#blessings.

So yeah. You’re kinda caught off guard. Luckily for you, you were planning on asking Gladio out right after you got Iris’ blessing (since you were already relatively ready for it, and you figured her response would bolster you even more) so you already have a gift! It’s just a small box of chocolates and a bookmark of pressed flowers (Iris and Gladiolus to be specific) but it’s still something!

When Gladiolus Amicitia opens the door and he’s covered in confetti and he’s got the most ridiculous party hat on and his shirt is just a little too small (meaning it clings to his muscles, dammit), you’re a bit shell-shocked to say that least. Still, you can take in the environment behind him and deduce that it is, in fact, his birthday today.

What are the chances?

He’s floundering mentally and so are you, but you recover from the awkward silence a little bit faster than he does and offer him a feeble “Happy birthday.” He accepts the sentiment just as feebly. He invites you in, and you quietly ask after Iris. He tells you she’s in the kitchen. You nod and shake his hand (shake his freakin hand!) and scuttle off.

You try to ignore the rest of the guests in the house as they watch you run by.

Luckily for you again, there’s both a door and a wall separating the kitchen from the living room. Only Iris and Clarus are there to bear witness to your quiet mental breakdown.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was his birthday today, of all days?” you hiss at Iris. She fakes a pout in return, shrugging and telling you that it just slipped her mind.

Clarus cuts that short with his own interjection -- Iris was the one who planned the birthday party. She’s been getting things set up for the past two months. There’s no possible way it could have slipped her mind.

“Okay,” Iris admits, genuinely pouting at her father, “You got me. I did that on purpose. But! You’ve got to ask him today, it’ll be the best present ever. He’s gonna love it.”

“But how do you know?” You whine, clutching that little gift close to you. The chance that he’ll refuse you weighs heavily on your heart… though the way Iris sighs in exasperation has you thinking twice.

Apparently it’s obvious that the two of you like each other -- clearly it’s not obvious to the involved parties. Clarus shrugs sheepishly, disclosing that he could see it too. You slap a hand against your forehead, catching yourself against the kitchen table. So… wow. You’re both just blind as bats. Okay.

Anxiety is anxiety, though, so you can’t just ask Gladio out in the middle of the living room.

You call him to some side room, albeit a bit awkwardly, and the atmosphere is so thick you swear his jawline could cut through it -- wait, you didn’t mean that -- awww.

(What y’all don’t know is that all the festivities outside of that little side room have halted as everyone holds their breath in anticipation of what’s to come.)

Well, anyways. After a little bit -- and by that I mean a lotta bit -- of floundering, you offer your little gift and you ask Gladio out. He accepts the gift, but just holds it -- he’s slack-jawed and silent long enough to make you even more nervous.

But then the biggest grin spreads across his face. With gift still in hand, he wraps you up in a bear hug and twirls you around. You’re surprised, of course, but his happiness is infectious and you’re laughing too, soon. When he sets you down he presses the sweetest kiss upon your lips, and you feel like you’re in heaven.

And then he says that you guys should announce it.

“Gladio, no, w-wait--”

“(Y/N) and I are dating!” He yells into the living room, a gigantic grin on his face and your hand in his.

Ignis and Noctis high-five each other as everyone else digs into their wallets and hands over some grand amount of gil to the two victors over there. You and Gladio look on in confusion as Ignis explains. There was a bet they all had about who would ask who first; only Noctis and Ignis thought that you would ask first, and everyone else had sided with Gladio.

You cover your face in embarrassment and Gladio just lets out a hearty laugh, hugging you and twirling you around again. (Get used to that, by the way, he’s going to do it a lot.)

You’re saved from further response by Clarus and Iris bringing out the cake and everyone singing “Happy birthday” to Gladio. He lets you blow out the candles, because “I’ve already gotten what I would’ve wished for.” (jfc gladio, you goddamn marshmallow)

The rest of the night goes on with little fanfare, though Gladio does seem to make it a point to try and get you as flustered as possible by constantly pressing surprise kisses to your cheeks and forehead. (Get him back by doing the same.)

Your first date is scheduled for the coming Saturday, and you guys are gonna take a walk in the park and get some ice cream and whatnot.