Reunion at Lestallum 1

[threevirtues]

Wanna meet up outside the Leville?, the message had said, and while the message itself wasn't anything fancy, it had still gotten Gladio's blood quickening. It's been tough on all of them with Noct locked up in that crystal, to be released who knows when; as much as they all mean to each other, even without Noct as the glue to bind them, it simply hadn't felt right with the three of them together without him. They'd all drifted apart, on the outside because there was plenty of business to keep all three of them running all over creation and it simply wasn't feasible for three strong hunters to clump up when they could do a lot of good individually, but Gladio feels like it's just as much because Noct's absence was always so painfully tangible when the three of them were together.

So when they do meet up these days, when they either happen to be in the same area or - more rarely, especially with Prompto - go out of their way to see each other, it's an occasion. Just a handful of years ago, seeing Prompto's face every day was a fact of life; now it's a pleasure, and a relief. After all, good hunters fall every day; the daemons only have to get lucky once. Prompto's gained some real skill as a solo hunter, from everything Gladio's heard, but in the kind of world they live in now, it'd be stupid to take anything for granted.

Granted, for a little while now, they haven't exactly been meeting up just for old time's sake. Gladio doesn't get to spend as much time with Iggy as he'd like, and they all need the stress relief. When he and Prompto had ended up falling together, Iggy hadn't been bothered at all; if anything, he'd seemed pleased. (Gladio actually thinks Iggy might have been a little jealous Prompto hadn't shown interest in him sooner.)

And even if it's nothing serious, the way Gladio is with Iggy...being with Prompto has everything that the few women he'd tried to sleep with during his and Iggy's breakup had lacked. They have a genuine connection, they actually care about each other, it feels good being with him, the sex isn't just hot but fun a lot of the time. Often in their giddiness at seeing each other again and getting to catch up, they start teasing each other just like the old days.

Sure, the laughter tends to dry up whenever one or the other of them remembers Noct, or how grim the world is now...but in the best moments, they can almost forget. And there's not much more valuable than that.

So as Gladio leans against one of the columns that makes up the arches outside the Leville, there's already a hint of a smile on his lips. It's been, what, probably two months since he's seen Prompto? Too long. He's looking forward to this.

"Well well, look what the cat dragged in!"

Prompto saunters towards the front of the Leville with his hands crossed behind his head in a lazy, relaxed gesture. He keeps his pace brisk and seems overtly bouncy- though his blue eyes show clearly the exhaustion that's been eating away at him for the past few years. Holding onto hope in a world like this is difficult business. Sometimes, the blond just needs a little boost.

He can feel his heart swell a bit upon seeing the familiar figure of Gladio, leaned against one of the columns. It's been a damn long time since their last meeting. Prompto really missed him, and that warm familiarity they always tend to bask in together whenever they make a meeting work.

"Been too long, buddy. Hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"Gotta wonder how appropriate that name of yours is, if I'm faster than you getting here." But Gladio's grinning as he says it, straightening up from his lean and moving forward to meet Prompto. "And I'd like to see the cat that could drag me in. Would take a coeurl, at least."

He ruffles Prompto's hair, like nothing's changed from the old days, despite the fact that just about everything has. But that makes the few things that haven't changed all the more precious. "It has been too long. How've you been?"

"You aren't wrong. A coeurl or like, twenty cats."

He considers the question. How has he been..."Eh, makin' it work, I guess."

He tries to sound as upbeat as he can manage and give a strained smile, but Prompto knows well how easily Gladio can see through that kind of thing. He's sharp. Prompto was surviving, certainly. Like they all were. He'd lost touch with his hobbies like photography, though. Nothing to photograph in the dark like this, he figured.

He steps closer with a shake of his head. "Just a whoooole bunch of huntin'. What about you?"

Yeah, Gladio isn't fooled for a second. He frowns, reaching out and wrapping an arm around Prompto's shoulders to pull the skinny boy against his side. "Yeah? I've got my doubts. If this is as cheerful as you can manage when you've got an evening with me to look forward to, you've been having a rough time. So out with it, short stack. What's eating you?"

If Gladio had to guess...he'd bet that Prom might be missing Noct particularly bad right now. Prompto had always been the most devoted to Noct out of the four of them - which is to say, Noct had been the one Prompto devoted the most of himself to; it's really hard to argue which of the three of them deserved the title of 'most devoted to Noct'. And while all of them were equally adrift and lost for awhile, since Gladio and Iggy got back together, Prompto's the one who still seems the most distant at times.

Gladio...hasn't really found a way to fix that, yet. He tries his best when the two of them are together, but at times it feels like there's some part of Prompto he just can't reach. Maybe the part of himself the blond reserves for Noct, and Noct alone. It bothers him more and more as the years drag on - like there's some part of Prompto he'll never have access to, because he isn't Noct.

Leave it to Gladio to cut right to the heart of things. In a way, with how Prompto has been struggling, this is just what he needs. Perhaps some subconscious bit of him grew fed up with the avoidance and bottling up of everything, and helped push him to reach out in the first place. His isolation reached a boiling point, and there's simply not much more he can stand.

He missed Gladio too. Like a persistent ache. Those teases from him, that Prompto always was so beautifully oblivious to being flirting. The way he always managed to make the boy feel safe on a deeper level. Even just hearing his voice now and feeling him near truly sparks something long-dulled in his heart.

He worried really, as Prompto does. Worried that without Noctis, his own value to anyone else was diminished. His tenure at everyone's sides cut short, in his woefully skewed view. Prompto was just Noct's friend as far as he considered. He slinked off into the dark to wallow in his own head, fully unaware of how Ignis and Gladio probably missed him too. He always was one to get lost in insignificant weeds.

Gladio always had his ways to pull him back out.

"Guess you aren't taking nothing for an answer?" He tries weakly, with a faux smile. "Uh. Just been rough. No sun, working on radio comms day in day out. Fighting every day...Guess it got to me. That and, yknow. The waiting."

Prompto is sure he doesn't need to specify on that one.

Gladio nods. "That stuff's pulling us all down," he agrees. "But you gotta learn to set it aside when you can, or you're never gonna make it through. Which means letting yourself not think about it during the few chances you've got to relax and remind yourself of the good things in life we're fighting for." His lips quirk. "Not to, y'know, talk myself up or anything."

He squeezes Prompto. "But also...don't pretend to be cheerful when you're not, blondie. You don't have to put on an act for me. Doesn't work anyhow. I know what you're like when you're actually happy, so you're not gonna sell me on the imitation stuff." He reaches down to tilt Prompto's chin up at him. "And I always want you to mean it when you smile for me."

Damn if Gladio's humor and smile aren't always purely contagious to Prompto. He can't help it, really, and feels his own expression lift ever-so-slightly at the talk of talking up.

Then the tone takes a bit of a shift. Ok, a lot of one. There's a squeeze, more comforting and steady body contact. Prompto opens his mouth to speak but the words and breath are stolen from his lips when Gladio takes him by the chin and tilts his gaze up. There's no looking away from those striking amber eyes, sincere and focused on the blond in a way that makes his heart stutter in his chest. Those words confirm what his eyes say- I see you. Feeling seen was never an easy task for Prompto given his past and his tendencies, but there's invitation to let it happen with how Gladio frames it in his every movement, expression, and gesture. The big guy knows Prompto, and knows achingly well how to handle his nonsense and anxiety.

Prompto is hit by a veritable tidal wave of emotions. Exhaustion and sadness built up over years break loose. He's tired of being strong. He's so tired. Exhausted, even, and wants so badly to enjoy things again. To relax like he once did among his found family on the road, when the sun still shone in the sky.

There's something else too. Something he's always felt but denied, pushing it away with excuses, or tricking himself into it being impossible. But here, now, at his lowest and held in Gladio's arms, he cannot avoid it any longer. He wants to smile for him, always. He too wants it to be real. He wants to see that same happiness from Gladio in return.

Prompto realizes he just might be in love.

Everything just starts to tumble out. Prompto's eyes grow misty, his shoulders slump. His entire body starts to tremble.

"Never could pull one over on you huh? Well, crap. You got me. H-here's your sad Prompto you ordered. Just scraping by. Sure you know that grind too, so I just try not to make a big deal of it. You know me- I live to lift people up. But maybe my own sun is runnin' outta steam to do that."

As soon as Gladio sees Prompto's eyes start to well up, that side hug is shifting, Gladio turning the blond toward him so he can pull him into a full body embrace. "The fact that we're all going through it means you can lean on us as much as we lean on you," he murmurs. "Even without the scourge, the sun takes more breaks than you give yourself." He smooths a hand down Prompto's back. "Give us the chance to be the ones to cheer you up for a change, Prom. And you can't do that unless you let yourself be down."

Prompto listens to Gladio's every word intently, allowing himself to just melt into that tight and sure embrace. A younger version of him would probably protest, and argue that without that use of uplifting others, he has nothing to offer. But after so much time alone, he's started to realize maybe that isn't all he's got. Maybe he is tired, like anyone would get keeping the lights on high intensity forever.

But does he really deserve this no questions asked support from people he isolated himself from so heavily? Prompto dropped them, friends who cared so deeply about him, like they didn't exist. His body starts to shake with quiet sobs.

"I've been such a crappy friend, Gladdy. To you and to Iggy. I'm...I'm sorry."

"You - what?" Gladio looks as baffled as though Prompto told him that this whole time, he's secretly been made of cheese. "The hell are you talking about? I'm the one who hurt you and Iggy. What are you apologizing for?"

For all his incredulousness, however, Gladio doesn't ignore the fact that Prompto is crying and needs comfort. Even as he's questioning, he keeps rubbing Prom's back, trying to soothe him.

Prompto leans into the gentle rubs, as they help him to slow down and just breathe. Okay, so Gladio has been feeling bad too. No shock at all, with the way he went scorched earth on his relationship to both he and Ignis, but Prompto feels just as confused at his incredulity. Wasn't he too absent?

"I kinda cut myself off from you. Both of you. Ran off and just avoided and did my radio stuff instead of admitting that I missed you both. I was chicken. I- you were really alone and lashing out, right? I-I could handle it. Anything to..."

He takes a long, shuddering breath and bites his lip. What is there to lose now? "To make the people I love so much find some level of comfort. To. Keep what's left of my whole world together while the rest falls apart. Help you, help Iggy...All I can ever think of is the what-ifs. What if I did call Iggy some? What if I did come visit?"

The hole in his heart that Noctis left simply grew and grew as it all fell into place that he was in love- multiple times over- woefully too late. Of course, Prompto had to wonder if he could have fixed it, only to get tangled in a web of his own making.

"Prom, I was avoiding you, too." Gladio rests his head protectively over Prompto's. "I saw...how much I was hurting you. How much you were hurting yourself, trying to fix something that you couldn't fix because it was never something you had control over. I didn't want to do that to you. If you'd reached out, I wouldn't have let you close. You deserved better than what I could give you back then, and I wasn't so far gone that I could miss that. I wasn't gonna let you keep hurting yourself on me."

Gladio can't speak for Iggy, of course. Iggy can talk to Prom himself about all this, and probably should.

"It was never your mess to clean up. Even if you felt like what you were doing was running away...getting some distance so you didn't keep tearing yourself to shreds and letting us work our shit out might've been one of your better calls. The only problem is that it left you alone and miserable the whole time. I'm sorry for...everything you had to go through, waiting for me to get my shit together."

Feeling the weight of Gladio above him like that helps Prompto relax even more. Man, he missed this. Missed this Gladio, the real one, who he knew was hurting so terribly over all this time. He can't help but circle his arms around the big guy's waist- even more steadying.

"Ha..." Prompto hiccups, shaking his head gently. Gladio really was looking out for him the whole time. Of course he was. He always has and always will without question- one of those things Prompto can always, always rely on. That in and of itself is so very comforting to a flighty worrywart like him. "You know I suck at waiting. But I managed. It's okay Gladdy." A small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth- one of the first he's felt as real in a long time. "You could never keep me away too long. My irresistible charm and handsome face are too strong, yeah?"

"Think those would make it hard to keep me away from you, not the reverse." Gladio tips Prompto's face up by the chin. "Not being able to keep you away's more about your endless tenacity. And maybe your lack of self-preservation." But he's smiling a little as he says it, so it's less of a serious dig on himself than it could be.

"And it's not okay, how much you've been hurting." Gladio smooths a thumb along his jaw. "But...maybe I can make things okay now."

The following sequence of events sends Prompto hurtling down a hell of a rollercoaster drop. He's about to play off his fabulously bungled...pick-up line? Joke? and likely say something even cornier...but Gladio takes his face by the chin and tilts it up, and he can feel his heart begin to stutter. There's a feeling like electricity that sparks from that gesture alone, and only grows. His breath and words are momentarily stolen for what can only be described as a shocked little choking sound.

Forget crying- there's no way Prompto can if he's too busy getting lost in Gladio's eyes.

The boy's vision swims a little, feeling the touch along his jaw. This feels like one of those wild romance animes, but this is real.

"O-o-oh yeah? How you thinkin'?"

Prompto Argentum runs his mouth. It's a joke, he swears up and down.

"You look like you're about to kiss me, posing like that!"

A tease. Really! They'd kissed plenty during their fun together, but this approach...Feels a little different from any of the casual stress-relief sessions the pair had over the past month or so.

It feels like what Prompto's wanted all along but felt too afraid and too much like a mess-up to ask for.

Gladio pauses at that. At the way Prompto stutters, the way he's gazing up at him, the extremely unsubtle remark. There's...something there, he thinks. Is it what he wants it to be, or is he kidding himself with confirmation bias? Just seeing what he wants to see.

"...do you want me to?" It could be silly. It could be teasing. But instead it's just...questioning. Earnest. Almost a request for permission. And, yeah, definitely not their usual casual vibe at all.

The boy doesn't even hesitate. His worries and intrusive thoughts stand no chance against the culmination of his own pining for Gladio over multiple years.

He can feel his nerves frying at the earnest tone of Gladio's voice. Is he crazy, or can he hear the traces of pining on the big guy's own end?

"Y-yes!" Prompto exclaims, without question. "A million times, yes!"

Gladio doesn't know if Prom is answering that question in the same tone he was trying to ask it, but...well, maybe that doesn't matter. And if Gladio couldn't convey in words or tone what he meant with 100% certainty, well...

He's always been an actions over words kind of guy, anyway.

So he leans in and kisses Prompto. And it's not a casual kiss. It's not a friends with benefits kiss. It's...well, it's a romance novel cover kiss. It's Gladio holding Prom tight as he slowly, deeply, kisses the lights out of him. It's Gladio cupping Prompto's jaw with one hand, the other arm wrapped around his waist, and telling him in everything but words how much he means to him.

Prompto may have not seen the stars in the sky for so many years, but the moment their lips touch, he swears he can see them in his vision. Blue eyes go wide, and his body tenses for an instant, before they flutter shut and the boy utterly melts into Gladio. He can feel it clear as day- the love behind it is unmistakable, unabashed, and undoubtable.

He presses his body against Gladio's like the space between them is suddenly a frigid and unbearable void that cannot stand.

Whenever they do part lips, the blond will gaze up at Gladio in an absolute daze, cheeks redder than he's probably seen in a very long time. This feels like some kind of dream amidst the nightmare of the Longest Night.

"...Wow...Y-yeah. Me too, big guy," he whispers breathlessly. "I feel that way. A lot. A lot a lot."

"Yeah?" Gladio's face cracks into a grin as he looks down at Prom. That kissed-stupid look on his face is too cute - to say nothing of the confirmation that their feelings are mutual, but to be honest, the kiss already told him that. "Thought you might only have eyes for Noct."

Which begs the question of what Gladio thought their sexual arrangement previous to this was, really.

Kissed stupid beyond belief! He would be swaying on his feet if not for Gladio's supportive body right there. He sort of rides out the rush of warmth throughout him...

...Only to jump back to startling clarity at Gladio's question. His jaw hangs slack- the boy looks genuinely baffled, like Gladio just grew himself a second head.

"...What? Huh??? You- is- were you worried about that??? For real, Gladdy?!"

It is true Prompto's draw to Noctis is a very unique beast. The way Noct is drawn back too- like soulmates, a pair that just belongs together.

But...

"I could assume the same thing about you and Iggy by that logic- but I don't! I just...Thought I had no shot. But for real. Every time we were having our fun? I was trying to just hold my own feelings back. Not make it weird. Sounds like I just made it even more weird, huh? Oops. What did you even think was my reason to come seek you out, then?" He squints as he asks this in particular, trying to puzzle it out.

Gladio seems surprised Prompto is surprised, eyebrows going up. "Well, yeah. We all know Noct's special to you. You only ended up with all of us because of him, after all. And it was never a duty thing like it was with me and Iggy - you were only there because of how much he mattered to you, no other reason. And anybody with eyes can see you're in love with him."

Prom does have a decent point about Gladio and Iggy, though. And yet - "Not gonna pretend that what I have with Iggy isn't special, but...that doesn't mean we're monogamous. And if I'm interested in someone when I've already got Iggy, you'd better believe I'm into them. But..." He pauses. "Noct's not around. I just thought since you couldn't be with who you really wanted..."

It honestly doesn't help, here, that Gladio's had a lot of sexual experience with women who didn't necessarily have any deep feelings for him. That he's perfectly well aware that he's good-looking enough that people would sleep with him for that reason and no other. He may have, oddly, damaged his own self-esteem in subtle ways by sleeping with people who didn't care about him any more than he cared about them. Enough to think that even Prom might just come to him because he was horny, lonely, and desperate.

"What'd you think my reason for being with you was?" Because yeah, Gladio's realizing that what he was telling himself about Prompto wasn't super flattering to Prom...but if Prom didn't believe he had deeper feelings, that might be a mutual fuck-up.

"Yknow, it's funny. For so long I worried about what my worth was because I only ended up a part of all we went through by being Noct's buddy. Thought I was an imposition. A tag along."

The things Noctis told him that confirmed those fears, while a result of trickery, truly did send him to his lowest, when he was cast away in the snow.

But now, he shakes his head with a genuine, warm smile up at Gladio. "You sure just told me and smushed whatever was left of that. So lemme try to do the same for you."

As surprised as Prompto is to learn a similar anxiety to his own is directed at him of all people, he more than understands it. He stands on his tip-toes to brush his fingers through Gladio's mane in an affectionate gesture. "There's was never a who I really wanted, when I was so busy pining after multiple people for all these years." He doesn't elaborate, but the other party that's implied will probably be more than obvious to Gladio.

It is one million percent a mutual fuck-up, and of course Gladio can see it easily. It makes Prompto's heart ache to hear Gladio thought he was a rebound of some kind. Prompto treasures him so innately that it feels like a crime to even think it in his own little head. "I just thought maybe. What we ended up with was as far as you'd ever want to go. I couldn't find the balls to just spit it out and tell you I've really, really liked you for ages. I figured the...Safe bet would be to just call it coping and maybe work up the nerve in the future. Look where that landed you. I'm sorry, Gladdy."

"Amazing that I was flirting with you for years and you ever thought I wasn't that into you." Gladio grins. "But I guess that just goes to show we're both idiots."

He lifts a hand to stroke a thumb along Prompto's jaw. "I talked to Iggy about greenlighting having something with you as far back as our road trip. Who wouldn't like you?"

Prompto looks like his mind has been blown. Make that the second time now, with the first being after the passionate kiss they shared. "You were what? And Ignis- he- what?!?!"

So that's just it. Gladio always liked him. Always wanted him. The mere thought has Prompto leaning up to steal a kiss of his own, long and slow, just after the big guy. Cute, the way he has to lift himself up to do so.

"Years? Dude!!!!! Though...I guess in hindsight, I guess that's what all that teasing was, wasn't it..." It feels like a hell of a revelation, so many years in the making. "I can't freakin' believe you planned this out with Iggy. I sure will have somethin' extra to say to him now once I get the guts to see him next, y'know. You big lug...Never said anythin'. Here I was so dense the whole time too."

Gladio returns that kiss readily, but for once the talking feels like it might be more important. "Well, to be fair...back then, I felt like it wasn't really right to make a serious move on you." He runs fingers through Prompto's hair, almost a caress. "Hooking up with Noct's best friend...felt pretty crass. Not to mention how obviously you were into Noct. So I just did some fun flirting and figured I'd leave the ball in your court. If it never went anywhere, I could live with that.

"But yeah, I was into you for a long damn time. You have any idea how cute you are?" He smirks, sliding a hand down to squeeze Prom's ass. "More than cute, too. You tempted the hell out of me. But I know how to keep things professional...or, at least, platonically casual."

He kisses the tip of Prompto's nose. "But if I hadn't scrambled your brain, you would've already known I must've talked this out with Iggy. You think I'd be standing here making out with you if he wasn't okay with it?"

When Gladio starts to explain, everything clicks a little better in the boy's admittedly scrambled little head. "Oh, I guess that may have been a bit weird, depending on the when, huh. Leaving it in my court though..." A weak laugh, "I don't think I woulda found the balls to pick that ball up without Talcott coming for me like he did. I'm so glad I finally did, though."

Of all the people on Eos, Gladio might be the only one who could ever get away with calling Prompto cute. That aside, he is not expecting to just be told that, flat out, by this absolute stud. His attempt to squawk out a retort is cut off by the playful squeeze to his ass, which sees him jump and yelp in, yes, a very cute way. He makes a mock-pout at Gladio, but the deeper blush on his cheeks is a dead giveaway as to how that actually went over.

Tempting though? Has...Anyone ever unironically called him sexy or tempting to his face? He and Noct always danced around that bit, said it without saying it, pretending to still be bros when they were so deeply in love that it threatened to knock them both senseless at any given time. Gladio thought he was attractive, not just cute. Which, okay, he probably wouldn't have fucked him for fun if he didn't, but hearing it spoken is a totally different, new game.

Prompto thinks he kinda likes it. It fills him with a confidence he could get kind of used to, a feeling in stark contrast to his usual difficulties with his own body and self-image.

"Guess you don't have to hold back anymore," he says with a wink, likely not realizing just what he may or may not have just set in motion. Oh, does this boy have a big storm coming somewhere in his future. Hurricane Gladio.

"Right, I guess not. Makes this one less thing to talk with him about. Astrals know I am going to be having a heck of a time with the things I already have on my list for him."

"So I have Tal to thank for this, huh?" Gladio laughs quietly. "That little busybody. Iggy really taught him well, huh? Way too perceptive, always looking out for other people. I've got too many things to thank him for as it is."

Oh, that wink is getting filed away for later, Prom. But Gladio's not going to let Prom get the upper hand here just because he's incredibly enticing...especially not when he leaves himself so wide open like that.

"Oh yeah? Just what's on that list?" he asks, all innocence. "Besides you crushing on him too, I mean."

"Yeah. He really has a crazy sense for things, doesn't he? Told me we can't hang out anymore til I talk to you both. So mean! Sounds like he helped you out too, huh?" Prompto tilts his head with the question, like a curious puppy. Or a chocobo.

Then Gladio goes right for the knees. "Oh, just...Letting him know I want to re connect. Getting all my worries ou- WAIT WHAT."

There goes his jaw hanging slack again. "He- you- what?! Whaddyamean I have a crush on him!?!?! Sayin' it like it is obvious...I tried real hard to keep it on the DL, you know."

Prompto Argentum has never been discreet in matters of the heart. Or of things below the heart.

Gladio bursts out laughing. "After all those glamor shots you took of him on our trip? I think there were more of those than pics of my ass, and you had a lot of pics of my ass." He ruffles Prompto's hair. "Besides, I know more and knew earlier than anyone how irresistible Iggy is. Of course you've got a crush on him. You've got eyes, you've got a brain, he's never been anything but good to you. Who wouldn't? Even if you'd never let on anything, I'd've just assumed."

"Omigod. It was just art, Gladdy! C'mon!" Prompto huffs, puffing his cheeks out. He can't keep this act up long with how addictive and good it feels to hear that laughter from Gladio. The big guy is right. Prompto always had a certain way about how he framed Ignis in photography. Lots of dignified, graceful pictures. Or ones showing off his deadliness and seemingly superhuman flexibility.

As for the ass shots of Gladio, well. He can't defend himself on that one. He won't even try. "Yeah, okay fine. You have a real killer ass, Gladdy." he says with a crooked grin.

"Yeah. He's...Been pretty amazing to me, true. But still! What if it was just puppy love or something!"

Yeah right. That's what he tried to tell himself to keep his hopes of anything happened tempered. But look what happened here, with Gladio.

It isn't as outlandish as the boy thinks, that there is something there between he and Ignis.

"Anything featuring Iggy is art," Gladio agrees, a smirk on his face. "Or did you mean the pictures of my ass? Guess those would qualify, too."

Another ruffle of Prompto's hair. That chocobo fluff invites it, frankly. "Also, you're practically a puppy yourself. You could say all your love is puppy love by that metric. Doesn't mean it's not meaningful, though." He gives Prompto a sly look. "Anyway, all I said was that you were crushing on him. I never said I didn't think it was puppy love. Sounds like you're telling me it's a lot more serious than that, though..."

Granted, Gladio had assumed Prom's feelings for Iggy were just as serious as those for Gladio. Maybe even more serious; Gladio, on some level, figures he's the kind of guy you fantasize about having some wild nights with, while Iggy is the guy you take home to meet the parents. Essentially, that it's far easier to develop serious feelings for Iggy than for him. So yeah, Prom isn't telling him anything new...but the fact that he's so easily and needlessly incriminated himself is hilarious.

"True- oh come ON. You had me in the first part, big guy. Art? I think I need an inspection to confirm that. Gotta triple check the art level of your cheeks." He snickers a bit, reaching back to give said cheeks a gentle pop with a hand. His love language, really.

Prompto has a penchant for self-incriminating, that much is certain. It only becomes more and more apparent as he digs his hole deeper. "N-no, where'd I say that?! I'm just, you know, thinking! About all possible things!" He knows he's pinned. He can tell from that familiar glint in Gladio's eye that he missed so very much. Now, after all this time he can see it for what it really is. Amusement, yes, but so much more than that. Fondness and love. It was always there, if Prompto had taken a moment to breathe and step out of his own head.

Prompto's shoulders slump in concession, and he gives a half-dramatic sigh, the smallest of smiles breaking through at the feeling of just...Talking with Gladio like this. "...I mean I guess it is. Next you're gonna tell me you knew that for years too, yeah? Playing some wild 5d chess here, Gladdy! Iggy rubbin' off on you? Then you also probably know how worried I am about acting on it. Part two."

"Oh, sorry, I thought you'd done plenty of inspection already," Gladio drawls.

"Anyway, guessing anyone is in love with Iggy is easy. I just watch to see if they look at him the same way I do." Gladio's eyes soften for a moment. "With my experience, it's easy to recognize."

He's very tempted to make a joke out of 'Iggy rubbing off on him', but decides to refrain. Partially because it'd be emotional whiplash from that tender moment just now, partially because he thinks Prompto would simply ignite. Under other circumstances, though, a team of oxen wouldn't be able to stop him. He's surprised (and, eternally, grieved) Nyx doesn't come back from the dead to make the joke himself.

"I wouldn't worry about how he'd take it, though, if I were you."