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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His fingers came up and touched Ignis' cheek. He knew. He knew. He looked into the tub and started to refill it with cool water again with his little rigged system. Cool water which would numb some of the pain of the stitches and be a hell of a lot nicer on those burns than the warm water had been.

"We're gonna have to wake Prompto up after this," Gladio said off-handedly, filling the silence as the tub filled. "He can't just leave those open wounds sit like that." Though he had been smart enough to sleep on the other side. "Probably the shock's knocked him out so hard."

He needs the rest.

It would be cruel to wake him so soon.

He won't leave Noct's side yet and you know it.

So many unsaid thoughts on the edge of Ignis' tongue, but he remained silent. Again, Gladio was right. Gladio's kindness was welcome and helped to settle Ignis a bit, but that pained tension still held fast to his shoulders and undoubtedly, his back.

"I'll handle Prom when it's time. You need to rest your shoulder as much as possible for now."

Ignis wasn't wrong, either, but until they were at least somewhat healed up, they couldn't afford to be entirely kind. Like right now, as Gladio slid an arm under Ignis and touched their foreheads together before helping him back into the tub. "Lay back. Get those burns soaking." They had to soak some of that crusted blood and skin and who knew what else or everything was going to be so much worse.

Besides, he needed to grab the potion. He wanted to get through the scrub and into the potion as fast as possible for Ignis' sake. It was going to be rough and he was going to have to steel-heart his way through it, for the long run.

His undershirt had been a loss even before the tub and the bare chest showed a decade worth of scars. He knew that Gladio would be even worse, but even now, there was no real shame in them. He'd earned them honorably and would do so again if he had to.

Leaning back was bad enough, but the moment he settled back into the water, the nerves in his back lit up almost as violently as they had when the Bomb had attacked him from behind. This time, he could't keep quiet. The sound rolling in the back of Ignis' throat wasn't a groan or a curse, it was a whimper.

For Gladio, scars spoke of strength. Ignis' in particular, an even greater strength. Ignis could still fight, even blinded, something that amazed, and frightened, Gladio every time he witnessed it. He didn't understand how it was possible for Ignis to be able to strike, never mind that he could still avoid incoming attacks with incredible dexterity. It had taken time, and damage, to become capable again. So many scars, in particular with how rare potions were. Yeah, he carried his own. They both remapped the network of scars every time they came together.

That whimper. Fuck. It went straight through him, a dagger right into his heart, as he stroked Ignis' cheek, his chest, anything in an attempt to distract. "Take it however you can, babe. I've got you, right here. Not going anywhere."

Once they'd had a chance to sleep and remind themselves that the night was over, he'd let his fingers drift along Gladio's skin, calloused warmth tracing each ridge of damage he found. If the mood and time was right, the thickest would earn kisses and murmured praise. It was a ritual that Ignis had grown familiar with over the years and would likely continue even now.

Not even Gladio's voice was enough to focus on at the moment as he grew paler and paler by the second. His head sank back, hair drifting in the shallow water as he shook his head, his milky eye clenched closed. A shaking hand rose to find Gladio, fingers grasping at any part of him they could find.

They all needed to go sit in the sun. For hours, and hours, and maybe go sleep in the sun. Soak in that heat, even if it sets them to burn on their pale skin. Just to relish in the light they had lost.

This will be a generation that, like children, is afraid of the dark.

Gladio leaned down and gave Ignis his good shoulder to squeeze, needing his arm and hand to be able to watch carefully. Eventually, the coolness of the water will win over the anger of anything at all touching the burn, which was what Gladio was waiting for. "Right here. Right here," he murmured over and over, kneeling there by the tub and watching Ignis carefully, ready to rescue him if he went down.

Right here. Right here-

Ignis grasped at those words like a drowning man clutching at whatever he could reach. He managed a shaky nod before a mumbled apology slid free from his pale lips. Not ten seconds later and he started to go limp, his hand sliding bonelessly away from Gladio's shoulder.

So much for strength and will. Even the firmest resolution couldn't withstand the weaknesses of the body sometime.

...

Gladio wasn't sure if he was more concerned or grateful that Ignis passed out. This would be his best chance. He stroked the messy hair back once before he gently turned Ignis over, and after a moment, realized that the only way to do this would be to put Ignis over the side of the tub. So, that was what he did.

So, when Ignis finally woke up, it would be in a very different situation. He would be tucked up on the massive bed on the other side of Noct, leaving the prince snug between two of his brothers. His back and thigh would be a numb-pain, his mouth tasting of the powerful potion. Gladio was sitting by a window in a chair, leaning there in a shaft of light. Most of the window was still barred with a heavy curtain.

Confusion was the first thing that slid through his mind as consciousness tugged at him. A groan as he shifted, the stiffness of his back an absent reminder before he managed to get himself onto his side and facing Noct. The king drew him like a magnet thanks to years by his side. A hand shifted to reach for him, fingers finding him warmer now and his keen ears caught that he was still breathing. A bit further and his hand found Prompto's, curled protectively around their king and he couldn't help but smile a bit.

Once he knew they were well enough off for now, he gingerly eased himself upright, not even bothering to bite back the groan. He figured he deserved a little protest.

"... Gladio?"

He sounded as if he were expecting silence as much as he was hoping for an answer.

The sound of the groan made Gladio come up out of his half-waking, head lifting and looking for danger first before looking towards Ignis. He stood up from where he was, slowly, so much more slowly than he normally would, calling over low, "I'm here."

Keeping watch over his sleeping brothers, he hadn't been able to resist the pull of the sun, and had watched them and it all together. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, despite how desperately his body wished it, not when they all felt so completely vulnerable.

He walked over and touched Ignis' arm gently, giving him the warning before his fingers came up to cup his cheek. "...it's after noon already," Gladio said quietly. "You were out for hours."

There was part of him that wanted to pull away from those comforting fingers, but there was always that part of him that wanted to lean in and bask in that subtle affection he offered. Since being blinded, Ignis had turned into a tactile person out of necessity, but the long night had given him plenty of reasons to shy away from affection since he had learned that it likely wouldn't last.

This time, he let himself lean in before he turned his head and ghosted a brief kiss to those gentle fingers in silent gratitude. If it was for letting him rest so long or simply being there when he awakened, he gave no clue.

"... did I dream the sun?"

Was it real or not real? He'd dreamed about it before. Hells, they probably all had at one time or another.

"No. It's brilliant and beautiful as it ever was. ...Maybe even more so." The idea of Ignis pulling away from his touch hadn't even entered his mind; it would have killed another part of him. Gladio looked across the bed at three of the four people he cared for most in this world and sighed quietly. "Prompto and Noct haven't shown any signs of waking up, yet. How are you feeling?"

He could only hope the potion did everything it needed to do. He wouldn't tell Ignis he'd used half of one on the advisor to make sure that everything, internal and external, would heal properly.

He wasn't too surprised at that. They were all past the point of exhaustion at best. The fight they'd taken on had been one to give their all to, so it was no real shock that they were finally trying to rest like they'd needed to for years. His hand moved to find Noctis again, sighing when the touch brought no reaction from their king.

"Stiff. Vaguely sore. You?"

There was a grunted 'same', because he wasn't going to admit to anything else. Really, he needed to sleep something fierce, but he would only when he knew there would be one of the other two to guard. It wasn't like when they were camping, when it was just the tent in the middle of no where and the safety of the haven around. They had no idea what was coming next, and they were all injured. Or, in Noct's case... honestly, he wasn't sure what was going on with their King.

"Want to stay in bed, or go out and see the sun?" There was a hint of amusement in Gladio's voice, as tired as it was. The idea of Ignis Scientia long in bed after the sun had rose.

... was Gladio teasing him? That tone hinted at it and for a moment, it was enough to pull a wry smile to Ignis' lips. It hit him that he wasn't really wearing a lot of clothes since they'd mostly been ruined thanks to having to get cleaned up, but he didn't let it stop him from stretching slowly, subtly testing his body's reaction to motion and wincing when it was still stiff enough to tug at healing muscles and fresh scars. A few moments later and he was standing up, a hand low to trace along the mended thigh before he murmured his gratitude to Gladio.

"I honestly thought I'd dreamed it. We can't let it go to waste, now can we?"

He was... trying. Trying to get above his pain and confusion and disillusion and be the partner Ignis needed right now and the Shield Noct was going to need. As Ignis got up, he didn't offer a hand, instead letting Ignis find his balance and watched as that beautiful body stretched itself out. The wince didn't surprise him; until the scars settled, they would be tight, and undoubtedly the muscles would remain stiff until Ignis got himself up and moving.

"No problem." Not dismissive, but making it quiet and easy. He didn't want to make a big deal out of what they were forced to do to each other to make sure they healed right. The sling was necessary but it felt so awkward, leaving his arm tucked up to his chest and the weight of it on the good shoulder.

"That's why I was sitting by the window. I figured if I took my eyes off it, I'd find out I was still asleep somewhere." Or dead. The more likely option. "...Found you guys some robes and some other stuff you might be able to fit into. Noct's 'bout the same size his father was, and Prompto's smaller than him, but you and I are stuck." A thick bit of cloth was touched to Ignis' fingers after Gladio grabbed said robe.

Gladio always tried and that was why Ignis never turned him away even when he knew he'd leave again. Maybe now, in the light of a new day, he could find a reason to stay. If it were simply because Noct needed his Shield now more than ever, then so be it. Ignis could live with that.

His fingers closed on the offered robe without hesitation as he absently noted the thick weave of the cloth and he found himself idly wondering what all Gladio had found. It'd been years since he'd had a reason to ponder clothing choices and the idea of perhaps having to do that again in the near future was almost amusing to him. Once the robe was settled around his frame, he tipped his head toward where he'd last heard Gladio's voice, a faint smile curling his lips.

"Do I look regal or like a child playing dress-up?"

There was a brief silence, then, "if I just answer 'yes', will I still get that look?" That was definitely a joke, Gladio's tone lighter even if not truly playful yet. Really, it did look a little silly as Ignis was taller than the Caelum family so it was a bit on the short side, but Ignis always looked like Royalty. "I got some slippers to go with it?"

He's helping, Ignis. Really he is.

"If it helps, I'm wearing pretty much the same thing except I look stupid instead of either option."

Before the long night, he would've laughed. Now, he huffed what could've been a soft chuckle but it was nothing like it'd been in the past. Maybe in time, he could find that part of himself again, but for now, things were still so off-kilter.

Still, that little smile never faded away.

"I doubt that. You've always looked good."

"This robe comes above my knees and to my elbows. I look silly." Gladio came over and nudged their shoulders gently together. "Silly or not... come on."

His fingers slid down and tangled with Ignis'. He wanted to watch as Ignis felt the sun on his skin, even if he couldn't see it. Or... could he? He knew there was some ability to see light, however weak it might be. Whichever it was, Ignis deserved to be in it. They all needed to be; it wouldn't feel right until they all stood side by side in it.

This would be a good start, though.

So together they walked towards the nearest exit Gladio could remember, their footsteps echoing so loudly in the empty Citadel. "...it's strange," he said quietly, not wanting to raise a louder echo. "There's not nearly as much dust as I would have imagined."

He could protest and say he didn't need to be led, but he knew this wasn't that. Even in their roughest spots, there was always a sense of ease between them. Years of partnership and love would do that.

His fingers tightened on Gladio's as they walked, his thumb idly sweeping along the ridge of Gladio's. There was comfort in that contact and it was something that Ignis was so glad for. This hadn't been their destiny and they both knew it, but maybe this could be the start of something better. Only time would tell.

"Less to clean up, then. Have you contacted Cor and Iris yet?"

It wasn't at all about being led; it was entirely about wanting to hold hands. Not that Gladio would ever say that but... that was what this was. Just quiet, simple affection they haven't gotten a chance to have in a long time.

His hand tightened in return, a single gentle squeeze. The future... he didn't know what to do with the future, not yet. It was all mixed together and confusing and until Noct woke up, it felt like the future was just this cliff with inky blackness and Gladio didn't dare step forward into it without all of them.

"I sent them a text. No response, yet." He needed them both here. Cor for his help, Iris because he never felt like she was safe until she was in his arms again.

"I'm sure they're fine. They're both extremely capable people."

The really were. Iris had become a popular and cunning hunter during the long night and Cor... well, Cor was Cor. Maybe not so immortal, but damned hard to kill. He understood Gladio's need to have Iris close by if possible, but he also knew that the world itself must be in chaos. Who knows how long it'll take her to contact him back.

Hopefully, he wouldn't have to wait too long.

Ignis smelled the fresh air before he felt the sun. It smelled of summer and happier memories and just the scent made him stop for a moment, his head slowly turning as if to try and figure out where they were.

"... it smells like Leide. Right around Hammerhead. All dry and dusty."

Gladio looked out towards the mess, and he wasn't entirely surprised on Ignis' choice of words. It had rained the night before, but now it had already burnt away in the light of the first new day in ten years. All that was left was the devastation in every direction, as far as he could see, but none of the blood or gore. It had also burnt away.

"...it's bad," Gladio said softly, thinking how to even describe what he was seeing to Ignis who would never be able to. He frowned, then after a few moments of silence, continued. "Do you remember that movie we all watched, with the zombies and the few survivors left?" The end of the world, all fun and games and Prompto screaming because he was a wuss, but it had been a fun movie at the time. Popcorn and teasing and a long Friday night. "...It looks like that."

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