iwillshieldhim | The World We Fought For [for fieryknowledge]

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The World We Fought For [for fieryknowledge]

It was oddly calm in those last moments, a peace that came over him as he fought purely on muscle memory against the massive giant trying to smash him. Somewhere behind him, he could hear Prompto, not just the sound of gun fire, but it sounded like he was screaming, over and over, as he fought. Wordless angry shouts that if he had the time to think, to care beyond second to second of just surviving, would have torn him apart. The sound of pain, of loss, of anger. He'd lost track of Ignis, always so silent, and he feared the worst. He tried to look anyway, find his love in the chaos. Make sure he was still-

Second to second, he shouldn't have looked away. The giant found its opening as Gladio's eyes scanned the wreckage, trying to spot Ignis in all of it. The fear in his heart settled when he spotted the other, still up, still fighting, even as the massive blade slammed under his guard and sent him flying to hit the ground hard. A spike of pain screamed in his shoulder, but he barely noticed.

They had turned their back on Noct to let him die, walking forward to their fates knowing they would do the same. All they had to do was hold on long enough, just long enough to let him truly become the Chosen King. Gladio had accepted what would come, and while he thought Ignis knew, in a way, he was content with this. He had protected Noct until the end. Ignis might still live.

The giant raised its blade, and try as he might, Gladio couldn't get his own blade to lift. It wouldn't be possible on that broken shoulder. He stared up at his death, then let out a breath. ...I kept my promise.

I love you, Iggy.

Let there be light.

It came across the skies like a needle thrust into the heart of the darkness itself, a shaft of light so brilliant and golden that it hurt the eyes. The giants roar hurt almost as much, stabbing into his head until he was forced to close his eyes.

unconscious

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"Yeah, I feel it too." Gladio sighed and pulled himself up, his ribs aching and his shoulder stiff but there was still something a whole lot stiffer. He bent down and grabbed the robe, pulling it on with a quiet, sad look down. Sorry, buddy.

With a shrug, he offered out, "we could go see if Prompto feels it?"

"I'm sure we would've heard them if they were awake and about. You know those two."

Ignis' head turned toward Gladio, a little smile teasing at his lips. Without another word, he held his hand out to his lover.

"Now. Didn't you promise me a chance to clean up?"

"...Do we?" Gladio glanced back to Ignis, raising a brow briefly. "It's been ten years since we've really known Noct." But he still let his smirk come. "Though Noct is still a little shit, so maybe things haven't changed that much."

He took Ignis' hand and pulled him in close, stealing a kiss. "So. Cleaning up or checking out the feeling first?"

He knew which he wanted to do, but he knew which one he should do. Damn it. As much as he wanted to do nothing more than repay Gladio for the wonderful wake-up, he was enough of a responsible soul that while he let the kiss linger for a moment, he pulled away not too long after.

"You know which one I have to choose, I'm afraid. I promise to make it up to you, though."

Sorry buddy, Gladio apologied to his lower half, but he gave a wry smile towards Ignis. "I know. Come on, let's go find out what's up." He brushed his fingers against Ignis' cheek before he tugged on Ignis' robe. "Close up first."

There was a low huff at the idea of not cleaning up first, but he knew they needed to see if they were the only ones that were feeling so off. If it was a side effect of what they'd done to bring Noctis back, it was something they would all need to figure out how to handle.

Once he had closed the robe to hide his nudity, he reached out to tangle his fingers with Gladio's, absently seeking a little comfort in the face of the growing discomfort in the back of his head.

Gladio squeezed Ignis' hand and smiled softly, then headed out in the direction of the King's quarters down the hall. What he didn't expect was to see Prompto tucked up at the end of the bed, his arms tight around his knees, his forehead on them, and Noct passed out in bed.

"...Prompto?" Quiet, looking towards Noct with a concerned expression. Had Noct gone back into that weird state of slumber?

"You two done having fun?" Came the quiet voice, and those words took Gladio by surprise.

The concern in Gladio's voice washed over him and the unease grew worse. He let go of Gladio's hand and stepped closer to the bed only to freeze when he heard Prompto's question.

He wasn't sure if he blushed or went pale.

"... pardon?"

"That was it, wasn't it? ...You two went and- had fun." He couldn't bring himself to say it, but when he looked up and saw Gladio's wide eyes and Ignis' shocked body language, he was sure of it. "I could feel it." His throat was tight, but he wasn't angry. Just kind of really embarrassed and still- well. He was angry, but not at them. At the world. Fate.

"Something's wrong. Really, really wrong. Noct... Noct can't move."

Yeah, pale was the way to go. There was no avoiding this and Ignis did his best to keep from lying to people. Shame washed through him and shame wasn't something he felt often and very rarely when it came to his relationship with Gladio.

"Well... I mean... wait. He was moving last night. There wasn't much strength, but I assumed that was from his final fight with that bastard Ardyn."

"It's-" Prompto's hands tightened hard on the material of his pants before he whispered, just loud enough for them to hear, "he can't move his body at all... beneath the scar. He says it doesn't even feel right. He can move his arms and his head and shoulders just fine but-"

His throat tightened and he refused to let himself cry any more.

... oh.

No.

Something shifted inside Ignis. The ache in his back and thigh were forgotten in lieu of a different kind of pain. There was anger there as well, but it was anger aimed at gods they'd served and played their little games. They'd played their parts in the grand scheme of things and they'd won.

Was something good too much to ask for? Hadn't they sacrificed enough?

He bit back his own anger and grief and stepped closer, his hand reaching for Prompto to offer some comfort.

"Maybe he just needs time to heal..."

"I don't think so." Just a soft breath of a whisper. "We... we tested every inch of him, slowly, trying to see what he could feel. Even in the places he can feel, sort of, nothing... happens. He just can't get the muscles to move, even a little bit."

There was a silence, before the quietest, "...they couldn't even give him that." Gladio walked over towards Noct, letting Ignis take the better choice of comforter. "The Oracle gave it back to him once." With the words unspoken, that now she was dead.

Each word made Ignis' heart sink even more. There'd been joy the night before. They had their King back, but now, heartbreak again. Still, Noctis was there with them and if anyone knew that life didn't end when something catastrophic happened, it was Ignis. It'd taken time and work, but he'd managed. They'd managed.

Sighing softly, he let himself settle next to Prompto, his hand gentle on his knee before tucked his arm around his shoulders. It was an open invitation to lean in if he wanted it and if not, then that was fine as well.

"Noctis is still here, though. Perhaps there's something that can be done once we get word out that we're still alive here. Cor is out there, as is Iris and Cindy. There are doctors in Lestallum..."

Just like there'd been doctors in Altissia when he'd been blinded. He knew what it was like to wait only to be told that there was nothing that could be done. Still, there was hope-

"Why?" Prompto sounded so angry in the tight, sharp way the single word was spoken yet it was a cold, tired anger, like he just didn't have it in him any more to be angry. "Why do they keep doing this to him? Hasn't he paid enough?" He did take that invitation, turning his head into Ignis, the faint tremble not of tears but that same anger.

Gladio reached down and squeezed Noct's shoulder, his face almost expressionless. "Come on, sleepy head. ...We're making sure you get out there to see the sun before it sets."

There was a wash of relief when Prompto leaned into him. He tightened his arm around him, tipping his head to rest against Prompto's, seeking the comfort as much as offering it.

"He's paid more than enough. His covenants with the Six are done. He owes them nothing else. The Crystal as well. They will have no more hold on him. From now on, his destiny is his own. We'll make certain of that."

Gladio's words tugged at Ignis' attention for a moment, worry etched into his expression. He knew damn well that Gladio's body wasn't up to carrying Noctis, no matter how slim their King was.

Gladio would have told Ignis to shut it if he dared suggest it. He would manage it, because Noct deserved to see the fruits of his labor.

"Why did they have to take something else away?!" Prompto's fingers tightened more, turning his head enough to comfortably press theirs both together. He needed Ignis, and Gladio, possibly more than ever.

"...five more minutes," came the mutter from the bed, but when Noct's shoulders lifted, and he tried to turn over, and he couldn't, he jerked away, staring up at the ceiling as his heart rate spiked on the memory and realization.

Gladio still got a rather firm shake of Ignis' head, because damn it all, give him five minutes and he could take care of it. He could at least help.

Stubborn bastard.

Lips pursed in a thin line as he tucked Prompto in as close as he could manage, silently wishing that he could figure out a way to fix everything when in reality, he knew he couldn't fix one damn thing. When Noctis murmured, Ignis reached his other hand out toward his King.

"Noctis. Try to stay calm."

The comfort was more than Prompto had words for. He needed it, right now. He needed to know he wasn't going to be alone in this because he didn't know how to be. So Ignis gave him a way to keep breathing when it felt like he couldn't, with Prompto fitting his smaller frame into Ignis' and let himself be held, held on tightly.

"I'm damn calm, given the situation," Noct pointed out through gritted teeth, working his arms and elbows up under him so he could get himself seated upright and tried not to go back into a sort of divorced panic like earlier. It was a horribly familiar feeling, just like when he was a child, except he'd had hope, then. Now... there was none. There was no more Oracle.

Prompto's tight grip made Ignis' back smart, but there was no sign of it. Instead of complaint, he turned just enough to brush his cheek against the crown brilliant golden hair even as he shuffled his other hand around, looking for some part of Noctis to touch.

"Considering everything, you are. A damn sight better than I was in Altissia, to be honest."

Not that Ignis had let anyone other than Gladio see his open, blatant panic when he realized his world had gone dark or his grief when he'd had his worst fears confirmed after that.

"This is something we can handle."

Ignis found Noctis' elbow, which made Noct look over towards Ignis, who hadn't been there to witness the initial panic and terror that had over come Noctis to have found himself come full circle, back to feeling trapped within his own broken body, like he had as a child. This time, though, he had Prompto. He had the two of them. It was something more to fight back for, but that didn't mean he didn't feel anger as well. Right now, he was trying to keep it down unless he wanted it to overwhelm himself and them.

"..." Something we can handle. It wasn't for them to handle at all. He had to.

Prompto was nodding though, against Ignis' head. They could handle it. He'd be there for Noct in every way that he could.

"We'll... figure it out. We're here for you." Gladio sat on the edge of the bed, a hand on Noct's knee, squeezing. Noct... he mostly couldn't feel it, other than a pressure.

No, it was for them to handle. Ignis knew better than most that shutting them out would do no good and in fact, could hinder any progress. They were family they were supposed to lean on each other. The anger was understandable and to be honest, Ignis would worry if he wasn't feeling it and he'd probably worry even more if he didn't let it out in some way. For now, though... he wanted to try and keep everyone as settled as possible until they had a chance to see how livable the Citadel was and got word from the outside.

It wasn't that he didn't feel grief for Noctis' loss. It was that he had to make sure they were all going to be safe enough in the meantime and honestly, he wasn't sure what he would do when he allowed himself to stop and actually face what had happened to the person he'd dedicated his life to.

His hand squeezed Noct's elbow in quiet support even as he lifted his head from Prompto's, though he didn't let the blonde go quite yet.

"Gladio's right. We're all here for you. Do you want to go see the sun you brought back to the world? If so, we'll make it happen."

Prompto was grateful Ignis didn't let go. He needed this hug more than he was willing to admit.

Noct turned his head towards the faint creep of sun through the curtains, trying to remember if he could still even bring up the memory of what sun felt on his skin. Sometimes, the dreams and world he had lived after the Crystal felt more real than the life he had actually lived. They had told him this wasn't a dream, but he was fairly sure they had told him that before, in other dreams, other times. Reality felt far away at the best of times.

Maybe that was why he wasn't as panicked as he should be, because of the dreams when he hadn't been able t ever walk again. When he could never fight. He had lived those lives. In one of them, he had ended it himself. In the others, he had gone on to be King. In others, he had died there at the Citadel the day the Empire attacked-

"...Yeah. Let's go see it."

Against Ignis' shoulder, Prompto took a slow breath, like he was steeling himself, then he finally pulled away. He looked over to Gladio, then voiced the question that was heavy in the air. "How?"

"Just throw me over your shoulder, Gladio," Noct suddenly said, even as Gladio's mouth opened to suggest something.

His Shield looked over and their eyes met, a silent conversation that occurred in seconds. Finally, Gladio's lips thinned out and he nodded.

"He's still injured."

Oh, he knew he was going to catch all kinds of hell for saying something. He knew that Gladio would be livid and he knew he was going against his King's wishes, but Ignis couldn't just stand by and allow his partner to risk damaging his ribs and shoulder even more. If standing up to them meant being at odds with his lover, then so be it. He would take the brunt of Gladio's temper. It wasn't as if he hadn't before.

When Prompto pulled away, Ignis tipped his chin up, trying for his old, haughty stance even as his stomach churned with worry.

"... just be careful."

And yes, it was aimed at the both of them.

The air immediately became thick as Gladio turned a look on Ignis for those words, and Prompto hated it immediately. He couldn't pinpoint the taste at the back of his mouth until he realized just how familiar it was - humiliation. His eyes flickered to Gladio, narrowing, trying to figure it out before he realized what it was. Could he... was it like...? It all made his head spin, trying to figure it out. Why could he feel the two of them earlier? Was he feeling it now? ...Gladio's humiliation at being called out like that? Why didn't he feel everything? Or was it only the strongest feelings?

"...closet." Quiet and tight, Noct's voice, Prompto realized, held the same tone as Gladio, but in a softer, more subtle way. Not that anything was subtle with Gladio. "...Back of the closet, in here." Noct's head lifted and his gaze pointed towards the door he meant. "Dad never threw it out."

Threw what out, Prompto wondered.

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