"I didn't know what you were questioning," Gladio murmurs in reply. Aside from what possible reason Noct could have to love me. That part he buries. Even if Ignis has a reason for asking that, Gladio really doesn't want to hear it, so there's no point in bringing it up. "I just knew you were pissed. It's not my place to tell you not to be, but I wanted to make sure you were at least getting pissed for reasons that made sense."
Gladio himself falls silent after that, not trying to pursue further conversation. Ignis doesn't feel pissed now, but whatever this is, Gladio isn't sure it's not worse. Less threat of immediate death, but he'd rather deal with short-term danger than long-term fallout. And this feels like it's gearing up towards the latter.
One thing's perfectly clear, though - a joyous reunion meal with the four of them isn't going to happen tonight. The tension's not going to go away - not until Iggy works through whatever reaction he's having, and Gladio has a pretty decent guess what that reaction might be - and the return of Iggy's cooking can't be accompanied by a curdled mood like this.
He knows none of them - probably not even Ignis, no matter what mood he's in right now - will be exactly happy, having a meal for three when they all feel it should be four. But Gladio's wise enough to recognize that a meal for four isn't going to feel any better, not with this kind of tension hanging over it. And better that three of them sort of enjoy themselves than none of them enjoying themselves at all.
He sets his packages down on the counter once they're inside, a touch warily; fortunately, they persist, so apparently groceries don't count as mess. Good thing, too; he's already lost one set of keys to the whims of Noct's cleaning 'solution'. "I've got some stuff to get in order back at my apartment," he says, leaving it deliberately vague. He could suggest he's getting ready for Iggy's moving in, but frankly he's not entirely sure that's still happening. "It'll probably take awhile. Don't hold up dinner if I run late."
He's making an excuse to bow out and has no intentions of returning tonight, and they both know it. Gladio doesn't even pretend to think Ignis won't be able to recognize this unsubtle of a ploy, at any age. But he's also fairly convinced Ignis will have no desire to stop him, so believability doesn't matter. Just a pretense for what they both know is the best call here.
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Gladio himself falls silent after that, not trying to pursue further conversation. Ignis doesn't feel pissed now, but whatever this is, Gladio isn't sure it's not worse. Less threat of immediate death, but he'd rather deal with short-term danger than long-term fallout. And this feels like it's gearing up towards the latter.
One thing's perfectly clear, though - a joyous reunion meal with the four of them isn't going to happen tonight. The tension's not going to go away - not until Iggy works through whatever reaction he's having, and Gladio has a pretty decent guess what that reaction might be - and the return of Iggy's cooking can't be accompanied by a curdled mood like this.
He knows none of them - probably not even Ignis, no matter what mood he's in right now - will be exactly happy, having a meal for three when they all feel it should be four. But Gladio's wise enough to recognize that a meal for four isn't going to feel any better, not with this kind of tension hanging over it. And better that three of them sort of enjoy themselves than none of them enjoying themselves at all.
He sets his packages down on the counter once they're inside, a touch warily; fortunately, they persist, so apparently groceries don't count as mess. Good thing, too; he's already lost one set of keys to the whims of Noct's cleaning 'solution'. "I've got some stuff to get in order back at my apartment," he says, leaving it deliberately vague. He could suggest he's getting ready for Iggy's moving in, but frankly he's not entirely sure that's still happening. "It'll probably take awhile. Don't hold up dinner if I run late."
He's making an excuse to bow out and has no intentions of returning tonight, and they both know it. Gladio doesn't even pretend to think Ignis won't be able to recognize this unsubtle of a ploy, at any age. But he's also fairly convinced Ignis will have no desire to stop him, so believability doesn't matter. Just a pretense for what they both know is the best call here.