#gladio x isla

[blustersquall]

42. “Stop being so cute.” for gladio/isla

Haven’t written these two in a while. I hope this is okay.

Set after the end of the game, during the rebuilding of Insomnia.

As Gladiolus began to pull his hair back into a ponytail he glanced beyond his reflection in the vanity mirror and focused in on the reflection of the woman in the bed behind him. 

Isla, black hair still mussed and sticking up at odd angles from sleeping noticed him watching and a pout came to her lips in an instant. It was a silent request for him to come back to bed. Gladiolus rolled his eyes, scoffing a little through his nose. 

Once his hair was tidied, he threw his shirt on over his head, pulled on his jeans and grabbed his boots. He sat on the edge of the bed to put them on. In seconds, Isla’s chest was pressed to his back, her arms winding around his neck.

“Come back to bed…” She all but whined, resting her chin on his broad shoulder. “We haven’t seen each other for weeks, Big Guy. Can’t you just shirk your duties this once?”

“Sunshine…” Gladiolus sighed. He had his left boot in hand, ready to pull onto his foot but it hovered there. He watched her in the mirror opposite. Her hair fell forward, partially curtaining her face and she began to apply soft kisses to the exposed skin of his neck. He stifled a small groan, “Sunshine…”

“It’s one day, Glads,” she pouted at him in the mirror again, twisting her fingers through the back of his hair. “Ignis, Prompto, and the others can do without you for one tiny, insignificant day.” More kisses, moving up his neck until she lightly bit the cuff of his ear. “They’d understand that you want to spend some time with your wife.”

Gladiolus chuckled at that. The silver ring around his left finger never left him now. The weight of it was familiar and a little connection to her whenever they were apart. As if able to read his thoughts, perhaps because she noticed in their reflection that his gaze flickered to his left hand, she brought her own hand down to hold his. He saw her face in the mirror, the smile she wore. The one that made itself at home when she knew she was winning.

“Stop that.” He tried to be gruff, but his running his thumb over her knuckles was clue enough he didn’t mean it.

“Stop what?” Isla played dumb, her expression shifting into a blank, open-mouthed stare.

Gladiolus turned his head, his stubble rubbing her cheek. “Stop being so cute.” 

Isla met his gaze, a flash of mischief shining within her eyes. She kissed his jaw, scraping her teeth along the bone. When she reached his ear, she spoke in a breathy murmur, “make me.”

It was a challenge, and one Gladiolus could not refuse. He dropped his boot to the ground, turned and in a few beats of his heart had Isla pinned underneath him, her arms held above her head by one of his hands. She giggled, wrapping her legs around his hips and locking her ankles together. 

“You came back to bed~” she teased, a flush to her cheeks.

Gladiolus swipe the thumb of his free hand along the swell of her bottom lip. “Yes, I did.” He leaned down to kiss her, threading his fingers through her hair and releasing her hands so she could envelope him within her arms. “And I don’t intend for us to leave all day.” 

Isla laughed again, “fine by me.” 

[the-blind-geisha]

You Say it Best, When you say Nothing at All - Chapter 7

A/N: 10 chapter commission for @blustersquall of her OC, Isla Octavia and Gladiolus Amicitia~. The entire thing will be NSFW but each chapter will be rated accordingly~. Thanks so much for your commission and patience~  

I do hope to get this finished before my paid vacation in October! 

Pairing: OC x Canon / Isla Octavia x Gladiolus Amicitia   

Words: 5,863   

Rated: SFW   

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 The startling realistic shock of the news regarding the awakening of the Goddess Leviathan had caused Isla to stir restlessly in her sleep for the coming days in Lestallum. The Oracle was proclaimed dead, the King as well. The nights had become increasingly longer to where people were starting to worry if darkness would indeed ravage the world.

 Gladiolus never said much to her after his departure from Caem or even upon returning to Lucis and rejoining her in Lestallum for a bit. If anything, all Isla had were a few measly text messages and his necklace he let her take care of when he was unable to sit still beside her. Seemed the fall of the Oracle and King Noctis was hard on him as was the unfortunate news that Ignis had lost his sight in the attack on Altissia regarding the Empire.

 Another fretful nightmare had torn Isla from her slumber regarding a combination of hearsay from Altissia and her own horrible endurance back in Insomnia. In a fit of fear, she tore the covers from her body and groped outward for an invisible ledge to grab onto when she felt she was falling to her death in the middle of the night terror.

 The breath of life excited her lungs as she inhaled, hands to her face to wipe the weariness from it. It was there her blue eyes turned in the dark to notice that the time was eight or so in the morning and yet…not a single sliver of light shown through the dark clouds. Removing the covers from her body in haste she hurried to the window to be certain it wasn’t just the fact she preferred to sleep in absolute darkness but the sorrowful truth was there before her when she looked beyond the window’s glass and saw only the moon nearly setting.

 “It felt not that long ago it was only lasting till sometime after seven in the morning,” Isla sighed to herself as she grabbed an off-white shirt that she had thrown to the side on a nearby chair in her room to put on.

 Eight months later and already the sun was ever swiftly surrendering to Lady Lunafreya’s passing.

 Isla took another gander at the clock, bemoaning at the time yet again as she remembered she had promised to meet up with Libertus to help put together her bar she had bought out a place for in Lestallum. In the meantime she had been renting out the hotel room she was in currently just as many other refugees were. The gil pricing was at least lowered with all things considered but she would be happy to transform her bar into her home as well as her work space to keep everything under one roof for the meantime. Since Libertus used to run a bar in Galahd with his friend Nyx it was easy to lean on one another for a time trying to get the place up and running together.

 Grabbing for her bag she kept her essentials in, she gathered up a few other things as she had practically slept in her work attire the night before having been too tired to bother to change out of it. All she needed to do was slip on her shoes and hurry to the eastern part of town. With how everybody was displaced nobody cared about the appearances of others nearly as much as everyone understood the harsh gravity of the situation in regards to the coming loss of light and the disappearance of King Noctis.

 “Come on, now,” shouted Libertus hours later just outside of the rented space as he gestured wildly at a few hired hunters willing to help get the place put together. He was overseeing the right pieces of equipment being put into spot within the old building that had been shut down for years as nobody cared to rent it out or buy it. “It’s not hard to move a few pieces of furniture about in comparison to a behemoth’s horn—put your backs into it!”

 He was joking, everybody had adjusted to his sense of humor by now and Isla was glad for it as he had a very forward way of speaking at times, and she needed all of the help she could get since Gladiolus had yet to truly stay around Lestallum as much as she wished he would.

 “Hey,” Isla greeted Libertus in haste as she jogged to his side. “Sorry I am late. I guess my alarm wasn’t set properly.” She grabbed onto the greenish-blue open vest she wore, pulling it in a bit closer to combat the awkward chill in the morning air.

 “Can’t say I blame you any,” confessed the Glaive as he waved for her to follow him inward. “The sun is sure taking its damn time surfacing today.” He stopped just short of the doorway to glance back over his shoulder and look forlornly out at the sky. “Feels like we’re losing so much lately…”

 The words were a bit cryptic in a sense but Isla didn’t dare to pry. Everybody lost a lot of things back in Insomnia, and at times, she would have liked to have someone to lean on who could understand that part of her life but she also knew some people wanted to look forward rather than back. “We just have to keep our heads up.” The words accidentally sighed out when she formed them but it was exhausting. At every turn it felt like the gods were rarely on their side.

 Isla jogged through the front door, catching a good look at everything being put into place for the bar. The entrance just opened up to the main room, a few good booths and tables greeted her though a few open areas off to the right seemed to be missing the ones that some of the hunters were helping put into location. The space was wide, giving more than enough for at least a capacity of probably forty or so people. The bar counter was more at the center, an empty ceiling extension above it and allowed some ideas for Isla and Libertus to brainstorm together in terms of getting it looking better.

 “If we get some potted plants in here and let them hang down over the sides that could look nice,” Isla admitted, gesturing to the still empty overhang of the bar counter. “Maybe try to put two televisions on either side of the bar when we manage to get the power stabilized again.” She moved elsewhere, turning her focus to an empty spot on the wall that had a slightly cleaned square shape, the wood a different color than the rest surrounding it.

 “Something was sitting there at some point,” Libertus grumbled, not liking the mishandling of the property even if so few expressed interest in it in the past. “Couldn’t find it for the life of me, but I am sure it’s somewhere in the cellar area. Could be a bulletin board or something like that.”

 “If that’s the case that’ll be perfect for tagging needed hunts here,” Isla confessed as she tried to dab away the dust on the outer edges only to turn up her nose at how much cleaning still needed to be done to the building.

 Libertus’s brow wrinkled in curiousness. “Really wanna make this into a hunter’s bar?”

 “It’s not going to be closed off to anybody in particular but I do want it to be a nice hub for the hunters in particular.”

 “Wanting to continue with that dream of yours to become a hunter, eh?” Libertus asked.

 She sighed her determination in the matter, hands on her hips as she let the courage of it ripple through her. “I have the ability. If I can withstand the Niff’s attack on Insomnia with my kickboxing and blind gun usage then I can upgrade my abilities for a better cause.”

 The Glaive’s arms crossed over his chest as he rapped his knuckles on his left arm idly. “Not saying you’re incapable but…are you certain that’s what you wanna do? I’ll tell you right now that fighting daemons is a bit more challenging than fighting a few Niff soldiers.”

 She smiled, turning to Libertus. “I can manage.” Her words were simple, but she didn’t feel like elaborating on much. In the past several months she had been devoting herself to her grandmother’s journal, teaching herself everything that she needed to know and about what. “I have a few daggers just in case I need to protect myself with anything sharp in close quarters but I do prefer my fists and legs do most of the talking in this situations.”

 Libertus still couldn’t help but express his concerns, following behind Isla as she was soon heading up the partially spiraled staircase at the far end of the bar to get a good look at the upstairs. “Won’t get you far out there, I’ll tell you that one for free.” He jogged just a bit to keep up and match her hastened pacing. “Daemons out there are—.”

 “—resilient and weak against all kinds of things,” Isla interrupted as if predicting already what he was about to say. She stopped just short of the flight of steps, her gloved hand on the mahogany wood that had become worn by time. “I’m learning what I can in terms of magic as well as those daggers I told you about.”

 Libertus bit back his desire to be a bit more forward about something, past memories of his sister like friend Crowe haunting him when it came to her unfortunate passing he was far from prepared for. “I could show you how to use them properly if Ignis is still struggling to stay in place to teach you.”

 Hearing him speak so loudly as that, Isla gave him a rather disapproving look and shushed him hastily afterward, her eyes darted up the semi-spiraled staircase just to be certain their words wouldn’t carry. “Do you want him to hear you?” she asked in a rather harsh whisper. “You know why it takes him a moment to catch his bearings, Libertus. He is not intentionally avoiding our training sessions but training himself to relearn things all over again.”

 Ignis had been asked (or pleaded) to stay with Isla at Lestallum by Gladiolus. After the incident back in Altissia it seemed the Shield had become a bit concerned with where his friend could end up being in the condition he was in. Isla had offered him a place at the hotel she was staying at but Ignis said it was fine for himself to stay at the bar that was coming together, sleeping on an air mattress he had bought in town and placing it in one of the rooms upstairs that were fashioned to be a bedroom at some point as the bar had an inn area built into it. She wasn’t sure why he insisted on that…Perhaps it was a love of the quiet and isolation away from concerned voices bombarding him at every turn. She could honestly only guess as to why.

 However, during the months or so he had chosen to do as Gladiolus asked Isla had noticed the advisor was becoming weary—emotionally and physically. Getting him to eat properly was a chore and most of his words sounded bitter and almost resentful whenever he had the chance to speak to Gladiolus more personally. It was like listening to two parents squabble while their child listened anxiously from the hallway outside.

 She understood the deep friendship the two had but Isla couldn’t help but be uncertain of what was truly best for a newly handicapped Ignis; especially with the world they were now finding themselves within.

 “I mean no disrespect there,” Libertus corrected. “I just…” His voice derailed, fingers tapping upon the banister as well. “I don’t need you getting in a predicament like him. What if something blinds you? What if you get struck with poison or confusion and you end up wandering for miles in such a horrible condition?” Isla began to slowly ascend the stairs as Libertus continued his concerns. “Crowe…Nyx…” The names were new to her, making the barkeeper stop just near the top. “Two of my friends have died already, Isla…I don’t think I can handle losing another in this shit we’re all stewing in.”

 By habit, Isla began to fondle with the necklace that once belonged to Gladiolus that was now in her continued care. “I don’t plan on jumping out onto the battlefield just yet, but when I do, I will be sure I am ready for it.”

 As if on cue the door just down the hallway near the end creaked open and alerted the two to its quiet moan regardless of the sudden thudding sound that echoed just downstairs when a heavy set of chairs were put into place. Libertus turned to the noise regarding the hunters on the lower floor and groaned to himself with a roll of his eyes. “You better not be just dropping that there—move it over to the wall!” he ordered, taking his leave of Isla and letting her handle Ignis while he kept direction over the bar’s recovery.

 She smiled at his eagerness to help before taking her own leave and continuing down the hallway to meet Ignis halfway. He had obviously just woken up as his hair was uncharacteristically a mess as well as his clothing appearing a bit disheveled from possibly having slept in them the night before. The cane tapped about to catch the vibrations around him before raising his head at the sound he heard coming his way.

 “Isla? Is that you?” Ignis questioned, head lowered a bit to the side as he let his ears doing the seeing for him.

 “Yeah, it’s me,” she greeted, moving her arms before her as her fingers intertwined with one another. “Did the noise wake you? I am sorry if it did.”

 Ignis shook his head as he fixed the darkened glasses on his face. “I am aware that the bar is still being maintained. It does not bother me much. Besides, I…I needed to rouse regardless.”

 Isla blinked, tilting her head in confusion at those words. Something seemed to be haunting him but again, she was scared to ask what. The advisor to the fallen King had become so sensitive lately that she was worried a simple, innocent question might upset him. “The kitchen is finally up and running a bit,” she confessed, stepping to the side to let him through as he seemed intent to head onward to the staircase. “If you wanted, I can try and make breakfast for you.”

 Ignis had already made it to the end of the hallway, his gloveless hand stroking the railing to be certain of where the turn of the staircase was in relation to him. “No, no, my dear, I am…just fine.” He politely gestured away the offer before cautiously taking to the first step.

 Again, the words sounded like some weird form of an exasperated lie to keep her content. She was told by Gladiolus Ignis wasn’t one that enjoyed being tended to much—he preferred to be the one doing the catering and protecting—and when the shoes were thrust upon Ignis where everybody was trying to be certain he was alright, it seemed the advisor’s emotions just caved in and he snapped at some point along the way in trying to cope with his new disability.

“And where are you going in such a hurry?” Isla moved up behind him to merely keep a watch on him as Gladiolus had requested of her.

 “I would hardly say ‘in a hurry’,” Ignis quoted as he made it steadily down the old, rickety stairs without issue. “I am merely just going to take a step outside for a moment.” A quiet breath passed through his nostrils as he turned to the sound of Isla’s words that he knew were coming behind him but he wasn’t sure where at the moment, his closed eyes merely glancing at the stairs as he was uncertain of his surroundings still. “If you wish to continue with your adjusting to those elemental daggers I will train you a fair bit more tomorrow when I am able.”

 Isla frowned. He sounded tired…so tired…even the way he held himself seemed to show that his inability to eat properly in the past several weeks was hurting his nutrition and energy levels. “You know, Iggy…I would feel a bit better if you at least ate something.”

 He shook his head at the mere thought. “I’ll consider the very generous offer at a later time.” Ignis’ words were soft and, again, harboring such a frustrated undertone. “Right now I merely wish to be alone with my thoughts.”

 Libertus watched the scene from a distance, staying out of it and pretending to Ignis he wasn’t getting involved at all as the hunters were fixing the location of the chairs they had brought in. As Ignis took his leave of the bar, the Glaive met Isla down at the bottom of the staircase. “Poor man is just wasting away at this rate.”

 It was her turn to sigh out her frustrations. “Gladio is going to be upset about this,” she murmured. “Whenever he decides to come back.”

 Hearing that name made Libertus roll his eyes out of view of Isla’s sight. “You still hold a candle to him?” In the warrior’s mind Gladiolus was a poor lover if all he was intent to do was take off running and training while leaving Isla behind in Lestallum.

 “Don’t say that,” Isla insisted with a groan at Libertus’ attitude. “You know he too suffers because of what he feels was failing his King—a duty he was groomed for upon birth.”

 “And why all this suffering alone then?” Libertus insisted as Isla tried to continue onward, wanting to drop the conversation as she knew it was impossible for him to see Gladiolus for who he was. “Shouldn’t people talk and lean on one another?” He was glad for a moment he got her to stop walking away from him as he spoke, hoping that a part of his words were sinking in. “The man just enjoys burying his head and hiding from what’s truly going on around him, and the people he should be caring for the most he just escapes from.”

 “Libertus,” Isla scolded, hoping his name alone was enough to make the Glaive silence himself. Her hands turned angrily into fists, not wishing for it to continue.

 “He cannot bear to look at his friend, and he can hardly manage to be around the woman he loves for whatever reason—!”

 “Libertus!” Isla’s voice was firmer that time, halting him and making him step back from his aggression in the matter. The words were painful as Isla as well wondered why she couldn’t get Gladiolus to just sit still and be beside her for a moment—let her shoulder his pain instead of him inwardly harboring it as he did. However, she knew now wasn’t the time to try and force the Shield to open up once more. “Let him grieve in his own way.”

 He shrugged, not even being apologetic about the comments as he still firmly stood by his beliefs. “Let me handle things today,” Libertus insisted in regards to the bar. “If you want to just sit down and oversee things that’s fine with me, but I can tell that you too have a lot on your mind.”

 She frowned at the lack of an apology but the less fighting there was around her right now the happier she could honestly feel in the moment. “I’m just…there is a lot on my mind—always has been since the fall of Insomnia, Libertus…”

 As the hunters took their leave to grab a few more furniture items to keep bringing into the bar he headed over towards Isla to place his hand supportively on her shoulder. “Yeah…It was…” He cringed, seemingly from regret of something. “…It was not a good time for anybody. We all lost a lot, and I feel I am partly to blame for that.”

 Isla looked at Libertus with a furrow of her brow, a bit worried to ask for him to elaborate as she didn’t want to blame him at all for the fall of the Crown City. “Whatever you did, it is in the past now and there’s no sense in looking back.” Her teeth rolled on her lower lip as she placed a reassuring grasp on the back of his hand. “That’s something I need to do—move forward already.”

 “What did I just say?” Libertus asked with a forced laugh. “Shouldn’t we all lean on one another or something? That’s what friends do, right?”

 She smiled, nodding at his suggestion. “Let’s get this place together first, shall we? We’ll have plenty of time for that sort of bonding later.” Isla wanted to have the bar put together before the year was over. She felt Lestallum had gone long enough without at least a nice place where people could forget their worries and the hunters had practically lost their original HQ when the daemons began to overrun certain locations. If anything, she wanted to put things right even if it meant readdressing a part of herself she would have preferred to see buried in the ruins of Insomnia.

 ------

 The lights of Lestallum gave hope to the blanket of eternal dark that covered Eos about four that day. The sight of the sun was indeed becoming scarce making Gladiolus nasally sigh as he thought back on the Oracle and the King he swore to protect but couldn’t. He hadn’t meant to be out for the past several days, but he found the solitude was welcoming in an odd sense even if loneliness bit at him from time to time. Since hunters were enlarging in numbers, Gladiolus had decided to join them and worked with a few on some hunts—learning from them and honing his skills more and more.

 It had only been eight months since Noctis’ disappearance and yet it already felt longer in his eyes. Hands in his pockets, Gladiolus was a bit nervous to approach Isla after all that had been said and done in the past several months. He wanted her to focus on her bar she was so excited for but at the same time…he made a promise he would be around a bit more than he had to help her with it. Honestly, the Shield was hoping the work would help distract his mind but it did little of the sort; especially with Ignis around in the condition he was in.

 He felt he let not only Noctis down but Ignis as well by not being there when the advisor did something as reckless as he did to save their friend and King. Just looking at Ignis was hard, watching him suffer and act so new to the world was even worse. Prompto handled it better than he did but after a few rough verbal exchanges with one another, Prompto seemed to make sure he was rarely around when Gladiolus was.

 Another thing he knew he had to apologize for in time…

 The bar within view, Gladiolus’ amber eyes drifted up to the title to feel a further heaviness upon his heart. The Shield’s Respite—a bar practically named after him and he felt he did so little to deserve it. Rubbing the back of his neck, he moved onward to see if Isla had indeed finished what she needed to find most of the main entry level had been refurbished.

 Isla was already behind the bar, putting together what drinks and other things she had managed to find in other cities that were still functioning as they were. “It’s not open yet,” she responded as if on instinct when hearing the front door open. “Come back tomorrow and maybe we’ll—!” She had turned, noting that Gladiolus was standing there in wait. “Gladio…!”

 “Hey,” he greeted with a warm and relieved smile, heading towards Isla to meet her halfway in an embrace that begged in its own way to be forgiven. The back of his hand cradled her head as his frown tugged heavily at the corners of his lips in regret. “Sorry I’ve been gone so long, sunshine. Got a bit overwhelmed with a few hunts lately—.”

 “I don’t care,” Isla interrupted, her fingers curling in need upon his leather jacket. Her forehead found pleasant rest against his chest, grateful he was there and alright. “I am just happy to have you here.”

 As they pulled from the hug, Gladiolus rested his hand opposite Isla upon her jeans to slide his fingers through the loops that sparked old, fond memories of their times together back in Insomnia when he used to do that sort of thing all the time whenever they walked side-by-side. It was an equivalent to someone’s comfort food, reminding them of far more pleasant times during the worst of it.

 “Why don’t you have a seat?” Isla offered, pointing to the chairs near the bar counter. “It might not be open just yet but tomorrow I hope to have it running for the public, and I can make an exception for you.”

 Gladiolus breathed out his laughter as he took a seat as she offered. “Already got people lined up to work here?” he asked, clasping his hands together on the bar counter.

 “Already, and Libertus has offered to help when he can on some days since he used to work at a bar back home in Galahd,” Isla informed as she grabbed something strong for Gladiolus to enjoy.

 He bit back the desire to say anything about Libertus. The trust in the Kingsglaive was a shaky one lately given the rumors and news of how a portion betrayed them and made the fall of Insomnia all the easier. Not to mention that Gladiolus wasn’t blind to how the man truly felt about his ways and how he acted around Ignis and Isla lately when he was able to witness it. “Sounds nice,” Gladiolus merely stated, taking a long hard sip of the drink Isla gave him. “I am sure the people need it.” His fingers began to tap upon the glass in thought before he turned to look at the upper floor he could just see. “And Iggy? How is he doing?”

 Isla frowned, eyes following her lover’s before they drifted downward at the countertop. “A bit…resentful and weak.” She heard Gladiolus sigh irritably, but she ignored it while continuing. “He goes out and trains when he can but even then, he’s hardly eating enough to keep himself properly on his feet. I don’t know if it’s depression, bitterness, or a bit of both, but he just refuses to eat when I offer or ask him to, so I’ve just kind of stopped trying and let him figure it out on his own.”

 “You just stopped?” Gladiolus asked firmly, a bit angered Isla would do that.

 Isla leaned forward, not backing down from the aggressive tone. “Gladio, forcing him to do anything isn’t helping anybody.” Her brow furrowed in concern. “I know you’re worried for him, but perhaps it’s time you trust he’ll be alright on his own and just let him go.”

 “Go? Go where?” His voice was hard and almost harmed at the very thought as he motioned at nothing in particular when speaking. “Nights are longer and the daemons are increasing in numbers. His damn pride will get himself killed!”

 “He wants to go to Galdin Quay,” Isla confessed, pressing her thumbs together idly as she knew Gladiolus didn’t want to hear any of this, but she herself couldn’t bear to watch Ignis simply waste away in what felt like a cage Gladiolus put him in. “He wants to get there himself and kind of figure himself out, and I think that’s better than not letting him adjust to this new blindness of his.”

 The Shield lowered his head, bringing the drink closer to him as if it were the only comforting thing in that moment. A part of him didn’t want to be sober for this sort of thought even if he knew Isla was right. “I’ll talk to him later,” he murmured, taking another sip of his drink in hopes something inside of himself would trigger to know what was the right thing to do.

 Isla stayed at the bar, getting everything prepared for tomorrow’s grand opening as Gladiolus excused himself to head up the stairs and to the room he knew Ignis had decided to stay in at the Shield’s insisting. Every step was heavy with thought as he himself didn’t know what would be the right course to take. He knew what Ignis wanted, but he couldn’t lose another friend—not now.

 When the door came within view, Gladiolus struggled with the very thought of knocking on it. He wanted to talk Ignis into staying, but he knew doing that would possibly result in another fight given both of their passion on this subject. Seemed in a matter of time he didn’t have to as Ignis approached the door, opening it for him.

 “Going to come inside, Gladio?” Ignis asked, surprising the Shield at how well the newly blinded Ignis could tell it was him.

 “So, uh, you knew I was here?” Gladiolus asked, stepping inside of the room that had been furnished finally. It was a simple room, not too big or flashy with two beds near the back, a nightstand in the center, a desk space over to the right with a closet and a vanity just to the left of the entrance to the door.

 “It’s easy to recognize your voice when you’re passionate about something,” Ignis confessed, a small sigh passing his lips in the process as he shut the door behind Gladiolus. His cane still very much in his hands, Ignis used it to feel about the room and locate the side of his bed once more. As he attempted to sit down, he felt Gladiolus try to help but in the most gentle way as he could manage, Ignis lightly pushed the helping hand away to figure it out on his own. “Now then…it’s good you are here as I wished to speak to you about something.”

 “I know Isla told me you wanted to leave.” Gladiolus grabbed the chair near the desk, turning it to where he could be facing Ignis as he took a seat. “Iggy…you are new to all of this, and I wish you’d just let us help you.”

 Ignis frowned, leaning forward on his legs. “And this cuddling and cooing of me is a way for me to adjust to this newfound disability of mine, Gladio?” His voice rattled with a sort of anger and frustration the tactician was trying to keep in check. “I understand everybody’s wishes to help, and they are will within reason, but I need to be on my own, or I will be of no help to anybody; least of all our King should he return…” Thinking of Noctis, Ignis’ lower lip hung dejectedly as did his head.

 “You should at least let us be nearby to help you,” Gladiolus insisted firmly. “It’s fine if you want to get out there and do your best, but for god’s sake, Iggy—.”

 “Gladio,” Ignis interrupted firmly, his leather gloved hands tightening in frustration yet again upon the cane he held, “I am taking the next lift out of here tomorrow morning, and that is that. I have my own personal training to do, and when everything has fallen in alignment, I will possibly return again.”

 Gladiolus sighed out his own aggravation, clasping his hands together. “Fine,” he insisted angrily, standing to his feet. The chair’s legs scraped against the wooden floor in such silent anger that it caught Ignis’ attention. “Whatever it is you wish to do, I guess I have to wash my hands of it.”

 “And that woman you say you love?” Ignis retaliated, frowning in disappointment. “Will you at least be around more to tend to her while you can?” He heard Gladiolus stop firmly in his tracks. “I may very well be blind but I am hardly so when it comes to her admiration of you. She loves you, and while you’re within your right to continue your training you would do well to remember that she is here always—waiting for you to come home.”

 Gladiolus bit back firmly the desire to raise his voice in the matter, tired of having his friends leave him all because he couldn’t keep his anger in check at times. “And what do you want me to do?”

 “Talk to her—be there for her, and most of all, return home to her more often and remind her that you love her,” Ignis insisted, keeping himself calm in the matter as he hated Isla had to go so long at times without the man she adored. “She’s expressed interest in hunting, so why not train her as I’ve been unable to do as of late?” He heard the Shield sigh but that sound alone didn’t deter Ignis from continuing. “It would be wrong of me to take that synergy away from you by continuing to work with Isla in your stead.” He paused, working on removing his boots as the day had come to a close for him. “You have someone you love still very much alive, be there for her and do not regret it.”

 Gladiolus nodded even if he knew Ignis couldn’t see it. “I hope everything goes well for you tomorrow…Iggy.” The words burned his throat even after departing with them. Having to actually say ‘goodbye’ to someone he knew for so long in his life was hard. “Don’t get yourself killed.”

 “I don’t quite plan on it. Take care of yourself and Isla as well as the others till my return,” Ignis said, his bitterness having evaporated and turning into gratitude that the Shield would finally let him leave with his blessing.

 Gladiolus turned on his heels, heading back to Ignis in a hurry before his pride could deny him to at least hug his friend goodbye as he knew he probably wouldn’t get that chance for sometime. As his arms embraced him tightly without much of a warning, Ignis froze as it was unpredicted until responding with a tight embrace of his own.

[ffxv-ocs-unite]

Hey, I hope I’ve done this right for the Valentines prompt… idea. ^^; OC is Isla Octavia to Gladio

Hey Big Guy,

I guess I’m not really sure what I’m s'posed to put here. Never done this before. Never felt the need. Always seemed a bit weird to specify how much you love someone on one particular day - but I guess its the sentiment that counts?

Anyway, that’s neither here-nor-there, I’m just rambling to fill space. You know I’m not all that great with words, so I’ll just be as honest as I can. 

I love you, plain and simple. Without frills and without flourish. You’re my best friend, and if the rest of my life was to be spent at your side, it would be a happy one. If I’d known the day you walked into my bar would be the day my life changed forever, I would have marked it on a calendar or something. As it is, it’s a day I remember as the day my life really started - because I met you and you ignited something inside me that had been dormant, and quiet for so long.

We’ve had a lot of great times, and a few rough times, but we got through them, weathering them together. And while we can’t be side-by-side all the time - I know how important your duty to Noctis is - I hope you know, you’re never far from my thoughts, and always in my heart.

Thank you for being instrumental in making my days happy ones. I hope we have a lifetime of them, together, some day.

All my love, endlessly, Your Sunshine

Hello Sunshine,

Let’s get this straight, I thank the Six every day damn since I found you. I've never been so certain of anything in my life like I am of us. You have changed my outlook in life and I thank you for that. I never thought that someone could love me like you do, but guess what? I love you that much too.

Yeah, there have been a lot of rough times, but the good times, they are the best. I tend to act foolish at times and might not always be around, but with you, I wouldn't mind being a fool for the rest of my life. I would do anything to see that smile of yours; I love it so much.

I love you.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Gladio

[blustersquall]

Kiss meme 41 for Gladio and Isla, please ? =)

41. …because the world is saved.

Fluff/angst... I guess, set just after the end of the game when the light has returned. @ffxv-ocs-unite @mp938368 @ffxvhoe   @sephiratales

Meet me at Galdin Quay, tomorrow. x

The past twenty-four hours were a blur of confusion and sudden, dramatic changes. The constant darkness was gone, sunlight breaking through for the first time in years. Daemons that hounded the world all over, gone in moments dissipating in clouds of black particles as the sun rose.

It took time to adjust to the bright light of day again. People in Lestallum murmured and talked, excitedly, among themselves feeling the beams hit their skin. Children who were born during the years of darkness cautiously stepped out into the light, feeling it for the first time and were warmed by it. The atmosphere of excitement and joy was infectious. Isla left The Shield’s Respite in the hands of her staff and left Lestallum to meet Gladiolus as he requested. 

She stood on the shoreline, the soft waves gently lapping at her bare feet while the wind around her whipped up her hair and the skirts of the dress she was wearing. The once beautiful resort was a mess of fallen in roofing and collapsed beams, but it would heal under the hands of skilled builders in time, just as the rest of Eos would. 

For the first time in years, Isla relaxed. There were no daemons to worry about. She could hear the sound of seabirds calling overhead, smell the salt of the spray. For the first time in ten years, she could think about the future and actually believe there was one to be had. Her shoulders felt strangely lighter and as the sunlight warmed her skin, the feeling of fear and dread she carried in her chest was nowhere to be found.

Isla listened to the waves, breathed deeply, and wondered how she could have ever taken something like the sun for granted. She vowed she never would again, not after ten years without it. Her mind was calm and still as she thought of everything, and yet nothing. Free for the first time in years to simply just be. 

“Sunshine,” the soft call of Gladiolus’s voice was just loud enough to pull her from her peaceful trance-like state. She turned to look over her shoulder, and there he stood no more than thirty feet away. His hair pulled back, a small, unreadable smile on his lips, sporting the familiar black tank top that somehow survived ten years of intermittent wear.

She started running, her feet sinking into the sand with every step, but she pushed herself forward. Gladiolus walked a few steps, arms open and extended, catching her and spinning her on the spot when she all but launched herself at him. Isla braced her hands on his shoulders, peering down while he held her aloft, his hands sturdy and strong beneath her arms.

“You came back!” Isla beamed at him, unable to keep the broad smile at bay.

“Said I would,” Gladiolus replied, with a smile just as big as her own. 

“And you brought the dawn with you...” 

Slowly, Gladiolus lowered her to the ground. “...Yeah.” His smile faltered. When she touched the sand, his hands lowered to her waist. 

“What’s wrong?” Isla asked, brushing the fingers of her right-hand back through Gladiolus’s hair.

For a moment so brief she would have missed it if she hadn’t been standing so close, Gladiolus’s eyes grew distant, his expression passive, as though he was suddenly somewhere else and seeing things beyond Isla’s realm of vision. Then, as quickly as it came, he returned to her and his smile lit up his face.

“Nothing.” He bent towards her, pressing his forehead against hers. “The dawn is back. The world is safe. That’s what matters.”

“Gladio...?” Isla wanted to question him further, but a voice at the back of her mind told her now wasn’t the time. She shifted closer, claiming his mouth in a soft, heartfelt kiss while winding her hands back around his neck. Gladiolus cupped her cheek, his thumb resting in the hollow of her throat. Each time Isla went to break the kiss, he pursued, keeping that connection with an almost tangible desperation in each brush of his lips. 

From the way he kissed her, Isla could only assume something bad had occurred and that the defeating of the darkness had not been free of casualties. 

“Hey, hey...” Isla pulled away enough that Gladiolus couldn’t simply keep kissing her. “You saved the world...” she brushed her nose against his, a sign of reassurance between them since the beginning.

“Noct saved it.” Gladiolus rumbled back, his voice tight. He swallowed, hard and Isla’s stomach sank. He didn’t have to say anything, she could gather from the tightening of his jaw that Noctis would not be celebrating the victory. Wordlessly, Isla wrapped her arms around Gladiolus’s middle, squeezing him as tight as she was able. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, his shoulders shuddering and a low, strangled sound escaping his lips. 

The world was safe... but the cost had been a great one. 

This kind of goes really nicely with this commission of Gladiolus and Isla I bought in Dec ‘17 from @sarahmillercreations

I hope this was okay, @sephiratales Might not have been exactly what you expected. I tried to keep it short. I always imagine this moment of them reuniting is full of conflicting emotions for Gladio. Maybe I’ll do a piece from his point of view eventually.

[blustersquall]

hey, so here’s that thing I was writing and got angry at. I finished it because I had some kind words of encouragement and I wanted to try and finish something if just to prove to myself to could. 

I’ll hopefully write a resolution to this eventually. And I’m not saying this is somewhat based on real-life events, but it’s sort of based off real life events...

@ffxv-ocs-unite  @ffxvhoe  @mp938368

Never in her life had Isla considered herself a jealous person.

She was used to the looks people gave Gladiolus when they saw him. Some appraising, some hungry. Some eyes just ate him up, other gazes looked as though they were undressing him. Isla learned to shrug them off fairly easily, after all, she was the one who shared his bed. She was the one who knew him inside and out. She was the one who held his heart - what did she have to be jealous about?

Only... she was.

She realised it with dawning horror, that for the first time in their relationship she was jealous. Jealous of Nessa, a recently arrived hunter in Lestallum who Gladiolus easily befriended. Nessa, who was tall, muscular, and quick. Nessa, with a head of burning auburn hair, and clear green eyes. She was jealous of Nessa, who had quickly risen in Gladiolus’s esteem with her fighting prowess and had become one of the regulars who accompanied him on daemon hunts.

Even now, Nessa sat at his side with the other hunters as they all drank to their success. The group of them, twelve in total, had been out dealing with the encroaching hordes for over a month. They only just arrived back, and the only word out of Gladiolus’s mouth to Isla had been “hi”.

Not a kiss, not a hug. Not even a brief mention of her name. Just a passing greeting as though she was a stranger.

She hated it. The restless anger bubbling inside her chest. The sickening sinking feeling that she was losing him and there was nothing she could do. The resentment that festered and grew day-by-day. Their laughter seemed to mock her every breath. They were part of a group she would always be on the outside of. After all, she wasn’t allowed to go on hunts. Cor, the fucking Immortal asshole, made it clear that her inexperience in the field made her a liability on hunts.

It didn’t matter that she hunted on her own before the darkness came. Didn’t matter she had over ten years of martial arts training under her belt. Nevermind she had proven, more than once, that she could hold her own in a fight. What Cor said stuck, and that meant while Gladiolus, the Glaives, and hunters were out fighting, she was stuck at home like a good, obedient civilian with Gladiolus’ dirty laundry.

Isla’s punching bag was showing the wear of her anger. Parts of it were patched up with duct tape where she’d hit it so hard, and in some places the filling had fallen out, leaving bits of it sagging sadly. It didn’t matter. Attacking the damn thing with her fists and her feet was the only way she could work out her frustrations. She’d been wailing on it for the better part of an hour after the image of Nessa cuddled so close to Gladiolus’ side made her almost vomit. Getting away, and out of her own head was the only course of action.

She was surprised to hear the door to the apartment open. She expected Gladiolus to stay down with his friends for another few hours, drinking and talking about things too lofty and far above her.

Even as the door closed, she kept punching.

“Hey Sunshine,” Gladiolus greeted her. He finally said more than a word, and he sounded cheerful. Isla clenched her fingers tighter into her fists and kept punching.

“Sunshine?” She heard the heavy drop of his bag on the floor. His gear. Dirty clothes covered in blood, and ichor. Grime, sweat... There was a niggling, biting thought at the back of her mind that the sweat might not all be Gladiolus’s... that there might be other stains amongst the ones she was used to. A sharp pain prickled behind her nose. The quiet rage numbed it and Isla unleashed a flurry of blows against the bag.

“Isles.” Gladiolus’s voice was closer now. He knew better than to step too close when she was... What was she doing? Training? For what? It wasn’t like she was ever allowed to fight. So what was the point?

“Isla.” His voice firm, Isla saw Gladious’s hand reaching for her in her periphery. On instinct she turned, throwing her right fist forward as if to strike an oncoming beast. Her fist hit his palm and he held her there, his own strength keeping her rage at bay. The energy from the force of her punch carried through causing Gladiolus’s arm to tremble the tiniest bit.

She wanted to hate him. It would make things so much easier if she could just switch off her emotions and hate him. Hate his warm eyes, at that moment full of concern and confusion. Hate his mouth, his lips, from which she’d heard countless declarations of love, and received endless kisses that cemented those declarations. It would be easier if she could hate his voice, hate his whole person. If she could hate his kindness, and the softness only she was privy too. The part of him he kept hidden.

But, she couldn’t. She loved him, and though he frustrated her, and she was angry, she would never be able to bring herself to hate him.

Tensing her fist, Isla retracted her hand and flexed her fingers. She was breathing hard, nostrils flared and only broke her gaze from his to examine the bindings around her knuckles. It was a rush job, and they were coming lose. Already she could see bruises forming on her knuckles. Her skin would be dry, and cracked, and bleeding for days.

“I’m going to have a shower.” She announced, turning quickly on one foot to march towards the bathroom.

“That’s it?” Gladiolus’s voice followed her, “not even a hello?”

The shudder that shot up Isla’s spine and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention was not one of pleasure or excitement. It was the anger again, vigorously renewed. “You’ve been back for four hours - you could have said something.” She said, fighting to keep her voice still and the bubbling rage contained. “I’ve been down in the bar the whole time.”

“I didn’t see you.”

Her stomach turned. Was she really that inconsequential that he didn’t even see her in her own bar? The bar she named for him? The bar their home was situated over? Where else did he think she would be? She didn’t go anywhere. She didn’t have any friends. Her whole fucking life was wrapped up in The Shield’s Respite... he knew that and he ‘didn’t see her’.

She felt him approach more that saw him. His body mass invaded hers and when he ran the tips of his fingers down her bare arms, she flinched away without thinking. “I’m sweaty.”

“Don’t care,” Gladiolus tried again, a light skim of his fingers down her arms that normally would have made her pulse quicken, and her stomach flip with anticipation of what was to come. Now, there was only a rising sick feeling in her gullet. A feeling she tried to swallow back. Behind her, Gladiolus stepped closer and he nuzzled her hair. “Mhm, I missed you...”

Isla wanted to believe him. Gods, she wanted to fall into him and believe him. She wanted to feel his actions and hear his words and those be enough to put her doubts and anger in the ground. But it wasn’t enough. She swallowed hard, breathing steadily when he slid his fingers between hers. The painful prickle was back again pinching behind her nose, forcing Isla to clench her jaw. His lips pressed against the top of her back and it was like a bolt of lightning shooting through her, wracking her body with unbearable pain.

The floodgates opened and she jerked away.

“Stop.” She said the word, rather than spat it as she expected to, and it came from her mouth as little more than a whisper, though she might as well have shouted it given the way the atmosphere turned cold all of a sudden and Gladiolus stepped away, releasing her hands. “I said, I’m sweaty.” Isla kept her back to him, curling her hands at her sides.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Isla--”

“I’m going to have a shower.”

“Look at me.”

Isla took a deep breath. “I’m going to have a shower.” She repeated, her shoulders rising up to her ears.

“What’s going on? Why’re you actin’ so weird?” She could hear the gruffness of his voice as her behaviour started to grate on his nerves.

“I don’t know. Why didn’t you bother to say anything to me when you got back?” Isla’s words hung in the air like black icicles. She turned to face him, her whole body tight and tense, as if she was gearing up for a fight.

“I said, I didn’t see--”

“Bullshit.” Her interruption caught him off guard, that much was clear by the way Gladiolus’s eyes widened. “Where did you think I would be? I’m not exactly in high fucking demand.”

He ran his thumb and forefinger across his forehead. “Isla...”

“What?!”

“Can we not...” he gestured between them at the air, “do this? I’m only back for the night. We’re heading out again tomorrow. I don’t wanna spend my only time with you arguing.”

“Tonight?” Isla spluttered. Her thoughts scattered, fighting to reassemble into an order and unable to do so. He was back for a night? That was it? A night and then he was leaving again. Leaving with the hunters. Leaving with Nessa. “So...” Isla wanted to scream but it was impossible to organize her thoughts to be able to scream them. “Over a month away and I get to see you for less than twelve hours before you leave again?” She was surprised by the stillness of her voice.

“It’s how things are.” He shrugged.

“It’s how you make them.” She snarled back at him. “There are plenty of other hunters. Why do you have to go? Why can’t you stay, for once.”

“Because I have a job to do.”

“It’s because you want to be with Nessa,” Isla stated in a rush. Gladiolus’s eyes widened and she found herself tensing her jaw to fight the urge to pull the words back.

“What?” He seemed genuinely taken aback.

“She’s all over you, every time I see her with you she’s on you like a second skin. And you like her.” Isla was calm. Almost... eerily calm as she gave air to the things that had been weighing down on her. “You love the attention she gives you. You look at her and talk to her the way... The way you used to look and talk to me.”

“Isla.” His brows furrowed over his eyes, and Gladiolus crossed his arms.

“Are you going to deny it?” she asked him, just about able to hear herself over the blood thundering through her ears. “You spend more time with her than with me. You can’t seem to get away from me quick enough these days.”

“I can’t believe you’re jealous.”

He was trying to make light of the situation, and that only served to make her angrier. “Don’t pin this down on me being a pathetic, clinging girlfriend. I give you all the space you want. I never smother you, I never have. But what am I supposed to think? When I get left behind over, and over, and over again? I’m nothing but a glorified washerwoman to you.”

“That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it?” She matched his stance, folding her arms. “Am I just an inconvenience to you? I cramp your style? Is that why you keep me in Lestallum? So you can have your cake and eat it too?”

“Are... are you accusing me of cheating on you? With Nessa?”

Isla blinked slowly. She was... Gods, she was accusing him. “I guess.” She said eventually. “I get left behind all the time. I hardly hear from you when you’re gone. What am I supposed to think?”

“That I’m out fighting daemons to try and keep Eos safe until Noct returns!” He jabbed a finger at the window, baring his teeth. “That I’m doing what I can, with what resources I have to keep Lestallum running! I like you being here because I know you’re safe! If you were out hunting too I’d lose my fucking mind with worry.”

“You’re never here,” Isla said, biting back the tears threatening to well up in her eyes. “You come, you leave, and that’s it. I don’t see you. I don’t hear from you. I have more of a relationship with your dirty laundry than with you.”

Gladiolus scoffed. He slapped a hand over his face, turning on the spot while rubbing that hand over his eyes. “I can’t believe you think I’d cheat on you. Isla-- do you not trust me? Is that what this is?”

“No!” Her cheeks were flush, hot with anger and accusation. “I’ve never doubted you up until now.”

“So why now?”

“Nessa is all over you.”

“So, if Nessa wasn’t there, this wouldn’t be an issue?”

“It would still be an issue.” Isla threw her hands down in frustration. “I’m always left here. I can fight. I was a hunter before the darkness came. I know how to handle myself, and yet I’m left behind all the Gods damned time, and I hate it.”

“Did you miss the part where I said I would lose my mind if I knew you were out there fighting?”

“It didn’t matter before!”

“There are hordes of daemons, Isla! I don’t go out there because I enjoy it, or because I want to be away from you! I’m trying to do my part. Trying to protect the last few bastions of civilization against daemons. Trying to keep people safe! Trying to protect you! I’m a Shield, it’s what I do.”

“You’re not my shield! I don’t need protecting!”

They stood in silence, her last statement growing stagnant between them. Gladiolus was breathing heavily, brow creased in thought and in irritation. Isla’s chest heaved as though she’d been running. There was nothing else in her head to say. Everything that had been weighing on her had turned into something else. Her anger mutating into hateful words and spiteful jabs meant to wound and hurt. That wasn’t her. Her whole body was heavy, her stomach weighed like a stone anchoring her in place.

“I’m leaving in the morning,” Gladiolus said steadily. Coolly. Detached. “I’ll grab my shit now and pack it so it’s ready to go. I don’t wanna wake you when I leave.”

“Gladio...” Isla’s fingertips were cold.

“We’ll have to talk about this when I get back.” He said, glancing at her and then pulling his gaze away. “There’s clearly...” A sigh, a quick shake of his head and what he was saying was gone. “I can’t talk about this right now.”

Without another word, he walked from the hallway and into the living room. A moment later, Isla heard him pick up his bag and close the bedroom door. Her limbs regained feeling and she stood staring at the space he occupied only seconds before. The words she said immediately started to replay. The things she said, versus the things she meant to say. Things she said she could not take back. She didn’t follow him. She couldn’t. What could she say? She knew how seriously he took his duty as Shield, even without Noctis around. She knew how much of his identity weighed on that title - how it had moulded him and how much he valued it.

How could she spit on it like that? Spit on everything he was, and what being Shield meant to him? How could she repair the damage her words and her petty jealousy had caused?

Isla went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She waited, leaning on the frame and listening. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Him to knock on the bathroom door and request entry? Or perhaps she was waiting to hear the front door open and close. Perhaps she was expecting him to be gone when she was done in the shower... Or maybe that was what she hoped. That then she wouldn’t have to confront what was said.

After a few minutes, she heard Gladiolus moving around in the living room, probably sorting his dirty clothes out and unpacking, only to repack ready for the next morning. She hadn’t even asked how he was...

Her feet heavy, and her mind heavier still, Isla ran the shower and climbed in. It seemed futile to her now, to shower and wash, after all - no amount of soap or water could wash away the things she said.

I’m really bad at endings.

And I’m going to bed.

[blustersquall]

I asked for some prompts about a week ago, and @bohemiantea-scorpiocoffee (seriously tumblr?? why won’t you tag?!) suggested:  “I’m sorry that I woke you.” on the post itself. So, this is what I came up with. I’m in a really Gladio/Isla mood at the moment, so... aha... n_n;;;

@ffxvhoe @ffxv-ocs-unite @mp938368

The trek up to the house at Caem always felt like the longest part of the journey to Gladiolus. Weeks on the road and the walk up the hill seemed to take an age, the house never getting closer and the distance going for miles. Of course, that was just the tiredness talking. The tiredness, the aching muscles, the longing for a hot bath, and a soft bed. As much as he enjoyed camping, sometimes even he wanted some basic luxuries.

Given the late hour, he didn't talk much with Noctis, Ignis, or Prompto as they entered the house, stepping quietly and closing things softly so not to awaken the other occupants. The kitchen smelled of Monica's cooking, and the three Cactuar figurines already in Talcott's possession stood in pride-of-place at the end of the table.

"Give 'im the new one in the morning," Prompto suggested, watching Noctis turn the one they found at the Imperial Garrison over and over in his hands. "It'll be a nice surprise!"

"Yeah..." Noctis returned the figure to his pocket. "I'm turning in."

"Same."

"An excellent idea," Ignis pushed his glasses onto his nose. 

“No early wake-up calls, Iggy. Please?” Whined Prompto, following both Ignis and Noctis towards the stairs. No reply came from Ignis.

The four of them retired to their various rooms in almost total silence, except for a few brief ‘see you in the mornings’ exchanged. Gladiolus walked past the room Iris had adopted as her own, and further down the hall to the last room on the landing. There was a low light spilling out from underneath the door, the tell-tale sign that Isla was in there. Since Insomnia she struggled to sleep without a light on. He didn't mind it so much. It helped with keeping her terrors at bay.

Pulling his shoes off before entering, he opened and closed the door behind him making as little noise as possible. He put his shoes to one side, stripped out of his trousers and his jacket and draped them over the vacant chair in the corner. 

Isla was asleep on what she dubbed her side of the bed: the left, furthest from the door. Curled up on her side, her back facing him, she slept apparently undisturbed by his arrival. He climbed into the bed beside her, leaning over to at least lower the brightness of the table lamp. As he moved to settle in beside her, skimming a hand over her waist so he could spoon around her, Isla stirred, eyes scrunching up briefly, relaxing, and then she rolled over.

She blinked slowly, blue eyes unfocused for a few moments as she woke. When her gaze found him, a slow smile slid into view and she reached her hands towards him, stretching.

"Hey," Gladiolus kept his voice low and invited her into his embrace. An invitation she took, sliding her arms around him and shifting for comfort. After burying his face in her hair, Gladiolus took a deep breath, something that was becoming a ritual whenever they were reunited. The smell of her was enough to settle some of his anxiety. Caem wasn't exactly a secret place, the Niffs could find it easily enough, but those worries somehow lessened when Isla was close by. "You smell good."

She did. She smelled of sea spray, which made sense given Caem's coastal location. She smelled of the rich black dirt in the gardens, and of Cid's workshop, of the oil and grease used to fix up the royal barge.

"You just got back?" Isla asked, hands lazily winding down Gladiolus's back and his arms. 

"Yeah," he rolled onto his back, taking her with him so she was kneeling above. Her hands came to rest beside his head, fingers winding through knotted and sweat clumped strands of his hair. "Maybe ten minutes ago."

"Hmm..." she hummed, both thoughtful and sleepy in tone. Gladiolus began to run his hands up and down her back underneath the t-shirt she wore to bed. He could feel the texture of the burn scar under his palm, and his fingers slipped over the divet in her back from the gunshot wound. Stark and painful reminders of what she witnessed, what she put herself through to get out of Insomnia.

In moments like this, in the quiet and the sanctuary of this room, he could pretend they were normal people. He could pretend, for a few seconds, that she hadn't barely survived Insomnia's fall by the skin of her teeth. He could pretend the Niffs weren't around every corner, and their dreadnoughts weren't patrolling the sky looking for them. He could pretend everything was fine, and this was just for them. That they were a normal couple, indulging in a normal ritual of pillow talk.

Of course, that wasn't true. The whole world was falling apart. Nights were growing longer, daemons were more numerous, the Niffs were everywhere, King Regis was dead... So much was wrong, but it was nice to simply try and pretend. Even if that never lasted for long. 

"Missed you," Isla interrupted his thoughts, gently tapping the end of his nose with her finger. 

Gladiolus sighed, "missed you, too." 

She kissed him after that, warm and heartfelt, carding her fingers back through his hair and humming contentedly into the kiss. Gladiolus returned it, tilting his head back, lifting one hand to cradle Isla's jaw, winding his fingers back through her hair. Isla broke the kiss and flopped onto her side, her eyes still just barely open by sheer force of will. She nestled closer, all but burrowing into Gladiolus’s neck and shoulder while leaving her top arm to rest over his chest, fingertips tracing the inked feathers on his skin. 

“I’m sorry I woke you,” Gladiolus said, kissing her forehead. “I was trying to be quiet.”

Isla shook her head a little, “I prefer when you wake me. It means I get to see you sooner.”

Touched by the sentiment in her words, Gladiolus smiled to himself. He cuddled her closer, allowing his eyes to slip closed and welcoming what he hoped would be a restful sleep.

UGHHH endings. Shameless fluff because I can and I will. 

[blustersquall]

Send me a Ship and a Number and I will Write a Kiss 20…on a scar. Isla and Gladiolus :3

Trying to keep this short. It’s really hard for me. I hope this is okay.

@ffxv-ocs-unite @ffxvhoe @mp938368 @myimmortalpoet

“Sunshine, you about ready to…” Gladiolus trailed when he peered into the bathroom through the open door. He expected to see Isla dressed and ready to leave. Instead, he saw her staring at her reflection in the mirror, her t-shirt in one hand, and the other gingerly touching the pink and puckered skin of the burns on her side. 

Her eyes were trained on her fingers, her expression focused, brows furrowed. When she touched, he noticed she grit her teeth a little, her jaw clenching. He went towards the bathroom.

“Isla?”

“Sorry!” She started and began to try and pull her shirt on. “I was just--”

“Looking at the scars again,” Gladiolus said, keeping his voice gentle. Isla’s shoulders dropped as did her gaze. Gladiolus walked into the bathroom and stood behind her. “I’ve noticed you doing it… a lot.”

“It... uh,” Isla fidgeted on the spot, wringing the cloth of her shirt in her hands. 

Gladiolus gently placed his hands on her shoulders, “what’s goin’ on?”

She stared at him in the mirror, and he looked back, unblinking and his gaze unwavering. Her head sagged, and she put the shirt to one side on the bathroom counter. “It’s nothing. I’m being stupid.”

Gladiolus sighed, “Sunshine.” He didn’t like it when she pushed him away when she blocked him out in some weird attempt to protect him. He also didn’t like pushing, knowing she would talk in her own time. At least she usually did. But this... thing with the scars she obtained escaping Insomnia had been going on for months, and so far she hadn’t said a word.

“Does it hurt?” he placed his hand on the rough skin and immediately, Isla shied away.

“Don’t.” She wrapped a hand around his wrist. “It’s horrible to touch. And ugly to look at, so... don’t touch it.”

He sighed again, “Isla...” When he removed his hand, she visibly relaxed in front of him. “I have scars, too.” He pointed to the two on his face in the mirror and the edge of the larger one across his chest that had just barely avoided cutting into the face of the eagle tattooed on his chest. “You don’t shy away from those.”

“Your scars make you look dashing.” Isla’s lips quirked into a quick smile. “And you got them through noble means. Protecting Noctis, and challenging Gilgamesh to better protect Noctis... Mine...” Her hand hovered over the scar, above two times the size of Gladiolus’s hand. “Mine was...”

“You received yours when running from a hellscape you should never have been forced to endure.” Gladiolus gently covered her hand with his and pressed both to her flesh. “You fought tooth and nail to get out of Insomnia, your scars are a testament to what you survived. There’s no shame in those scars of survival.”

“It’s just so disgusting...” Isla mumbled. “I’m paranoid people can see it under my clothes.”

“They can’t,” Gladiolus kissed the top of her head, “and even if they could, it’s none of anyone else’s business how you got ‘em.”

“Do they bother you?” Her voice was small, eyes downcast and there was a darker colour staining her cheeks. “I mean... do you...”

“No,” Gladiolus said. In one easy movement, he dropped to his knees behind her. Positioning his hands at her hips, he turned Isla to face him, peering up from his position. She braced her hands on his shoulders, watching and grimacing when he leaned forward and kissed her marked skin. Isla’s chest rose and fell on quick breaths, the redness of her cheeks beginning to spill down her neck and chest. “Your scars are not disgusting.” He kissed the area again. “I know you feel insecure about them. I’m not going to tell you that you shouldn’t, I can’t tell you how to feel.”

“But...?” Isla tilted a brow, gently pushing the fingers of her left hand through his hair. 

“But,” Gladiolus breathed out deeply and tilted his head back far enough that he could rest his chin on her pelvic bone while looking up at her, “I’m going to be annoying and adoring, and reassure you about them every chance I get.”

“Is that so?” a light chuckle passed Isla’s lips, and she smiled more genuinely than before.

“Yeah,” Gladiolus got to his feet. He watched Isla’s face as he slid his hands over her bare waist, his right hand resting on the scarring she hated so much. He noticed her fingers twitch, but she didn’t try to remove him. “So, maybe eventually you’ll believe me when I tell you they’re not ugly.”

“Maybe. One day.” Isla shifted closer, leaning forward until her forehead touched his chest.

Gladiolus smiled into her hair, “one day works for me.”

*glares at the sky* ENDINGS.I hope this was okay.

[blustersquall]

Drabble Prompt from @ffxv-ocs-unite Your OC’s vehicle breaks down a few miles away from Hammerhead…at night. Haven’t filled a prompt in a while so... Also tagging @ffxvhoe and @mp938368 if you still would like to beeee....

Isla was on the verge of a breakdown. Both mental and mechanical. She’d been paying more attention to the fuel gauge for the last ten miles than the road. Between that, the rattle of the engine, and the occasional groan of a daemon nearby she knew she was pushing her luck in trying to reach Hammerhead. It wasn’t much further. Twenty miles, that was it. 

But, luck was not on her side. As the car grumbled and choked, the last fumes of fuel dispersing into the ether, she guided it to the side of the road, cursing under her breath. 

“Shit,” she muttered, turning the key in the ignition and resting her forehead against the steering wheel. “Shitshitshit.” 

Behind her, she could hear the steady, rumbling footsteps of an iron giant pacing a set path. It wasn’t right on top of her, but any daemon within hearing distance was too close for comfort. 

“Okay, don’t panic. Don’t panic...” she hunkered down in the driver's seat, hoping if she stayed perfectly still then the daemons of the night would leave her alone. Why hadn’t she refilled the tank at the last petrol station? Why had she decided to travel now, knowing when she set off that darkness would set in a few hours later. Why? Because she was a gods damned idiot, that was why.

She grabbed her phone from the cup holder where she kept it for ease of reach in case someone called, Isla skimmed through the numbers she had, hoping she’d been smart enough to take down Cindy’s or at the very least, Takka’s. 

Relief flooded through her when she saw Cindy’s name in her list of contacts. She tapped the “call” button and put the phone to her ear, waiting. The rings were like agony, teasing chimes just dragging on, and on taunting Isla with the “will-she-pickup-won’t-she-pick-up” of a pendulum. 

“Howdy, Isla? What can Ah do y’for?”

“Cindy!” Isla wanted to cry. “My car’s broken down, no fuel. About twenty miles from Hammerhead. There are daemons!”

“Say n’more!” Cindy had a way of taking charge that immediately put Isla at ease. “The Prince is here and Ah’ve just fixed his girl with some pretty new headlights that spook those daemons somethin’ fierce! He can get t’ya faster than me in the truck, an’ get you here to safety. But I can tow y’car t’morrow. D’ya know where y’are?”

“Somewhere between Longwythe Peak and-- ohshit--” Isla ducked down further into her seat, catching sight of several flaming bombs floating by not thirty feet from the hood of her car. “SomewherebetweenLongwythePeakandThreeValleys. Tell Noctis to hurry, okay? The daemons are getting curious.”

“Ah’ll tell ‘em where ya are. Sit tight, ‘n stay low!”

Cindy hung up, leaving Isla in silence watching in the rearview mirror the floating orbs of fire bobbing around aimlessly while the iron giant thundered across the road, blade swinging at nothing in the air. She checked the time on her phone, hoping that she might hear the purr of the Regalia’s engine when she looked up. 

She didn’t. Isla closed her eyes, covering her phone with her hands so the light didn’t attract any unwanted attention. Did daemons attack stationary cars? Were they curious about machines, or things that were just... there? She’d seen more than her fair share or burnt out or rusted cars sitting on the side of the road, or in small, out-of-the-way car parks, but had never stopped to think of how the cars got like that. Or what happened to the owners. What if daemons had their own version of garula tipping, and it involved parked cars? What if the owners of those burnt out vehicles were just like her? Someone stranded on the side of the road and the daemons took an interest. 

Could daemons smell humans? Could they smell fear?

Being fatalistic wasn’t going to help her. She had to stay still, and quiet and hopeful... 

Had the Regalia appeared yet? She cracked open an eye to see. Still dark outside, no headlights appearing through the black of night. On the other hand, no bombs surrounding the car. No iron giant about to step on it, either. Isla released a slow breath, trying to stay calm. Her heart was racing, her whole body caught somewhere between the automatic fight and flight responses. She could fight. She knew how. She had taken down a few daemons before. Never a lot, and never anything of the magnitude of an iron giant on her own. Part of her wanted to get out of the car and run to Hammerhead, but the more logical side of her knew that was a deathwish. If she was caught by daemons they would tear her to shreds in seconds. 

No. Stay calm. Stay still. Don’t talk. Don’t move. Don’t breathe.

It felt like days before she heard the rumble of a car’s engine approaching. A smooth sound, that might well have been the most beautiful symphony ever written, given the fact hearing it made her begin to tear up. When she leaned up in the driver’s seat, she could see a pair of blinding headlights speeding towards her. As the Regalia drew closer, the lights causing Isla to shield her eyes, she noticed the daemons disappearing, fleeing from the bright beams as if they were sunlight.

Cindy hadn’t been kidding. She had kitted the Regalia out with something every car needed. Those headlights would be lifesavers.

The car came to a screeching halt about five feet from her car, and one person leapt out over the driver’s door, quickly running towards her. She knew the gait, the long steps and Isla sobbed, pushing her car door open.

“Sunshine!” Gladio’s voice was strained with worry as he pulled her into his arms and cradled her against his chest. “I’m sorry, I got turned ‘round lookin’ for you--”

“Don’t care.” Isla shook her head, burying her face in his shirt. “You’re here, that’s what matters.” She noticed they were standing right in the beams of the headlights, and their bodies were making impossibly long shadows on the ground. It would have been romantic if she wasn’t still terrified.

“You’re shaking.” He ran his hands up and down her arms. “You must be freezing.”

Isla realised for the first time just how cold she was. She had been so distracted by her fear, that she hadn’t noticed the chill biting at her fingertips or her nose. As if to make it more apparent, a shudder rippled through her entire body causing Gladio to tighten his hold.

“Let’s get back to Hammerhead. Get you safe, an’ warm.” His tone was rough and left no room for argument, but Isla heard the strains of worry he tried to keep from his voice. 

“I’m really glad you found me.” Isla curled her hands into Gladio’s shirt. “I was...”

Gladio kissed her forehead. “Yeah, me too.” He replied, his words gruff and thick with emotion and things going unsaid. He pressed his forehead to hers, leaning own to do so, and cradled her face in his hands. “No more driving at night, okay? There’s no telling what couldda happened to you.”

“‘Kay.” Isla agreed, blinking back tears of relief. “I’m sorry.”

“No apologies. Nothin’ to apologize for.” Gladio quickly kissed her, leaving Isla wanting to do nothing more than simply melt into him. “I’m just relieved you’re safe. We’ll talk more when we get back to Hammerhead.”

Gladio slid one arm around Isla’s shoulders and guided her to the passenger side of the car. He stood and waited for her to get in and closed the door securely behind her. She watched him cross in front, alert and aware of any potential danger, any daemons getting too close for comfort. Gladio climbed into the driver’s seat and kicked he Regalia into reverse so he could turn on the road. 

As her car disappeared in the rearview mirror, and daemons scattered from the beam of the headlights, Isla watched and waited for the familiarity of Hammerhead to come into view.

God this is cheesy. And it got long. Isla’s not a damsel in distress, but what, exactly, is one person meant to do in Eos, at night, around daemons? I’d be freakin’ terrified!

Also, never written Cindy before. Her accent is fun to try and translate into the written word. 

Anyway. Short prompt got long. But I hope you liked it. Comments/tags/reblogs appreciated. <3

[blustersquall]

Sappy Gladio/OC New Year fluff (yes I know New Years is over, but humour me.) Short ‘n’ sweet (like cavity inducing sweet). @ffxvhoe @mp938368

“So, I totally ruined New Year's Eve, huh?” Isla peeked out from under the covers, hair mussed and some sticking to her sweaty forehead. Gladio could see the flush of fever had yet to leave her face. He smiled at her, before turning his attention back to the broth in the saucepan before him. Ignis told him just to stir it to get it to thicken…

“It’s not like you planned on gettin’ sick,” Gladio said, taking a deep breath and inhaling the strong scent of chicken and whatever spices Ignis used to add flavour. “We didn’t exactly have plans, anyway.”

“I know, bu--“

“Get your butt back into bed.” Gladio pointed, catching from the corner of his eye Isla trying to get to her feet. “I will put you back there myself if I have to, and that’s a promise, Sunshine.”

“I want to help.”

Putting the spoon he was using to stir to one side, Gladio moved the pan off the heat, wiped his hands, and quickly crossed from the small kitchen to Isla’s bed. He placed his hands on her shoulders and lightly pushed her back down to sit. Her skin was practically on fire, the heat easily coming through the t-shirt she wore.

“Get into bed,” Gladio said, gently. “C’mon,” he pulled back the covers and shook them out to try and air them a little. “If your fever hasn’t gone down in a coupla hours you can have a cool bath, but for now you need to try and sweat it out.”

“I feel gross.” She complained, hurriedly sweeping her hair back from her face. “My skin is all sweaty and slimy, and my hair feels like grease…”

“So sexy.” Teased Gladio, meeting Isla’s look of annoyance with a cocky grin. “Soups done.” Gladio draped the blankets over her legs, “sit tight.”

He dished up two bowls of chicken broth and handed one to Isla when he came and sat on the bed with her. Outside he could hear merriment, people drunkenly laughing and singing, and the occasional pop of a firework going off a bit too early. Music rose from other houses and a couple of Lestallum’s other bars. He knew Isla would rather they were out enjoying the festivities together, or that he was enjoying them without her. She didn’t understand though, he wouldn’t enjoy himself if she wasn’t there. They could watch the fireworks from her window at midnight, that would be enough for him.

“M’sorry…” Isla mumbled, putting her bowl on the nightstand. It was empty – clearly, she’d been hungry.

“What for?” Gladio grabbed her discarded bowl and got up to take them to the kitchen to wash.

“This is probably the last thing you want to be doing on New Year's Eve. The last place you want to be. In my shitty little apartment, dealing with a sick girlfriend is just the shit icing on the shit cake.” She smiled wryly, and the way she quickly averted her gaze gave Gladio the distinct impression she was trying not to cry.

He sighed, “Sunshine…” Knowing of Isla’s pride, he took his time washing the dishes and decanted the leftover broth into a container to keep for the following day or whenever Isla got hungry again. Once he was done, and he could see Isla was more composed, he returned to her bed, kicking his shoes off and pulling his shirt off over his head. “Scoot.”

“Whatareyoudoing?!” Isla started to shove him away. Rather futile given he weakened state and his natural strength. He climbed into the bed beside her with ease. “No! You’ll get sick too—! Gladiolus Amicitia – I will not be responsible for you—“

“I am right where I want to be, Sunshine,” Gladio said, cutting her off and taking Isla’s hands in his. He brought them to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Maybe it's not what I envisioned, but we’re together for New Years. We’re bringin’ it in together. So, yeah, maybe you’re sick, but I’m still exactly where I want to be – with you.”

Peering up from under his eyebrows, Gladio could see the emotions filter across Isla’s face. Confusion quickly replaced by soft surprise, and affection. She chuckled through her nose, inclining towards him to press her forehead to his shoulder.

“Love you, Big Guy.” She mumbled, wriggling one hand free to lace her fingers between his. She squeezed.

“Love you too, Sunshine.” Gladio nuzzled his cheek against the top of Isla’s head. “Happy New Year.”

Guuuuuuh - please let 2018 be the year I break this block.

[blustersquall]

how does isla help gladio celebrate his birthday?

I wanted to have something written for this, but unfortunately, I seem to have lost all ability to write. As in, write anything. Haha.(I did start something, but it’s not finished and it’s bad.)

I would imagine she would just pamper him for the day. Give him a real day to relax. Like, she’d run him a bath, and let him chill out and wash his hair for him (maybe get in the bath with him if it’s big enough). Gifts would probably be books, and maybe something personal to the two of them, like a framed photo of them that Prompto took, or some kind of trinket from Galahd.

She’d definitely either cook a big dinner, or arrange a surprise dinner for him with everyone they know. Maybe, post-game she’d just take him out to the woods and they’d totally disconnect from the world for a couple of days. Just camp, and hike, and relax. No phones, no Internet. 

idk. Something like that. 

(ugh, see what I mean about writing? even this sucks).

[blustersquall]

Isla is writing a message: You left your shirt here.

Gladiolus is writing a message: Which shirt?

Isla is writing a message: This one. [image received]

Gladiolus is writing a message: ... Why... Why are you doing this to me? I’m in the car with the guys.  You’re the worst. I like what you did with your hair. 

Isla is writing a message: Wrong. I am the best. Clearly. And, it suits me. I make it look good. Do you want it back? 

Gladiolus is writing a message: Yes. 

Isla is writing a message: Too bad. Mine now.   You’ll have to take it from me by force if you want it back. >:b

Gladiolus is writing a message: Do you really want to do this when I’m back in Lestallum?

Isla is typing a message: Oh yes. Definitely. >;D

Stunning commission from @merwild of Isla!  Always a joy to commission, and the outcome is always beautiful and worth it. Look at how stunning Isla is with those big blues!  Added a little commentary between Gladio and Isla for the lolz, because why not. Ahaha. 

If you get a chance to commission @merwild I strongly suggest doing so. Her work is stunning, and so, so, so worth it. <3

[blustersquall]

This is a random idea I’ve had for ages, in which after a long hunt, Gladio comes across a lone survivor of a daemon attack, carefully tucked away by its parents to avoid detection. (Basically, Gladio finds a baby after coming across the massacre of a caravan).

World of Darkness - GladioxOC - established relationship

Gladio’s muscles were aching. He felt them burn with every movement, getting to his feet and catching his breath now the long battle was ended. He checked the reddened palms of his hands, saw the blistering from where he had been gripping his blade for so long. He felt the pain spreading along his chest and his right thigh from wounds the daemons had inflicted, but it didn’t matter. The daemons were dead. Those who accompanied him were safe. Their duty was done, for now, and they could return to Lestallum.

“Gladio!” Cor called a small distance behind him. Gladio heard the familiar sound of the Immortal sheathing his katana. “Get up. We can’t linger.”

“Yeah,” Gladio grunted, getting to his feet with a weary groan. “I’m coming.” He would welcome sleep tonight, it would be a reward for a battle well fought. Other hunters lingered by the truck, talking softly and tending to wounds while Cor waited, arms crossed and a characteristic frown on his face.

“Isles,” Gladio spoke her name softly, reaching out to touch her elbow with his fingers. Isla jumped, more at his touch than at his words. He saw blood dripping from her fingers creating small formations of droplets on the ground. “You’re bleeding.”

“I’m fine,” Isla smiled quickly at him over her shoulder. “It’s nothing.”

Gladio removed his last potion from his pack and broke the seal, letting the contents trickle down Isla’s skin. He watched as it was absorbed in moments, and the wound he could only see the tail end of at the top of her back started to heal. “You don’t have to be brave.”

She gave him a mildly disapproving look, that vanished into one of relief when he grasped her shoulders and touched his forehead against hers. He breathed with her, eyes closed, concentrating on the sound of the two of them inhaling and exhaling in unison. Gladio brushed his nose against hers in a gesture of affirmation. “Y’okay?”

“Mhm.” Isla’s eyelids slid closed. “That was a close one.”

“Yeah.”

“Gladio!” The impatience in Cor’s voice was unmissable. He didn’t like Isla coming on hunts with them. Cor thought her too inexperienced, too sloppy, and untrained in her fighting and survival skills. Gladio reasoned she would only gain experience by hunting, and if she hunted with him, at least he could pick up her slack. That reasoning only frustrated Cor even more with the situation.

“In a sec!” Gladio called back, glancing at the Immortal quickly. He turned his attention back to Isla, noticing she was staring out over the open plains before them, her eyes fixed on apparently nothing. He gently shook her shoulder, “you ready to go?”

“Weren’t we meant to be meeting a caravan?” she queried.

“It might have got sidetracked.”

“That was an awful lot of daemons…” she chewed her bottom lip, thoughtfully. “Do you think—“  She stopped, freezing in place for a moment, her cobalt eyes darting back and forth as if looking for something on the horizon. “Did you hear that?” She gripped his arm, fingernails pressing into his flesh.

Gladio stared at her face, then out over the plains, and back again. “Hear what?”

“I heard…” her brows scrunched together. “At least I thought I heard… There! There it is again!” She starting pointing, “you heard it that time, right? It sounds like someone crying!”

“Babe, I didn’t hear anything.” Gladio rubbed her back, “c’mon, we have to go before—“

“Listen!” Urged Isla, tugging on his arm.

With a sigh, Gladio focused, trying to hear over the sound of low winds and conversation. At first, that was all he could hear, talking, and the sound of himself breathing. Then, after a few seconds, he heard it. A faint wail coming from somewhere to the north-west of their location. Someone lost, or in danger? If they were crying, they would soon attract daemons to their location.

“That…”

“Maybe it’s someone from the caravan? What if the daemons attacked them?” Isla was pulling him and beginning to walk in that direction. “What if it’s a survivor? Gladio, we have to help them!”

“Isles,” Gladio held her fast. He glanced back to Cor, “we’re going to check something out.”

“Check what out?” demanded Cor.

“Sounds like someone crying not far from here. We’re going to check it out real fast.” Gladio explained, knowing that if he proclaimed to be the one to hear crying, Cor was more likely to let them investigate.

“Fine.” Cor climbed into the back of the truck. “We’ll wait for you. Don’t take long.”

“Right.”

Isla let the way, running a few steps ahead of Gladio and following the sound of the cries each time they rose up over the wind and the earth. They grew louder with every step, clearer, and sounded more like the cries of a child than of an adult. There were no words, only sounds were audible, and they were desperate sounds, growing more frantic and closer together with every renewed cry.

Five minutes of walking, and Gladio stopped beside Isla on the crest of a hill where she had stopped in her tracks. He saw why with only a cursory glance. Strewn across the field was debris, packs that had been torn apart and their contents left to litter the earth. Blood stained the brown grass, along with a few scorch marks. Only parts were left. Gladio could see an arm, part of a hand, and a torso all torn and mauled to pieces.

“Shit…” he breathed, covering his nose from the stench. Flies were already swarming over what remained of the corpses. “I think we found the caravan.”

“They… they almost made it to the rendezvous point…” Isla mumbled, eyes wide and glistening where she hadn’t blinked. Gladio noticed her trembling and went to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, only for her to begin walking again, gingerly stepping over the remains. Another high pitched wail filled the air, and Gladio followed the sound of it only a short distance from Isla. The bushes and large boulders that covered the ground were good places to hide, and Gladio started to part leaves and duck down to check if there was a child hiding somewhere.

He knew a kid out in the wilds on their own wouldn’t survive long, and if the child was injured they would last even less time. He hated to think what trauma a survivor of such a massacre would have seen. To see anyone killed was bad enough, but if it was a family member or a loved one… He hoped when they found the kid, they wouldn’t be reluctant to come with them. He didn’t like being out in the open long anyway, and with only he and Isla they were easy targets for any daemons who were still hungry.

A trail of blood smeared on the grass caught his attention and he followed it with his eyes. He found a hand to whom the blood belonged, and then the body attached. Mostly intact, it was a young man who had fear and panic etched onto what remained of his face. Unseeing eyes staring up at the darkened sky. It struck Gladio as odd that he appeared to be running back towards where the main attack appeared to have taken place, rather than away. Unless he got turned around somehow, it made little sense.

“Isla?”

“I found something.” Isla ducked down behind a boulder at least three times her size. Gladio ran across towards her. The wailing was right on top of them now, and memories in the very recesses of Gladio’s mind conjured up the sound. It was familiar, now he heard it again. It was the same sort of sound Iris made as a newborn. Her hungry cry, their father called it. A fear itched at the back of his mind, but hoping he was wrong, Gladio squatted down to where Isla was on her knees. His stomach sank at the sight before him.

Skin blotchy, and flushed scarlet from crying so hard, wrapped in a pale green blanket with another white one laid out underneath it was a baby, probably no more than a week or two old. It screamed. Screamed, and continued screaming, big tears rolling down chubby cheeks.

“Oh no…” Gladio sighed.

“Poor little one,” Isla reached over and gently began to pull on the white blanket underneath the baby. It whined, flailing small hands and legs, eyes opening to reveal blue eyes that appeared to be turning brown.

“I think I found its dad…” Gladio mumbled, reaching out and letting the infant wrap a small hand around his index finger. It did little to soothe the baby, but the wailing quietened. “He must have… put him here when the battle turned, run into the fray to distract anything... Hoped we might come looking when the caravan and refugees weren’t at the rendezvous point…”

“What d’we do?” Isla smoothed her hand over the baby’s head. “He must be freezing, and so hungry…”

“We’ll take it back to Lestallum,” Gladio said. “You take ‘im.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I can fend off any daemons while we get back to Cor and the others.”

Isla frowned, “okay… How do I…?” she gestured with her hands. “I don’t want to hurt it.”

Gladio found himself smiling, despite the situation. He had experience holding and carrying Iris when she was a baby, his father always trusted him with her. Isla had no experience with babies who were as young as this. Her fear was quite endearing. “Support the head, they’re pretty flexible at this age so, just support the head and don’t drop ‘im and we’ll be fine.”

With concentration more suitable to disarming a bomb than lifting an infant, Isla managed to ease it up off the ground and support it on her shoulder. She held it there, rubbing its back and got to her feet, immediately starting to bounce the way Gladio has seen his father do with Iris when she was fussy. The wailing had stopped, replaced now with more uncomfortable whines and little grunts.

“Move quick,” Gladio instructed, quickly kissing Isla’s forehead. “I’ll take point.”

She nodded, and set off at a brisk jog, covering the ground as fast as she could heading back towards the truck and their companions still waiting for them. Gladio followed a few steps behind, alert and aware of everything around him. He kept his eyes open, guard him, his blade always in hand, scanning their surroundings for beasts, or daemons manifesting from nothing. It was tense but uneventful, and Gladio felt a strong sense of relief when the truck was only fifty yards away. Cor was standing on the tarmac, arms crossed. Gladio hoped the sight of the child might cut any lectures short.

“Where were you?” demanded Cor when both Gladio and Isla were within a few feet of him. “And what are y--- Is that a baby?”

At that, the heads of the other hunters accompanying them poked out of the truck.

“We found the caravan with the refugees,” Gladio explained, dispelling his greatsword. “This little guy is the only survivor.”

“Did you see what happened to the rest of them?” inquired Cor.

“Massacred. They must have cut across the fields to get to the rendezvous point. I think they got overwhelmed.” Gladio leaned against the truck and helped Isla climb into the front seat. He assisted her in fastening the seatbelt across her body and that of the baby she now cradled in both arms. “I think the kid’s dad sacrificed himself to draw attention away from the kid…”

“I see…”

“If Isles hadn’t heard it crying, well…”

“Yes.” Cor cleared his throat, “no use in thinking what could have happened. We’ll deal with this when we return to Lestallum.”

“Yeah.” Gladio agreed. “Hey, Gutsco, you’re in the back.” He barked at one of the Glaive who had joined them, “I’m ridin’ up front with Isla.”

Despite his grumbling, Gutsco swapped places without any real complaint. Gladio slid into the seat beside Isla, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He held her close to his side as the engine rumbled to life and the return journey to Lestallum began.

Endings.

As I said, random. I might continue on with this if people like it. Do some shorts or something. Who knows. I just wanted to get it out of my system. I’m going to bed now.

@ffxvhoe @mp938368

[blustersquall]

How about Fluff #5 "Are you warm enough?" for Gladio and Isla OR Fluff #21 I made you some breakfast." for Cullen and Nevena? I hope one of them is of some sort of help. I know you can beat the block!

Hmmm….

Set during the game, pre-time skip. Established relationship. Gladio sneezes so much in the game. Boy has allergies. I can relate.

“Are you warm enough? You’ve been sneezing all day!”

Gladio peered through watery, stinging eyes at the concern on Isla’s face from where she sat across from him. Squeezing his eyes closed for a minute, trying to push the irritation away he nodded in silence, biting back yet another sneeze. 

“Al… aller…allergiesahchoo–” he covered his nose and mouth just in time but was unable to bite back the growl of annoyance while he rubbed his face in his palms. The moment his hands touched his eyes there was a respite from the stinging, pricking pain. Before he knew it, he was rolling the heels of his hands against his eye sockets, groaning a little. In the long run, it would make everything worse, but for those brief moments, it was heaven not to feel the needling pain.

“Stop that,” Isla chided gently. When Gladio removed his hands, he saw she was nearer to him. They sat a small distance away from the rest of the group, out from under anyone’s feet. Ignis was busy cooking, with Prompto hovering nearby, while Noctis looked half asleep in his chair. No one was paying any mind to them. “Have you taken anything?”

“Ugh,” Gladio pinched his nose, trying to squeeze his sinuses where they were pushing against the front of his face. “Some standard allergy meds. Doesn’t do much. Need to stock up on the tough stuff.” He cleared his throat against the scratchiness he felt as he spoke. “Sorry, this is pretty pathetic.”

“Oh, babe,” Isla chuckled softly reaching over and squeezing his knee, “it’s kind of cute.”

He lifted both brows, treating her to what he hoped was a look of disbelief - though he couldn’t be sure. Half his face felt numb from the pain of sneezing. “Being a snot machine is cute?”

She laughed louder, attracting Prompto’s attention. “Not when you put it that way!” Her fingers tightened on his knee. “But, it’s nice to know you’re not so indestructible.” She poked the end of his reddened nose, “you’re pretty intimidating sometimes, or weren’t you aware?”

Gladio batted her hand away, covering his mouth and averting his head as another series of sneezes came over him, shaking his whole body and causing his already tired muscles to complain. When it was over, Isla was gone - talking animatedly with Ignis and Prompto was standing close by, camera in hand.

“You better not have any pictures of me like this on there,” Gladio growled out, wiping his hands on his trousers. They were due to stop in Lestallum soon, he would get them washed there.

“Heh,” Prompto’s automatic grin slipped into view, “I have a few. But, if you want me to delete them it’s no big. Taking photos of you and Isla is way more interesting anyway.”

“I don’t wanna know.” In any normal circumstance, Gladio would have been curious to see the photos Prompto was baiting him with, but right now he was tired and feeling sorry for himself. 

“You’re different with her, y’know?” continued Prompto, swaying from side to side while keeping his eyes focused on his camera in his hands. “Just… I dunno, she’s brings out a nicer side of you.”

“Is now really the time to have this conversation?” Gladio sniffed, peering towards Prompto blearily. 

“You bet! You’d grab me in a headlock if I tried to talk to you like this any other time.” Prompto bounced when he moved, always on edge, ready to dodge if need be. “Having it now means if you go for me, I can run away before you’re on your feet!”

“Have fun with the daemons.” Gladio snorted. He lay back on the ground, covering his face with his arm and tucking his other arm behind his head. Applying the weight and pressure of his arm against his nose helped somewhat, at least it did for a few seconds until everything started to feel bunged up again. 

He felt a hand on his arm, shoving it away from his face and grumbled in protest. “Prompto quit it!” He swung lamely and without aim, his arm going a foot wide passed Isla’s head. “Shit, sorry! I thought you were–”

“Prompto, I know.” Isla teased him with a smile. “Here.” She shifted, to sit behind him and guided him to place his head in her lap. Gladio adjusted his upper body for comfort. When he was settled, he saw Isla holding a damp piece of cloth above his face. 

“What is that?”

“A cold, wet cloth. It won’t make the allergies go away, but it should open up your airways, and calm some of the irritation down.” She explained, “a little bit at least.”

“Won’t work.”

“Babe,” she huffed down at him. “Humor me.”

With a deep, resigned sigh, Gladio shrugged his shoulders as best he could and closed his eyes, signally she might as well try. He felt the cloth, cool on his wet skin, and within moments the urge to scratch and rub receded a little. Gladio realised Isla was combing her fingers back through his hair.

“That’s a good look, Gladio!” Prompto crowed, his voice followed by the familiar ‘click’ of his camera shutter.

“I’ll get you for that later, Prompto!” Gladio replied, shouting in the vague direction he thought he was in. “Don’t let me fall asleep, okay?” He directed his words towards Isla. “I’ll wake up with dicks drawn on my face otherwise.”

“Don’t you worry,” she chuckled, and then he felt her lips brushing his sweaty brow. “I wouldn’t let anyone else but me draw dicks on your face.”

Gladio and the allergies i’m almost certain he has. poor thing. these shorts are nice. considering i haven’t written for what feels like months. they’re nice little bursts. maybe i can do some work on what i’m meant to be working on in the morning.

time for sleep.

taggging: @ffxvhoe @mp938368

[blustersquall]

I meant to upload this ages ago. Little commission of Gladio and Isla relaxing in each other’s company by @dysah I got for myself back in September.

They each like to play with each other’s hair - it is law. :B

[blustersquall]

momentary before bed thought:

at some point either Gladio attempts to sing ‘you are my sunshine’ to Isla, or overhears her singing it, and that’s where the sunshine nickname comes from. OR SOMETHING. 

[blustersquall]

Let's do... #9 from the angst list for Gladio x Isla! :D ((you can break this block!!!! :D you've got this!!!))

Thank you, I really hope I can break this block. It’s really dragging me down at the moment. 

9 - “Please, just…be safe. Come back to me.”

Isla hesitated in the doorway, torn between entering and leaving. She watched Gladio as he went about packing a few of his belongings for the trip he was about to take. It was never easy, this period of apprehension was always the same when he was preparing for a hunt that would take him from her side for days, even weeks. This time felt worse than ever before. A dull heaviness in her stomach had been sitting there since the news of activity around Angelgard reached them in Lestallum.

Activity around Angelgard meant only one thing: the King would soon return bring back the light and end the darkness as prophecy foretold. And that meant Gladio had to be there as his Shield. He wouldn’t be alone, both Ignis and Prompto were joining him for the trip to Hammerhead – the closest fully powered and stocked hunter’s station to Galdin Quay – but she still worried.

“You’re hovering.” Gladio’s voice was gruff when he spoke, startling her from her thoughts. He didn’t stop packing, nor did her look at her.

“I’m not.”

“Isles,” Gladio glanced at her over his shoulder, pushing a hand through his unruly hair. He hadn’t tied it back yet. “We’ve talked about this.”

“I know.” Isla entered the room fully but stopped just inside it. “I’m not going to try and convince you not to go. I know you wouldn’t listen, anyway.”

“Then what’s wrong?” he turned to her, facing her fully for the first time and leaning back against the old dresser. His clothing clung to him, shifting with each of his steady breaths. He waited, eyes on hers, watching in silence while she debated what she wanted to say and how best to say it.

Gladio’s duty had never changed, and she knew that. His dedication was one of the many traits about him that she admired and found endearing. She had never deluded herself that he would abandon his position if Noctis ever returned. He had always believed, always hoped and so had she. The only difference was Gladio was prepared for that eventuality, Isla was not.

“I just…” Isla ran her teeth over her bottom lip, inhaling deeply to buy time and try to find the right words. “It feels… different somehow. You leaving this time.” She said finally, meeting his gaze and shrugging a shoulder in an almost defeated fashion. Gladio quirked a brow, his curiosity rising from her words. “I can’t explain it… I just feel…” she pressed her hands to her stomach, searching her mind for the words to best articulate the heaviness she felt filling her whole body. It was like the world was moving at its normal pace, but she was slow and being held in place, seconds behind everything else. “I’m worried,” she concluded with a sharp sigh. “And I’m scared.”

With a confidence she was accustomed to in his gait and an equally familiar softness in his expression, Gladio approached her. He offered his hands, waiting for her to take them – which she did after a moment. She buried herself against his chest, her arms wrapping around his middle while Gladio swallowed her in his arms. He left one hand on the small of her back, the other near the top, his thumb drawing lazy circles on a patch of pale, exposed skin.

“I’m scared, too.” His voice was a low rumble, his lips moving against her hair. It was an admission only she would hear. He would never admit fear in front of anyone else – that alone made her recognise how seriously he was taking things. “I don’t know what will happen. If this activity even is Noct coming back, but I have to go. I have to be there.”

“I know.” Isla tightened her grip on him, squeezing as hard as she could. “Just, no heroics, okay? Please, just… be safe. Come back to me.”

Gladio gently tilted her head up with one hand, bending to press a kiss to her lips. It was soft, as his kisses often were, and he clearly hoped it would comfort her. It helped for a moment before a thought passed through Isla’s mind that it might be their last. Then she found herself fighting back a painful prickling feeling behind her nose and willing the connection to linger.

He broke away to gently brush his nose against hers – a gesture of reassurance and affection that was theirs and had been since before the fall of Insomnia. “I always do.”

“I know,” Isla forced a smile and a breathless little laugh as if to make light of their conversation. The last thing Gladio needed was to be worrying about her worrying about him. She gently slid her fingers through the unkempt, silken locks of his hair. “Let me tie this mess back before you go, hm?”

Endings are the bane of my existence and will be forever and ever.Tagging:  @ffxvhoe @mp938368 (if you’re still cool with that if not, no worries just let me know)