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It was insanely difficult, and usually phenomenally stupid, to try and surprise Ignis. But there was no bringing this up with him beforehand. They were preparing for a journey. They were supposed to be happy, celebrating the end of a war, the prince's reunion with a girl he loved dearly. It felt like a surrender to Gladio, but he had never known a world where they were not at war. He would do anything it took to end it. And he would still serve his prince, prepare him to become king.
But he had to shake off the bad thoughts, the bad feelings. The surrender. There were more important things at hand. Like the ring that seemed to weigh tons in his hand, the thought that Ignis couldn't know. Not yet, at least. Not until Gladio offered him the ring, his love and his life. Offered him a commitment he wasn't sure either of them could make. Because if something went wrong, he wanted Ignis to know that Gladio would always be there, would always love him.
Because it was love.
It had to be love. Five years gone and Gladio couldn't imagine taking anyone else this intimately. Couldn't imagine a night spent in bed with anyone else, the warmth of someone else's skin, the taste of someone else's lips. Gladio didn't want to imagine bringing anyone else pleasure the way he did with Ignis. It was love. It had to be. It had to be real, and true, and good, he loved Ignis. For all he knew what love was, he loved him.
The ring was simple, small, a dark metal band with a line of pure gold running through the center. He'd had it custom made, infused with small protections of the magic that was their gift in service to their king. It would protect Ignis, when Gladio couldn't. He could wear it under the gloves he always kept. He could hide it, and they could hide, just the way they had to. Keep their love in small corners and stolen moments.
In the way Ignis was curled up on Gladio's sofa, under the thick comforter from his bed, his hair tousled, glasses cast aside on the end table. The way he was comfortable enough to rest, to let his guard down. It was love, in the way Gladio put the coffee on before Ignis could wake, so he would smell it, know there was someone there who cared for him.
Gladio didn't want to do anything fancy to give him the ring. Fancy, elegant dinners were not their style, dates were near to impossible with the secrecy required in their relationship. And Ignis didn't like dates all the same. Kept him too long away from his duties. No, just something simple. A cake he'd had Iris prepare, orange and light chiffon, something Ignis loved from one of the few outings they had managed. Iris had managed to recreate it well enough. Ignis' favorite coffee, Ebony, thick and black and strong. Beer for Gladio, he never could stomach how bitter Ignis' coffee was. A bottle of sweet dessert wine, in case they needed to celebrate. He hoped they would want to celebrate.
There was still a healthy fear that Ignis would turn him down. That he would think it was too much, that they were both devoted to the crown, they couldn't be devoted to each other like that. Never mind that they already were. Gladio had to carry on the Amicitia name. Never mind he didn't want to. Gladiolus Amicitia was a selfish man, he just wanted to be with Ignis. To love him and to want him and to hold him. To make love to him in rainy nights, to let a simple touch to the back of his hand when they passed in the halls to let him know that Gladio was there. That Ignis was there. That they had each other.
He was beginning to stir with the scent of the coffee filtering through the small apartment at the Citadel Gladio kept, so he adjusted the blanket over skinny shoulders and cut into the cake, setting up two plates, and opening his beer to wait for him to wake. Ignis slept so rarely. He wouldn't push. He would let the warm smell of coffee the small touches to his hair, his soft lower lip, stir him.
They did, and for once, Ignis woke with a smile. Gladio ducked in for a long kiss before he stood from the sofa, smiled. The ring was safely in his pocket and he was beginning to be frightened that he wouldn't have the nerve to give it to him.
"You made coffee." Ignis' voice was heavy with sleep. Still, he smiled.
"I made coffee. Here, let me get you a cup." Gladio brought back a full mug of coffee, slipped it into Ignis' hands. He let him stay wrapped in the heavy blanket, set it on his shoulders. "There's cake too, that orange chiffon you like so much."
"What's the occasion?" Ignis kissed his cheek, a smile hidden behind the display of affection.
Gladio handed him a plate, he didn't know how to answer that. "Do I need an occasion to do something nice for you?"
Ignis smiled, biting into the cake, leaning against Gladio. He knew, even though Ignis would never say, that the reassuring solid warmth of Gladio was comforting to him, that he liked the quiet moments when he could lean against him, take comfort. So he let the long moments last, they ate the treat in silence, Ignis took too long to get his glasses, too short a time to finish his first cup of coffee. Gladio didn't let him get up, got the second cup for him.
"You're being good to me today." Ignis murmured, smiling against the rim of his mug.
"Well, yeah. Not every day I get to dote on you to the point where you feel good enough to take an afternoon nap." Gladio kissed his cheek, down his jaw, to his lips. "And you know how much I like to dote on you."
Ignis returned the kiss, delicate soft fingers touching the scar that ran through Gladio's eye. The touch was ungloved, and Gladio could have worshiped the touch of his hand. Bared hands were something that Ignis rarely showed, even around Gladio, for some reason nervous of them. Gladio adored his hands. He wanted to adorn his hands.
It had to happen. He had to. He loved this man too much.
He knew that Ignis would notice the second he set his shoulders, the deep breath he took, the extra second he spent as he slid to his knees before him. Even like this, even on his knees, he almost rose to meet Ignis' eyes. So he sank down, sat on his heels, so he could gaze up at him.
"Gladio?"
"Ignis I, I have something I want to, um, say. Give you. Hope you'd, I mean, something I hope you'd accept." He struggled with words, with nerves.
Ignis went silent, his eyes went to Gladio's hands, to his face, away from everything. He couldn't settle.
So Gladio held the ring out, placed it in Ignis' hand, but not on his finger, not yet. He wasn't that presumptuous.
And the long pause was enough to make Gladio want to crawl into a hole and wait for the daemons to come for him. Ignis was going to say no. He thought he had prepared for this possibility, he thought he was ready to be turned away. It still sunk his heart, lowered his head.
"I rather thought the point was to put the ring on my finger, wasn't it?"
"I, um, thought you would think that was too much." Gladio dared to hope. "I mean, you know what it is, yeah?"
"I want you to say it."
"Ignis?"
Ignis looked at him, his pale eyes crystal clear behind his glasses, vivid, intent, gorgeous. Gladio's mouth went dry, he swallowed, hard. "I, um, I want, well, will you marry me? One day? When all of this is over and we have peace?"
Damn. He was babbling again.
But Ignis nodded, held out his hand, let Gladio slip the ring on. "I don't know if that will ever be an option for us, but I want to say yes."