melodiesofeternity | The Shield's Return

Entry tags:

The Shield's Return

Who: Gladio and multiple (Some prompts closed, some open)
When: October 13 and on
Where: Curti-Center, Yun'Ashia
What: After disappearing on October 5, Gladio is back - older, wiser, and bloody
Warnings/Notes: Mentions of death/dying, mild descriptions of violence/injuries, possible smooches between dudes (anything beyond that will be moved to a private journal)

I. At the Curti-Center (Open to anyone who came to collect him and anyone who might see him there)

Covered in various wounds, from scrapes to veritable gouges that have been haphazardly bandaged, Gladio strides deliberately out of the airship. There's dirt under his nails, among other things, and if anyone looks closely enough they'll see some odd black stains on his battle-worn clothes.

That is, if anyone recognizes him. His hair's longer now and currently tied half-up in a messy bun. Somehow his shoulders are broader too, and his muscles have only grown. He reacts strangely to the light coming in from the Center's windows - like a man seeing the sun for the first time, which isn't too far off the mark. Sharp eyes scan the people milling around, looking for familiar faces.

After everything he's been through... he could use some familiar faces.

II. Coming Home (Closed to the members of the Chocobro House and the Elder Eosian House in Yun'Ashia)

The voyage from the Center back home isn't an easy one, considering everything he had to talk about and all the messages he had to read, but there's an instant relief that settles over his face at the sight of the house. He can see parts of the garden and the Chocobo stables and warmth starts filling him, chasing away the coldness he's felt despite the sun's rays shining down on him.

He can't wait to be home again.

III. Adjusting (Open to all)

After seeing his lover dead and then having to kill his reanimated, half-daemonified body, after 10 years of hunting daemons and monsters in constant darkness with minimal contact with those he called brothers, after seeing his King impaled on the throne, with his Father's sword, and after burying said King ... it's silly to think Gladio would immediately be okay just because he returned to Vaikuntha.

It will take time for him to willingly fall asleep before sunrise, for him to get used to being part of a close-knit group again, for him to come out of survival mode. Aster helps, and oftentimes Gladio can be seen sitting in the garden with her on his lap. Noodle does her part too, keeping him company on the days he goes to work and trying everything she can to get a smile out of her human friend.

Despite the challenge of returning to civilian life, or at least to a life not ruled by the need to survive and protect what was left of the people, Gladio looks forward to every moment he can spend with his friends, his family, and his lover(s). Because with each interaction, the now-33 year-old feels more of himself returning.

IV. Other (Open to all)

(OOC: Not satisfied with these prompts? Hit me with your best shot!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ravus stayed behind at the Yun'Ashia house when others went to investigate the signal Biggs and Wedge picked up in the Dream Width. He had gotten lost so easily last time, and he didn't trust himself to keep his footing if he returned...nor to be able to handle it if the search did not yield up the missing Gladiolus.

He did send Estoc, though, with a token to give Gladiolus, in the event that this venture did yield the missing Shield.

So when Gladiolus does arrive at the center, Ravus' moogle will find him and hand him a mess of a flower bouquet.

The bundle has just one of each flower, tied together without regard to color or arrangement. It contains a blue delphinium, a protea, a sprig of Queen Anne's Lace, a ranunculus, a coral rose, a white carnation, a red carnation, and of course, a gladiolus.

Meanwhile, Ravus works in their garden as he waits for word of Gladiolus' return. As tempted as he is to rush to the Curti Center in case, the worry that they'll end up missing each other and delay their reunion further stills him. Everything he'd foolishly left unsaid so far, he's now send ahead in flower form. All that he can do now is wait for Gladio to come home to him.

Gladio keeps the bouquet that says so much tucked carefully in his jacket as he's escorted home. He takes his time settling back into the room he shares with Ravus, placing the treasured flowers in a water-filled vase on his nightstand and changing out of his probably-ruined clothes. Part of him wants to shower but his need to find Ravus outweighs the need to wash all the reminders of the last 10 years off so Gladio changes into loose sleep pants that hang low on his hips and a thin black v-neck t-shirt before he seeks out his lover.

Barefoot, to enjoy the feeling of the earth underneath his feet, Gladio pads out into the garden and spots Ravus working on the plants. His heart stops. Time freezes. And though he yearns to take Ravus into his arms, he can't manage a single step.

"Ravus..." The whispered name is a plea, a wish, an adoration.

He didn't think he was that absorbed in his work, but he manages to miss Gladiolus' approach until the man speaks his name. Ravus must be more distracted than he's willing to admit.

He looks up. His breath catches in his through. He's angry and elated all at once.

"...you're here...." It comes out as a whisper. He pushes himself up, knees and gloved hands covered in dirt.

He studies Gladio, cataloging each change in appearance and manner. It's far more than can be accounted for by a mere week. He steps forward, coming to within arm's length of Gladio before stopping.

"...how long?" he asked, voice hoarse. How long did Gladiolus lose?

Ravus is here. Really here and alive and wholly himself and standing within reach now. He can't stop himself and raises his hands to Ravus' face, fingers stroking soft skin as if feeling it for the first time. Gladio's breath hitches when warmth greets his fingertips and his eyes swirl with joy, tears, and a terrible haunted darkness.

"Ten... ten years." His throat is so dry. Can Ravus hear his heartbeat?

"You were ... you were dead Ravus..." Tears start making tracks in the blood and grime on Gladio's cheeks. "I saw your body... and -"

The words cut off as a full-body shudder hits him, his throat tightening and eyes squeezing shut. Damnit, he wanted to come here and tell Ravus that he loves him too. He wanted to let Ravus know that he received and understood what he said in the language that, up until now, only Gladio knew.

But seeing his lover alive is enough to crumble him. If it means Ravus is safe from what happened on Eos... Gladio never wants to leave. He opens wet eyes to catalog Ravus' face, desperately wanting to replace his last memory of Ravus with the living, breathing, human one in front of him.

"Ten years..." Ravus repeats, feeling the weight of those words between them. Ten years of Gladiolus' life, passed by Ravus in a single week. Ten years they could have spent in Vaikuntha, together, now stolen by the whims of fate. There are no tears for that lost time. Ravus is too angry at the Gods for that.

He faces the news of his own death, in contrast, with a certain level of detachment. The events of Eos feel distant, and now everyone who matters is here.

"...I did not expect to outlive my sister by long." He does not know if he intends those words to be some sort of cold comfort, or if he's just being honest for Gladiolus. He had been heading for Gralea when he'd arrived here, and he was not so naive to think that he'd be welcomed there with open arms after what happened in Altissia.

He meets Gladio's tear-streaked gaze. "But Noctis confirmed I was able to return his father's glaive to him. I fulfilled my duty. Whatever else happened...I was...am... willing to pay the price."

There's a hint of pride in his voice, being able to say with assurance that he honored the sacred calling of the Fleuret bloodline despite his years of acting as the prodigal son.

He peels off his gloves and reaches out a hand to Gladio. "Come now. You need to bath and rest before anything else." Ravus doesn't plan to let Gladio out of sight for any of it. Their shower is big enough for two, so long as they are willing to get cozy.

He hears his lover's pride, understands it even, but he can't shake the vision of how he last encountered Ravus from his mind. Gladio wraps both of his shaking hands around Ravus' and brings it to his lips, pressing desperate kisses to the skin of his knuckles.

"Ravus, you don't - it was horrifying." Though it's been 10 years for him, it's suddenly too raw to even talk about. Back on Eos he didn't have this relationship and though the truly terrible end of Ravus haunted him for different reasons there, here on Vaikuntha he has their relationship and all the memories of it and combining that with the vision of his lover as he was before they killed him ... it's enough to make him tremble.

Gladio pull Ravus close, clinging to the life in his lover's eyes and the warmth in his lover's body. "Please... I don't want to be apart from you." If it means not being near Ravus, he doesn't want to shower. He doesn't want to rest. He wants nothing more than to be in Ravus' arms, to feel his heart beating, to kiss his soft lips and feel the warmth they offer.

Pressing a pleading kiss to silky white hair, he finally offers his response to the bouquet still nestled inside his jacket. "I love you too, Ravus."

Ravus' pale cheeks go red at the declaration. 'Too'. So...his message was received. The bundle of flowers conveyed what Ravus still has trouble saying out loud.

He deflects. "I am in need of a shower. If you're attaching yourself to me, you will have to endure one as well."

Ravus doesn't know what Gladio experienced over the past ten years, other than his death and the spread of scourge he knows would have followed Lunafreya's death. It must be worse that Ravus can imagine, for Gladiolus to be so shaken.

He won't be able to understand until Gladio is ready to speak of it. Until then, the best thing he can do for the Shield is make sure he is taken care of. Ravus makes his way back to the house, on route to the bathroom.

Maybe tonight, or sometime tomorrow, Gladio will tell his lover of the horror he witnessed. But he isn't going to talk about it right now.

He follows Ravus easily enough, through the garden and into the house as they head to the bathroom. And Gladio's grip never wavers, clinging tightly to Ravus as though he was afraid the other man might somehow disappear from his sight.

"If it means being with you, here, I'll endure anything."

Gods he's getting sappy now. Gladio shakes his head and changes the subject, his own form of deflection.

"I spoke a little with Iggy on the way home, about what happened between you two and what it could mean for us. But I want to hear from you too - what does this mean for you? Are you - is this really something you want?"

Ravus stiffens. Ignis. Yes. He supposes they do need to talk about that.

"You said...you wanted us both. Now, you can have us both now." That...doesn't address what Ravus feels, but he is having trouble finding the words. He's told Gladio, indirectly, how he feels about him, but it's harder to tell him how he feels about Ignis. Part of him fears this is a test, and he'll fail it and ruin everything.

He pushes open the door of the bathroom and starts running the water in the shower to warm it up.

"You're the one who said it could work...and I think that it might."

Ten years of noticing every subtle movement in shadow, of catching every whisper of sound in the darkness and in the flurry of heated battles, means Gladio notices when Ravus tenses. He notices the slight change in tone, the hesitance and the uncertainty just barely tinging the words but present all the same.

As the shower warms up, Gladio strips and listens to his lover. He tries to put together all that he knows of Ravus' mind (which really isn't a lot, he thinks) and he thinks about how to speak plainly. Not counting his talk with Iggy, this is his first conversation about something so delicate in 10 years so he's afraid of saying the wrong thing. Of mucking this up and losing one, or both, of the two men he loves.

"I still think it can work. If each of us wants it to." That's a good start, right? "Y'know, when I read the messages I though you and him decided to get together... without me. And it made sense - you two are practically made for each other. But then I got your bouquet, your message, and I was really confused. For a second I thought you were gonna try to cheat on Ignis with me, but I know that's not who you are." That's probably less okay. Time to fix it.

"Iggy corrected me fast when I said something dumb about moving out of our room so he could move in, and then it clicked. He cares for me. I love him. You love me. And I love you." Gladio takes a deep breath and continues, wanting to get all of this out.

"Since I got here, I could see you two bonding. Getting closer. So you know him at least a little bit, you know how he is. Do you think he'd give up his virginity to you on some grief-stricken whim?" He's shivering now, the cool air on his naked skin taking its toll in the form of goosebumps and tiny tremors. A shower sounds so inviting.

"I can't speak for him, but even I can't deny that he clearly cares for you too. No one expects you to fall in love with him overnight, but it makes sense for you to develop feelings for him too. I'm not going to run off if you tell me that you do care for him." Gladio lifts a still-dirty hand to cup and caress Ravus' right cheek.

"You don't have to answer or talk about it more right now. I'm home, I'm with you, and we're both naked and cold. You told me that you love me and that you might be willing to try a poly relationship with Ignis." He presses his lips to his lover's forehead and tugs the man close.

"I love you, Ravus Nox Fleuret, and nothing will change that."

Ravus nods. There, Gladio has said everything that needs saying. It's a relief, not having to try to muddle through his half of the conversation. He'd struggled enough just trying to find the damn flowers for that bouquet to try to put a name to each of the emotions Gladio makes him feel.

"So you understand. Good. Now, get in the shower." Ravus needs to go over every inch of him and reassure himself that no matter how changed he is, Gladiolus Amicitia is here, whole and safe.

He pauses as draws back the curtain to the shower.

"What do you mean, Ignis gave up his virginity? He can't have...." It's even more inconceivable than nobody having taken Gladiolus before him. The three other Lucians had been traveling around in close quarters with Ignis, sleeping beside him in Gladio's tent, and nobody had managed to bed him? How had they not expired from frustration?

His lips twitch when he's all but shoved towards the shower, taking comfort in Ravus ordering him around. It reminds him that Ravus is himself here, that he's alive and whole and not half-daemon.

Gladio huffs when Ravus stops opening the curtain and proceeds to sheepishly duck his head and scratch at the back of his neck. "I mean exactly what I said. One of the perks of bein' his closest friend was ribbing him about his love life. About a day before we left we had some drinks and it came out that he was still a virgin."

Gods that had thrilled him at the time, made his crush even worse. "On the road there wasn't much time for any of us to get some action. And I wasn't gonna risk making the trip awkward for everyone by trying to bed Iggy."

Fuck, he's cold and wants to shower. So now he's the one opening the curtain and tugging Ravus under the blessedly steaming spray. "Spent a lot of time frustrated."

Ravus snorts. "Some rewards are worth the risk." Idiot. Well, Gladio will have to make up for lost time later.

He strips and steps into the shower after Gladio, and begins to work up a lather with a bar of soap and a washcloth.

"You'll remain frustrated a while longer. You've days worth of filth on you." It's really not as bad as he's making it sound, but Ravus would like to see how this older model cleans up. He begins to rub small, soapy circles one one of Gladio's biceps as the hot water rains around them.

He knows Ravus is right but doesn't want to say it out loud - his lover has a big enough ego as it is (all thought with love, he swears).

The hot water is a balm to Gladio's very soul and he groans as the stream hits his aching body. Though his ears register when Ravus enters the shower, he says nothing until Ravus starts slowly cleaning his arm.

"Mmm...feels great Rae." Yes, the nickname slips out. "Been frustrated forever, what's another hour?"

His chuckle is more breathless than husky, but it is genuine. Gladio is all to happy to simply stand under the falling water as Ravus continues to clean him. He closes his eyes and sighs into the sensations of getting clean, of muscles relaxing, of Ravus' living presence behind him.

"S'more than filth." He pauses, trying to shake the clinging memory of ichor and scourge oozing out of the Ravus on Eos and how that ichor felt when it landed on his skin. Despite the heat of the shower and the comfort of Ravus' hand working his skin, Gladio shivers.

He leans a bit more against Ravus. "Gods I missed you. Even though I couldn't remember this place ... I felt somethin' missing. And when I woke up here it all crashed over me - ten years away from you... and of seeing you last as..." Gladio can't finish the statement. So he says something better, something he'll never get tired of saying.

"I love you."

Ravus turns Gladio so he can scrub his back, making the motion into a massage. He digs his fingers into Gladio's shoulders, scrubs circles down his back, watching the dirt and sweat wash away in the stream of hot water.

"I know." Ravus slings the washcloth over Gladio's shoulder so he can reach up and begin running his fingers through the (much longer) tangle of Gladio's hair.

"It felt longer than a week here without you." Leaning forward, he lets his forehead touch Gladio's back. It's minimal contact, but an embrace nonetheless. "Don't do it again."

He rolls his eyes at the 'I know', but smiles all the same. It'll probably take Ravus a while to verbalize what his bouquet said and Gladio finds he doesn't mind because he knows now that Ravus loves him in return.

He's easily moved by Ravus, and he almost collapses into the impromptu massage followed by the feeling of fingers in his hair.

When Ravus leans against him, Gladio reaches behind him to grab his lover's arms and wrap them around his middle. "You got it."

This is home. Ravus' arms around him and an overwhelming sense of love and belonging. Gladio keeps his hold loose so that Ravus can extract his arms and continue doing whatever he wants under the blessedly hot shower.

'Whatever he wants' ends up being scrubbing Gladio clean from head to foot, pausing occasionally to trace the shape of unfamiliar scars that had not been there a week ago. Ravus doesn't ask for now. There will be time later, once Gladio is rested and settled back into life in Vaikuntha.

Once Gladio meets Ravus' standards of cleanliness, Ravus returns to his hair, lathering it up with shampoo that the steaming water quickly washes away.

"I suppose you clean up passably well," he murmurs as he surveys the dripping man. "Go dry off. I'll only be a few minutes." He'd been working outside, and needed to get himself showered off as well.

As his hair is scrubbed, Gladio purrs. He's always loved having his hair played with and having it washed is so intimate and so calming. He almost misses Ravus' soft words, but smiles when they register.

He turns slowly when Ravus tells him to dry off, one eyebrow raised in question. "I'd like to return the favor."

Already he's lathering his hands with soap, hoping Ravus will let him stay. Because Gladio doesn't want to be apart from him right now, not even if a shower curtain is the only thing between them.

"Please?"

Ravus shrugs. "If you insist." If his tone suggests, 'even though you should be resting, idiot,' Gladio should know by the lack of argument that Ravus doesn't mind. He maneuvers them so that Ravus is now standing in the shower's spray with Gladio mostly shielded by his body.

"Go on. We need to speak with Ignis after this." As if either of them need a reminder of the conversation that awaits them.

Gladio expresses his thanks by lovingly caressing Ravus' shoulders, the soap foaming gently as he only presses hard enough to ensure his lover gets clean. Where Ravus had massaged as he washed him, Gladio's touches are almost feather-light.

His large palms slide down Ravus' back, fingers tracing along the man's spine as he leans forward to rest his forehead against Ravus' shoulders. "Missed you... missed this."

He tries not to linger on Ravus' hips or on the pert cheeks he adores because as much as he's enjoying this, Gladio doesn't want this to turn into shower sex.

Ravus sighs at the phantom touches and lets Gladio lather him up.

He doesn't have to say, 'I missed you too.' Gladio isn't an idiot.

"Is there any news of Tenebrae?" he asks, because he needs to know, and it's something he should broach while he's alone with Gladio.

A shudder runs through him at the question, the memory of making it to Tenebrae without one of their party only to find it burning dancing before his eyes.

Gladio almost doesn't answer, almost steers away from the question, but Tenebrae is Ravus' home and he deserves to know what befalls it. Pausing in his ministrations, he pulls his lover flush against him and wraps his arm loosely around Ravus' midsection.

"... when we got there it was on fire."

The words hang heavy in the shower's steam. "A woman named Maria spoke to Noct, said she worked for your family... said you'd be happy that Noct received the Ring and mentioned that you were holding on to Regis' sword for him."

He still can't believe that the Ravus of that time would have felt anything other than rage, but he never really knew that Ravus did he?

"Aranea left to help us out with something, but I'm pretty sure she planned to stick around and help everyone still there... we had to keep moving..."

Will Ravus hate him now, too?

Ravus goes quiet for a moment. He couldn't hate Gladio. The burning of Tenebrae was Ravus' fault. The blame lies with himself, and with mad Aldercapt, and with that bastard Ardyn.

"...I knew retaliation was probable when I betrayed Niflheim, but I did so anyway. I...am relieved to hear that Maria made it out of the manor safely."

She has been so proud that he had returned to embrace his duty as a Fleuret, in spite of the sorrow they'd both felt about losing Lunafreya. Maria had been one of the few who had held out hope for their fallen prince.

"You did your duty, and you'd have been a fool to do differently. The Lady Highwind is more than capable of seeing to my people's well-being, and you and your prince had a role none other could fulfill." He's gone prickly in the face of Gladio's hesitation. They all did as they must, and the regret they felt about their choices changed nothing.

It's impossible to miss the change in his lover's posture, and the change in his tone.

Gladio doesn't want this. So he presses a kiss to Ravus' neck and resumes his washing, cupping water in his large hands to aid the shower in rinsing the suds away before lathering shampoo in his hands and tenderly massaging Ravus' scalp as he washes moonspun locks with the utmost care.

"I know. And I would decide to press forward again if put in the same situation. But that doesn't mean I can't wish - that I can't regret not being able to do more to help innocent people." He keeps his front flush against Ravus' back, craving as much contact as possible with the man.

"We did what we had to do - all of us. And in the end you did more to help the Empire's downfall than anyone." The 'aside from Noct' goes unspoken, but Ravus wound up giving his life for the cause anyway so Gladio decides he can put both sacrifices in the same category.

"Your regret benefits neither them nor you. The people of Insomnia suffered as well. The best way to protect all of them was to continue on and aid your prince. You can be proud of that."

He wipes stray water droplets from his face as Gladio washes his hair.

"You needn't paint some grand picture of my heroism. From what I understand, I gave Noctis his father's stolen sword back and promptly died. If that was all it took to topple Aldercapt's regime, I'd have done it much earlier and saved us all the trouble."

The Shield's Return

I-ish, mostly II

That bouquet though

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Legit Nat 20 for intuition. And then another 20 for honesty.

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i know it's youngerGladio as the icon but pretend it's olderGladio

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Whoops got emotional

so I heard you like suffering

</3 and now for some comfort

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