Noctis Lucis Caelum (veggiehater) wrote in valloic, @ 2020-12-27 10:45:00 |
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This year though the back half of December had snuck up on him. He hadn't even really been thinking about the holidays until out for a walk with Henruit it was suddenly everywhere. Decorations, trees, some things familiar and some not. But all pointing toward oh it's the middle of December.
Before he'd really thought it through he found himself outside the door to Noct's apartment. A smaller tree leaned up against the wall, a box of bags on the floor filled with the lights and ornaments to go on it, a Santa hat perched on his head. He'd had half a thought maybe it should be going in his apartment, but it felt better this way. Wasn't like he was never at Noctis' place anyways. And well, maybe the sheer ridiculousness of showing up at his door with a tree and all the trimmings might be a nice distraction from Noctis missing Ignis and Prompto and thinking too hard on time spent locked away in a crystal.
He knocked and Henruit let out a woof a moment later.
The winter holidays hadn’t ever meant much to Noct until Gladio made them more than making the princely rounds. He was quietly grateful for every memory that was Iris and Gladio teasing each other around a cheesily decorated tree, especially when the rest of his December memories tended to involve standing in some coldly decorated hall with heads of state that would rather be home with their families.
Sometimes his dad made quiet plans for just them, though. He missed that part. He missed a lot of things.
He jerked his head up from blankly staring at the baking show on the television when he heard the knock followed by a bark. If he’d known exactly how bright his smile was when he opened the door, he might have been embarrassed. Luckily, he was oblivious.
“Is that for me?” He squinted at the tree and stepped back to give them both room to come inside. “Or did you get locked out of your apartment or something.”
Gladio didn't much second guess the things he did - at least outside had he failed Noctis, had he failed the others these past couple years, the big picture stuff - but if he'd had any regarding this little plot they would have been more than wiped away by the smile Noctis gave when he opened the door. Hauling a tree through the apartment building too was now more than worth it at that sight, in a lot of ways that were now more than second nature to shove into some box labeled not to be thought about in the back of his mind.
"For you," he answered as he moved past Noctis with the tree. "You wanna grab that box?" he asked as he did.
He temporarily set the tree against the wall in the corner of the living room. He looked at Noctis and shrugged a little. "Dunno, though maybe it'd be fun," he added.
Noct did as he was asked and carried the box inside, feeling Henruit trot along behind them. His apartment always felt unmistakably empty until Gladio was inside of it. He should probably start inviting new friends over. Maybe once he had a tree. He sat the box down on a side table and fought to keep his smile tame and teasing.
“I mean I’m not Iris but I think I remember how it goes.” It felt like forever since they’d done this. Noct squinted around the room. “Did you have a picture in mind? Where you saw it?”
"I'm sure she'll be proud of us for even trying," Gladio said with a soft laugh. It was weird though, not having her here for the holidays. And while the sheer task of keeping the world going had kept them apart more often than not these past years, it was different now and gods he missed her. Worried about her, even though he knew she was more capable than most.
Gladio nodded to the corner of the room, a space between the tv stand and the wall. "There might be good?" he suggested and set about digging out the tree stand. "Unless you had somewhere else in mind?" he added.
Immediately feeling a little guilty for bringing up Iris, Noct shuffled over to help move the tv stand over a little. “I hadn’t really thought about a tree. I keep forgetting it’s December and see people talking about their different holidays and it’s like...oh right.”
He returned to the box to peek inside, curious and quickly warming up to the idea of a little festive cheer in the apartment. Mostly it felt good that Gladio had thought to bring it here. Like maybe he needed the nostalgia with him specifically. Though it was probably just because there wasn’t anyone else here from home.
Noct didn’t like that line of thought so he stubbornly dug further into the box. “Did you get any lights?”
"Yeah I kind of forgot about it myself until just now," Gladio said. "Been kind of a weird month with everything." It hadn't been a and month, seeing Noct again definitely helped there. But still, weird. A hell of an adjustment.
Gladio worked on setting the stand up and lifted the tree into it. "Course I got lights, do I look like a heathen to you?" he retorted, but the light teasing tone to the words and the grin he flashed at Noctis had the words lacking any real bite.
He grabbed a pair of scissors from the kitchen and cut the twine holding the tree. Gladio moved to stand next to Noctis once the branches had unfurled and nodded a little. "Not bad."
Noct jokingly squinted at Gladio for a long moment, like he was inspecting his heathen qualities. Of course, the joke was on him because he basically just got an eyeful of Gladio’s tattoos and general rugged hotness. Swallowing dryly, Noct pulled a string of lights out of the box.
“I guess it would be pretty embarrassing if you didn’t get lights. But like you said, all of this is weird. You’re two years ahead and used to living in the dark.” He shrugged, running a hand over the back of his neck in his sheepish way. “Maybe you don’t feel comfortable with lights anymore. I don’t know…”
Gladio's gaze softened as he watched Noctis and let the words sink in. He was quiet for a brief moment, not wanting to shrug off the concern with a joke, but also not sure how to approach it either. He knew Noctis would listen to anything about those years, offer his support. But Gladio didn't want to put it all on Noct either. To see even more weight added to the shoulders that already carried so much. It was his job to protect Noctis, not to give him more to worry about, to feel guilty about. Gladio knew though that saying nothing wasn't an option though. Because Noctis was Noctis, endlessly caring and warm under the aloof and at times prickly exterior. Wanting to help his friends however he could.
"I'm okay, Noct," he started. "These lights are good -" he paused. "The sun sometimes still, I don't know, throws me?" Really he wasn't sure how else to describe it. A whole lot rolled up in that simple phrase though. "But these are good," he assured again as he nodded toward the lights in Noctis' hand. Thank you for checking he hoped came through in the warm smile he offered Noct.
"You want me to get the top with those? I know it's a little out of your reach," he teased. Not necessarily a change of topic, he'd keep talking if Noctis wanted. But levity to the undercurrent of very serious things that they both had on their minds it seemed.
“Oh.” Noctis froze with the light string tangled up in his hands, a little frown between his eyebrows. “That makes sense. About the sun, I mean.” He was already making a mental note to shop for sunglasses for Gladio and to be more aware of when the sun was especially bright, but the teasing brought him back to the moment.
He made a suddenly squinty judging face and held out the lights. “You being a butthead makes sense too.”
His face gentled into a smile as he kept hold of one end of the lights. This was generally a two man job at home. Or, well a two-Amicitia job. “I saw a tree with a weird little winged girl on top of it the other day. I don’t know what that was about.”
Gladio just grinned at Noct and shrugged. "Yeah, well, the day I stop being a butthead is the day you really have to worry, Princess." Though Gladio figured things would have to be pretty damn bad for him not to rib Noctis. It was too amusing to see him get flustered over it, and an easy distraction when things did get bad.
He took the other end of the lights and started stringing them around the tree from the top. "Ask around?" he suggested, "I'm sure someone here probably knows." Whether it being something they recognized from their own home, or just being here longer than he and Noct have been. He glanced back at Noctis for a moment before he continued working on the lights. "They got all sorts of weird stuff here though, I was kind of surprised to find all the tree stuff like we had back home."
Noct rolled his eyes. He used to hate when Gladio called him princess. Now it would feel wrong if he didn’t hear that word at least once a day. His face felt traitorously warm anyway, which he blamed on the fact that Gladio was unquestionably taller and could in fact reach the upper branches of the tree with ease.
“If I get desperate to know the answer, I’ll ask. It was in the window of the house on that farm. The one with the market and the farmer who looks like he went to the same tattoo artist as you?” Noct helped direct the string of lights until it seemed like a second pair of hands was just a silly excuse to keep reaching for Gladio’s hands. There were ornaments in the box anyway. Something else to focus on. He started pulling them out one at a time and eyeing the tree.
“I get the feeling there’s some religious element involved but I can’t imagine putting one of our gods on top of a tree.” He squinted one eye. “Okay...maybe a little Shiva.”
Gladio nodded. "Ronan, yeah - he's got some good work." They were all pretty nice people too there, even if it was still kind of weird as hell they'd all known some older version of him. But Gladio tried really hard not to think too much on that, the life some other version of him had and all the things it had included. Especially when one of those things was right in front of him. It was - easier - not to add more complication to what was already a complicated mess of feelings in his mind.
"Wonder if it's to scale?" he asked with a bit of a cheeky grin. "Like fairies? A religion around fairies." Though he he knew the more likely answer was it wasn't to scale and simply made to fit the top of the tree like the star he had in the box.
He had finished the lights and started setting the ornaments on the tree with Noctis. "Yeah but you'd probably get cold just looking at her," he said with a smirk. "Colder than you always complain about at least."
“Gods, I hope so.” Picturing tiny fairy gods made Noct laugh. For some reason, it reminded him of the hiso aliens and he couldn’t help but wonder what they’d think of this place. They’d be used to the teleportation the crystals provided at least. Maybe he’d be able to understand them for a change. Language didn’t seem to be a barrier here.
He hung up two more ornaments and slapped Gladio’s bicep with the back of his hand. “Hey, normal people get cold, you know?” Knowing he sounded petulant and begrudgingly amused all at once, Noct went digging for more ornaments.
“Sometimes I get worried it’s Ardyn showing up,” he quietly admitted. “I could definitely live without another storm, that’s all I’m saying. A tree topper, I could handle.”
The look Gladio gave him at the little outburst was nothing but fond amusement. "Remind me to bring you over some more blankets then." A pause with a smirk. "Make you a little mountain of blankets."
At the mention of Ardyn though, his demeanor shifted, the easy joking between them shifting into a tenseness. Gladio knew it was a possibility. If this place brought people from anywhere and everywhere, it could very well bring Ardyn one day. It was a thought that kept Gladio up most nights if he was honest. Not that replaying the events of Noct's disappearance on an endless loop in his mind was anything new, now there was just the added thought of what if he failed to protect Noctis again. Could he even now look Noctis in the eye and swear nothing bad would happen if Ardyn did show up. That he'd protect him. Knowing he'd failed to do so the first time around. But he could he not either. Swear it and then just do everything in his power to make sure he kept his word.
He turned to face Noctis at the box and reached a hand across to rest on his shoulder. "Hey - if he does -" because while it was possible, Gladio liked to hope it was still a long shot. "We'll figure it out okay? We'll deal with it."
Despite having been the one to nudge them towards this serious subject, Noct was still unnerved by Gladio’s tone. He hadn’t forgotten their talk. The one that had involved Gladio sounding way too guilty for Noct’s liking. He reached up and put a hand over Gladio’s heart without really thinking about it.
“I know. I don’t...I’m not worried about that. If I was by myself, yeah, okay. But I’m not.” There was a time that not even the presence of his friends could keep him from self-doubt but everything they’d been through getting to the crystal had strengthened his confidence. If not always in himself, at least in them. He still felt like an idiot realizing he was touching Gladio’s chest though.
“Uhhh…” Noct dropped his hand away and snorted a laugh. “But hey, if you want to give me all your blankets so I feel better anyway, I’m not against that plan.”
While Noctis may not have been aware of his move, Gladio more than was. Hyperfocused on the feel of Noctis' hand against his chest and the words spoken. And the faith in him inherent in hearing Noct saying he wasn't worried because he wasn't alone, well, it did wonders to quell the second guessing he had fallen into these past years.
The tree, the box of ornaments forgotten for the moment and he was just about to place his free hand over Noct's but then suddenly the touch was gone and they'd shifted from the topic at hand. Gladio dropped his own hand from Noct's shoulder and rubbed behind his neck as he glanced down. He cleared his throat a little and looked back at Noct with a wry smile.
"I'll even lend you Henruit if you're still complaining about it," he added. Shoved aside the urge to point out he himself ran pretty damn hot most of the time and focused back on hanging the last of the ornaments on the tree.
“I’m not stealing your dog.” Noct sounded distracted and baffled and pleased all at once. The dog in question wandered up to bump Noct’s hand with his head so Noct obligingly gave him a pet. And then crouched down to scritch behind his ears.
At home, he’d have lazily sprawled out the sofa to watch Iris and Gladio do most of the work. Here, he sat down on the floor and spread his legs out in a v-shape to accommodate a dog looking for attention.
“Well, probably not. He is pretty good company. I’m sure you can find someone more person-shaped to warm your bed anyway….but still,” he muttered. Henruit snuffed at his scowling face and Noctis wrinkled his nose at the dampness he left behind.
That Noctis gave up before they were entirely done was pretty par for the course and Gladio just huffed an amused laugh as he sat down and turned his attention to Henruit. There were only a few last touches anyways. He settled the last couple ornaments and then reached for the star for the top.
"Yeah, you offering?" was reply to Noctis' insistence he could find a person to share his bed, a quick quip given before he'd even thought the ramifications of it through. Which, well, at least he had putting the star on top of the tree to distract himself from it?
Though it didn't really do much to distract him from letting his thoughts trail back to their time on the road. The tent and the beds shared between them, the quiet niceness of having Noctis that close. Something it seemed the other versions of them enjoyed here. Idly he wondered if it was possible to be jealous of some other version of one's self.
Noct was glad he was sitting down. And that he wasn’t eating anything. His gaze shot upwards to Gladio, towering over him from this view. He wanted to squint suspiciously but he was too off guard to do much other than stammer. It was his own fault; he knew that. He kept bringing this subject up, like a glutton for punishment.
“Uhhhhhhhh. Ha. Do you--” He coughed out a nervous laugh and changed tracks. “Didn’t we just establish that I’m always cold?” His ears burned. His cheeks burned. His neck even felt hot.
He could practically feel the way Noctis' face burned himself. And while there was a quip about the fact he looked pretty "hot" right then on the tip of his tongue he didn't dare. That would just be mean. It was adorable though, seeing Noctis clearly thrown by the remark. He was a bit himself, but just had a far better poker face.
Gladio recovered quick though and gave Noct a sly grin. "So then it'd all balance out," he said lightly. Wasn't like he needed someone to warm him up more than he usually was in the night anyways.
But he also offered Noctis an out of the conversation if he wanted it. Stepping back he looked at the tree. "Not too shabby if I say so myself," he declared.
Noctis opened his mouth and shut it - twice - before he finally had to just smile. Gods help him. All his hopeful anxiety was in the twist of his mouth. For someone so brave about risking his own life, though, he was terrified to chase after the possibility Gladio wasn’t entirely joking. It didn’t matter that he’d read back on some of the network already. In fact, it made things harder. Those people weren’t them, as they were, right now. It was unfair to think things might be the same.
Still. That didn’t stop him from climbing to his feet and stepping a little too close to Gladio’s side, with the pretense of getting a better look. Admittedly, a “better look” would’ve been easier if he wasn’t still watching Gladio out of the corner of his eye.
“Not shabby at all,” he said genuinely. “It’s great.” He turned more fully towards Gladio. “Thanks. For this. Really.” Suddenly worried this was it, Gladio would now go back to his own apartment, Noct hastily pulled out his phone. “Now the least you can do is sit down and relax while I order us some food.”
He gently bumped his shoulder against Noctis', and maybe stayed a little closer himself than was necessary after. "You're welcome," he said with a warm smile, glad to see his little gamble had paid off.
Gladio hadn't planned on taking off, but the mention of food was a welcome suggestion. "I could eat," he replied and moved the box off the coffee table and out of the way before sitting on the couch. "Whatever you're feeling like, I'm not picky," was added with a slight shrug as he leaned back on the couch and got comfy. "We can throw on a movie or something." Which was to say Noctis didn't have to worry, he had no plans to take off anytime soon.