#i know his lover is going to save him from the tomb before he suffocates to death because this is a romance and not a horror (mostly)

[fingertipsmp3]

I love reading because you’ll be like “okay let me just finish this chapter and then I’ll get some work done” and at the end of the chapter in question the main character gets sealed into a tomb against his will

[starshinegazer]

Shoutout Sunday

I just wanted to collect some of the most memorable Astarion fanfics I've read so far and to give them and their authors a big ol' shoutout. These are some of the fics I strongly suggest others to check out, if you haven't yet.

Also, please feel free to comment and recommend your favorites as well! And, if you know of some of these authors on tumblr, lemme know, so I can add them too :) I'm not too good with words, so I'll be slapping some of the authors own words as descriptions (for now). Oh, and do be mindful of tags etc etc... Here goes, in no particular order:

Pieces Still Stuck In Your Teeth by howlsmovinglibrary (@wetcatspellcaster) "The Vampire Ascendent has crossed a line. Eleven years after making the biggest mistake of her life and losing the man she loved, tiefling wizard (now Archmage) Rosalie decides it’s time to put this Astarion in the ground for good. Hopefully, both her head and her heart are strong enough to see this awful task through to its end."

An Honest Lie by howlsmovinglibrary (@wetcatspellcaster) "Astarion and Rosalie think they understand each other perfectly, but they have each fallen prey to the other’s mask. As they both go forward with their adventure, will either of them dare to be honest?"

A Crooked Touch by eyes_of_the_lamb "If you want to read a story where Astarion is sweet from the start and Tav is here to fix him, this isn't the one. If you want to read about two terribly broken men spending a good long while making each other worse before they make each other better, this might be for you. If you thought the in-game romance was a little too easy and it should have been ten times more painful and difficult to convince Astarion he's worthy of love, this is definitely for you."

Perfect Slaughter by Imagineitdear (@imagineitdearies ) "Tyrus, a low-born drow with aspirations for necromantic wizardry, finds none of the hospitality he expected from his new noble patron, Cazador Szarr. Quickly he loses his life and future, his hopes and dreams—only to find something new to fight for in the unlikely arms of Cazador’s least favorite spawn."

A Novel Experience by meanboss (@meanbossart ) "Initially just an epilogue for my own game campaign with my big meaty dark urge drow, turned whole story which I accidentally deleted and am now reuploading, my bad LOL

Hope you enjoy!"

Carving Through The Dark by skitter "The realm is safe and the story is over.

Wren and Astarion descend into the Underdark in search of a new purpose, and learn a few things along the way. Namely, that healing isn't linear and sometimes love takes the long way round."

Blood In The Weave by gingealish "There is no need to breathe, but I miss it all the same. The suffocating silence, the desperate darkness have encapsulated me for I don’t even know how long; It could have been tendays or years. I’ve long since accepted my punishment, stopped trying in vain to crack the seal of my tomb against the onslaught of panic and hunger. Now I lay here, thinking of the friends I’ve lost, the lover who turned on me, and how to finally get even.

Astarion is the new Big Bad Evil Guy. Spawn Tav is rescued by a familiar face. "

When He’s all but Forgotten How to Love Again by bg_brainrot "You saved Baldur’s Gate almost 300 years ago. You died 150 years ago. On a new life now, you find that memories from your past lead you to a specific silver-haired man. Who was he, and why won't he leave you be? tldr; An Elf-Tav reincarnation story where Tav dreams about Astarion in their nightly reveries and eventually seeks him out once they reach maturity. Things definitely totally go well."

More Than Any Words by mataglap "They have saved the city and possibly the world. All is great and everyone is happy... except Astarion has been banished back into the shadows, and Tav is stuck in an uneven battle with his own oath. He's losing the fight. He knew he would from the moment he fell for Astarion. But he can't lose yet, not before they find a way for Astarion to walk in the sun again."

Inexhaustible Oil by homeward_bound "This is the absolute opposite of a redemption fic. A post-canon, fall-from-grace, "I can make you infinitely worse" kind of story, in which there is no simple happy ending. But there's mystery on the way. And dragons. True love, even. So if you're fine with that, come aboard. It's going to be a wild ride."

[sapphicalexaandra]

The Tale of Two Lovers

Pairing: Jace/Alec

Rating: T

Summary: Alec and Jace are trapped in a labyrinth, struggling to find a way to get out. Until they found an engraved tomb of two legendary lovers...

AKA Avatar: The Last Airbender s02e02 'The Cave of Two Lovers'. Jalec version.

Notes:  Is this going to be a thing? Me rewriting Jalec as my past OTPs? Maybe... Anyway, as you can see this is based on the show/cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the ship AangxKatara. There are two stories weaved in this fic, in the main one Jace and Alec are young, around 13-15, while they're of age in the other one. Just so you know. Also, there are a lot of peculiar aspects in this universe, so whoever doesn't know it, just run with it... (a little help, this is the Appa you'll read about)

p.s. you can thank @lightwoodizm for a certain happy twist, the original version didn't go exactly like that, but i made a promise to cheer it up ;)

“Jace, look!” Alec’s voice echoed in the tunnel.

He had been losing hope of ever getting out of that labyrinth, yet there it was...

“We found the exit!” Jace exclaimed, as if on cue, after seeing where Alec had pointed at.

They shared a look of joy, before they rushed towards the door, Appa following right behind them.  

But the door wouldn’t open for how much they strained themselves to push it.

Suddenly, however, they heard an insistent roar and giant feet stomping on the ground.

As much as he disliked being trapped in a dark and suffocating maze, Alec knew that it was nothing compared to what Appa must’ve been feeling. Flying bison surely weren’t meant for the underground.

Appa’s desperation was more than understandable, then, as he used it all to charge the door, and Jace and Alec both shouted in panic before they managed to get out of the way as fast as they could.

That worked. The round door was pushed until it landed on the ground on the other side, leaving a hole in its place. Jace and Alec quickly passed through it...only to find themselves still in the cave.

“This isn't the exit,” Alec realized in a quiet voice.

Jace had gone ahead. “No,” he said, almost solemnly, surveying the chamber below them. They were on a balcony. “It's a tomb.”

Alec approached the edge, the light of his torch illuminating that wide space. Appa roared in frustration.

They silently climbed down the stairs, until they reached the tomb placed right at the center of the room.

“It must be the two lovers from the legend. That's who's buried here,” Jace suggested.

Alec illuminated the tomb. The stone was engraved with inscriptions and illustrations. A mountain could be seen on the first brick.

And Alec remembered the song that one of the nomads who had led them into those caves had sang to them.

Two lovers, forbidden from one another,

A war divides their people,

And a mountain divides them apart.

Built a path to be together...

“These pictures tell their story,” Alec said.

Jace looked at him, before they both leaned closer, and Alec started reading.

“They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages...”

***

The mountain was his favorite refuge. It was the only place where he could go and be away; from his family, his obligations, the war.

That time, however, it was already occupied.

Alexander froze as he spotted the other boy, laying on the grass as if he were in his own home. His first instinct, as was usual for him, was to be annoyed. That was his place.

When the boy opened one bright blue eye and looked up at him, smiling brighter than the sun, however, Alexander could only be charmed.

***

“The villages were enemies, so they could not be together.”

***

“By the spirits, what are you doing here?” Alexander shouted in a whisper, tearing himself away from Jonathan’s surprise-hold.

Jonathan shouldn’t be in his village, in his house, while his parents were right next door, and anyone could...

“Are you not happy to see me?” Jonathan asked, putting on a pout that he knew Alexander wouldn’t be able to resist.

Alexander averted his eyes. “No, I’m not.”

But Jonathan had already inched closer towards him, a smirk opening on his face that reminded Alexander of the cat about to catch the mouse. When Jonathan placed his hands on his waist and drew him towards himself, however, Alexander was all to happy to let himself be caught.

Jonathan’s lips tasted better than any festivity’s meal, any water after a long day of work, or any other single thing in the world. Alexander kissed them with all the abandon he would ever allow himself, and Jonathan responded in equal measure. They opened their mouths to deepen the kiss, their tongues touching each other in the warmest of greetings, and a moan was already building at the back of Alexander’s throat.

“Alexander, dinner is on the table!” came his mother’s warning, followed by footsteps approaching the door.

They broke apart with stifled gasps, and Alexander quickly grabbed Jonathan’s arms to push him towards the window he had come in from.

“I’m coming, mother!” he shouted back.

Jonathan was already on the other side of the window, and Alexander had meant to simply tell him goodbye, but he was pulled by the lapels of his shirt into another kiss. Or more than one.

“Go, go,” he murmured against Jonathan’s lips.

Jonathan disappeared into the night.

***

“But their love was strong, and they found a way. The two lovers learned earthbending from the badger-moles. They became the first earthbenders. They built elaborate tunnels, so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth.”

***

Legends had always been whispered in their two villages, about their ancestors having received the power to move the earth from giant lion-turtles. However, knowledge had been lost of how to use it...

Nobody, apparently, had ever thought to look at their animal neighbors. Badger-moles were known for their ability to build their own tunnels, so why not try asking for their help?

Alexander had to admit that he had been skeptic when Jonathan had first suggested that...yet, learning earthbending truly turned out to be the best decision they’d ever made. Looking at the animals’ movements, they tapped into their dormant, inner powers, until the earth responded to them like an extended limb.

Creating a Labyrinth under the mountain where they’d first met was the next logical step.

Alexander now walked through the tunnels with lightness in his steps, secure in the knowledge of who he’d find at the center of the maze.

And there he was, indeed.

Jonathan was waiting for him in a secret chamber, and Alexander didn’t waste time. He ran towards him, catching him in a hug before raising him from the ground and spinning him around in joy. The sound of their laughter was the sole to be heard in the room.

“Someone’s happy,” Jonathan teased him.

“I love you,” Alexander could only respond.

And he drew him in for a kiss, not parting from it even as they lowered themselves on the ground.

Making love in the darkness felt like a balm to their souls.

***

“But one day one of them didn’t come. The other, left behind, had a terrible presentiment, and he rushed towards his village. He had been right. His lover was about to be killed, caught in the conflict between their people. To save him, the man unleashed a terrible display of his earthbending power. He could have destroyed them all. But, instead, he declared the war over.”

***

“Leave him alone!” Alexander shouted to the man who had a sword at his lover’s throat.

The man turned around, and Alexander recognized him as his old teacher. But he couldn’t care. Stomping his foot on the ground, a block of earth sprung from it and hit the man, throwing him away from Jonathan.

Jonathan stared back at him in shock, and only that could’ve brought Alexander to notice that the other soldiers surrounding them had seen his display. But he was done playing games.

Alexander spread out his arms, focusing all his energy on the ground beneath him, until it started to tremble. Until the entire village was quaking. People started shouting in fear. The ones surrounding Alexander were running away form him, but he didn’t let them. He trapped their feet in the earth.

By that point, Jonathan had risen, too. With their combined powers, they separated enemy from enemy, trapped the ones who wanted to escape, brought the entire village, friends and foes, to its knees.

Then, after rising themselves on pedestals from where everyone could see them, they stopped. The crowd below stared at them in a mix of fear and awe.

“This conflict has gone on for too long,” Alec spoke loudly. “Can’t you see who is standing right next to you? A mother. A father. A sibling. A friend. A lover.”

“We’re all the same,” Jonathan continued. “Do you really want to spend the rest of your lives killing each other, and for what...a piece of land?”

Alexander looked at Jonathan with a light in his eyes, before he addressed the people again. “I love this man, and he loves me. I don’t care that he’s supposed to be my enemy. I...we chose love. But we love our homes, too. Our families. We don’t want to abandon it, nor either of you. So the choice is up to all of you. Do you want to walk the light with us and be able to build a better future?”

***

“Both villages helped the two lovers build a new city where they would live together in peace. The great city became a monument to their love.”

***

“Not bad, is it?” Jonathan asked in a low, teasing voice, sneaking up behind Alexander on the balcony and wrapping his arms around his middle.

Alexander placed his hands over his husband’s, his lips curling up in a smile as he admired the city below them.

“Indeed. I wouldn’t mind living here forever, what do you say?” he asked him.

Jonathan placed a kiss at the base of his neck. “My answer could only ever be yes, my love.”

Alexander smiled more.

***

Alec had reached the last brick, and stopped reading. He met Jace’s eyes for a moment, before they both turned around and found themselves in front of a statue as tall as the ceiling. The two lovers, kissing.

“Love is brightest in the dark,” Alec whispered with clear awe in his voice, reading the inscription between the two figures.

They both kept staring at the statue for a few long moments.

“How are we gonna find our way out of these tunnels?” Jace finally, worriedly, broke the silence.

“I have a crazy idea,” Alec started, his heart starting to hop in his chest.

“What?” Jace asked.

Alec paused, before averting his eyes. “Never mind,” he chuckled, “it's too crazy.”

“Alec, what is it?” Jace pressed on, turning further towards him.

“I – I was thinking, the curse says we'll be trapped in here forever unless we trust in love.”

“Right,” Jace agreed.

“And here it says, 'love is brightest in the dark'...” Alec reluctantly went on, “and has a picture of them kissing...”

“Where are you going with this?” Jace asked, still confused.

“Well, what if we...kissed?” Alec couldn’t help but look at Jace then, and he knew, he knew that he was blushing helplessly.

Jace’s eyebrows shot up, his face morphed by shock. “Us, kissing?”

Alec’s heart sank, and he turned around again, crossing his arms. “See? It was a crazy idea.”

“Us, kissing...” Jace repeated.

Alec started chuckling. “Us, kissing. What was I thinking? Can you imagine that?”

He dared sneak a glance at Jace again, and Jace immediately started laughing, too. “Yeah...I definitely wouldn't wanna kiss you!”

Jace made a horrified face, as if he had only just caught up with what had come out of his mouth.

Too late. Alec scoffed, trying to mask the biting disappointment gripping his insides. “Oh, well, I didn't realize it was such a horrible option. Sorry I suggested it!” he barked.

“No, no, I mean,” Jace took a step forward, his arms raised in surrender, “if there was a choice between kissing you and dying...”

Alec’s eyes widened, and he turned away from Jace. “Ah!” a sound of outrage escaped his lips.

“What?” Jace asked, alarm clear in his voice. “I'm saying I'd rather kiss you than die. That's a compliment!”

Alec was positively furious now. He had already known that there was no chance that the Avatar would ever choose him, but as he was the one who had saved Jace from the ice and who was following him through all the Nations to help him fulfill his purpose, he should at least deserve some decency, shouldn’t he?!

“Well, I'm not sure which I would rather do!” Alec burst out, before shoving the torch in Jace’s hands and stepping away, starting to make his way towards the chamber’s exit.

(He didn’t hear Jace saying crossly to himself, “What is wrong with me?”)

And they resumed walking through the tunnels in utter silence, Appa following them with heavy steps, his giant head dangling on the ground.

When, suddenly, Jace stopped, looking at the small flame left on the torch. “We're gonna run out of light any second now, aren't we?”

Alec sighed. “I think so.”

It was hopeless. How could they have found themselves in such a hopeless situation?

“Then what are we gonna do?” Jace asked him, his eyes wide. They were still shining, though, like they always seemed to do.

Alec made up his mind. He took a step forward and placed his hand over the one Jace had curled around the torch. “What can we do?”

They light kept flickering and flickering, dying down by the second, and Alec could only lean forward. He was surprised to see that Jace did that, too, not really looking like someone who was minding the situation like it had seemed earlier...

Everything was dark when Alec’s lips met Jace’s. It lasted only a moment, yet it felt like a lifetime. Alec doubted he’d ever forget the feel of it, and the slightly salty taste that was so purely Jace. When they opened their eyes, there was light, and Alec could see his own reflection in Jace’s pupils.

There was light.

They both shot their heads up towards the ceiling, looking, amazed, at the series of bright blue lights that followed the length of the tunnel.

“They’re some kind of crystals,” Jace said. “They must only light up in the dark!”

They were still holding hands above the spent remnants of the torch, but Alec didn’t even think of it as he kept on trying to find an explanation, “That's how the two lovers found each other...they just put out their lights and followed the crystals!”

They both traced the path with their eyes, and Alec pointed forward.

“That must be the way out!” he shouted.

They both laughed, elated, overjoyed at their imminent salvation. Still without thinking, Alec turned back towards Jace and hugged him tightly.

Spirits, had he really just kissed Jace?

They quickly let go.

“So, um...” Jace murmured, not looking him in the eyes.

“Let's go!” Alec said, before he started to run towards the exit.  

He heard Appa follow right back, then Jace, and they were out in no time.

The light of day had never looked so good, fresh air had never been so...fresh. Appa roared in happiness and slumped on the ground, completely spent. Jace and Alec laughed.

Jace then looked around. “What about Izzy?”

Before Alec could say anything, there was a sudden blast, and they covered their eyes as a giant badger-mole emerged from the mountain behind them. On top of it...

“Izzy!” Alec exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.

Izzy slid down along the badger-mole hairy side, and she quickly ran towards them. “How did you guys get out?”

“Just like the legend says,” Jace said, shrugging, not without sneaking a glance at Alec, “we let love lead the way.”

Alec stayed silent.

“Really?” Izzy looked pointedly at Alec, raising a surprised eyebrow. Damn little sisters. “We let huge ferocious beasts lead our way,” she explained with a cocky smile.

They turned around to look at the nomads get on the ground just as well, before they all waved at the badger-moles as the beasts went back inside the mountain.

Then Alec hugged Izzy in relief, while Jace went to greet the others.

“Why is your forehead all red?” Alec asked her, frowning.

Right then, one of the nomads approached them covertly. “Nobody react to what I'm about to tell you...I think that kid might be the Avatar.”

Izzy smacked her forehead so hard that the redness only increased. Alec forced himself not to laugh. That explained it. Surely, her analytically-minded sister must’ve had a lot of...fun, with free spirited nomads.

“So, are you guys gonna come to the city with us?” Alec heard Jace ask the nomads.

“Nope,” they simply replied.

“Okay.” Jace chuckled.

“Thanks for everything,” Izzy told the nomad that was still with them.

“Izzy, I hope you learned a little something about not letting the plans get in the way of the journey,” he said in his usual cryptic voice, as he hugged her.

And Alec amusedly watched Izzy squirm in the hug, clearly touched, before she let go. “Just play your songs,” she said between gritted teeth.

“Hey, good plan!” the nomad exclaimed. Then he joined his companions, and started to sing, “Even if you're lost, you can't lose the love because it's in your heart...”

Alec, Jace and Izzy watched them leave in silence. At the corner of his eyes, Alec noticed Izzy glance at him meaningfully again...then Jace did the same. Alec felt himself blush.

Maybe that was the start of something?

[chocobroing]

Off the Rails~Gladio/OFC SFW

Tagging: @ridingchocobros, @rubyphilomela, @themissimmortal, @itshaejinju, @dirtyffxvconfession, @hypaalicious, @louisvuittontrashbags, @lady-asuka, @cupnoodle-queen, @nifwrites Warning: Angst, domestic violence (?), and spoilers for later chapters in FFXV ~~~ After Noctis finally woke up, the group was heading to the next royal tomb to collect another of Noct’s inheritance. However, everything felt wrong. Lunafreya was dead, Altissia was pretty much destroyed, and Ignis went blind. Because he was blind, they couldn’t travel in the Regalia, which was being held on the train in cargo, and they all were uncomfortable sitting on the train. It felt like the seats were made of metal with no cushions. Eleanor tried to nap but found it impossible because her neck kept hurting. During the ride, she got up from her seat next to Gladio and sat next to Ignis, taking his hand in hers. At first, Ignis stiffened but he reciprocated by squeezing her hand to tell her he knew she was there. Ella and Ignis grew closer because she helped take care of him after he went blind. She and Gladio helped Ignis when he needed to do basic things that were impossible to do now. Gladio helped Ignis shower and Ella helped him dress, even though Ignis felt a bit uncomfortable with her seeing his nudity. Even after being blinded, he still held onto his propriety. Ella looked over to Noctis, who was stuck in his own world of despair, and felt immense pity. He blamed himself for not being able to save Luna from being killed. She knew that he loved her. Even if the marriage was arranged, he always loved her but didn’t know how to express it. Everyone was silent until Prompto decided to break the suffocating silence. “So,” he said, his voice devoid of his usual humor and lightness, “we’re gonna roll through Tenebrae.” When Ignis spoke up, he sounded like he was trying to be strong. “Not before visiting the royal tomb in Cartanica,” he added quickly. “Are you sure you’re up to that, Ignis?” asked Ella in a gentle voice, giving the man next to her a pitying look. “The wounds have mended,” he replied in an emotionless voice. “Eyesight’s a matter of time.” Ella felt like crying because she knew his eyesight wasn’t coming back. That was what the doctor told her and Gladio when they visited to get potions. Ignis only told himself that to keep himself hopeful. Her bottom lip trembled but she didn’t let out a sound. She didn’t need Ignis to hear her crying. She, Ignis, and Prompto bowed their heads as if in prayer and felt their own fog of despair swallow them. Suddenly, Ella heard Gladio’s heavy footsteps on the metal floor of the train and stopped in between her seat and Noct’s. “The hell is wrong with you?” he demanded to Noct in a harsh tone. Noctis managed to emerge from his cloud and looked up at Gladio in outrage. “What?” His voice had more emotion in it than it had in the past few weeks. “We’re not stopping in Tenebrae,” elaborated Gladio, his anger palpable. “You need to grow up and get over it.” That got Noctis out of his seat. “I am over it,” he growled furiously. “I’m here, aren’t I?” All of a sudden, Gladio grabbed Noct by his shirt front and got in his face in a threatening manner. “Maybe when you’re not too busy moping,” he hissed, his grip tight on Noct’s shirt, “you can look around and give a shit about someone worse off than you.” Ella could feel the tears spring in her eyes and her vision blurred, her bottom lip trembling again. She couldn’t believe this was happening right now. She didn’t know Gladio could be so cruel. She knew he was mourning too but this was not the right way. “Let go of me,” demanded Noctis quietly, refusing to look at Ignis. “How’s that ring fit ya?” asked Gladio, referring to the Ring of Lucii. “You’d rather carry it around than wear it?” Noct let out a pain-filled gasp but Gladio wasn’t letting up on his assault. “She gave her life so you could do your duty,” he continued mercilessly, “not so you could sit around feeling sorry for yourself.” “You guys, that’s enough,” said Ella in an emotional tone, her voice quivering with tears. “You don’t think I know that!?” cried Noct, his voice raising in anger. “You don’t!” shouted Gladio, booming with fury. “Ignis took one for you too, and for what!?” Ignis finally had enough of the fighting. “Enough, Gladio!” he shouted, making everyone freeze for a moment. Ella had no idea he could still shout like that. Gladio quit yelling but he didn’t stop heckling Noctis. “You think you’re a king,” he continued cruelly, “but you’re a coward.” Noct’s fury bubbled to the surface and he roughly pushed Gladio in the chest. “Shut up!” he shouted, grabbing Gladio’s unbuttoned shirt front the same way the other man grabbed his. “Don’t do this…!” protested Prompto, getting up to break up the fight. Gladio merely pushed Prompto away, making the blonde fall into one of the seats, and kept his burning gaze on Noctis, who was close to tears now. “I get it, alright!?” the young king cried out, loudly enough to attract the attention of the other travelers. “I get it!” With unknown strength, he managed to push Gladio away from him, making the taller man stumble back a bit. “Then get a grip!” shouted Gladio in an equally emotional tone. “Pull your head outta your ass already!” Suddenly, Ella hit the arm of the seat she was in and tears poured down her cheeks. “I said enough!” she cried, her breaths coming out as sobbing gasps. Prompto, who felt hurt by everything, glanced over to Ella and his expression was full of sadness. He glanced back over to Noctis, who stormed away from the rest of the group with tears pouring down his face. “Noct!” called Prompto, trying to call the young king back. “Leave him!” hissed Gladio, his voice stopping the blonde in his tracks. Ella got up from her seat and glared at Gladio with hate burning in her eyes. “You’re such an ass!” she wept, shoving him on the chest roughly. “Shut the fuck up, Ella,” he growled, getting in her face. “This is men’s talk.” “Excuse me!” she shouted shrilly, causing a few heads to turn in their direction. “You’re not acting like a man, Gladiolus! You’re being cruel, and awful, and picking fights like an adolescent! Noctis is in mourning because he lost someone he loved! Maybe if you stopped being such an ass, you would understand! Of course, you can’t because you are incapable of feeling anything! Even when you learned your father died, you didn’t care! You still don’t!” “Shut up!” bellowed Gladio, sounding angrier than she had ever heard him get. In a flash, he reared his hand back and pain erupted on Ella’s cheek, causing Prompto to let out a shocked gasp. She found herself on the ground, looking and feeling absolutely shocked, tears formed in her eyes again. Prompto came running over and helped her stand up, looking at her cheek, which was covered in an ugly bruise. It was evidence of Gladio’s fury against her. The blonde glared at Gladio, who looked disgusted and furious. “What is your problem?” demanded Prompto angrily, wrapping his arms around Ella’s waist in a protective hug. “Is this how you show your affection to your lover now? You just fucking hit her! What is the matter with you!?” Ella was shocked a second time because she had never heard Prompto this upset before. Ignis’s sharp voice broke through the air. “Gladio, how could you do that!?” The anger in Ignis’s voice was palpable. He sounded more upset than Ella had ever heard him. “She is your lover and you hurt her! If Clarus could see you now…” He trailed off, but the disgust was evident in his tone. “Prompto, Ignis, stop,” she said, trying to calm the two down. “No!” shouted Prompto, his glare as sharp as Ignis’s knives. “This bastard hit you, Ella! He had no right to! Only a coward hits a woman for no reason! Is that what you are, Gladio!? A coward!? Your dad would be ashamed!” In his anger, Gladio said nothing, turned his back on them, and bounded off in the opposite direction. Prompto helped Ella sit back down next to Ignis and she wept into the blind man’s shirt, trying to keep herself from crying out loud. Ignis wrapped a caring arm around her shoulders and rubbed her back in an effort to quell her shaking. “It’s alright, Ella,” he said softly, sounding very much like a father comforting his hysterical daughter. “Gladio just needs to cool down. It’ll be alright.” “How could speak that way to Noct?” cried Ella, her chin trembling. “Is he incapable of mourning?" “Just the opposite,” said Ignis in a soothing tone. “People cope with grief in different ways, Ella. You know that. Many cry but other people get angry at themselves and survivors. Gladio is feeling useless and he thinks Noct is just shutting down. Noct has to rise up again. He needs to take his anger out on the Empire that killed his fiancée Lunafreya. Do you understand?" Ella nodded and squeaked out a response. “Mm-hmm,” she cried before collapsing into tears again. "But how could he hit me like that? "He had no right to do that," replied Ignis, rubbing her back. "I will talk to him about that. The Gladio we know is not abusive and I will have to remind him of that. I'll take of it, Ella." Ella fell into Ignis and continued crying into his shirt, letting out all the pain and anger that she had been withholding all those weeks. Ignis held her and waited for the storm to pass, not saying a word. Prompto sat back down in the opposite seat face them and took one of Ella’s hands in his own, his own tears running down his cheeks. Through blurred eyes, Ella could see Prompto crying and it only made her cry even more. Seeing the sunshine child of the group so despaired just made the pain more poignant. “I hate him,” she wept, referring to Gladio. “Today you do,” replied Prompto in a surprisingly even tone, breathing heavily from yelling at the tall man. “I’m gonna go lie down,” she said weakly, loosening herself from Ignis and walking away towards the door so she could get to the soft sleeper room they reserved. … As soon as she laid down on her bunk, Ella buried her face into the pillow and wept into it, feeling nothing but pain and grief. She didn’t know what else to do. She felt helpless and weak. All the tension that had been building in the past few weeks finally bubbled to the surface and exploded like a volcano, and it was just as destructive. Everyone was hurt, from the words exchanged to the physical hits. Instinctively, Ella touched her bruised cheek and could feel it pulsate painfully. The sound of the door sliding open and shut got her attention and she thought Prompto came in to check on her. “Prompto, I’m not in the mood to talk,” she grumbled, burying her face further in the pillow. “It’s me,” said a familiar deep, gravelly voice that made her hair stand on end. She immediately turned and saw Gladio standing in the room with a guilty look on his face. Normally, she would have been moved but since he hit her, she wasn’t feeling it. Her gaze was cold and unforgiving on him. “What do you want, Gladio?” she asked, letting her pain and anguish out in those words. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, tears swimming in his amber eyes. Ella’s eyes widened because Gladio never cried. Even when he got news of his father's passing, he didn't cry. What happened that made him so distraught? “Gladio…” she said quietly, letting her body relax a bit. The Shield of the King fell to his knees and bowed his head as if waiting for her to hit him. The sight alone made Ella’s heart break. She could see the tears soaking the floor and his form trembling with the effort to hold those tears back. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered again, and she got up to stand before him. “I’m sorry. I should have never hit you. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I was being a total douchebag. If you don’t forgive me, I understand. I just want you to know how sorry I am.” Tears poured down Ella’s cheeks, making the bruised one sting, and she fell to her knees in front of Gladio, placing her hands on his shoulders. He didn’t even react to her touch, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. He felt like he didn’t deserve to look at her. “Look at me,” she ordered gently, coaxing his chin up with loving fingers. “Look at me, Gladio.” When he did, he noticed the ugly bruise that marred her skin and more tears came from him. “How could I hurt you this way?” he asked brokenly, burying his face into her shoulder and soaking the shirt with his tears. “I love you. I love you. I love you, Ella. I’m so sorry…” He took one of her hands and placed it on his cheek. “Hit me. I deserve it.” His words shocked her to the core. “No,” gasped Ella, shaking her head and trying to pull her hand away. “Gladio, no. I’m not hitting you. I already hurt you enough. I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did. I was cruel and hurtful. Forgive me.” “You were right, though,” he said in a shaky voice. “I was out of line and my father would be ashamed of me. The King’s Shield is sworn to protect the king, not hurt him. King Regis told us to follow Noct, not guide him. I was wrong to talk to him the way I did.” Ella wrapped Gladio in a tight hug and could feel the large man trembling under her embrace. “Shh…” she murmured, stroking his untidy black hair. “It’s alright, Gladio. We’ll get through somehow.” Gladio buried his face into her neck and began inhaling her natural sweet scent. It made him feel calm. The feel of her slender yet curvy body wrapped around his, the smell of her lotion, the silkiness of her brown hair—it all gave him some comfort. She was the only one who could calm him down whenever he was in the worst of moods. If Ignis chewing him out couldn’t stop him, she could. She was the only one he wanted. When the days would get inevitably darker, they would still have each other to hold onto. “I love you, Ella,” he whispered against her neck. “I love you too, my stubborn Gladio,” she whispered back fondly. Gladio made no response to her little quip and continued holding onto her like she was a life preserver. Eventually, the two got up and squeezed into Gladio’s bunk, holding each other. When everything would go to hell, they were each other’s safe harbor. They would hold on even when the ground started shaking and there was nothing they could do. It was true that people did crazy things when they were in love and those two were no different. For the love they held for each other, they would survive and get their home back. One day, the Empire would be defeated and everything would go from there.