.

"She said you guys work together," said Gladio, sitting on the couch while you made coffee.

"Yeah," you replied, "How do you think I know how to do this?"

You handed him the mug, taking a seat next to him. The large man was quick to pull you close, the alcohol on his breath evident and giving you the idea of how far gone he himself was. At least he could hold it better, taking a drink of his beverage before placing it down. Grunting, he opted to lie down on the couch, pulling you with him and keeping you in his embrace. With him not completely sober, you knew that the reason you had come would have to wait until morning. Despite how awful you felt about it, being in his arms was comforting. You smiled when you felt a kiss to the top of your head.

"Really proud of you, star shine. Knew you could do it. Love you."

His words were delivered in a whisper, a tone you rarely heard from him and it made you clutch him tighter, squeezing your eyes shut in order to stop the tears from leaving them. How could you possibly leave him? You were so in love and he truly had fallen for you in a way you never thought possible. The more you thought about it, the more your shoulders shook and you sobbed, unable to stop yourself. Gladiolus pulled back, bringing your face to meet his gaze and frowning.

"What's wrong?"

You kissed him, tears streaming down your cheeks while you held him close. It was evident that he was confused by your actions, however, did not deny you, giving everything he had in it just as you were. When you pulled back you were struck by the intensity of his amber hues. He was waiting for answers and you could only offer him the truth right here and now.

"I love you."

Summary:  She tried leaving, submerging herself in work to escape the horrors she had seen. The horrors she kept seeing. She never wanted to go back to that life. But when the Empire takes her home, she’s forced to face her past. Can she move on? Can she cope? Or will she require a bit of help? still bad at summaries, still working on it. ever so slightly more than slight AU gadioxoc

Sphygmomanometer

...

Athenacia saw things in slow motion. She was aware of Noctis and Iris hovering over her, she was aware of Gladiolus coming to observe the scene. She was aware of Ignis kneeling down on the other side of the unconscious body. She was aware that she had minimal time to act. She was aware of the cries coming out of Iris's mouth. She was aware that all eyes were on her, waiting for her to make her move. She was aware that she might not have all the tools she needed to complete her task. She was aware that Prompto was barely moving right in front of her.

She was aware that she was the only one who could help him.

The doctor shook out of her reverie, unzipping her bag and pulling on her stethoscope. With the end on Prompto's chest, she listened intently. His breathing was laboured, his heart scarcely beating. Pulling out her penlight, she clicked it once and forcefully opened his eyes one at a time to shine the light in them. His pupils were responsive, that was a good sign. She listened again for any other abnormalities within him, trying to push out all the other distractions from her mind. Prompto took a massive hit and without knowing where or how she was unsure of how to proceed, so she was forced to diagnose.

Dr. Virum put on her latex gloves quickly, running the bends of her fingers firmly along his sternum. He was unresponsive. Immediately she began her compressions. His heart was barely beating and she had no idea what sort of rhythm he was in - she hadn't the time to listen thoroughly, nor did she have a monitor to help her. Iris was crying while the doctor worked. Athenacia was a combat medic, quick thinking was instilled into her when she was young, but it had been so long since she was in the field she was unsure of what to do right away. The feeble chest cavity beneath her meant she had to act fast because if she kept this up she would just end up fracturing one or more of his thoracic vertebrae, and she definitely didn't have the tools to fix any of that. Virum ceased her compressions and pressed her stethoscope back to his chest. The heart was still having trouble keeping up and she listened intently. It was faint, but she was sure she was hearing things right. Quickly she pulled out a small syringe from her bag, and swabbed quickly on the man's arm, finding the best spot possible before applying the epinephrine into the first vein she could find. Lucky for her most men had veins sticking out almost naturally. Placing the stethoscope back around her neck, she resumed her compressions, wondering how to solve the problem. There were no machines to help her along and nothing in her bag would give her the same sort of effect. If only she still had the use of the King's magic.

It dawned on her then. Athenacia may not be able to use black magic but there was someone here who could. It was risky, she was sure that he had never done it before but there was no help for it, he was their only shot to keep their friend alive. Dr. Virum looked up at the Prince, studying him a moment. The worry was written all over his face as he observed the scene before him. At least he would be motivated.

"Noctis," she caught his attention.

He snapped his head toward her, "Yeah?"

"I'm going to need your help," she began slowly.

"Me?" he was confused.

"Yes, you."

"What is it?"

"I need you to shock him."

"What?!" the confusion and horror at her instruction evident all along his face.

She didn't have time for this, "Ignis compressions," she commanded.

Ignis was quick to continue her work once she took her hands off. Athenacia stood facing the Prince with a serious look on her face. He looked scared. Iris was still crying as she watched them but the physician only had her eyes where they needed to be.

"You need to shock him or his heart is going to fail," said Dr. Virum slowly, but very seriously.

"Fail?! Like, stop beating?" his brows were knit with worry.

"Yes," she spared him no sympathy, there was no time for it.

"I-I can't," replied Noctis nervously.

"Can't I just do the thump thing?" asked Gladiolus.

She shook her head, "No. You'll collapse his chest cavity and then I'll have a whole new set of problems on my hands. It's even risky doing the compressions but so far the only thing that's keeping him alive."

Her eyes were on the Prince as she spoke. Noctis looked even more uncomfortable while she explained what was happening, averting his gaze back down at his friend as he processed what was going on. Virum placed her hands on each of his shoulders, gaining his attention once more. He found it difficult to face her, she was in full doctor mode, like the first time they had met. He knew she was good at what she did but how could she expect him to just intentionally shock Prompto? There had to be another way that she could fix the issue, he did not want to get involved whatsoever.

"Can't you do anything?" he pleaded with her desperately

"No. You need to do this. I don't have the magic anymore," she kept her professional tone.

"I could lend-"

"It has to be you," she cut him off, "It won't be hard, just a small shock to help his heart. I can take care of the rest afterward but you have to shock him. You're the only one that can do this," she held his gaze as she spoke.

Noctis was still very uncomfortable with the idea and she watched as his eyes went back to Prompto with that worried frown. It was evident he was thinking it over, however, the clock was ticking. They were running out of time. Dr. Virum needed a decision and she needed it now. He was so unfocused with the chaos around him she had no idea what to do, looking over at Gladiolus and mutely asking for a way to get the Prince to focus.

"Noct!" he bellowed.

Noctis snapped his attention back to her intent gaze. He nodded instantly.

"Okay," he agreed.

She nodded back at him once, "I'll tell you when. Just a small shock.

"Okay," he said a little more firmly.

Dr. Virum released his shoulders and knelt back down. She put her stethoscope back in her ears, readying herself as Noctis crouched down, preparing nervously to act on her command. Iris's cries had died down at the intensity of the moment before her. Athenacia had one last listen during the compressions and then pulled away. Ignis kept his eyes on her, waiting.

"Clear!" she shouted.

Ignis held his hands up away from the patient.

"Now!" she commanded.

Noctis held one finger out, just barely touching Prompto. The magic was overshot, but that was fine because the second he was finished the young gunman shot up into a sitting position with a wail of surprise. The blond was stunned, taking in the scene before him with genuine curiosity. Athenacia breathed a sigh of relief, as did the others while she observed the man before her.

"It worked!" cried Noctis in disbelief.

"What worked?" asked Prompto, "What's going on?"

"You suffered quite a near fatal injury," supplied Ignis.

"I did?"

"Yeah you did. You were almost a goner," said Noctis.

"Huh," he shrugged.

Dr. Virum replaced her stethoscope in her ears as she had another listen. This time she forced her arm down his shirt in order to get a better listen to his heart. Prompto looked a little uneasy at her abrupt actions but didn't budge at all, even when she moved to his bare back with that same intent look on her face.

"Normal sinus rhythm, lungs are clear," she said absently to herself.

The physician went back into her med bag and pulled out a sphygmomanometer, carefully wrapping the cuff around his upper right arm. The scope was placed on the inner elbow, right at the brachial artery. Grabbing the pump, she began to inflate the cuff around his arm tightly, keeping her eye on the meter while listening to the artery as she relieved the pressure slowly. Satisfied, she removed the scope from his elbow and unlatched the cuff, placing it back into her bag.

"BP normal," she said lightly.

With the scope around her neck and still observing him, she placed her hands on his clavicle, pushing in the bone slightly. Prompto only looked confused at her actions as she began to move her probing fingers down each of his thoracic membrane. He winced at the third on the right side and she frowned, pushing on it again. Clearly he was uncomfortable with her action, however, when she pushed below it there was no reaction. Virum poked on all sides but only that one spot seemed to be an issue. No fracture, just bruising. Good. She finished checking all his ribs, happy there was no damage and began to gently push on his abdomen, grateful that there were no abnormalities that she could feel there. Grabbing her penlight, she shone it in his eyes once more, happy that his pupils were still responsive. Finally, she held her right index finger in front of his face.

"Follow my finger with your eyes only," she instructed.

Dr. Virum moved it to the left and his blue orbs were trained on her while she watched him. Then, she moved her finger slowly toward the right before bringing it back to the middle, moving it up and then down. Though his eyes were able to follow her, they were slightly glazed over.

"Now with your entire head," she said softly

Repeating the process, she noted the discomfort when he moved, making her frown and not liking the looks of it. The physician brought her hands to feel the nodes underneath his chin. He winced at her prodding and she wished she was in a hospital with a scanner, but this was how she learned to do medicine in the first place, without machines. Virum brought her probing fingers to the back of his head and that confirmed it for her.

"Can you tell me your name?" she asked, studying his face.

He laughed, "Did you forget?"

"Please just answer the question," she replied in her professional tone.

"Prompto Argentum," he replied, a little confused.

"Your age?"

"20."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Gladio's girlfriend."

"What's my name?"

"Athenacia Virum."

"How did we meet?"

"You stitched up the big guy in the clinic."

She nodded in approval, "Do you know where you are?"

"Malmalam Thicket."

"Do you know the people around you?"

"Yeah," he was only more confused as she kept asking questions.

"Who is this man?" she pointed at the Prince.

"Noct."

"Full name."

"Noctis Lucis Caelum."

"How did you meet?"

"In school."

Dr. Virum nodded approvingly, "Short term and long term memory intact," she spoke mostly to herself, "Touch your nose with your left index finger," she instructed. He complied with her wishes, "Okay, now the right," he managed it perfectly. She held her hand up front of him, "Take my hand," she instructed. The patient grabbed it with his right, "Squeeze my fingers as hard as you can," he looked uneasy but did as he was told and she nodded, keeping that professional look on her face, "Okay, now the other one," he released his grip and repeated the process with his left hand. Satisfied, she moved down, taking hold of both his thighs firmly with her hands and squeezed gently, "Do you feel this?" she asked. He nodded at her so she moved down to the knees, "And this?" again he nodded and she went to the fibulas, "And this?" he gave her another nod. and she gripped the toes of his right boot, "Wiggle your toes," he looked focused as he did so. She was happy she could feel them, letting go of that one and gripped onto the left, "And these ones," he complied with no issues. Moving back to her original position, she was mostly satisfied, "No contusion evident along the cerebral cortex," she noted to herself, "No sign of hemorrhaging. Well, looks like after this you've got some lacerations, contusions and a serious concussion."

"How serious?"

Athenacia grabbed a vial from her bag, taking out a fresh syringe and putting the wrapper back in her back. Removing the cap, she stuck it into the vial, flipping the small bottle upside down and on the plunger to a very specific amount before placing the vial back into its place. Swabbing the same spot she had applied the epinephrine, she administered the medication with ease.

"Put it this way, you are likely not sleeping tonight," she replied gently.

"Are you sure? I feel fine."

Not two seconds after he had spoken he leaned over and vomited all over her bare thighs. Athenacia sighed as the liquid bile splattered off of her. Some of it splashed onto her face, some of it on her chest and dirty shirt, some of it back onto himself. Luckily she had managed to close the bag before he dirtied her medical supplies. Everyone was stunned at what just happened in front of them.

"Prompto!" growled Gladiolus angrily.

"I am so sorry," said Prompto in horror.

"No its fine," she replied dryly, "Not a normal day if a patient doesn't vomit on me," she grumbled mostly to herself.

Athenacia used her gloved hands to push most of the bile onto the grass in front of her, removing the dirty gloves and opening her bag once more. Grabbing the sanitizing wipes, she ran them along her legs until they were as clean as they were going to get before using another one for any other part of her skin that was faced the back splatter of Prompto's concussion. When she was finally finished, she closed up her bag and administer a potion to the young man so that they would be able to move without too much worry. She wiped her blade clean as well, sheathing it and putting her med bag onto her back. Unable to stand the stench of bile in her sensitive nose, she rose from her place and held her hand out to Prompto, who grasped her arm, slowly getting him to his feet. Sighing, she nearly caught another round of his vomiting and administered another potion when he was finished, hoping that would help him move until they found a safe place to rest. Iris hugged the young gunman with relief and Athenacia felt a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were met with the smiling face of Gladiolus and could only nod at him before keeping her observations on her patient.

"Noct, you might want to see this," said Ignis.

All of them looked toward what Ignis was speaking of. There in the distance, not far from where they stood was a very old looking building. Athenacia was sure she had seen something like it before, but not here, in a completely different setting. Squeezing her eyes shut, images of a red sky in front of a similar looking scene popped into her mind. Only there were cliffs around it instead of trees. She frowned, shaking off her thoughts as someone else began to speak.

"Score! It's all about that treasure!" said Prompto excitedly.

They walked to the building, Athenacia staying with her patient the entire time - who seemed to quite enjoy being flanked by both her and Iris. The physician watched as Noctis unlocked the door and stepped through, all of them following after her. The girl left her patient for only a moment to carefully observe her surroundings. This must be one of those tombs they were hunting, she could definitely feel a magical presence here, ancient and familiar. She wore a thoughtful look on her face while taking it all in. Her head snapped behind her as the light began to shine. Noctis had reached for his ancestor, which caused the dormant scepter lying there to light up. Athenacia watched in pure awe, shielding her eyes slightly while the weapon became transparent and then launched itself into his chest. Her mouth was slightly agape as more of these phantom weapons surrounded the Prince, other weapons he had gained long his journey. The power of Kings, just as Cor described to her as a child. They disappeared shortly after as if they had never been there in the first place. Truly remarkable.

As they walked back toward the tree cover of the thicket, Ignis managed to step on something that crunched like glass. Instantly he stopped a moment to look down, moving his right foot and frowning, seeing the cap of a needle and the broken fragments of one of Dr. Virum's syringes. Strange, he was sure he saw her place everything into a hazard bag in order to dispose of properly. Looking around, he spotted the damaged tree she had flown into at the hands of the beast. Curious. Keeping the frown on his face he continued on his journey, his eyes finding the back of said doctor with a whole new set of questions running through his mind.

...

Prompto appeared to be doing well thanks to the potions. They reached the entrance of the thicket much quicker given that there was no more threat. Their chocobos were waiting for them, grazing in the area not too far away. Athenacia watched like a hawk while Prompto got onto the back of his bird before mounting her own and then reached over to take his reins from his hand. No patient of hers was going to engage in foolish behaviour, not on her watch. Again they encountered no threats on the trek down. It was with relief that there was a nearby haven, and alhough it was still daytime they began to set up camp anyway. It would be easier for her to monitor Prompto and tend to the other injuries she had ignored. Athenacia dismounted, instructing Noctis to keep watch on his friend while she helped set up camp. The Prince was overly sullen since he came out of shock at this mornings activities. The girl knew the look well, having seen it plenty of times on the faces of other Glaives. She didn't comment on it, knowing that he wouldn't want to talk about it right now anyway.

Once everything was set up she brought her med bag to the first chair and shed it off of her back. Athenacia unstrapped the weapon as well, enabling her better mobility, opening up her bag and put on another set of latex gloves. The doctor began with Iris, who had the most minor of wounds since she stayed away from most of the fighting. Virum carefully pulled the gloves off of the girl's small hands, happy to see that the injuries hadn't worsened. There was really nothing to do for her so she was dismissed. Ignis was next, knowing that he would be fidgety until he could move. He removed his jacket, gloves and shirt and she could see contusions from where the beast had hit him and minor lacerations. The wounds applicable were and then he was sent his way. Gladiolus was next on her list. The Shield appeared to take the most damage but was handling it well, removing his shirt as she examined him. Multiple contusions, a few lacerations. One of the contusions almost indicated a fracture. Tender, as he grimaced while she prodded at his left ulna. But there was no fracture and that was always a good sign. She carefully cleaned up his wounds to prevent infection and administered a potion for good measure. Dr. Virum sent him away but not before he wiped the blood that had dried on her face and giving her a pointed look. She gave him a small smile before turning her attention to the Prince. His magic was already taking its course through him so there really wasn't much for her to do, however, noted his guilty look as he stole glances over at Prompto. Frowning, she chose not to comment on it at the present moment.

Athenacia breathed a sigh of relief once she was finished, collapsing onto the ground beside her bag. Carefully she removed her bands and gauntlet, placing them into the bag so that she knew where they were. She began to examine herself, wincing slightly here and there. Her sternum was a bit tender, that being where she had taken the biggest hit. Her back ached a bit as well and she was sure the effects of the potions were the only thing keeping her from crying out in pain. Luckily there was nothing too serious going on with her, everything she could quickly fix while alone during the night. Athenacia was very aware of the amber eyes watching her every movement but pointedly ignored them in order to continue to put distance between them. Distracting him from his duty was not allowed, even if they were just sitting at a haven. Closing her bag, a heavy wave of exhaustion coursed through her as she lied flat on the ground.

"You sure you're okay?" asked Gladiolus, who had come to sit in her former triage chair.

"I'm fine," she smiled up at him tiredly.

"You took quite a hit to."

"I have no concussion and if I was hemorrhaging I'd be dead by now."

He raised a brow, "I'll take your word for it I guess."

"I am the doctor here."

"Why don't you go rest a bit?"

She shook her head, "I have to observe my patient overnight."

"We can keep an eye on Prompto, Doc."

"You don't know what to look for."

Gladio frowned, unhappy with her decision. Athenacia was overwhelming herself taking care of patients, falling back into her old habits. He also knew that she was going a little out of her way to ignore him after this morning. It was his mistake, not hers, she shouldn't feel responsible for it whatsoever but he had no way of communicating that to her. Instead, he was forced to find a way to break the barrier she had placed upon herself.

"At least let me clean up your face. There's still blood on it," he said finally.

Athenacia returned to his gaze briefly before nodding slowly, showing no intention of moving so he joined her on the ground. Gladiolus opened up her bag, looking through the contents to find what he needed before gently lifted her head so that it was in his lap. Carefully he pulled away any hair from her face, all the while she kept her eyes on him. With a ginger tough, he began to wipe up the dried blood that had trickled down the right side of her face, rubbing his thumb along her left cheek and she closed her eyes, leaning into his hand a little so that he could gain better access on the other side. Finally, he came to the source of the bleed, just a small cut on her hairline above the temple. It wouldn't need stitching up but he cleaned it anyway. When he was finished he kept her face in his massive hands and she let her eyes flutter open as she turned her head back and looked up at him once more. How long had she slept last night? That purple eye was becoming more faint, lighter than he remembered. Pieces of the scab on her cheek were starting to flake off and he was absently rubbing the skin on her face with his thumb as her puffy, bloodshot eyes seemed to look through them in her exhaustion. He wanted her to know that she was also able to lean on him when she needed it.

Summary:  In the hustle of the Crown City, you suddenly find yourself in a situation you never thought you would be in, caught between two worlds with an impossible choice lying before you. You quickly learn how much grey is in between the black and white life you thought you once knew. Some AU I suppose. Still bad at summaries. Gladio x OC, Ignis x OC, Gladio x OC x Ignis. femreader. smut.

You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid

...

The next morning Ignis had insisted on driving you to school, after miraculously sneaking out of bed and shopping in the morning for enough food to overfill your fridge without you noticing. It was initially the smell of bacon that had you stirring, inhaling deeply as your eyes fought to remained closed. The tilt in the mattress roused you further, as well as the kiss to the top of your head and murmuring in your ear. Still believing that you were in a dream, you smiled and pulled him closer, drawing warmth from him as always and sighing contently.

"I regret that we've no time, love," he whispered, kissing your cheek.

You groaned in displeasure, finally fully awake when he pulled away from you. As you sat up you were surprised to see a full plate of breakfast in front of you, the aromas utterly intoxicating and filling you again with that warmth you craved. You had no idea what time it was but you didn't care, enjoying your impromptu breakfast date with your boyfriend. All the nerves of the previous day were gone, the man easing all of your tension and talking you through the first two examinations you would be facing in a couple of hours.

While you showered, he cleaned the place to the extent that you had never seen before, left entirely in shock as you came out of the bathroom in a towel and to your wardrobe. You could have sworn you were only in there for all of ten minutes, how had he accomplished this in such record time? The place wasn't exactly dirty but it sure wasn't all that immaculate either - until now. After spending way too much time trying to comprehend his amazing skills, you were finally getting ready for school and beginning to fret about being late. Ignis had taken the liberty of packing up your school things while you changed, throwing on your shoes and practically bolting out the door.

That expensive looking car really stood out in the lot, something you only thought of briefly as you got into the passenger seat and began fidgeting nervously with each passing second. The man driving remained so calm and focused, as if there wasn't a care in the world and for some reason you found that incredibly irritating. Didn't he know that you were going to be late? That if you didn't end up passing this then you'd have to wait even longer to get out into the world and start your career. You were certain that you had mentioned it a few times, especially last night when he was helping you study. Your fidgeting only stopped when he grabbed your hand, startling you out of the panicked thoughts racing through your mind and bringing you attention solely on him.

"Worrying does you no good, my love. I've no doubts that you will emerge triumphantly."

His voice was soothing, making you smile warmly at him and squeeze his hand. The school came in the distance and you tried to channel some of that confidence in yourself. As the car came to a stop you exhaled deeply, looking over at him once more and then biting your bottom lip. As much as you were looking forward to this being over, you dreaded every second that it took in order to open the door and begin what felt like the end of your journey. It was likely how much time you had spent in school in the first place, believing it to never be over and remembering how long it would take when you first started. It was all coming to a close and much faster than you anticipated. You never envisioned it this way, however, you wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Ignis leaned over and kissed you, almost as if he were sensing your thoughts and allowed yourself to relax once more. When he pulled back you tried to keep yourself from that familiar daze and stay focused on what you were supposed to be doing. The gentle smile he offered you made your heart flutter, locked onto those clear, emerald hues before you.

"Good luck," he said, "Not that you need it," he smirked.

You laughed, "Thanks."

One more kiss and then the connection to him was severed. Sighing one last time, you got yourself ready and exited his vehicle, not even looking back as you trudged your way into the building. Just before you reached your classroom you felt your phone vibrate, reminding you that you needed to turn it off while you were in there. As you opened up the screen you saw a message there waiting for you.

Kick ass baby.

A smile passed over your face as you read the words. Gladio, he didn't forget - not that you really expected him to but you weren't even sure if he knew it was today after how busy he had been himself. With the support of both boys encouraging you, the phone was turned off and you stepped inside just at the last second, ready to begin the final stages of your schooling.

...

Gladiolus met you for lunch the next day. It was out of the norm for him to come all the way to the school, however, it was the only time that fit for both of you in between exams. The unfortunate part was: the presence of a Crownsguard in the school such as Gladio really brought a lot of attention your way. While the two of you had been dating it was out where most of the citizens were not about, on the outskirts of the city or a busy place where he was easily overlooked. Not here, people were staring at you and it was hard for you to focus on the fact that you were on a date with your boyfriend even if it was brief. The man was good at distracting you, finally understanding why you were so uneasy and swiftly leading you out of the building, closer to a more secluded area.

"How many do you have left?" asked Gladio.

You were both sitting outside in the warm spring breeze, a faculty parking lot that had a couple of benches beneath one large tree. The food you were eating hardly registered any taste, a load off your shoulders after finishing up one of the bigger tests you were worried about. It wasn't over yet, this week being almost the worst of your entire life. Nothing was ever so stressful before, not even dating two guys at the same time and trying to keep them separate in fear that they'll discover each other. You'd much rather deal with that then school, hating the way it decided your fate.

"Two. One more today and the last one tomorrow," you answered.

The man grunted, "Not so bad."

"Easy for you to say," you swatted at him, "Your life is already made, you know where you're going. If I don't pass these then I have to start over and figure everything out. I have no idea what else in the world I really want to do."

Your eyes were distant as you brought your hand from your mouth, your meal long forgotten while you were lost in your thoughts again. The puffy white clouds did not care about your plight, merely reminded you of what was at stake. The research, everything you prepared your journey for hinged on how well you did this week and you did not want to fail at any of it. This was your chance to prove that you were capable of staying on your path and nothing was going to stand in your way.

"You know you can just try again, right? Might do better the second time around," said Gladio, distracting you.

"I'm not really sure I'd have it in me. When I started it was an all or nothing thing," you replied, averting your gaze to your feet.

"That's stupid. No reason you quit just cause you don't get it the first time."

"It's more of a financial obstacle. I'm not sure I'll have enough funding for a second chance, everything rides on this."

"Plenty of ways around it."

"That sounds like Crownsguard logic."

Gladio shrugged, "Not a bad career choice. Lots of perks come with it, especially if you've got an in with the Prince's Shield," he nudged you.

"Oh yeah, that'll teach 'em how to climb ranks easily," you snorted.

"Not as exciting as travelling the world, it's better."

"Oh I'm sure being stuck in one spot is so much more glamorous."

"You won't be able to find all those campsites for us but at least you're stuck with me."

"I thought I already was?"

You smirked up at him and he nudged you again. Gladio knew that you would leave in the fall, begin at Lucis and then move further out of the country until you were out of the borders completely. Often he spoke of the creatures out there and how he would combat them, something you listened to and enjoyed seeing the look on his face. The other thing you absolutely adored about this man was his passion for the outdoors. Whenever the subject of you leaving came up, the two of you would talk about how you'd scour the land for potential camping spots, loving the way he smiled when he imagined being out in the wilderness. It wasn't just that though, it was the very idea that he was thinking of his future and you were included in that vision. Gladio made it clear he wanted you around, that he was planning on taking trips with you outside of the city and you couldn't be happier if you tried.

"Seriously though, I can put in a good word if you want."

You laughed, "That sort of life is not for me, I like my freedom. Appreciate the offer though."

"You're probably too rebellious anyway," he grinned, "Takes a lot of restraint to master."

"Then how did they let you in?"

The large man smirked, finding a tender spot and exploiting it in order to make you squeal. For the next few minutes you squirmed, dropping your lunch and having to move from your seat in order to avoid him. It was to no avail, Gladio much larger and faster than you, able to catch up with ease no matter which way you ran and trap you in his massive arms to continue his exploits. The sound of your giggles filled the air, carrying in the wind until they subsided and you were both back on the bench. Things were silent but your mind was active again, remembering the conversation that led to this point.

"I don't envy your job," you said softly, "I just want to be able to make it on my own."

Gladiolus didn't respond, allowing the silence to fill the void. The wind rustled the trees and your hair, reminding you of the fact that you were running out of time before your next test. This was at least the subject focused on atmosphere, the one that you not only excelled in but enjoyed the most out of all your subjects. While the man next to you had learned about your ambitions, you weren't certain how much he understood compared to Ignis. Things were different with Gladio, but always in a way that you needed, you just hadn't realized how much you depended on him until now. The more you stayed with him, the more you realized that you couldn't be without and it tore at you as much as it made you happy.

"You're gonna go far, kid."

A gentle smile passed across your lips, leaning into him. Despite how warm it was outside, you still felt cold against him and that heat enveloped you, calming all the nerves that built up in between your exams. The mere fact that he could see in you a potential that you wished you could only fueled the idea that you were on the right track, even if it would mean time apart while you were outside of the Crown City. Gladio knew this, knew that this was what you were working toward and had shown no sign that he wasn't interested, had put no distance between you. It meant a lot to you that he was willing to try and make it work, that he was so in love with you there was no need to worry about how your job would affect the relationship. That was how strong the two of you had become since this all started and you wished that there was a way to make things work with him without anyone having to hurt either of them.

"I hope so."

...

Ignis was at the school to pick you up the next day, early enough that he wouldn't miss you once you left the classroom. The final exam was done, you were no longer required to do any testing, now the stress of waiting for the results was all that remained. For some reason, this was more nerve-wracking than having to do the actual tests themselves. Either way, your boyfriend insisted that he take you out to celebrate as soon as you were finished, clearing his schedule for such an occasion and you were beyond happy that he would do such a thing.

You were speaking to Terra, the one girl who always managed to have your back since you started the program, going over answers and feeling better that you were both on the same page about most of it. Initially it was the girl who noticed the fancy car parked and waiting, looking as if she were ready to have heart failure when it pulled up to the two of you.

"Holy shit!" she said.

You laughed, "I've never heard you swear before."

"That is like, royal family rich. Who are you involved with?"

"Maybe one day you can find out," you smirked, shoving her shoulder slightly before walking to the car, "I'll see you later!"

You didn't get a chance to hear her response, still laughing at the state of shock her face took while she continued to stare at you.

"Judging from your demeanour, all is well?" asked Ignis, smiling lightly at you as you strapped yourself in.

"Too soon to find out," you replied.

Your final exam was later in the day which meant that you were pretty much ready for dinner. Ignis had informed you that he would be taking care of arrangments, however, not giving you a chance to stop at home and change was something you hadn't really counted on. Instead of coming up to your dingy apartment building, you were driving farther away, into a section of town you had walked through once with Connor on a ridiculous whim of your potential futures. This was where really high-class people shopped, something you never dreamed you could achieve and now you were severely underdressed in a car that was about to be parked by a valet service.

Since you were so speechless about the fact that you were stuck here, there was no protesting on your end when you were ushered out of the car and onto the street that was so clean you could eat off of it. When you did finally find your voice, Ignis was already guiding you away from where the car was left.

"What are we doing here?" you asked, frowning the further you drew away from cover.

"Ah. I had hoped that a few new items to your wardrobe would be most welcome. After all, summer brings with it festivities and opportunities for you to accompany me. I'd hate to have you feeling so out of place and all your hard work deserves a reward."

Your jaw dropped at his words. Ignis was taking you out clothes shopping in the richest part of town because he wants to go to social gatherings and bring you along. He also knows how low on the food chain you are, how much you stress about being in places like this and wants to help you with that. The man literally doesn't care about what your status is, only about the fact that you do. That kind of consideration was dangerous, could only go straight to your head the way that it did, filling your heart with affection as everything just sank in. It was more so the fact that he was envisioning future endeavours and including you in them without a second thought, solidifying the idea that he wanted to be around you in a more long term scenario. What was both equally good and bad was that you wanted the same, something that you might not have but yearned for anyway.

You grasped his arm, a smile plastered on your face as you both walked down the street, allowing him to lead you into stores of his choosing. As it turned out, he was well versed in fashion in ways you had never fathomed before. Shopping was something you weren't necessarily terrible at, just a financial journey you could never take. It was easier to get in and out, find the cheapest of your needs and hope it lasts a few years. This was the sort of adventure you dreamed of doing once you were on your feet after finishing school. The man was very careful about making sure you didn't see any of the price tags, dismissing your reservations when you came across some really expensive looking articles and asking him multiple times if he was sure this was okay.

When the trunk of the car was full of things for you, suddenly you were exhausted as you sat down in the seat. You kept your gaze on him nearly the entire time, insisting that you didn't bring any of it home for the fear that someone might want to break inside and steal it. A light smile graced you features, ignoring the hunger pang in your stomach. The ride home was far too quick as evening settled in, and to your surprise (and delight) Ignis was coming up to your dingy apartment with you. In the time that he was gone you hadn't exactly been home enough to dirty to the place, going straight for the machines in order to fix you both a drink.

"Thank for everything, you really didn't have to," you said, handing him a mug.

Ignis took it from your hands, leaning in close and smiling gently down at you. His other hand came to brush the hair from your face, fingers lingering along your jaw before retreating back to his beverage.

"I enjoy spoiling you, love."

There was that tone again, immediately making you swoon as your the weight of your own body was becoming too much to bear. You were locked onto those eyes, breath heavy as your body drew closer to his warmth. One of his arms slithered around you and you were thrilled that there was contact made. As your eyelids began to fall closed, you were about to taste him in a way that you never wanted to be without, his lips grazing yours and you weren't certain if you felt something slip out of your hands.

The crash of the mug was initially what woke you from your reverie, followed by the immediate thumping on the shared wall and a curse from your lips.

"Shut up bitch!"

If it weren't for the fact that hot liquid was oozing beneath your bare feet and there was glass everywhere, you would have shot a glare toward the wall in the hopes that Douchebag was able to sense your distaste for his very existence. Instead, you were watching for a place to step carefully so that you could slip on a pair of shoes and begin to clean up the mess you had created. Ignis was already moving, however, lifting you into the air with an audible squeal and placing you near the front door before finding what you deemed "cleaning supplies". The issue was being dealt with and nearly finished by the time you grasped what was happening and managed to find something to wear in order to assist. There wasn't much for you to do but at least you were able to help out a little, not really liking the idea of the man cleaning up your place for you. Hadn't he done enough already? Surely he didn't feel the need to constantly clean up after you?

When he was finished everything was put back in its place and you were standing in front of him once more. That breath on your face still beckoned for a taste, and you leaned in to claim his lips. That untimely interruption was not enough of a distraction from what you really wanted, evident in his own actions that responded to yours. As your body pushed against him, he reached for the grasp you had at the back of his neck, gently pulling the wrists and himself away in order to place distance between you.

"Perhaps it is best we wait for a more suitable time and location," he sighed almost heavily.

"I guess, yeah," you offered him a sad smile.

You expected him to leave, however, he led you to your couch where the two of you continued to converse in a much quieter manner, Ignis kneading out of knots in your shoulders and reminding you that he had already said no. Part of you wondered if there was a way for him to go back on that, leaning against him and noting how close his hands came to the bottom of your breast. You were also certain that you could feel his own arousal like this but after everything he had done for you today, he deserved anything he asked of you - which was generally nothing.

As the hour grew late you noted that Ignis passed a few glances at the shared wall before ultimately deciding to spend the night with you. It would have struck you as odd if not for the fact that you were far too happy about getting to be with him longer. Maybe there should be no more time here, not the ideal place to do anything nor much of a neighbourhood that he should really be in. He had spent enough time here as it was. The two of you were hardly dressed as you got into bed, you falling asleep almost instantly as the exhaustion of your week finally caught up with you.

...

As the morning rolled in, you sighed contently against the man sharing your bed, head hazy as you remembered he had spent another night with you in the hole you called your home. Even overnight, Ignis smelled so intoxicating you were certain that it could lull you back into slumber. Must be really early if he wasn't up yet - not that you minded, smiling as you clutched the arm lazily drawn around you. That kiss placed to your temple was most welcome, telling you that it was indeed very early in the morning if he was awake right now.

"Morning, love," he whispered.

"Morning," your voice groaned out, yawning before snuggling deeper into the sheets, "You're still here."

"I can certainly get used to the company," he agreed, chuckling lightly.

You sighed contently, rolling with his arm and stretching out your limbs. His other hand came to your hip, gliding along the skin up to your shoulders and down again at your back. It was soothing, putting you at ease and making you nearly fall asleep again. If it wasn't for the fact that his warmth was leaving you suddenly, you were certain that you would have gone right back to your dreamland that would likely be filled with him.

"Where are you going?" you asked, voice still heavily laced with sleep.

"I fear I must relieve myself. I'll be but a moment."

You grunted in understanding, falling back against your pillow and fighting with your eyes to stay open. It was way too early, who would be up at such an ungodly hour? You didn't even want to look at your phone in order to know the exact time, nevermind the fact that its brightness would burn your retinas. Just as you were about to settle back into slumber, there was a thunderous knock at your door, jolting you awake instantly. Ignis was still in your bathroom and when it sounded again you were on your feet and at the door, unlatching all of your locks and throwing it open, ready to yell at whoever was disturbing you this early in the morning. The words died on your tongue, brain hardly registering what was going on right now as you stared at your unexpected guest.

Summary:  She tried leaving, submerging herself in work to escape the horrors she had seen. The horrors she kept seeing. She never wanted to go back to that life. But when the Empire takes her home, she’s forced to face her past. Can she move on? Can she cope? Or will she require a bit of help? still bad at summaries, still working on it. ever so slightly more than slight AU gadioxoc

Internal Mechanics

...

Gladiolus and Athenacia were of no assistance to Ignis whatsoever. While she was still wearing her crimson face at being caught in that compromising position, her lips were blue as the chill of the water had finally completely settled in. Gladio built up the fire while the Adviser draped a large warm blanket over her shoulders. She smiled briefly in thanks as she sat close to the warm flames and shivered as she hugged herself, only her head sticking out. Athenacia couldn't face him and it was only worse when Gladiolus had joined her on the hard ground and wrapped her up in his massive arms. Her face was warm since it was all kinds of red in embarrassment, however, he was rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm her quicker.

The physician could feel the chilly stare that Ignis was giving them but she kept her gaze on the flames as the light above them grew brighter. It had been a long time since she felt like a child in trouble for enjoying herself. Even Cor never gave her that kind of look before. Athenacia had stopped shivering and that's when the large man left her side. Still, she kept her eyes on the fire before her, hearing the sounds of Ignis beginning to prepare breakfast for them, while Gladiolus initiated his work out - his way of getting warm. Her eyes drifted toward him, watching as he moved but she would tear her gaze away the second he looked at her. The girl shoved her blanket up under her nose to hide the smile that formed the last time he caught her looking.

The morning grew later and with it the appearance of Iris and Prompto. The gunman chose not to question why Athenacia was sitting on the ground wrapped up in a blanket with wet hair. The air around her seemed quite tense and he didn't want to get a scolding from Gladiolus for bothering his girlfriend. Instead, he directed his attention elsewhere. Iris, however, was completely oblivious as to how uncomfortable the young doctor was and didn't fear her brother much at all. She looked at the doctor with a confused frown.

"Did you fall in the river?" asked Iris suddenly.

The crimson shade returned to Athenacia's face at the question and she shook her head vehemently from side to side, keeping her eyes on the flames before her. Meeting the gaze of the young Amicitia would betray the information she was trying to keep secret.

"Why is your hair wet?" asked Iris, a little confused.

This was not helping Athenacia calm her embarrassment, in fact, the further the girl probed into it the more she was likely to just drown herself in the river. Seemed a lot better than having to deal with this right now.

"Took a tumble," interjected Ignis, walking over the woman with a mug and handed it to her.

Athenacia looked up at him helplessly, only able to accept his offering. The liquid inside was warm and she knew that he had made it in order to help raise her body temperature. Again she gave a small smile in thanks as she let the hot fluid rush down her throat. It had a sort of minty taste, which wasn't altogether bad and she was sure there was some sort of caffeine in it.

"The fault is my own, I hadn't been aware of my surroundings and managed to collide with her," Ignis lied for her.

"You weren't paying attention?" questioned Prompto in disbelief.

"Dr. Virum is quite capable of moving about without a sound. Hard to notice and I was just waking up."

Prompto laughed, "I can't wait to tell Noct that you made a mistake."

Ignis sighed, walking away from her and back toward his cooking station while Athenacia found the amused look of Gladiolus. He only winked at her, which caused her to again turn that dark shade of red. The girl pointedly looked back into the fire, continuing to sip at the drink provided to her by Ignis. What was she thinking anyway? Obviously, she wasn't or she wouldn't have allowed her to get herself into that sort of position in the first place. Taking him away from his job was mistake number one, she'd have to keep her distance from him until they were outside of this place and safe in Caem.

Thankfully the morning progressed without any more inquiries about to her well being. Athenacia remained under that blanket until her clothes were dry and she was no longer cold. Breakfast was enjoyed close to the fire for her, no extra seats anyway with the Prince awake and she didn't mind being on the ground anyway. Once she was finished, Iris took her plate from her and helped Prompto do the dishes. Athenacia took that opportunity to go fix herself up a bit, walking into the tent and looking quickly for her pile of things that were off in one corner. Opening up her med bag, she replaced the two syringes into her pocket that she had shed for the night before putting her hair back up into a bun at the back of her head. It was still somewhat damp but at least she wasn't cold anymore. Once that was settled she put her bands back on, the ones on her upper arms and thigh and secured the gauntlet on her left hand as well as the leather fingerless glove on the right. Sighing, she stretched a bit of the kinks out from last nights slumber after her boots were laced up, closing up her bag and grabbed her weapon before vacating the tent. There was nothing else she needed to do in there.

Athenacia went to sit near the edge of the haven, crossing her legs under her and placed her med bag down beside her with her gladius on her lap. Carefully, she pulled it out of its sheath and inspected it in as much of the sunlight she could see. Running her thumb along the edge, she looked for any nicks she might have to repair before dipping the blade into the water, letting it wash over it. She took out her cloth and wiped it clean, finally satisfied with it.

"That is mean looking," remarked Noctis.

She looked up at him, hating that she hadn't even sensed his presence, "I guess," she shrugged.

"Why does it have that hook on the end?"

She smiled, "Have you ever been stabbed?"

He looked thoughtful, "Can't say I really have."

"Well, getting stabbed isn't much of an issue. It's when the blade comes out that you have all sorts of problems. Leaving it in is the best thing you can do until you get medical attention. This hook makes taking it out a lot more painful than leaving it in."

"Whoa."

"The further it goes in the more the hook catches. I stick this in your stomach, your intestines come out with it."

The Prince nearly blanched at what she was saying and Athenacia only smiled, his weak stomach unable to comprehend the idea. His blue orbs were on the blade in near wonder, however, following it as she put it back in its sheath.

"Why?" he asked finally.

Athenacia rose from her seat, leaving her things out of the way, "I'm a doctor, the internal mechanics of people fascinate me," she shrugged. She smiled at the look he was giving her, "While I was in the war I was still studying anatomy. I helped develop weapons that tore apart the insides of things: humans, beasts, daemons, MT's. This was one of my creations. I found it was easier to kill something when it was dying from the inside out."

"That's... morbid."

Her smile turned sad as her eyes hardened, "It's war. We did what we had to, whether we were proud of it or not..."

Noctis had nothing as she left him there. He wasn't even sure how to respond to that anyway.

The girl walked toward Iris, pulling out the ball of those grey and black striped fingerless gloves she had mended overnight. The girl looked at her curiously as the doctor approached. Athenacia placed them in her hands, waiting for her to put them on. Iris did, noticing the difference right away. Grabbing the young girl's hands, the physician tested the firmness of her work by pressing her thumbs along the knuckles with a thoughtful frown.

"I hate setting broken bones without a proper scan. This should help," said Athenacia.

Iris nodded as she felt for herself the cushions that were rubbing against her knuckles, "Thank you."

...

It took a little bit to break up the campsite but no one was really complaining. Athenacia had long since abandoned her earlier embarrassments and pointedly stayed away from Gladiolus. When they were finally ready she strapped her weapon across her back and put her med bag on top of it. No one had any complaints thus far so they plunged into the chilly river, going forward. Athenacia fell in step with Iris once more, feeling the chill on her feet through her boots as she was stuck walking against the current and uphill. Once they had reached some flat surface there was a swarm of enemies near them. A few wasps, mandrakes and one shieldshear. This was going to be quite a morning work out it seemed. Unsheathing her weapon, she attached the band to her wrist, getting a firm grip on it. She assessed her exits, her advantages and what sort of remedies she might need. First, she would have to wait until she saw how they would all spread out before she knew what move she needed to solve this issue. It did look as if it could get a bit overwhelming.

They plunged into battle. Athenacia slowly stalked along the edge, keeping her eyes peeled for her way in. Iris assisted with her potions where needed but she wasn't just a healer, with those gloves she had an easier time landing her punches and not recoiling as badly as yesterday. She was also more confident in herself. Gladiolus grabbed her hands effortlessly lifting her into the air so she could strike with her feet. Impressive, they worked together well. Now it was just the young doctor's turn to figure out what she was going to do. The biggest variable was Prompto's gun. When Athenacia found her opening it was near Ignis. That man was never too far from Noctis and neither was Gladio, however, this time he was more so on the edge than before. The doctor slashed at a wasp that found its way toward her and used that momentum to deter a mandrake that was making its way to the young man's back. Ignis caught her movements briefly, keeping at the work he was doing. Once he ducked down she used that opportunity to lay her back against his, flipping herself from one side to the other and stopping the injured wasp from getting to him. Athenacia had studied most of his moves and was easily able to help him without being in his way, noting how they had similarities to her own. Deflecting the mandrake with her gauntlet, she then hacked once more at the wasp while he finished them both off, coming in from the sky it seemed.

The former Glaive moved on from the scene, seeing the swarm among Gladiolus, Prompto and Noctis. Slashing at a mandrake and using it to launch herself into the air, she twisted and flipped until her feet landed on the ground to stop the shieldshear from hitting the Prince's back. Gladio used his massive greatsword to free it off her wrist and she ducked out of the way as he swung again. Her sights were focused on the air where the poisonous wasps resided and she twisted out of the way of one that came at her. Athenacia did a back handspring with her free left hand and then launched her gladius towards it, flicking her wrist to the right. Her body lifted off the ground, going up far above the wasp. When she was ready she shot herself spiralling down to hit it, causing it to lose some consciousness. Keeping her arms around herself, she quickly jerked not only her arms but her legs as well, head down and eyes closed as chains from her bands on arms and thighs began to whip around in the circular pattern she had started herself into. The girl was still coming down swiftly but the spikes on the lengths of her chains were greatly injuring everything on the way.

"Down!" she heard Ignis command.

Athenacia kept spinning, only gaining momentum as she plunged her way down with the wasp beneath her. All the blows delivered were finally felt when she was low enough to hit mandrakes. They screamed in protest but she kept going until she was finally on the ground, jerking her limps the opposite way so the spikes began to lay flat against the chains as they fell lifeless to the ground. When she retracted the one for her gladius it thoroughly killed the wasp she had used as a platform to get to where she was. The girl looked around her, happy she hadn't injured anyone along the way. There was only the shieldshear left and the men took it on by themselves while she carefully stepped out of the way. Athenacia began to retract the chains for her bands, watching to make sure they wouldn't hit anyone. Once she had them all back securely in place she let her gladius wash off in the water at her feet. The shieldshear was defeated, the boys very pleased with themselves.

"That was so cool!" said Prompto, looking at her.

"Where do you even hide those things?" asked Noctis, grabbing onto the band on her right arm.

She only laughed, "A woman needs her secrets," was all she offered.

The two boys were very sullen about that answer but it didn't take long before they were on their way forward. Athenacia again fell in beside Iris as they walked up the slope beside the waterfall. The scenery was nice, too bad it was infested with monsters around it. As they ascended the higher the sun began to shine brighter and she let out a deep breath, out of shape after all the uphill she had been doing. Iris was still beside her, the young girl probably handling this a lot better. One thing was for certain, Athenacia was getting older every day. Once they had reached the top it was much easier to see the sun. Danger was all around her as they stepped out of the thicket and into a clearing. The doctor stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes came to rest on the Bandersnatch that was patrolling the area, looking in awe as she had never seen one in real life before. It hadn't noticed them yet and she suddenly felt very nervous for the upcoming battle, shedding her med bag and leaving it safely out of the way.

"Not surprised," scoffed Noctis.

"It's what we came for," stated Gladiolus.

"Let's have it," declared Ignis fiercely.

Athenacia held her weapon tightly as she waited. Noctis began the battle, warping to make the first hit and they all burst into life. Gladiolus ran up to his charge with Ignis not too far away. Iris took her position on the sidelines, keeping watch for when her assistance was needed. Prompto slid - literally - into the action. Athenacia was quick to join them after a quick scan of her surroundings and wished to stay near the rear end, hacking at the poorly defended hindquarters. The issue, of course, was the massive tail that seemed to be armoured on its own. When it would come toward her she ducked out of the way, using her gauntlet as a shield when needed. They were all focused on different spots but she knew that the biggest weakness would be to hit an artery. The massive blood loss would slow it down considerably, so she kept her focus on that while dodging attacks. The tail grazed her leg, making her grunt, however, was coming back around at an alarming rate. Gladiolus was there with his massive greatsword, blocking it and allowing her to quickly scurried out of the way. The large man rolled away as well, getting to his feet instantly. Athenacia slashed again at the back legs before being forced to move out of harm's way once more. This time she opted to go underneath, hitting the soft underbelly with her blade along her path.

The Bandersnatch was incredibly quick despite its size. The physician was going to have to do some major triage after this fight, that was for sure. Currently she couldn't feel any of her injuries but she knew where they were, blood trickling down the right side of her face. From the steady stream, she deduced it was only a minor laceration, nothing a quick fix wouldn't solve and went back to observing the movements of her enemy while acting accordingly. Athenacia would have to slow it down a different way and there was only one she could think of. Raw strength was out of the question - but with enough speed, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Setting her jaw, she jumped out of the way again, landing on her feet before launching her gladius once more, allowing the chain to extend from her wrist. The blade struck right near the left shoulder blade, stuck in there firmly. It was a good spot to start from, utilizing the shock on the beast to begin her run and sliding under to wrap the chain around the leg. Noctis deflected the other claw from getting to her and she used his back to push herself up and bring the chain around the neck of the beast. Athenacia kept up her momentum and slid underneath the abdomen. Ignis offered her a hand as she came back and she again was in the air and on the other side of the monster. Sliding once more, she was at the back of the leg and Gladiolus ducked down allowing her to use his leverage to wrap herself around the other leg firmly.

The doctor was on her feet and quickly flicked her wrist to the left. The spikes came out in their full force, the scream of the beast filling their ears. However, it was still much bigger than her, no way for her to hold it in place and the shock of what she had just done caused the animal to not only shriek, but try to run away from the source of the pain. Athenacia was jerked violently off of her feet as it began its trek. The call of her name followed her in the distance as she was dragged on the ground by her right wrist. Quickly she began to busy herself to detach the armband, proving difficult with objects on the ground hitting her with every step the creature took. Finally, she was successful and unarmed when she got to her feet - so there was no way to defend herself from the tail that came around and hit her square in the sternum and pushed her quickly into a nearby tree.

Athenacia grunted in pain at the impact, sliding down until she was flat in the grass. Gasping, she was desperately trying to will air into her lungs despite the pain she felt all over her body. Her eyes began to flicker between red and normal. No, no this couldn't happen. Not now. She could feel a rushing in her ears, the sounds of fighting distant. Her eyes were still flashing red. This was not good, she had to stop this before it started. If she didn't get this under control she would kill them all and she'd never be able to live with herself. Reaching into her pocket, she managed to pull out one of the syringes. The physician tried to calm herself as she fumbled around to get the cap off of the needle. Once it was free she jammed it into her leg, throwing it as far away from herself as possible when it was empty and rolling so that no one would see it. Her world grew black instantly and she lost consciousness with one last flicker of red.

...

The physician took in a sharp breath as she opened her eyes. It was hard to intake the air but a necessary requirement. If she had the dosage right then she was out for no more than three minutes in order to recollect herself. After the last time she had to do this she found that she was out far longer than was safe while wandering around alone. Now she had it so that she was gone long enough to reset herself before being able to wake up normal again, however, given how injured she was it was best to avoid as many blows as she could. Athenacia wasn't exactly sure it would work a second time and so soon, never really had the luxury of testing it, nor would she start now with all these people that could potentially die in her wake.

It took her a moment to figure out where she was but was quick on her feet once she had. The Bandersnatch was still active though on its last legs, her last attack doing some real damage. Still a bit light-headed from the medication, Iris was there with a potion, bless her. The young girl looked genuinely worried and Athenacia had a look back at the tree she had hit, understanding why. There was quite a bit of damage to the bark, she hit it quite hard. No wonder she was having trouble breathing, she would have to check for a concussion later, perhaps a cracked rib. But now wasn't the time, quickly assessing the situation before her. Athenacia saw the shine of her own weapon sticking out of the shoulder of the enemy. The spikes were still dug into the flesh, which was severely hindering its moves. Noctis, Ignis and Gladiolus were hacking away. The Prince warped where he needed to while the other two kept up their assault. Something seemed to be missing from this picture, about to go and join them when Iris held onto her arm firmly. That seemed very unnecessary but she complied with the young girl's wishes, knowing that rushing back into battle unarmed was not a good idea. It was just such a natural instinct, muscle memory from her time in the war. Now the magic was no longer with her, it was unlikely she'd be of any help to them anyway.

Finally, after all the hacking, whacking and slashing, the beast was slain. Athenacia felt the ground beneath her shake as the large carcass fell, breathing a sigh of relief before walked toward it. Shimmers of blue in her peripherals meant that their weapons were dismissed, But hers was still sticking out of the Bandersnatch and she was lucky it didn't fall on the side she had struck it. There was no way she could move it around to free it, grabbing onto the small handle and pulling hard until it was finally free. It came with some entrails as well, courtesy of the hook. Her chain was still attached to the body, wrapped up. That was not going to be fun to detach.

"You okay?" asked Gladiolus as he came to stand next to her.

"I'll live," she answered lightly.

Athenacia began to pull on the chain but to no avail. She would have to find the end first and dismiss her spikes before she had a chance of getting it back. It would be somewhere near the back legs on the ground so that's where she went first, having to leave behind the gladius. Finally spotting it, she placed it back on her wrist and flicking it left. The spikes went to lay flat again against the metal and she then flicked her wrist to the right, commanding it to retract. Removing the band, she groaned when it got stuck, taking a step forward to assist it back to its proper place. That was, until it was pulled through. Frowning, she looked over at her weapon and saw Gladiolus holding it with one finger, giving her a smug look. Athenacia watched as the armband came once again to sit against the hilt, smiling in thanks at him as he walked towards her. It was so small that only two of his fingers could fit around the handle, but it wasn't made for him so that didn't really matter at all. Graciously she took it from him, knowing she would have to clean it off before sheathing it. She was about to pull out her cloth when a very abrupt scream stopped her in her tracks.

"Prompto!"

Summary:  In the hustle of the Crown City, you suddenly find yourself in a situation you never thought you would be in, caught between two worlds with an impossible choice lying before you. You quickly learn how much grey is in between the black and white life you thought you once knew. Some AU I suppose. Still bad at summaries. Gladio x OC, Ignis x OC, Gladio x OC x Ignis. femreader. smut.

All The Small Things

...

Your eyes burned as they opened up slowly, knowing that it was far too early to be awake right now. Groaning, you rolled out of bed and relieved yourself in the bathroom, your lids heavy as you burrowed yourself beneath the blankets. Going back to sleep wasn't an option, not at the moment. As much as your body protested the idea of remaining conscious, your brain was still riddled with sleep and irrationally thinking it needed to stay awake. Shaking your head, you drew closer to the man next to you, sneaking your way beneath his arm and seeking the warmth of his body. It was soothing, the hold making him stir before rolling over, throwing his other arm around you and causing you to sigh. You were safe in this embrace, maybe even good enough to go back to sleep. Closing your eyes, it was for a moment before you jolted yourself awake, remembering exactly why it was in your best interest to stay awake for a bit.

"You up?"

The grumbled voice of Gladiolus reached your ears, his head above you as you rested against his broad chest. Looking up, you could almost make out his face, frowning as those tired amber hues found you briefly before falling closed once more. A small smile passed over your lips, nuzzling deeper into him and rubbing the sleep from your eyes. The large man tightened his hold and exhaled heavily against you, making you shudder when it whispered against your neck.

"I need to stay up a bit," you replied, voice laced with sleep.

Gladio grunted, "What for?"

"So I don't go back to my dream."

"Mm," he grunted again, but then shot awake a few seconds later, "Wanna run that by me again?"

"I had a really bad dream," you repeated, "I don't wanna go back there."

The man's roar of laughter is what initially shook away all traces of sleep from your eyes. You frowned, wondering what exactly he found so amusing. Gladio met your gaze and it only provoked more snickering, seeing how completely serious you were about the situation.

"What?" you asked, rubbing your eyes.

"Did you hear what you just said?" he couldn't suppress his chuckling.

"Yeah."

"And you don't see how ridiculous that is?"

"What are you talking about?"

Gladio stopped laughing and looked at you, eyes boring into you while you were trying to comprehend what he found so amusing. He took his thumb and rubbed your eyes again, waking you up further and you were locked into his gaze.

"You know that's not how it works, right?" he asked, smirking.

"I know," you sighed, "It just scared me so much I'm afraid to go back to sleep."

The large man grunted again, keeping his arm around you as he rolled onto his back. Your ear was met with his heartbeat, rhymic and soothing as it thumped against you. He shook again, snickering at the thought of what you said to him and you tried to move away from him, however, his hold on you tightened. You groaned, Gladio continuing to laugh at your struggle before keeping you close and bringing his lips to your neck. The stubble surrounding his lips made you shiver and squeal, unable to break free while in his embrace. Before long you were giggling, making your protest hardly a warning, merely provoking him to pursue you further. It was as if he were going out of his way in order to make you laugh and he was able to do so with ease.

When he did finally cease you were completely awake and thinking clearly. No wonder he was making fun of you, the very idea of what you had suggested was completely absurd. Did you seriously just express that to him in a serious manner? Claiming your bottom lip, you met his gaze through your lashes with a smile before he planted a kiss to your forehead.

"Just dream of me," he said, smirking again, "I should be the only thing on your mind anyway."

You scoffed, "That's ridiculous."

Gladio grinned, drawing you in for a kiss. The feel of him made you melt, sighing before parting and left in that familiar daze. Sleep wished to claim you again, no longer in fear of what you were going to face. All the small things he did for you were truly a blessing you didn't know you had, heart swelling with affection for him.

"Better?"

"Yeah," you smiled, kissing him again.

That grin remained on your face and he grunted again, allowing you to roll over in order to get comfortable. You remained in his arms, his chest pressed against your back and another tattooed arm draped lazily over your body. It didn't take long for you to lose yourself in sleep, dreaming of the large man behind you and feeling at peace.

...

A few days later you were frazzled, at home and groaning for the umpteenth time tonight. Final exams started the next day and you had been stressing out so much about them. It was the reason you were at Gladio's apartment the other night, avoiding him and everyone else in order to study. The large man was adamant that you needed a break and made you an offer that was hard to refuse - remembering how well you did last time when Ignis insisted on taking you out. That didn't ease your stress levels at the present moment, wishing that you hadn't taken the time off.

Ignis was on your mind a lot as you got closer to the exams. It was as if you were on the phone with him constantly, going over all your notes and hoping that you weren't missing anything. The man was patient and understanding, dealing with your irrational scenarios about failing with a grain of salt. It was hard to keep calm about everything even with his influence grounding you, however, you were stuck between wanting to keep your distance and yearning for his company. When you couldn't speak to him on the phone you were at his place, unwilling to let him see the catastrophe you lived in.

It wasn't just that. The looming decision that faced you constantly was a burden when you were alone. As much as you wanted to isolate yourself and stop digging deeper, there was always a need within you to run away from that guilt. Often when you were with one then the other was far from your mind, caught up in how much you enjoyed being with either man. They weren't a lot alike, stimulating different aspects of your own enjoyment and constantly showing you new things that there was never a way for one to be outdone by the other. On top of that, you were hopelessly in love with both them, so deep and even that it was impossible to pick one and end the path of destruction you were on. Two halves of a whole, completed only by staying together. The idea that you would have to leave one behind always filled you with remorse and not just because it would hurt him, but merely the fact that you couldn't envision a future where he wasn't in your life in some way, shape or form. Even Connor never made you fall this hard.

Sighing, you abandoned the work you were doing and flopped on your bed. There was no way you were going to retain any information while stressed out and conflicted as you were. This was one of those moments where you wished Gladio had whisked you away again, distracting you from everything that plagued you. A smile passed across your lips, thinking about how he'd tease you first and act like he had no ill intentions behind his actions. You knew better, you always did, craving him when he was near and sometimes wishing that he would get to the point. Those lips would graze your neck, moving down and ghosting along your skin until he reached your navel. He always got close to your heat, making you moan in anticipation as you did now before pulling away.

Your smile grew, eyes closed while Gladio ran his large hands along your body, caressing you, kneading the flesh and planting kisses to your exposed skin. The more he touched you the hotter you became, moving with him and lost entirely. His arousal was clear against your leg, grinding against you and making you sigh. He wasn't alone, another pair of hands coming to your back and running from the curve, up to your shoulders before going back down. The second set of lips was on the nape of your neck, soft as always and making you arch.

Between the two of them you were helpless, bending to their will as they continued to stimulate your every nerve. You whimpered, feeling one down at your core and another stay at your chest. Ignis claimed your lips at the same time Gladio moved to your lower ones, both breaching the seams and making it hard for you to cry out at the sensation. You knew it would be amazing, that every part of you would be on fire and nothing else on your mind. It was pure bliss, the very idea that this could happen making you tremble with anticipation.

There was so much happening you weren't able to keep a hold of yourself. You thought that you heard a smack on the shared wall in the back of your mind but it was hard to know for sure. The two of them were building you so high you couldn't last much longer. Just as you were about to reach your goal a louder knock at your front door made you jump, waking up from your dream taking a moment to realize that it wasn't real. Frowning, you waited a few moments to make sure that someone was really there, almost screaming in surprise when the knock occurred again. It was followed by the neighbour telling you to be quiet, however, you ignored him as you threw the blankets off you, swinging your legs to the floor and making your way over to the entrance. Without warning you opened the door, jaw dropping when you saw who was on the other side.

"Ignis?"

The man was smiling fondly as he appeared to be waiting patiently for you to answer him. It was so unexpected and you were still flush from your dozing that you were certain he noticed.

"Good evening," he greeted.

"What are you doing here?" you asked curiously.

"I was in the neighbourhood."

You quirked a brow, "In this neighbourhood?"

"Indeed. I found I was in desperate need of an Ebony."

"You know you have some at home, right?"

"Ah, but there is no spectacular barista to prepare it the way I like."

His words made you blush, a shy smile gracing your features and provoking his own smug smirk. This man always knew what to say, it was no wonder you fell so easily for him. Perfection hardly ever showed itself to you and now it was standing at your door.

"I do confess that I was unsure if you were home, however, I heard some noises when I arrived. Am I interrupting something?"

The question made you flush further, averting your eyes in order to not give away that you were dreaming about him and another man ravishing you. In fact, your body was still hot with the idea and that was the last thing you really wanted him to know.

"No," your voice squeaked.

You thought you heard him huff with a small laugh, unable to look up at him still.

"How fares the studying?"

The groan you gave him in answer made him chuckle and you moved so that he could enter your closet of an apartment. You went for your kitchen, firing up the machines and deciding that you could use the whiskey tonight. When Ignis didn't decline the alcohol in his beverage you were absolutely delighted that he planned on spending the night with you despite not wanting him to see what trash you lived in. It wasn't like he had never been here before, merely that after experiencing the world he was accustomed to this was far beneath him and you hated that there was nothing more for you to offer.

When you were seated on the couch with him he had already organized your notes and was reading through them, placing them neatly on the table before accepting his beverage from your hands. The bliss on his face with the first drink made your heart flutter, placing your mug on the table and turning to him.

"So you came here for a coffee?" you questioned.

Ignis smiled, resting his cup with yours and reaching over so that he could wrap his arm around your shoulder and draw you near. The action was almost surprising, his heat enveloping you swiftly and losing yourself in that gentle gaze. Without warning, his hand cupped your cheek and his lips pressed against yours, eyes fluttering closed once you realized what was going on. The coffee in his taste was intoxicating, making you sigh into him and left swooning when you broke apart, far too gone in your daze to really comprehend anything around you.

"Indeed, my love. A special blend that only you can produce."

His voice was low, a tone that took your breath away and made heat pool to your core when you realized what he was talking about. You wanted to go further, his heat beckoning you for another taste and leaving no choice but to surrender to it. Ignis allowed you to claim his lips, firmer than the last and you didn't notice your hand coming to the collar of his shirt in order to hold on, merely the hitch in his breath when your skin touched his. Apparently, you were very cold and the jolt made you accidentally pull the topmost button open, severing it from its home. You gasped, holding it in your palm and then glanced up at him apologetically. The way his face looked, it was something you had seen before.

"Misbehaving already I see," he smirked in a playful manner.

If his gaze didn't stir something within you, those words certainly did, remembering the last time you were intimate with him and what happened. Your wrists began to burn, no longer blemished but recalling very vividly how that night went and what they had endured. None of it failed to make you hotter, cheeks flushed while you also thought about the dream you had earlier involving him. If it wasn't for the fact that Ignis grabbed his lost button from you then you were certain you would have succumbed back to that dream world that felt incredibly real. Averting your gaze, you grabbed your mug and decided to hide in the beverage, finishing it quickly which left you nothing else to do with your mouth aside from exhaling a little too quickly for your liking.

"Have you a moment to recuperate since you began studying?" asked Ignis, acting oblivious to how he was affecting you. Of course, you knew better than that.

"I was napping when you came," you answered, glancing up briefly.

"Was your dream distressful?"

"No I-"

You clapped your hand over your mouth after you answered, realizing that you had said too much. Ignis quirked a brow at you, reaching delicately for your wrist and gently pulling it away. Next, his fingers took hold of your chin in order to bring it up and meet his curious gaze. You were absolutely flushed, completely unsure of what exactly was happening nor what you were supposed to say. Obviously he knew exactly the sort of dream you were having, you could see it in his eyes and the anticipation of his reaction was what really kept you on edge.

"I see," he said, drawing you in for another kiss, "Perhaps you can enlighten me."

"What?" you opened your eyes wide.

"Instruct me."

Your jaw dropped for the second time that night, completely in disbelief of what he was asking of you. Ignis wanted to know what you were dreaming about and to enact the same sort of thing? Was he nuts? This couldn't be real, had to be another one of your weird fantasies that you were having lately that you blamed on stress. What were you even supposed to say to him?

"Oh well, funny story, I've actually been dating your friend Gladio at the same time as you and started thinking about having you both over to ravish me to the point I can't think straight. Sound good to you? Great! Let's call him."

Yeah right. There was no way you could tell him any of that and hope to see him another day, even if it was the right thing to do. You were brought out of your thoughts when his lips ghosted along your neck, making you gasp and realize that he was not here to help you study. A sigh escaped you, eyes fluttering closed and you moved into his touch. Your head was swimming the longer he remained, your arms coming around him to keep his place. Lowering you both down, he claimed your lips once more and swallowed another sigh. In a daze you were locked onto his eyes, absently reaching to remove his glasses so you could get a better view. Ignis allowed it, softly kissing your cheek and bringing his lips to your ear again.

"Guide me."

His voice was a whisper in your ear, making your breath hitch as you pulled him closer. Ignis sneaked his fingers beneath the hem of your shirt, running them along your bare skin and causing you to shudder. You were able to see that same sort of uncertainty he often showed at the beginning of your relationship, however, you knew that it wasn't the entire truth of the matter. When he rubbed over your erect nub your back arched instantly, a trail of his soft kisses meeting your exposed chest. The straps of your tank top were easily tugged down, something you hardly noticed until he swirled his tongue on your breast. You weren't wearing a bra, in for the night and no need to - which made it easier for him to gain access.

A long drawn out moan erupted from your throat when you felt his teeth on the end of the bud, scraping against the sensitive skin and sending a wave of new sensations all through your body. It was then you realized that he was looking for your approval of his actions, and that was what he meant when he told you to enlighten him. There was no time to really ponder any of that, his hips grinding into yours and you clearly felt his own desires against you. You were certain that your shorts were soaked through and you would have been embarrassed if not for the fact that those teeth were still so expertly working at your breast. One of your legs came to hook around his hip and draw him closer, wishing that there was a way for you to reach down and remove his clothing.

Evidently he was thinking along the same lines as you, one of his hands finding their way into your shorts and run along your outer walls, causing you to moan loudly again. The way he was lying on top of you made it near impossible to move, stuck once again and forced to endure whatever it was he was doing to you. Those gentle strokes at your lower lips grew harder, only throwing you off for a moment when they would travel further than you thought against you before coming back to the soiled entrance. It was bliss, better than you envisioned and your hips quivered as you tried to move into him. As soon as one finger found itself deep within you another cry left and you were nearly lost completely in him.

"Keep it down!"

If it wasn't for that following the thump on the wall you would have been done. The shock jolted you and Ignis ceased his actions, frowning as he looked toward the source of the interruption. Sighing, you moved, detaching from him and going toward the kitchen in order to make yourself another drink. The man was behind you momentarily, placing his hands on your hips and pulling you against him before they encircled you completely.

"My apologies," he murmured, kissing the top of your head.

"For what?" you frowned, moving your arms to lay atop his.

"The disruption."

"Oh that guy? Don't let him bother you, he's just an asshole."

"I gather from your colourful description that his protests are frequent?"

"Yeah."

"Is he dangerous?"

"Not that I know of, just complains a lot and always gives me dirty looks when I see him. I'm honestly more afraid of the cat lady."

"Have you informed your landlord?"

You snorted in amusement, rolling your eyes, "That guy isn't much better. He didn't even turn on the heat over the winter. Gladi - er glad that I had a friend who managed to get it working for me."

Shiva's fucking tits, what the hell did you almost say?

"That is fortunate. Perhaps you can construct a formal complaint to the board," said Ignis, appearing to not catch your near slip up.

"No point. I won't be here forever, it's just until I finish school. After the summer I start my co-op so I won't be around much."

"Indeed. Perhaps some studying would be in order to speed up the process."

You smirked, turning within his embrace and facing him, "You want me gone already?"

Ignis held your gaze, bringing one of his hands to your chin and keeping you in place. You were instantly under his spell, lids heavy as he closed in and softly kissed you. It was so intense that you had no choice but to take a step back, colliding with your counter and stuck between that and his body. The grip you had on his shirt was tight, desperate to hold yourself up and endure every last second of this since it was evident you weren't getting what you really wanted tonight. When he pulled back your heart was erratic as you tried to catch your breath, back in those emerald hues and unwilling to even try to pull yourself out.

"Of course not, my love," he answered, "I merely wish for you to find more suitable accommodations and alleviate my concerns for your safety."

"My safety?" you frowned.

"This is not the most ideal place for a young woman such as yourself to dwell on your lonesome. I'm well aware that this has been your home for some time, however, it does not cease my worries whilst you remain."

That was certainly something you weren't expecting. You knew that this neighbourhood wasn't ideal but it was the best you could afford. There were four locks on your door and you kept a metal baseball bat in arms reach at all times, you certainly felt a lot safer than he was giving you credit for. Since you had all these measures you had never really thought about it, especially since you were hardly at home between two jobs and school. The biggest reason you kept the boys away was simply because of how trashy everything was, never once thinking that it could be dangerous. Odd how you never noticed it before - though certainly it wasn't the first time this issue was brought up.

Often, Gladio would make sure you were walked straight to your door whenever he came around. Usually when he was here he was frowning at something he disapproved of, generally the neighbour but other things that you knew were likely illegal. Usually you were too busy distracting him that you didn't think about the implications of the situation you were in. You smiled, your heart filling with affection for both of them at how much they cared about you, making the decision even harder now than it was before. Was there truly no end to the perfection in either man?

"You don't have to worry so much," you told Ignis, keeping that grin on your face, "It's just small stuff that won't last forever."

"All the small things are of great importance, love, especially if they concern you."

Your smile grew and you kissed him again, acting on pure instinct and losing yourself completely. There wasn't a time in your life that you could remember being so happy, swooning and falling even deeper for this man that you truly didn't deserve.

Summary:  She tried leaving, submerging herself in work to escape the horrors she had seen. The horrors she kept seeing. She never wanted to go back to that life. But when the Empire takes her home, she’s forced to face her past. Can she move on? Can she cope? Or will she require a bit of help? still bad at summaries, still working on it. ever so slightly more than slight AU gadioxoc

Bad Dreams

...

Gladiolus was restless throughout the night. He tried not to toss around too much and wake the others but every time he closed his eyes he was back in front of the Regalia, facing Ravus Nox Fleuret and failing at protecting Noctis. Ravus had the Prince by the throat while the Shield was forced to sit and watch. Anger welled up within him as his amber eyes analyzed everything around them. Gladio pushed down on the blade, startling his enemy and causing him to release the grip he had on the Prince. As the Shield stood in front of his charge he was ready to face off and win this time, but his weapon would not come to his hands. Ravus only smiled at the confusion and took that chance to strike. The blow delivered to him was massive, knocking him back into the car and leaving a huge dent in the door. The pain he felt in his abdomen at the contact of the arm was almost unbearable, the wind completely gone from him. Gladiolus stood hunched over as he put an arm on the wound, taking sharp breaths in as he glared at his enemy, however, the High Commander only laughed, the voice taunting his dreams.

A weak shield protects naught.

The scene before him disintegrated. Gladio was left with only Ravus as images began to form in front of his eyes. Iris in Lestallum, in the custody of the Empire. Faceless refugees were knelt down with her as the night sky plagued dark black clouds above him. Ravus stood over her with that evil smile of his as he held the tip of his blade under her chin. Gladiolus could only stand and watch as his sister wailed in fear at what could befall her. Her eyes were on him, pleading that he do something to save her, however, he couldn't move and his weapon would not come to his hands. The High Commander kept his hand steady, that cold stare boring into him the entire time. Gladio growled, finally able to break whatever chain was holding him still. He wouldn't make it in time, Ravus was ready to deliver the final, fatal blow.

"Gladdy!" she cried in fear.

"Stop! I'm Iris Amicitia!"

Gladiolus stopped in his tracks, looking toward the source of the familiar voice. He was faced with Athenacia walking toward them with a fierce determination. Ravus dropped his blade and began his trek to meet her as the Shield watched, unable to call out or stop this from happening. The High Commander was swift in his movements, slicing her neck on the right side. Blood gushed out and her scream of anguish filled his ears. When he was finally able to move, Ravus and Iris had disappeared, leaving Athenacia in the hands of Caligo. The blood no longer rushed from her neck, just formed a scar that ran down her collarbone and stopped just below the shoulder. That monster held her by the hair, blood dripping slowly down her left cheek as her eye swelled up completely black and purple. She looked the exact way Cor had found her that night, tears falling from her only good eye and there was nothing he could do to stop it, nothing he could do to save her.

A weak shield protects naught.

Gladiolus let out a heavy sigh as he rolled onto his back and put an arm underneath his head. The deep and even breaths of the others - and a soft snore - filled his ears while he kept his focus on the top of the tent. Ignis wasn't up yet which meant that it was still nighttime, harder to tell while under the canopy of the thicket. The Shield closed his eyes again, only to be back in that same scene once more and frowned at his own failure. There had to be something more he could do, something that would prove he was worthy to be the King's Shield because right now he was hardly a man clawing his way toward his duty, failing at every turn. The cold hard fact remained: he just wasn't strong enough.

Internally sighing, he gave up on sleep entirely at this point and carefully got up to exit the tent without managing to wake the others. The fire was still burning, having been fed most of the night and he wore another frown on his face when he encountered Athenacia still up and out of her tent. The girl was laying on her back beside the fire, staring distantly into the sky. It was clear she hadn't slept all night, nor the night previous. From this vantage point he could see her purple eye and the scabbed over cut on her cheek. Athenacia would forever wear that as a scar, another memento from the Empire special just for her - not that it tarnished his thoughts on her appearance. No, it only reminded him more of his failures as a sworn Shield. Okay, so she wasn't Noctis but he liked to think that she was his woman and he failed to protect her as well. Those injuries were there because she was protecting his own sister and many others. Athenacia was doing a job that she was roped into, while he failed at the very thing he was born to do. His father would never have let anything like this happen.

A weak shield protects naught.

The large man growled lowly at the words running through his head. It was then the doctor noticed him, frowning slightly at his appearance before bringing herself to sit up and face him. Gladiolus only forced himself a smile as he regarded her. The flaming hair was down, reaching her elbows as it flared out behind her and looked soft as it rested against her. The purple eye looked better, however, both her eyes were puffy and bloodshot with sleep deprivation. Her pale complexion was still evident, reflecting in the flames that bounced off her cheeks. Gladio was neutral about the change in her hair, having it long and a different colour. Currently he still couldn't even figure out how it had grown so fast, but what did he really know about girl's hair anyway? Walking over there on his bare feet, he took a seat beside her while she hugged her knees to her chest, not saying a word with her eyes back on the fire once he was settled. His amber gaze was also directed at the dancing flames, his right leg up and his forearm resting on the knee. The fire hissed and popped as it burned, reflecting its warmth upon them while they sat in silence, but not for long.

"Can't sleep?" she inquired lightly.

"No," he answered, his face hard at his own thoughts.

"Bad dreams," she stated, nodding in understanding.

"It's not that," he began to lie to her.

She snorted, "Gladio, I've been having nightmares for nearly six years. I know all the signs, I'm sort of an expert."

Gladiolus sighed, knowing she was right. He recalled when he would spend nights at her house and she would shake awake. Sometimes it was subtle, other times it was violent and he pretended not to notice, waiting as long as he could for her to fall back into slumber. Some nights she never would. Before the invasion, he noticed that it would get a little better, now it was worse than before. Athenacia never talked about it, probably never wanted to burden him. That girl was very independent when they first met and that hadn't changed in the slightest - though she had a big heart to become a doctor and care for people who probably never deserved it. Now she could see he was suffering the same plague she was. Anyone else wouldn't have even bothered to guess or ask about it. Gladiolus was mesmerized by the light of the flames but very aware of her presence next to him. There was no trace of their joking around like usual, the mood not calling for it. Athenacia was far too exhausted for that anyway and he wouldn't bother her like that. There was a time and place, and he couldn't lie to her about why he wasn't asleep right now, she saw it before he even sat down.

"Yeah," he admitted finally, "Bad dream."

"Thought so," she said lightly.

The Shield looked over at her once she began to move. Athenacia used her hands to push herself toward him, putting her body on the inside of his legs and leaning her back against his bare chest. Her soft red hair felt like silk against his skin as the back of her head was looking up into the sky and her forehead was just underneath his chin at his neck. Gladio wrapped his left arm around her tiny waist, letting his head fall against hers while she brought her right hand up and entangled her fingers into his massive left hand. That small gesture made him feel comforted, taking away his pain and most of his uncertainty. The girl didn't have the answer he needed, however, he was still happy that she was here in his time of need. Athenacia soothed him in a way that no other ever had before, all with simple gestures.

"Wanna talk about it?" she asked lightly.

Her eyes were still distant as she looked up into the sky. Gladiolus kept his gaze on the fire, letting his thoughts come to the surface but he kept his mouth shut, not even knowing where to begin or how to explain it. Besides, no one was even supposed to know he was hurting at all. Somehow she had seen right through it despite his best efforts to hide it from anyone. What's more, she didn't bring it up at all in front of anyone else and allowed him to lean on her for support. She didn't even force him into it, was just there in a way he didn't know he needed. Athenacia knew how to handle his inability to communicate his problems, all without his knowing it. She was good.

"You gonna talk about yours?" he asked.

She smiled, "No. But I can tell you one thing."

"What's that?"

"Bad dreams are often a reflection of one's inability to cope with a trauma in the past. The best way to get rid of them is to find a way to resolve the subconscious issue - if it can be remedied."

Gladiolus took in all of her words, keeping a thoughtful frown on his face. Athenacia was right about that, which made him wonder what sort of thing she was trying desperately to repress that manifested into nightmares. He could only assume that they were the horrors of war, things that one person obviously couldn't handle. The Shield didn't judge her for it, in fact, he was impressed that she had fought as long as she did despite the toll it took upon her. This girl had strength in a way that he could never imagine himself mastering at all and he admired her for it. Athenacia pushed her own issues aside to help him, who knew what sort of thoughts he interrupted when he had happened upon her just now. Her words helped him more than she realized while he thought about them carefully, knowing that there was nothing but truth in them. If he wanted to rest easy he would have to prove himself as the Sworn Shield. Only one thing came to mind and he knew of only one person that could get him there. Gladio would still have to do it alone, something that could cause him to lose his own life, but he wouldn't plan on dying and he couldn't go running off anyway, not at the present moment. Sighing internally, he pushed those thoughts from his mind.

"Then we'll both just suffer," he replied, nodding once at her.

"I suppose so," she agreed.

Athenacia moved her head to get a better look at him and he brought his gaze to meet her own, seeing a sad smile.

"But for now we'll do it together," her voice was light.

The look she was giving him nearly took his breath away. That calm hazel stare bore into him, almost as if she could see through to his soul. They both had completely different problems sleeping but she was offering herself to him. She really was his, even after all the crap that happened in between the city falling. It was just them right now, nothing else existed around their universe. The fire crackling and the river flowing were distant as they gazed at each other. All the teasing, the hurt feelings, everything set aside to reflect how she felt about him in one simple stare. Athenacia was here for him regardless of his failures, accepted who he was and truly did see the man underneath the Shield. Gladiolus gently placed his right hand on her cheek, guiding her lips to his own and rubbed his thumb over her cheek gently before kissing her forehead, holding her close to him.

"Just you and me, baby," he murmured into her ear, his eyes back to the flames with his intent look, "Just you and me."

...

Gladiolus opened his eyes slowly, not noticing that he managed to doze off but it was dreamless this time at least. Drawing in a deep breath, he brought his hand to rub his eyes. The large man smiled as he looked down, bringing his hand back to rest along the waist of the woman in front of him. Athenacia was unresponsive, breathing evenly as she slept. They were still in front of the dwindling fire, the sky above them getting a little lighter. Ignis would be up any minute, that he was sure of. Gladio rested a moment, taking in the sight before him. It had been a long time since he woke up like this: Athenacia was sleeping soundly, using his arm as a pillow. The tumbling mass of flaming red hair was pushed against his chest, stuck between her back and his body. Her legs were curled underneath her, hair all over her face as her arms hugged his in order to hold it in place while she slept. The Shield could only smile down at her, feeling the gentle way her chest rose and fell against his forearm. Carefully he moved her hair out of her face, tucking it away behind her ear, flipped the industrial so that the dragonfly shone and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head before rolling onto his back.

His right arm was numb from not moving, he desperately needed it back. Gladio didn't want to wake her, knowing how little sleep she actually claimed, however, there was no help for it, he needed blood to flow through it. Rolling back, he brought his other heavily tattooed arm to wrap around her once more and carefully rolled her so that she was on her back. When he was about halfway she stirred, taking a deep breath before complying with his wishes on her own. Athenacia stretched herself out, her head still on his arm and one of her hands came to rest on the other around her waist, placing the left by her face. Gladiolus waited until she settled back into her sleep before gently removing one arm from her grasp and then using it to guide her head slowly onto the ground, freeing his numb one. The girl didn't react and he took that to be a good sign, rising from the ground and took a quick look around. No one was up yet, but it wouldn't be long before the early risers began to stir. The Shield made his way toward the river, wincing once the cool water hit his bare feet. His dream that initially led him outside of the tent earlier that night was still bothering him, however, there was no time to worry about it, he had a job to do. Bending over, he collected water in his hands before running it over his face. It woke up him a lot faster than sitting around and he needed to focus.

Meanwhile, Athenacia shook herself awake, thankfully not in a violent way this time. Immediately she noticed that she was cold, like the blanket of warmth she had drawn around her was gone entirely. That was how she felt right now, cold and deserted. Turning her head, she noted there was no longer a mountain of warmth at her back, just the cold, hard ground and she was sure that was not how she remembered falling asleep. Frowning, she looked around for Gladiolus, who she was certain had fallen asleep before her after they had sat down by the fire. There was no sign of him so she sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes and getting a better idea of what was around her. Her attention was drawn to the river, hearing splashing over there and she stood up, walking toward the edge of the haven. Smiling, Athenacia cocked her head to the side, getting a better look at the large man. The massive bird that occupied his entire back was very well detailed. Her eyes ran over the feathers that started at the tail and worked her way up toward the wings. They fanned out across his arms, stopping just short of his wrists. She knew the head of the bird came over his left shoulder to reside on his chest, watching every movement. The curve in the wing engulfed his other shoulder. It wasn't like she had never seen it before but it was a long time since she had the chance to admire it, to admire him. Her smile grew, an idea forming in her mind.

Gladiolus let out a sigh as the last of the water washed over him, moving to stand tall but nearly lost his footing, grunting as something hard collided with his back. The Shield was on one knee with his hand in the running water, relaxing once he realized there was no immediate threat to him or the others. Small arms were wrapped around his neck firmly but did not cut off his oxygen supply. There were also bare legs that came around his abdomen, holding on for dear life it seemed. The right foot had a very familiar tattoo of a tribal sun. Once he had steadied himself, he smirked. Gladio could feel Athenacia's face buried into the nape of his neck, her grip tightening once he was up and standing again. He brought his hand up to her arms, attempting to break them apart, however, her hold was firm, locked in place. Quickly he realized the only way to tear it open would be to break the bone and he wasn't going to do that. Amber hues moved down to her ankles, noting the same sort of situation. The large man reached back over one shoulder, finding the scabbed skin of the cut that was on her shoulder blade but abandoned that quickly, not wanting to agitate the wound and slow down the healing process. Instead, he went for the other shoulder, prodding his fingers around until he found a spot just underneath her torso that made her flinch and squeal. His grin grew as he again poked at that same spot, only causing her to cry in protest against his neck. Finally, her left arm jerked to protect that tender spot and he used that moment to swiftly capture it with his right hand, stopping her from initiating her hold once more. Now the ankles. Luckily that would be simple since her toes were highly ticklish. Clearly she had forgotten about that. It was quick, just a simple graze against them with his hand and her legs were down violently.

The sudden movement left his stance compromised and the water had shifted whatever was holding him in place. Gladio slipped, falling sideways and quickly pulled the woman he was holding so that she was against his chest, his hand sheltering her head from any impact; because as soon as he fell with her, the current carried them both down away from the haven. The Shield tensed as he felt himself hit by rocks and other obstacles in the water, however, he couldn't risk reaching out to stop them or Athenacia would be left unprotected. The man had to jerk his body accordingly as he rode it out until the very end. When they did finally reach some solid ground he rolled onto his back, relaxing his grip upon her. The sounds of her laughter made him grin, both of them thoroughly soaked to the bone but the chill of the water didn't seem to affect them at the moment. Gladiolus watched as she came into view above him, bringing her right arm to rest on the other side of his chest on the ground. Still giggling, her arms shoot as wet tendrils dripped onto his neck and obscured her face. He reached up with his right arm and carefully tucked away the hair behind her ear, leaving his hand to linger there as she mimicked his movements on her other side - only her hand went back to holding herself up after wiping water from her unblemished eye.

"Geeze, Doc, you tryin' to kill me?" he kept the grin on his face.

That only caused another fit of giggles to erupt from her. Athenacia looked down shyly a moment, biting her lip slightly before returned her hazel gaze toward him. He kept the back of his fingers underneath the left side of her chin, his thumb grazing against the scabbed cut on her cheek.

"Hi," was all she managed.

Gladio raised a brow and she began to laugh harder. It was infectious, as he could only chuckle while she struggled to catch her breath in between laughs. Pulling her down, he kissed her softly. Her giggling subsided but the bright smile remained on her face, noting her bottom lip shivered slightly as he kissed her again.

"Cold?" he asked.

"A bit," she replied.

The Shield smirked again, quickly grabbing her and turning so that he was now above her. Athenacia squealed in delight, laughing again as he held himself close to her. He captured those lips once more, his left hand beside her head as his right worked its way underneath her arm and held her left shoulder. Her left arm came around his neck as she held herself against him to deepen their kiss.

"I'll warm you up," he said with a wolfish smile.

His breath caught in his throat when he again watched those small white teeth claim her bottom lip. Her right hand had worked its way slowly down to the small of his back from his shoulder. The look in her eye told him that she was very happy with the service he was prepared to offer her, releasing her bottom lip and he took it, lowering himself so he could press his body against hers. Athenacia took in a deep breath through her nose as she pulled him closer, his lips travelling underneath her left ear, which caused small moans to erupt from her mouth. Gladio moved the straps down on her shoulder as he went further down, his hand firmly running the length of her body, grabbing her left rear cheek before his elbow collided gently with her knee when she lifted her leg in an attempt to pull him closer with her thigh. He was drunk with the scent that was her, of lilac with a hint of vanilla. The sounds of her soft moans in his ear only fueled him further, her hands urging him to continue. The man was getting so much closer to the wet skin of her breast, just finally reaching the top of the soft bump. The way she ground her hips into him was a huge distraction, managing to graze the top of his most sensitive flesh. His left hand was caressing whatever part of her face he could reach while he was resting on his forearm. Her fingers on his left shoulder blade dug into him with his every movement. He was about to pull away the clothing that hid her left breast, ready to capture it.

"If you two are quite finished your childish horseplay I could use your assistance!"

Summary:  She tried leaving, submerging herself in work to escape the horrors she had seen. The horrors she kept seeing. She never wanted to go back to that life. But when the Empire takes her home, she’s forced to face her past. Can she move on? Can she cope? Or will she require a bit of help? still bad at summaries, still working on it. ever so slightly more than slight AU gadioxoc

Training Recollection

...

Gladiolus followed the Regalia down the dirt road as Athenacia recovered from her earlier embarrassment and frowned in thought, wondering why they were veering off the main road. There was a river that ran parallel to them, giving her an idea of where on the map they were. The sun had come out to shimmer along the surface and she kept her eyes all over the scenery while Gladiolus as they were starting to pull over into a parking spot. The doctor kept her face neutral as the engine was turned off, curious about making a stop here. They both got out of the truck, Athenacia having to kick the door open since it was sticking worse and worse every time she used it. Slamming the door shut, she wondered how long before the door would just fall off completely. It felt good to stretch her legs, cramped in the vehicle with nowhere to go and taking her time walking to the others getting out of the Regalia. In retrospect, she should really clean up the garbage in there but then, she was usually the one driving so she never really had to worry about it.

"What's up?" asked Gladiolus.

"Speculating the rumour of the Malmalam Thicket," answered Ignis.

"We might just find what we're looking for here."

"Indeed."

Gladiolus looked thoughtful before turning to Athenacia, "You up for it?"

The girl blinked, not really sure why he was asking. Were they going to turn around if she wasn't? Or just leave her and Iris behind? Either way, she'd much rather keep an eye on all of them if they planned on going in. It was better if they had a medic on the scene while they could and after her string of bad luck, she was feeling the need to prove herself to make sure that should she face her enemies and handle it. Besides, she was never going to stop them from carrying out their mission. Even if she didn't know what the rumour was this was their show, not hers.

"Sure," she replied, "I just need a minute."

Gladio nodded, walking with her back toward the truck. Athenacia pulled on the door, trying to open it but it was extremely stuck this time. Huffing, she growled in frustrated with it, letting go once she heard a chocobo whistle near the Regalia. Gladiolus took that opportunity to pull the door effortlessly open with a smirk on his face and she glared at him. Smiling, she grabbed her clothes bag, pulling it up onto the seat and opening a compartment on the side. The Shield watched as she pulled out two small armbands and two bigger ones, made of a substance he didn't recognize but observed curiously. Athenacia strapped the armbands onto the middle of each upper arm, then put the other ones onto her mid-thigh, not terribly far from the end of her dark brown shorts. A single gauntlet came from the bag as well and he saw her place it gently on her left hand. It fell in between her fingers, dark brown like her shorts with what looked like a small black jewel in the centre of her palm. The knuckles were protected with a sturdy looking silver metal, as well as around her wrist and finally stopping at her forearm. Lastly, a single black leather fingerless glove came over her right hand. There was nothing special about it, merely meant for a firmer grip while holding her weapon. The last thing she pulled out was a small armband completely unlike the ones strapped to her body.

Athenacia took the sheathed blade from underneath the other bag, firmly fastening the armband onto the hilt and carefully strapped the weapon diagonally across her back with the hilt over the right shoulder. It was uncomfortable, the wound on her scapula scabbed still, which meant she wasn't done physically healing from it. Stretching it out quick, she zipped up the other bag and then grabbed her med bag, opening it up before quickly going over her inventory. Gladiolus was distracted by chocobos running towards them and she quickly used that opportunity to slip two small syringes into her pocket. Satisfied, she closed the bag and pulled it over her shoulders so that it rested easily on her back, taking a step away from the truck and closing the door. It didn't shut completely so she shoved her body into it. Still nothing. Gladiolus pushed on it once and it closed without a problem. He kept that grin on his face while she again glared at him, pushing past him as he let out a chuckle.

"That's not funny," she said pointedly.

"You're smiling," he replied.

"You're not funny."

"Sure, Doc," he continued to laugh at her.

Whatever retort she had prepared was cut short by more chocobos blowing past her and toward the source of the whistle. One of the bird nudged her when she reached the other, making her smile absently and ruffle its feathers. Taking a quick look, she noted there seemed to be one for each of them and that suited her just fine. The bird that had chosen her was smaller than the rest, a darker yellow than normal with baby blue accented feathers on the tail and under the wings. Keeping that smile on her face, she ruffled them one more time before taking hold of the reins and climbing onto the back, looking over and waited patiently for everyone to be ready to go.

"Move out!" commanded Iris excitedly, her face aglow atop her pink bird.

Everyone was happy to comply. Athenacia nudged her bird gently, starting at a trot. The wind at her face made another smile come to life. When was the last time she rode a chocobo? Gods, she couldn't even remember such freedom. All of her lessons came back to her and she picked up the pace once she had regained confidence in the bird. It was important to trust one's mount and vise versa so that the commands flowed as one single bring, something Cor taught her at a young age. It seemed she and the bird had established that before the others since she was having the least amount of trouble, but then, the bird had picked her and she was unsure of how the others came to their choice. Eventually, Gladiolus had pushed by her with a smirk on his face and she let out a small laugh, nudging her bird again. It had no trouble catching up to the Shield and then taking the lead once more. The Shield wasn't letting her go that easily. Once again he was ahead of her and after what happened in the truck she was feeling a little sour about letting him win anything else, however, she wasn't going to exhaust a bird just to get it. No, she would need to plan this out a little better. Deciding on letting him think he's won, she nudged her bird once more.

"Coming through lovebirds!" declared Prompto.

The young man had sped by them quickly, causing her to laugh at his antics despite the blush that crept to her cheeks. Others had caught up with them and as they approached a bridge, she decided it was best to stay with the group. The small bridge was taken single file, the entire time her eyes were on the river below. Once they had crossed over to the other side, she caught sight of enemies near the beach and waited patiently. There were four sea devils along the shore but they hadn't noticed them yet. The chocobo under her was a little uneasy. Noctis dismounted, letting the bird go to safety which appeared to be the signal. Athenacia carefully swung her leg over the bird and touched the ground gently, petting it one time and it faithfully remained in its spot. Athenacia fell beside Iris, who was standing on the sidelines as the battle began. Carefully she unsheathed her weapon and held it in her hand with the point low. Her left hand was in front of her as she watched every movement of friend and foe alike, currently not needed in the batch, the boys handling themselves well. However, a fifth sea devil had made its way over to her, going unnoticed by the rest of them.

Iris tensed up, preparing to defend herself but Athenacia stepped forward, drawing its attention. She waited, keeping her ears trained on the others for anything she might need to be careful of. The sea devil began to charge at her then but she remained still, watching it and matching its angry stare. The physician couldn't hear anything else as it lunged, attempting to bite her with its giant jaws and she allowed it to clamp onto her gauntlet, the metal stopping it from making a full bite and piercing her skin. It was trying to move her around but stopped suddenly when she easily slid her gladius through the head. The target ceased its struggling and fell limp, lifeless. Athenacia pulled her weapon back out effortlessly, the hook on the end catching some brain matter while she shrugged the lifeless body off of her arm. A quick look told her that there was no more threat, in fact, Gladiolus was watching her with mild amusement. Grabbing her cloth, she wiped off her blade before sheathing it across her back once more.

Athenacia got back onto the back of her chocobo after the men shared a round of congratulations and they continued on their journey. They hadn't encountered anything else on the way up the trail that zigzagged the entire time. A thin layer of sweat coated her skin by the time they had reached the entrance of the thicket. The birds were reluctant to go in, so they were left to graze on the outside. The doctor fell in step with Iris and Prompto, having a look at everything around her. When she noted the height of the rock walls on either side of them, she slowed her pace, mindful of the only exit.

"Step lightly in here," warned Ignis.

Gladiolus was waiting for her to catch up, "You still up for it?"

"Yeah," she smiled, picking up her pace.

The physician kept her eyes and ears peeled as she brought up the rear. The sun was blocked by the overgrow of the rock walls that led them down a narrow path. Danger was all around her and sh unsheathed her weapon slowly. Carefully she pulled the thick armband over her wrist and kept the point low mostly behind her, keeping her distance in order to avoid any accidents. The first enemy wasn't long after their entrance, one mandrake. Noctis warped ahead to engage, the other three on his back instantly. Athenacia just kept walking, watching for any other threats around them. Iris seemed to be on edge until the beast was slain without much effort. Four on one was always good odds. They continued on their path carefully, not wanting to have any monster get the jump on them. As they were ascending the slanted path two more mandrakes made their appearance as well. Again, Athenacia observed, studying the movements of not only her enemy but her allies.

It was easy to see the training that Cor had instilled in them. The Marshal trained her as well, thoroughly and playing to her strengths. These four had their own unique and diverse way of handling things, fighting as one with a delicate balance. To stumble in now would cause chaos, she had to know where her moves could fit in without causing alarm. While the threats to them were acute this was the perfect time to figure it all out. Athenacia was trained to hold her patience at all times before rushing in, never thought she'd be back out fighting in the wilderness again but it was a good thing she remembered most of what Cor had taught her over the years.

The mandrakes were vanquished and they pressed on. There was idle banter about treasures and whatnot but she wasn't really focused on that, doing what she was trained to do and watched for threats while knowing her exits. Ignis kept a particularly keen eye on her as she moved around, also analyzing his surroundings and she remembered that was part of his job. As they came to a darker area, Noctis found some mushroom, something which Ignis found of high interest. Right, he was the cook, stuff on the ground he could probably turn into a gourmet meal. Her head snapped to a sound she heard in a distance. She wasn't the only one who heard it, Ignis and Gladiolus were also looking in the same direction. Athenacia gripped her gladius tighter, finally seeing the source of the disturbance. A swarm of wasps were flying toward them, getting ready to attack and defend their home. Flashes of blue occupied her peripheral vision, the others had summoned their weapons - except for Iris who seemed to be unarmed. Athenacia frowned, deciding she would keep an eye on her while the others would do their duty to the Prince.

"Why did it have to be bugs?" whined Prompto.

But no one answered him. Athenacia kept her eyes on everyone she could before the fight started. One of the wasps was flying toward her and she sliced at it with her weapon, dodging another attack coming for her. She took out one of the legs of another and used her gauntlet to deflect the next, stabbing into the injured one for the kill before moving on. The doctor was near Iris at this point, having landed on silent feet while dodging three bugs that were coming for her. As one was closing in, Iris punched as Athenacia sliced the other two without effort. She kept her left arm up while her gladius was behind her, ready to strike again. The aggravated wasp came back at Iris so the physician pulled the girl down and killed it before it could do any damage.

"Noct!"

Her head whipped at the sound of Ignis shouting for the Prince. One of the wasps had him with its disgusting legs and was lifting him effortlessly into the air. Quickly her eyes mapped a clear path, beginning her trek. Iris would be fine and Athenacia knew the best way to move. Ducking under a wasp, she slashed at another and swiftly used her left hand on Prompto's back to launch herself into the air to avoid three more. Landing on her feet, she deflected more enemies before seeing her clear shot. Athenacia wound her arm and then threw her gladius, making a beeline for the wasp that was holding the Prince. The clasp of the band around her arm began to show a chain length that kept her attached to the weapon as it dug into the bug and held on. Taking a firm grip, she yanked on it once and the wasp jerked, letting go of the Prince who was able to warp into safety. Finally, Athenacia pulled harder and the wasp was torn to shreds as she called back her weapon. The chain began to retract and she used that opportunity to hit as many of them as she could. Another one was down as the gladius came hilt first towards her at an alarming rate. She sidestepped, letting the weapon pass her before she caught it in time to lay waste to the wasp that was aiming for her. Athenacia ducked swiftly as Gladiolus thrust his massive greatsword to catch a bug behind her, rolling to the right and on her feet instantly to slashed at two more enemies, killing them. A quick look told her that there were about three of them left. Noctis had warp killed one while Ignis and Prompto finished the rest. The girl breathed a sigh of relief, declining a potion offered to her by Iris.

"Nice moves, Doc," praised Gladiolus with a grin.

Athenacia only smiled, knowing that she was sloppy but deciding not to get into that now. There was no sense in wiping her weapon since she didn't plan on sheathing it anytime soon. Her sensitive nose caught the scent of water and she could hear a river running. Perfect. Hopefully, it wasn't cold, she hated being cold. The ground became damper they came toward said river. There was another wasp floating around but on the ground was a shieldshear. That could pose a bit of a problem but one that she already had a solution to, chewing her lip in thought as the others called their weapons.

"Wait," she instructed.

All eyes were on her curiously. Athenacia took another scan of the area, making sure that she was indeed only dealing with the two enemies. There didn't appear to be any more potential threats. Good, this would be an easy round - as long as they listened to her and she remembered her training.

"I got this," she said, taking a step forward.

The girl had a firm grip on her gladius, her eyes following the wasp that hadn't noticed them yet. Every set of eyes were on her, boring into her it felt like. Good, it was about time Athenacia Virum got some recognition. She wasn't a Glaive for nothing, that was for sure. Setting her jaw, she finally saw the pattern she was looking for. Once the wasp was in position she threw her weapon once more, allowing the chain to extend. It dug into the bug firmly, causing the beast to cry out in pain. The shieldshear had taken notice but it wouldn't matter. Athenacia twitched her wrist to the right, causing the chain to retract. But it wasn't coming toward her, instead, she allowed her body to lift off the ground as the wasp was trying to fly. She used the momentum to quickly begin to circle the shieldshear. Once she was on the ground she kept up her circle until both the bug and the ground dweller were wrapped up tightly in the chain. Keeping a firm grip on the chain at her wrist, she then flicked it quickly to the left. Spikes that once laid flat in the chain came bursting to life. Both creatures screamed their protests at her actions but were unable to move. They were caught, the armour of the shieldshear was pierced by the metal and that was her goal the entire time. It would be a lot easier now for them to take it out - something that Ignis caught onto almost immediately. The boys burst into life while she held a firm ground with her chain. Once they had slain both monsters she yanked on it once more and it sliced through the carcasses and left her a direct line to her gladius. Athenacia jerked her wrist so that the spikes were back in place before commanding the chain to retract. Again, she let the blade swing by her before holding out her hand and catching the handle.

"That was awesome!" said Iris happily, "You guys are so cool!"

The boys congratulated themselves and Athenacia just smiled. The sun had officially gone down at this point but they kept going. It wasn't much farther that a haven was found and a unanimous decision was made to rest. Athenacia ran her blade in the river, allowing the water to wash it off before removing the band from her wrist and replacing it in its sheath along her back. Climbing up onto the haven, she had a quick look around at what she could do to help them all out. It didn't take them that long to get things situated. The fire was going, thanks to Mr. Outdoors himself, and both tents were set up but there was still only five chairs. At the present moment, it didn't matter. Ignis was cooking who knew what but it definitely smelled good. Athenacia had shed her arm braces along with her gauntlet, fingerless glove and the braces around her thighs. She unstrapped her weapon as well, keeping it all in the tent that she would be sharing with Iris. Keeping her med bag, she out her latex gloves and applied them to her hands while setting up her triage station.

Prompto was first and there was nothing really wrong with him. A few scrapes, a couple of contusions and he was good to go. Noctis was next. He actually a bit of work. Virum had him remove his shirt despite how awkward he seemed to feel about it. It was easier to see the damage from when that wasp had lifted him into the air. Nothing serious but she did give him an antidote just in case. Iris was next on the list. The young girl didn't fight much but her knuckles did not look good. Dr. Virum carefully ran her fingers over them, gauging the pain and then deciding on an idea.

"Do you still have those gloves?" asked the doctor.

"Yeah," replied Iris.

"Good. Get them for me."

"O-okay."

Virum nodded. Ignis was her next patient. He fussed but she told him to never mind and someone else can watch dinner. The man had a small contusion on his arm and a bit of an infection on his leg. The doctor solved that problem quickly, allowing him to get back to his cooking. Gladiolus was last at his own insistence. Dr. Virum didn't see anything serious, in fact, he was thrown around the least. Figures, however, she did dress a laceration on his forearm and prod at a contusion on his chest. When she was finished, she packed her things away neatly and closed up the bag. Athenacia was about to put it back in her tent but the Shield had other ideas, stopping her quickly and pulling her onto his lap which caused her to flush completely. Gladio kept one of his massive tattooed arms around her back to hold her in place while she was seated on his left leg and her thighs rested on his right, on the end so she was able to face everyone and that was not what she wanted at all. Luckily, no one seemed to be paying attention to them while she fought with the heat that wished to rise to her cheeks, even as Ignis brought them each a plate of the dinner he was preparing with the help of Iris. Okay, so maybe there were not enough chairs but she was content on the ground.

"What is that thing that you use anyway?" asked Prompto.

"What thing?" asked Athenacia, finishing her plate.

"The blade," answered Noctis, "Never seen it before."

"It's modified to my needs, but it started out as a gladius."

"The chain is a nice touch," compliment Gladiolus.

"Indeed. I'm curious as to its origin," said Ignis.

"It's nothing special. I just did it so that I never had to warp," she explained.

"You had my dads magic?" asked Noctis.

Athenacia didn't face him, just looked down at her hands and nodded slowly, "Yeah. I had trouble with the warping and wasn't really into it. I managed it once and that was it. I never wanted anything to do with it again."

Noctis laughed, "It only gets easier."

"I'll never know," she smiled at him, "And I never want to."

"But you could use the other magic?" asked Prompto.

"Oh yeah, the black magic was easy."

"I keep telling them that," teased Noctis.

"Easy for you maybe," scoffed Prompto.

"You're supposed to have better aim."

"Fire and a gun are two different things!"

"I miss fire mostly," interjected Athenacia in thought.

"Oh yeah?" Gladiolus had a smirk on his face.

"Fire is pretty cool," agreed Prompto.

"It is. Not only did it help at night outside but I'm a very tiny person and people tend to ignore me. I found that people would often listen very carefully to everything I had to say when there was a fireball in my hand," she smiled.

Summary:  She tried leaving, submerging herself in work to escape the horrors she had seen. The horrors she kept seeing. She never wanted to go back to that life. But when the Empire takes her home, she’s forced to face her past. Can she move on? Can she cope? Or will she require a bit of help? still bad at summaries, still working on it. ever so slightly more than slight AU gadioxoc

One For His Side

...

Athenacia had given up on sleeping entirely, knowing she would just end up having a nightmare and waking up Iris, who would probably need all the sleep she could get. After a few twenty minute naps, she decided the sun had risen high enough for her to start getting ready for the day. The doctor threw the blankets off her, rising and padded on her bare feet toward the bathroom, grabbing her clothes bag on the way. The light made her wince after she had shut the door behind her, setting everything down once she reached the sink. Immediately she started the water before peeling off her clothes, letting them fall on the floor and rummaged through her bag, quickly finding her cleaning supplies. Once steam started to pour from the shower she opened the curtain a bit and then stepped through it.

That content sigh escaped her as the scorching water washed over her weary body, lifted her head and running her hands through the tangled red hair, wiping her face as well. Athenacia's wash was extremely thorough, feeling incredibly dirty after her encounter with the Chancellor - much like last time and scrubbing her skin raw in order find some sense of cleanliness. The girl stayed under the water until the pruning of her skin was no longer something she could ignore, regretfully turning off the water and pushed aside the curtain. The healing wounds were still an issue that she wished she could take care of quickly, inhibiting her usual shower rituals with her towel. Another was taken to her hair, drying it off and then wrapping it up in it. When she came to the sink, the one on her frame was pulled aside in order to wipe the steam away and get a good look at herself. She wasn't pretty, her lack of sleep and lingering blemishes making her almost look as if she were far from human. Huffing, it was almost the truth.

The first thing to notice was that purple left eye, helping it fade away even more so that she could stop staring at it. The other one just needed a darker shade beneath it and they would almost be matching. The next obvious mark was the scabbing cut on her cheek, making her frown deeper at the idea of another blemish to taint her. Hazel hues travelled to that scar on her neck, gleaming with her damp skin and forcing her to sigh in disgust. Turning away, she observed the scapula laceration and noted that it was healing at the same rate as her face. At least they no longer had pain with her movements. The drill hold on her shin was by far the worse, taking much longer to heal naturally and always filling her with a near blinding rage. The thought of Caligo made it burn and her hand trembled before her magic was called forth to make it scab over. That was much better. The sooner she couldn't see these wounds the better.

Athenacia rubbed the towel on her head, pulling it off and letting the wet red locks fall down her back. Discarding them both to the ground, she left her image in order to rummage through her bag once more, pulling on her fresh clothes - a white tank top and dark brown shorts - and tried to start the day fresh. The brush ran through her hair with ease, no tangles and she decided on a bun at the back of her head to keep everything out of her face. There was no more need to hide her scar since her enemies appeared to be one step ahead of her. Her bangs clung to her forehead for now, but overall she looked a lot better now than when she had first come in. As satisfied as she could be, she grabbed her clothes and replaced them in the bag, zipping it up before opening the door carefully, noting that Iris was still sleeping soundly. Good. The doctor crept toward her bed on silent feet, grabbing her shoes and everything else before exiting the room carefully. On the plastic furniture outside she put on her shoes, gathering everything in her arms and smiling slightly The warm breeze blew against her skin and she took a deep breath, walking to her truck that looked even uglier parked next to the shiny Regalia.

Grunting, she yanked open the passenger door, cursing that it stuck before placing her weapon, med bag and clothes bag on the floor of the truck. A silver shine caught her eye and she saw the necklace left to her by Ardyn. The physician pulled it out, examining it now in the sunlight. There was nothing really all that different about it and she didn't really like the idea of carrying it around but until she spoke with Cor she didn't really have much of a choice. After he had come to save her from the Empire she wasn't going to keep him in the dark about what was going on with her. The Marshal was the only one who understood her position, appearing to be the only one who knew more about her than she did - the only one that she could trust anyway.

"Hey Doc!"

Athenacia stiffened at hearing Gladiolus's voice, quickly pushing the chain and pendant into her bag before then slammed the door shut. Turning toward him, his long strides almost had her caught and it was easy to calm down her nerves when she smiled, noting his hair was also damp from a fresh shower. The man reached her quickly, his usual grin on his face while he stepped into the shade provided by the building near where the vehicles were parked.

"Morning," she smiled at him.

"Iris up?"

She shook her head, "No. She was up late last night."

"Doing what?"

"Telling me all about how I can do so much better than you," she smirked.

The Shield grinned mischievously at her, causing heat to rise to her cheeks and her heart rate to increase. Athenacia didn't notice that she was being backed into her truck until she collided with the cool, hard surface. Gladio placed a hand on either side of her head, leaning against the vehicle as he trapped her with not only his gaze, but his body as well. Her breath was catching in her throat at his proximity, feeling the heat that radiated off his skin. He was so close, yet so far away at the same time. Her own hands wished to reach that short distance and close the gap between them. His fresh scent invaded her nostrils which only resulted in her knees wishing to give out beneath her and he was very aware of the effects his actions had on her. As he gazed down at her, he was feeling better now that she wasn't jerking herself away from him. It was also easy to see that her eye was getting better, revealing the underlying sleeping problem she always carried with her. The light was slowly returning to those hazel orbs, the one that had died at the hands of Caligo and of the Empire taking away Insomnia. Athenacia looked better every day and today in particular, at this moment, he had her all to himself. The large man could hear her breaths getting deeper, the desire within himself building up the longer he gazed at her.

"Is that so?" he didn't sound like he believed it.

Her eyes dropped down from his gaze to follow every movement of his lips. It was then she realized how long it had been since she tasted him for herself. Back in the city, near her house before that was probably reduced to rubble. They were always around other people, no time for themselves, and when she did have a moment alone she was flinching away from him. But right now, everything she had been through was far from her mind. Athenacia was mesmerized by the colours swirling in his amber eyes, the way he was hungrily looking at her right now. Swallowing lightly, she let her eyes fall on him once more. His shirt was open, revealing those perfectly sculpted muscles on his abdomen, the bird watching her from his chest that rose in fell in such a hypnotic way. Slowly, her eyes rose again to meet his face and she remembered to breathe just before her vision went fuzzy.

"That's right," her voice was barely there.

Gladio smirked, bringing his face down toward her and grazing her nose with his own. Athenacia felt his hot breath on her face and could no longer contain herself, bringing her lips crashing upon his own and reaching her small hands toward his waist. The doctor snaked them slowly, agonizingly, around his back and pulled him closer to her, closing the gap between them finally. He brought one of his hands to the back of her head, resting it on her neck to hold her in place and deepening their kiss. The softest of moans involuntarily escaped her at his actions, bringing satisfaction coursing through him. It was with regret she pulled away moments after, taking in a deep breath while he kept his forehead against her own and their eyes remained closed.

"You're bluffing," his voice was laced with a husky tone.

"No word of a lie," she replied in that same sort of lusty sound.

"I don't know, Doc," he was still unconvinced, "That kind of behaviour would need punishing."

That certainly roused a beast within her she had no idea she was containing, "Well," she swallowed again, "We wouldn't want that, would we?"

Gladiolus still had that smirk on his face, rubbing her nose with his own before preparing to capture her again. At this rate they would need their own room and Iris can share with the other guys. Or they could just take the truck for a small drive out of the way while the Prince was sleeping. The man was about to make contact with her, that breath on his face every bit as inviting as it was the last time. Her taste was one that lingered and he hadn't forgotten it in the slightest during the time they were apart. One was never enough, highly addictive.

"Gladio!"

They stopped, Athenacia smiling as Gladiolus growled at the distraction. Prompto had called out to him, maybe not even seeing her beneath the mountain that towered over her. The Shield took a step back, looking over at the Crow's Nest where the young man had obviously been either going into or coming out of. Athenacia couldn't exactly see since it was on the other side of the truck and she had her back toward the diner, but she was convinced he was doing it on purpose. Thin ice.

"Prompto..." growled Gladiolus, "Every damn time."

"Rain check," she smiled.

"You're wracking up that debt," he warned.

"Debt? What debt?"

"You still owe me an exam."

"I gave you an exam last night!"

"But I hurt in places that need a private exam," he gave her a wolfish sort of smile.

"Well then, I'll make sure to book an appointment with the local physician," she said pointedly, ducking underneath his arms and toward the restaurant.

"That hurts, Doc!" he called after her, walking to catch up to where she was.

"You better make sure to mention that during your appointment to," she replied, smiling at her small victory.

One for her side.

...

A few hours later the six of them were all awake and functioning. Noctis was the last to wake up, to which no one was surprised. Ignis made sure he had eaten at least before he took his time getting ready for the day. They weren't in a huge hurry to get to Caem but there was no need to be lingering around either. From what Athenacia could understand, the owners of the garage in Hammerhead were waiting there in Caem for the boys to arrive so they could get an old boat fixed up and they could set sail for Altissia. The doctor was a little sad to know that she would be parting ways with them again. After seeing them fight she felt better about attracting unwanted Imperial attention toward them and knew they could hold their own, especially since they had gone head first into a giant base and took it down on more than one occasion. Once they left Caem and the physician regrouped with Cor, she'd be able to hopefully get some of the answers she was looking for. Truth be told, after reestablishing her connection with Gladiolus, the more time she spent with him the less she wanted to be apart from him. It was easier when they were separated and she could worry at a distance, it would be harder to let him go now.

That time, however, hadn't come yet. They were still in Old Lestallum, waiting for Noctis to be finished. During that time they were sitting at one of the many plastic tables. Gladiolus sat closer to Athenacia than really necessary while she picked at the plate of fruit in front of all of them. The Shield kept one of his massive hands rested on her thigh, lightly caressing it which kept her face flushed as she tried to focus on other things. He was doing it on purpose because of what happened earlier. It wasn't like she was the one that interrupted him, why did he insist on punishing her for it? Her eyes were downcast as she spoke and listened, not wanting to face them. He, however, was going on as if he wasn't doing anything and no one really noticed either.

"I'll go check on Noct," said Iris.

No one said anything about it. The young girl was obviously itching to go and have a moment alone with him anyway and Athenacia had a quick look over at Gladiolus, who didn't pay much attention to it. Certainly he would have had to notice where his sister's affections truly lied? It was really none of her business but still painful to watch sometimes.

"Your hand has fully healed," stated Ignis, taking her from her thoughts.

Athenacia saw the curious look he was giving toward the untainted flesh on her right hand. It then dawned on her what happened, she was testing her magic out last night to make sure it was still working. Since it was dark out and covered in blood, she hadn't noticed that she rid herself of the contusions completely. That explained the suspicion in his curious gaze. Shit.

"Told you I heal fast," she waved it off, covering the back of her right hand with the left.

"Indeed," he replied, unconvinced.

The girl offered no other explanation, no way for him to know how it had happened anyway so she really had nothing to worry about. Ignis really did notice everything and she would have to be even more careful now than before. In that manner they were almost similar, always keeping an eye on their surroundings and the people they encountered. It was a defensive move to keep the team, mainly the Prince, alive and she couldn't fault him for utilizing his training. It was the exact same thing she did on a daily basis, so ingrained into her that she could never escape it. The bespectacled man gave an exasperated sigh as he checked the time on his watch.

"At this pace it's doubtful we'll make it to Caem before nightfall," mused Ignis.

"Hopefully there's rest stop in between," said Prompto.

"Why's that?" asked Athenacia, glancing at him briefly before returning her eyes to her hands.

"I don't really like the woods. Too many monsters."

"You kidding? What could be better than roughing it out there?" asked Gladiolus in disbelief.

"A million other things could be better."

"Someone dropped you on your head as a child, didn't they?"

"Easy there big guy. I just enjoy a firm bed under me."

"Nice firm ground's much better for your back."

"That's a myth," scoffed Prompto.

"He's not wrong actually," said Athenacia, looking up, "The best way to sleep is on the floor. The flat surface helps to realign your spine and prevent back pain. Sleeping on a soft bed only hinders your posture. It's probably why you slouch more often than not."

"She's a doctor," said Gladiolus proudly, throwing it in Prompto's face.

"You didn't sleep on the floor," accused the blond.

"No, I didn't. But there is, actually was, a board I had cut to put in between my mattress and box spring. After being on the road for so long, beds are too soft and it's hard to get used to them," she replied, "And lots of nights I did end up on the floor anyway. Mostly in the bathroom," she added as an afterthought.

"There was a board in your bed?" asked Gladiolus curiously.

She nodded, "Yeah, not too thick but enough to make a difference."

"I never noticed."

Prompto laughed, "You slept there all the time and you didn't even notice?"

"I had other things distracting me," he smirked, looking over at her and squeezing her thigh.

Her face turned a dark shade of crimson, shooting down to her hands that were now in her lap. Athenacia was extremely happy that Iris wasn't here right now to hear that, having no idea what the reaction of Prompto's face was but it must have been funny because Gladiolus was laughing at him. Nope, her hands were much more interesting, even as she was trying to secretly push away the hand he was resting on her thigh. Gladio, of course, had no intention of moving it, thoroughly enjoying himself at her own expense. She was really going to have to get him back for that.

"Finally ready are we?" she heard Ignis speak.

Athenacia chanced to look up, relieved that Noctis and Iris had made an appearance and changed the subject. The Prince still didn't look like he was willing to get up at all today but here he was with a bored expression on his face. The young girl beside him seemed quite pleased with herself and piqued the doctor's interest. That was until someone caught a look at her.

"Athenacia, are you okay? Your face is really red," said Iris.

That only made her feel like her face was turning an even deeper shade of red. Gladiolus roared with laughter at her side while Prompto let out a groan. The girl tore her gaze away and went back to her hands. Every set of eyes was on her and she wished she could burst into flames in order to draw them away. Damn, another one for his side.

"I'm good," she replied as neutral as she could manage.

...

Within the hour they were finally ready to leave. Athenacia had no idea how long it would take to get to Caem but she did agree that they didn't have much daylight left. It seemed that nightfall came earlier each time. Staying out all night wasn't an issue for her, she was still a former Glaive and not too long ago she was sleeping in the bed of her truck or a haven that looked good at the time. Daemons didn't scare her. With Gladiolus back at the wheel, she sat in the passenger seat once more. Athenacia crammed her feet into the floor of the truck, trying to find room with the garbage pile and her things scattered everywhere. Catching the eye of the Shield, she dared him to say something about it. Gladio waited patiently for her to figure it out, keeping a knowing smirk on his lips. Her face was flushing again as she could feel his amused eyes bore into her. It was only making her grow more frustrated, giving up entirely and just folding her legs beside her in the middle seat with a small nearly inaudible huff.

"You know Doc-" he began.

"Shut up," she cut him off darkly, keeping her eyes out the window despite being still parked.

"I'm just saying-"

"No, you're shutting up."

"Really, if you-"

"Quiet."

The Shield didn't speak while she held her gaze out the window, resting her arm on the opening and feeling a slight breeze come in. With that same smile still on his face, he turned on the truck and began to pull out of the parking spot after the Regalia. Just before he hit the road he finally said something.

"You're a slob," he stated.

"Gladio!" she seethed, snapping her head to look at him.

He began to laugh at her while she glared, moving her feet kick him.

"I'm driving Doc, you trying to kill us?" he said in between breaths.

Athenacia growled in frustration at him, turning her head back towards the window pointedly. His laughter died down as the wind hit her face and she relaxed once they were on the road once more, heading toward their destination. The map in her memory followed their movements and she wondered where they would stop for the night, hoping it was somewhere peaceful and with clear skies. There was no denying she could use the therapeutic remedy of the stars tonight, try and clear her head a little with everything that happened last night. As the minutes turned into hours, the lack of sleep she had suffered was starting to catch up with her. Her eyes burned, even as the sun ducked behind the grey coloured clouds coming in over the sky. The doctor switched her position, deciding one of her naps might be in order. Her head came down into the middle seat, the top of it resting against her driver's leg. Curling her feet beneath her, she was almost asleep but jumped slightly when she felt his massive hand come to rest on her shoulder. It was then she moved up so that his leg was her pillow before returning to her nap.

Sleep eluded her. Despite how exhausted she really was, her mind would not allow her to bother with it whatsoever. Athenacia placed one of her small hands in front of her face, on his thigh and frowned it tensed slightly. Odd, but then it occurred to her where she currently was. A small smirk found her face, and she turned it out of sight so he couldn't see what she was plotting. Claiming her bottom lip, she slid her fingers slowly toward the inside and tried not to smile when she felt the hand he kept on her shoulder stiffen slightly. These were dangerous waters she knew, something she was sure she was going to pay for later, however, she just wasn't sure how she felt about that just yet. Slowly she inched her hand until it was just about to reach where his pants joined at the seams, well aware of how tantalizingly close she was to some of his most sensitive skin and was careful not to touch him there while her fingers lightly ran along his inner thigh. Athenacia could feel him tensing it each time her fingers were oh so close but not quite there yet and contained her laughter. It was a good thing she had her face well hidden because as soon as she would meet his gaze all would be lost. The girl stopped completely when he swiftly left her shoulder and firmly held her right breast.

"Don't think I won't pull this thing off the road," he warned.

"You wouldn't dare," she replied, recovering quickly and going back to her work.

It was a bit harder this time since he was caressing her as well. Athenacia was losing focus and that wasn't what she needed. Finally, she broke the barrier that she had been teasing him with this entire time, just one small graze with her right forefinger. Gladio grunted slightly, and she felt the truck begin to slow down. Her eyes widened as her hand stopped moving.

"What are you doing?" she asked in alarm.

"I warned you, Doc," he said, rubbing his thumb over her hardened nipple through her shirt and bra.

"You are not!" she cried, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

"It's happening," he said firmly, smiling as he turned.