He was already behind and he could almost hear his father's words echoing in his head.  Those sounds of disappointment that Gladiolus so hated to hear on a regular basis.  He’d tried so hard to get into his father’s good graces once more.  Nothing but training and sitting atop the young prince to keep him in check and...he’d slipped up again.  All because he couldn’t face his own reflection after a night on the town.

A night he’d sooner forget if it weren’t for the glaring reminder that lined his face beneath that gauze.

He’d crossed the main yard long before he realized it was raining.  Before yesterday he would have grabbed an umbrella and cursed at the thought of his hair being wet, but today he felt like he couldn’t care less about the state of his appearance.  After all, it was already ruined so what harm was there in letting the rest follow suit?  He was late enough as it was and he couldn’t be bothered to turn back now.  

He picked up the pace as he jogged through the city towards the castle gates.  A morning run was always good for him.  It helped him clear his head, helped him prepare to face the prince but today all it did was give him time to think.  Time to stress.  He paused but a moment at the main gate to flash his card before he hopped from foot to foot, the iron gates sliding back and granting him entry.

It took far less time to cross the courtyard to the castle doors than Gladiolus would have liked and before long he was inside those familiar halls.  He took a moment to shake his hair out and pat down some of the water before he pressed forward, leaving spots of rain drops behind him as he made his way past the ornate decor and familiar faces of the hired hands.  He caught their glances and grimaced, his posture sinking somewhere as he quickened his steps.

By the time he got to the prince’s door, he had his hand up as if to shield himself from his gaze, which only made his demeanor sink further.  He sighed with a huff before he glanced around, making sure that for the moment he was alone.  Of course he wasn’t, as there was a soldier not far from the door, watching.  But without further hesitation Gladiolus knocked on the carved wood and took a step back to wait for his cue to enter.

It didn’t come at first...in fact, it never came at all, and Gladiolus made a face as he stepped forward to knock again but the motion was interrupted when a soft scoffing sound echoed behind him.

“Looking for someone?” came that familiar voice.  That voice that sent a shudder down Gladiolus’ spine and always seemed to ignite a fire in his belly.  He didn’t know why it had that effect on him; perhaps it was the rivalry they seemed to share, or just the simple annoyance that he felt towards the spoiled prince. Either way, he straightened himself out and put on his best face as he turned to the other, arms crossing over his broad chest.

Noctis looked at him with a raised eyebrow, those intense blue eyes scouring every inch of Gladiolus as the young prince crossed his arms to mimic the shield.  It only lasted a moment before the prince let out a rumble of a chuckle that soon blossomed into a heart wrenching laugh that Gladiolus could only describe as mockery.

“I was starting to think you wouldn’t show up.  I was counting my blessings.”  The prince continued to laugh, waving a hand as he broke the mirrored pose they had shared, his head turning slightly to one side as he smiled.  The angle only made the dark circle surrounding Noctis’ right eye seem all the more vibrant.  That sickening shade of purple that had edges of green where the swelling had receded somewhat.

Another glaring failure on Gladiolus’ part.

--

Gladiolus hadn’t even been paying attention when Noctis had stopped; he’d just walked ahead, waving his hand above his head as he brushed off another complaint from the prince.  It wasn’t until he heard the commotion behind him that he’d even realized they’d been separated.  He was certain Noctis had said something first, so for all he knew it was the bratty prince’s fault that the whole thing went down.

That’s how he got that shiner, by being a brat...but no brat deserved the assault that had followed.  By the time Gladiolus had turned around at the yelp that escaped Noctis, the young prince was already on the ground with a knife to his throat.

He could remember cursing as he rushed over, peeling the drunken man from atop the prince and shoving him back as he reached for Noctis next.  That’s when it had happened; that’s when the blow had struck him and for a moment he was blinded by the pain.  He’d put his arm out to keep the man back, to protect Noctis but he couldn’t see and all he heard was Noctis’ shouting and that warm grip on his other hand as the prince pulled him back.

--

Now he stood there, staring at Noctis, at that bruise and that wicked smile as he thought bitterly about the gauze that hid that angry reminder of their night out.  Of his mistakes.  He was about to say something, to shoot the prince down, to wipe the smirk from his face but the moment he opened his mouth, Noctis’ smile fell and there was a look of vulnerability to his eyes.

Noctis touched his own face, making a motion to the gauze that Gladiolus wore.

“...how bad is it?” he asked, his voice nearly a whisper that even the Shield could hardly make out.

Gladiolus was taken aback by the mere question and he found himself stupefied.  Did Noctis actually feel bad for what happened?  Did he actually acknowledge something had gone wrong?  He swallowed thickly, a sound which he was sure was audible in the awkward silence.  He closed his mouth which had hung open too long before he rolled his shoulder, turning his gaze away without a word, desperate to break they eye contact they shared.

He quickly pointed a thumb over his shoulder with a grunt. “Time’s a wastin’. Let’s get training over with so I can bow out of here,”  he muttered.  In that split second, that brief look of pain in Noctis’ eyes made him regret how he spoke.  That look didn’t last long, as before Gladiolus could acknowledge it the prince had brushed past him with a disappointed moan, making his way down to the training hall.

Noctis was already inside by the time Gladiolus got there and the look the prince gave him nearly froze his blood.  He stared back at him a moment before throwing his hands out and demanding an answer.

“What’s that look for?”  he barked, making a motion with his hands as Noctis crossed his arms over his chest.  Just that stance alone was enough to make his heart rate go up; that stubborn stance that Noctis held so well.  He couldn’t even count how many times he’d seen it on his hands.  “Well?  Come on!  Out with it!  Or are you going to keep giving me the stink eye all day?”

Noctis opened his mouth briefly before his eyes narrowed.  There was a wave of the prince’s hand before he turned away, storming over to the sparring swords. He wretched one from the rack and turned to face the other, extending the wooden blade towards Gladiolus as his lips thinned in a grimace.  He gave no answer save for the threat and Gladiolus couldn’t help but growl in response as he gathered his own weapon from the rack.  

Before he managed to turn around, Noctis was on him, a flicker of blue light giving him away and allowing Gladiolus but a moment to raise the wooden weapon in his defense.  There was an echo throughout the hall when their would-be weapons struck.  With a shove of his shoulders, he pushed Noctis’ advance back and the prince skid a few feet across the floor, his shoes squeaking on the wood.  Noctis had to hop back a step or two to stop himself from careening into the racks behind him.

There was a look of determination in the young prince’s eyes that Gladiolus had never seen before. He didn’t get to admire it for very long before the young man went on the assault once more.

It was like a strange dance as they moved about the floor, Noctis giving his all as the wood blades met time and time again.  Even Gladiolus was working up a sweat as he shuffled about the floor, keeping his gaze focused on the prince.  He could almost predict his every move...even when Noctis warped to cover more ground, Gladiolus was able to parry him and that seemed to frustrate the prince all the more.

In the final moments of their dance, Noctis vanished in a flurry of blue sparks before coming down full force from the rafters.  Gladiolus had only a second to block the prince and when their swords clashed. Their eyes met, and for a moment Gladiolus was sure he saw the flicker of tears in those icy blue eyes.  With a pivot of his ankle and a twist of his hand, Gladiolus turned the prince’s blade to one side, sending him flying across the floor.

Noctis hardly had a chance to right himself before he rolled right into the rack of steel weapons along the western wall.  They fell from their confines in a clatter around the prince, and soon Noctis was swallowed up in their collapse.

When silence fell throughout the room, Gladiolus tossed his sparring sword aside, a proud smile crossing his features. He’d won.  A soft chuckle rose in his throat as he rushed over to where the young man was to check on him. But as he got closer, the swords seemed to rise and fall away before there was a hiss as blue sparks lit the space beneath them.  Noctis vanished in an instant and the sound of falling steel echoed in the room once more.  The Shield turned quickly on his feet, amber eyes dancing around the room in expectation of Noctis’ sudden return, but there was nothing.  No sudden assault, no harsh words.  He was surprised by the silence of the room, surprised not to hear the prince chastising him for being too hard or yelling in frustration over the loss.

He turned one last time and caught sight of the prince just as he stepped out the door, the hinges giving a shriek as it swung shut behind him, leaving Gladiolus behind in the empty room. The smile he’d been wearing soon fell away, his shoulders sinking as his fingers curled in towards sweaty palms.  That was the first time that Gladiolus had felt bad for winning.   He wasn’t even sure if the right thing to do was to go after Noctis, or if he should just leave him be.  He stood there, licking his lips nervously as he glanced about, just waiting to hear his father yell at him to get his act together.  But his father wasn’t there.  There wasn’t anyone to tell him what to do.

“Aw shit,” he hissed briefly before he threw himself into a run, crossing the room in a hurry as he pushed the door open.  He knew it was too late to stop Noctis from getting ahead of him; he’d wasted time standing there, but he didn’t slow his pace.  He jogged about the halls, turning around, peering into room after room in his search for the younger man.  He crossed half of the familiar routes before he finally caught sight of him once more.  

Just beyond the glass of the nursery window among all the flowers so lovingly tended sat Noctis.  Gladiolus stared at him from inside the building, pressing a brief hand to the glass before he pulled back with a soft hiss.  He ran off again, rounding the glass structure until he found the door and slipped inside.

He was instantly met with the balmy heat of the nursery as he pushed inside, careful not to step on any of the delicate blossoms that lay in the main path.  He hadn’t been in here for years; not since Iris had slipped out through one of the window panes and disappeared after some cat.  He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Noctis in here either and yet...there was the prince some distance ahead, standing there as if waiting for him.

“Hey! Noct!”  he called after the young man, slowing his pace at last as he made his way over to him, a hand moving to the back of his neck as he bit at his lip.  “Hey, I’m sorry about all that.  I definitely got out of hand.  You okay?” he asked, almost worried that Noctis had been hurt in the fall, but at first glance he seemed entirely fine.

Noctis’ shoulders rose in a familiar shrug, the prince slowly crossing his arms as he kept his back to him.  There was that stubborn streak again.  That typical Noct.  But there was something in the way he stood that made Gladiolus’ nerves rise.  He reached out for the prince, resting his hand against that small shoulder as he pulled on him a bit, turning him just slightly so he could meet his gaze.  “Hey.  I said I was sorry.  This is the part where you say ‘Yeah Gladio, whatever.’ before storming off on me,” he continued, trying to make light of the situation as a smile crept across his features.

“How bad is it?” was the response he got when those blue eyes met his.

There was that worry again in those normally cold eyes.  That look of concern that was something Gladiolus had never seen on the prince before.  He drew his hand back, frowning a moment as Noctis touched his own face once more, drawing a line down his cheek right where Gladiolus wore the gauze.  The Shield just stared a moment, unsure how to respond or even how to process what was going on.

Noctis’ eyes hardened a moment later as he bit at his lip. His hands balled into fists before he turned slowly, putting his shoulder between him and Gladiolus.  The dark ring of purple around his eye only made the look of anger more intense.  “Fine.  Don’t answer,” he huffed, moving to take a step away, further into the garden.

There was something about the way Noctis moved and spoke that made Gladiolus want to stop him. Before he realized what he’d done, the Shield grabbed hold of Noctis’ shoulder once more and quickly turned him to face him, taking hold of the other shoulder when it was within his grasp to do so.  He held the young prince firmly in place, a look of anger briefly crossing his features before he relaxed all at once, a heavy sigh escaping him.  His shoulders sank and he moved his hands away, briefly patting the young prince on the shoulder as if to make up for the pain.

“Hurts like hell,”  he murmured in response, moving his hand to the back of his neck. He turned away slightly, desperately looking elsewhere to distract the pounding in his chest.  He’d never felt like this before.  He’d never felt cornered and yet that was exactly the feeling Noctis gave him right now.  

“...Well yeah, but...how bad…?  Will it scar?” came that voice again, and suddenly Gladiolus was painfully aware that Noctis was leaning towards him, trying to catch his gaze.

“Dunno yet,” he replied quickly, turning just a bit more as he took a step back from the younger man.  He couldn’t help but glance towards the other from the corner of his eyes, curious to see what Noctis’ face was doing.  Was he actually concerned about him?

Noctis ground a heel in to the dirt as he brought his hands up slightly, reaching for Gladiolus’ arm before turning the larger man back towards him.  “Look I…”  The prince paused, looking up at Gladiolus with a helpless look.  It was obvious that he wasn’t sure what to say now that he had Gladiolus’ attention.

The Shield’s brows furrowed a moment, swallowing thickly as he turned to properly face the dark haired prince.  “...What?” he asked faintly.

“I’m...I’m sorry,” Noctis whispered softly, his eyes downcast as he released Gladiolus’ arm from his grasp.  “You told me to stay close and I didn’t.  I’m...sorry.”  

Gladiolus heaved a sigh, resting his hand on his hip. He leaned slightly to one side, his head lifting as he stared up into the greenery that waved pleasantly above them.  For a moment he was lost in his thoughts, both about the night before and that look that Noctis kept giving him.  Normally the two of them only butted heads, so this was the first time they’d really stopped to ever talk about something serious.

“Look, as much as I complain, it really wasn’t your fault,” he murmured softly, waving his free hand a bit as if to dismiss the conversation. But Noctis kept looking at him, that much he could see from the corner of his eye.

The young prince, with his mess of dark hair, just stared at him, his thin brows knitting in a look of distress.  Gladiolus watched as his hands balled into fists and there was a frustration that flickered across his features as he tried to gather his thoughts.  It was...kind of cute to watch how flustered the young man got.

“...I’m still sorry,” he huffed at last, almost shaking on his feet before he was able to stop himself, his pale blue gaze keeping Gladiolus’ as they stood amongst the plants and glass.  Noctis lifted his hand a moment, pressing it to his cheek as he frowned.  “You’re going to carry that for the rest of your life because of me…”

Gladiolus was taken aback by that.  He hadn’t really considered it.  Sure he’d been upset that it would scar and that it would ruin his face, but… he’d never truly considered what it meant.  He would carry it for the rest of his life...because he saved Noctis.  Because he saved the prince...no, a friend.  The larger man took a breath as he stood there, his shoulders squaring as his hands fell to his side.  He turned slightly to look at Noctis properly, thick brows meeting for a moment as he processed what the other had said to him.

“Yeah, yer right.  I will.  But I don’t have any complaints about that,” he replied, his voice picking up in volume as he started to smile.  He reached out and gave Noctis’ shoulder a shove with a gentle fist.  “You know why?”

“Why?” the prince asked, looking at Gladiolus like he was crazy.  His hand moved to his shoulder to rub it, as if the nudge had hurt.

“Because I got it doing what was right.”

The smile Noctis gave him in response made Gladiolus’ heart throb in that moment.  He couldn’t help but shoot one back at the prince as he rested his hand against his shoulder, giving him a nudge in the chest with the other.

“You look pretty badass with that shiner.  Did I ever tell you that?” Gladiolus chuckled as they turned to walk.