"If you were really wise, you wouldn't have given me the compliment in the first place," Gladio retorts, smirking. "Unless, of course, I've just gotten so good-looking I've addled that wise brain of yours."
Effectively trapped, Gladio dares to say. Is Noct less wise, or is Gladio more attractive? Either way, he wins.
Looking at Noct, though, feeling the warm familiarity between them that's so much like the old days...a quiet pang of guilt finally manages to get Gladio's attention. It's been strong for a long time, occasionally ebbing but never gone, though Noct's reappearance temporarily drowned it out with shock and joy. But now...it's reminding him that he missed his chance once before, and he's finally been granted another one. He's been wanting another one for years. Is he really going to just goof around with Noct and not say what he's been aching to say?
In other circumstances, with other people, this would be a confession of feelings. And it's not like Gladio doesn't have those, too...but he's spent so long not acting on them that they're like a long-unused piece of furniture in a familiar room - he barely even registers their presence anymore, sidestepping them without a glance. Besides, this would need to be dealt with first regardless.
"Noct," he says after a moment, grin fading. Then...he suddenly finds himself at a loss for words, not quite sure how to continue with what he wants to say, how he wants to say it. "After Altissia - I'm sorry. Not for pushing you, you needed that, but...I was a mess. A lot of it was venting, not helping. I wasn't in control, and even after I reined it in we never made it right. And then...you were gone." He squeezes Noct's upper arm. "You might've been pissed at me no matter how I told you that you needed to move forward, but...I was wrong, too. You deserved a better Shield." He stands up a little straighter, squaring his shoulders. "One I hope I'm closer to being, after four years. Done a lot of work getting my head out of my ass."
no subject
Effectively trapped, Gladio dares to say. Is Noct less wise, or is Gladio more attractive? Either way, he wins.
Looking at Noct, though, feeling the warm familiarity between them that's so much like the old days...a quiet pang of guilt finally manages to get Gladio's attention. It's been strong for a long time, occasionally ebbing but never gone, though Noct's reappearance temporarily drowned it out with shock and joy. But now...it's reminding him that he missed his chance once before, and he's finally been granted another one. He's been wanting another one for years. Is he really going to just goof around with Noct and not say what he's been aching to say?
In other circumstances, with other people, this would be a confession of feelings. And it's not like Gladio doesn't have those, too...but he's spent so long not acting on them that they're like a long-unused piece of furniture in a familiar room - he barely even registers their presence anymore, sidestepping them without a glance. Besides, this would need to be dealt with first regardless."Noct," he says after a moment, grin fading. Then...he suddenly finds himself at a loss for words, not quite sure how to continue with what he wants to say, how he wants to say it. "After Altissia - I'm sorry. Not for pushing you, you needed that, but...I was a mess. A lot of it was venting, not helping. I wasn't in control, and even after I reined it in we never made it right. And then...you were gone." He squeezes Noct's upper arm. "You might've been pissed at me no matter how I told you that you needed to move forward, but...I was wrong, too. You deserved a better Shield." He stands up a little straighter, squaring his shoulders. "One I hope I'm closer to being, after four years. Done a lot of work getting my head out of my ass."