Chapter Text
"Gladio, would you mind taking the wheel?" Ignis asked, stifling a yawn as he pulled the Regalia to the side of the road, hazard lights blinking. They'd run out of Ebony, expecting to stock back up at the Alstor Coernix station after crossing the border into Duscae. To their surprise, and Iggy's supreme displeasure, the shop was completely out of stock due to the Imperial blockades.
The previous night's exertions had worn on Ignis more than he'd ever admit. They had followed Monica, after Noctis split off with Cor, to take out the horde of MTs that guarded the blockade. By the time they had finished their battle with Loqi, it was nearly two in the morning and they already felt a deep ache in their muscles. Despite winning the draw for the bed in the camper just outside Meldacio Hunter's prairie outpost, Ignis still looked utterly exhausted when he awoke. Without his Ebony, he could only cover yawns and force his eyes open while the others looked on warily. The promise of his beloved coffee at the next station kept him going just long enough. He looked like a broken man when he caught sight of the empty spot on the shelf. Ebony could only be found in gas stations outside the city walls, and the next closest Coernix station was West of the Disc of Cauthess - still three hours away from Alstor. After an hour of driving, Iggy had barely managed 5 more minutes after passing Wiz's Chocobo Post (much to Prompto's disappointment) before asking Gladiolus to drive.
"Oh! I can take over!" Prompto chimed in, "Spare sleeping beauty back there from getting his legs crushed."
"Hey—" Gladio started to retort, but not before Ignis cut him off.
"No. I'll not be entrusting the Regalia to you while I'm asleep. Or while awake, for that matter. I learned my lesson the first time." Iggy rejected Prompto's offer with a harsh tone, the exhaustion and lack of caffeine wearing on his nerves.
"It was one time! There was something wrong with the car, it would have happened no matter who was driving!" Prompto defended himself for what seemed like the hundredth time. Regardless, they all remained skeptical anytime he brought up the subject.
"Enough complaining, we can't risk not keeping a close eye on you. You still get distracted too easily." Gladiolus chided, retaliating against Prompto's earlier comment. He suppressed a smirk as the gunslinger balked and slumped back into his seat. With a hiss, hydraulics pushed the doors out so they could be opened. Ignis and Gladio stepped out and traded places in only a few strides. With a grunt, Gladio folded into the driver's seat and pulled the lever to slide it backward; however, it moved more abruptly than he expected, hitting Noctis's knees hard and jolting him awake with a yelp.
"The fuck? What's the big idea?" He complained loudly, readjusting his position and rubbing his knees.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to." Gladio apologized with a grunt, nudging the seat back another notch - carefully this time. There was a mild edge to his voice, but he made sure not to snap at Noctis. He watched the future King's eyes shut from the rear view mirror. "Aaaand he's out," Gladiolus commented. Just like that, Noctis was asleep again, snoring lightly.
"He'll hardly remember it ever happened." Ignis assured him with a crooked grin.
Shifting into drive, they were back on the road with a soft classical melody playing from the speakers, per Iggy's request. He claimed it helped him fall asleep in the car - and help it did. After a few minutes, Ignis was as unconscious as Noctis. Gladiolus smirked and decided to turn his attention back to their youngest member. One glance in the blond's direction had Gladio holding in a snort of laughter. Prompto had sunk low into his seat, arms crossed, and wore the biggest pout he'd ever seen. Fighting back the grin tugging at his lips, he scolded Prompto, trying to keep his voice low so he wouldn't disturb the two in the back, "Come on, quit pouting. You should be happy — you get to sit next to me now."
A light blush stained the blond's fair skin as he cast a sideways glance at the shirtless behemoth of a man. He'd left his leather jacket in the trunk at the Alstor station, claiming that Duscae was too humid for it, and that it made him look more "rugged". Prompto knew it was just an excuse to show off those stupid pecs, and those stupid abs, and those stupid biceps. Whenever he'd caught Prompto staring at him in the passenger's side mirror, he'd get that stupid smirk on his stupidly beautiful face. Prompto could feel himself drowning further into his own personal hell, which was a never-ending spiral of falling harder and harder for the royal shield, though he wouldn't admit it out loud. After all, he'd been the one to say—
Prompto heard a light thud and turned his head to see Gladio's hand resting palm-up on the center console, curling his fingers invitingly. It interrupted the dangerous thoughts swirling in his head, and he sent a silent thanks to the Six for the distraction. Prompto intertwined their fingers with little hesitation. Gladio gave his hand a quick squeeze.
"You know, it's not because we don't trust you-" Gladio started in a quiet voice, but stopped after Prompto shot him a dubious look, "-okay, we don't completely trust you, but that's because you are easily distracted. We're not trying to be mean. This isn't exactly a vacation, y'know? In the end, we still have a mission, and it's to-"
"-keep Noctis safe. I know. You don't have to poke fun at me every time that subject comes up, though. It really wasn't my fault..."
"Of course we do. You all still give me shit about getting stuck in that crevice in Keycatrich, and we give Iggy shit about that time he—"
"—None of that involves getting blamed for breaking a car, Gladdy. A very expensive-to-fix car." Prompto sighed. Gladio took a quick glance at the small gunner and felt a pang of guilt. He had a point, and Gladiolus couldn't deny it. Prompto genuinely felt guilty about the incident, and it was true that it would have happened to any one of them - he just happened to have been behind the wheel when it happened.
"Hey, uh, I can't since I'm driving, but just know that I owe you an apology kiss. You're right. It's about time we lay off of you for that. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, Prom." Gladiolus apologized, rubbing circles into Prompto's hand with the pad of his thumb. When he was met with silence, he chanced a look at the blond and saw a surprised expression, his lips slightly parted. A second later, Prompto pushed himself across the console and planted a kiss on Gladio's cheek.
"Apology accepted, ya big lug." Prompto said sweetly, grinning from ear to ear. A blush dusted his freckled cheeks as he nuzzled Gladio's stubbly jaw for a moment more.
They'd known each other for about five years, ever since Prompto became friends with Noctis in high school. The blond randomly began showing up with Noctis when the prince had training sessions. At first, Gladiolus had his concerns about a common crown citizen being given access to the palace, especially since Noctis had the ability to bypass safety protocol for certain areas of the palace - including the training rooms. Soon enough, however, the blond proved to be harmless. He'd cheered Noctis on at first while the prince sparred with his shield, but after a few weeks, Prompto suddenly switched sides and took to cheering for Gladio. He would whoop and holler loudly any time Gladio knocked Noctis on his royal ass. Gladiolus would have been lying if he said it didn't make his ego swell a little each time.
"Dude, whose side are you on?" Noctis had complained one afternoon, rubbing his hip after pushing himself up from the ground. At that, Prompto howled with laughter, holding his sides and snorting as he tried to inhale - which only spurred his laughter on. It had taken several moments for Gladio to realize he'd been grinning uncontrollably at Prompto's laughing fit. It was at that point that he found himself utterly charmed by the ray of sunshine that was Prompto Argentum. It was easy for Gladio and Ignis to become attached to the young man as he quickly became a familiar face in their prince's life.
After having proven his skills with guns when he was 17 - which the blond attributed to several years of playing arcade shooter games - Ignis and Gladiolus agreed with Noctis' decision to let Prompto join the Crownsguard to become the fourth member of his retinue. After an extensive application process, Cor Leonis approved Prompto's admission into the Crownsguard, and the future gunner immediately began his official training with Gladio. They'd also decided to go on morning jogs together, even on the weekends, as an unofficial part of his training. However, it allowed the two to bond over fitness, diet, and pranking Noctis.
Fast-forward to the eve of Prompto's 19th birthday when Gladio went to Noctis' apartment to keep the gunner company while Ignis and the Prince finished up with meetings at the palace. The moment he had closed the door, Gladio caught Prompto's gaze looking him up and down. The minutes following it seemed a blur. All Gladiolus knew was that the two somehow ended up making out and grinding against each other on Noctis' couch. It was alarmingly fast, as if floodgates he never realized had been built suddenly opened. Luckily, they'd been interrupted by Prompto's phone before anything could happen that they might have regretted.
They restarted properly after that, talking and figuring out what exactly they wanted from each other. Prompto was apprehensive about getting into 'anything serious', and Gladiolus, with his duty to Noct, didn't exactly have the free time to get into 'anything serious'. So they'd settled on something in between friends-with-benefits and lovers. Something without a proper name.
Their unnamed relationship persisted in secrecy to the present moment. Neither Noctis nor Ignis knew about their relationship, they were sure of it. Within Insomnia, it was easy enough to avoid suspicion and cover up their meetings, and they could typically spend a few hours together. On this road trip, however, their opportunities to be alone together were few and far between, and passed far quicker than they'd have liked.
As of late, they were getting particularly desperate for intimacy and, in turn, were taking bigger risks. Like now, for example. The feel of the blond's nose nuzzling his cheek urged a low, rumbling groan from deep within Gladio's chest.
"You, uh... wanna have a little fun?" Gladio asked suggestively, making sure the other two passengers were still fast asleep in the back. His body was already stirring at the thought. It had been a good week-and-a-half since they'd done anything — namely, a quick romp in the caravan at Hammerhead, while Noct and Iggy had been getting breakfast at Takka's — and being deprived for so long when Prompto was always so near was affecting him more than he cared to admit.
He heard the audible gulp from the blond, "You sure, big guy?" Then there was a hitch in his breath. "Holy shit." Prompto cursed under his breath upon seeing the erection that had just started straining under Gladio's pants.
"Yeah," Gladiolus answered his question, keeping his voice low, "We gotta be quick and quiet, though. Ain't exactly hard to see what's going on if they wake up." Taking a moment to steady the steering wheel with his knees, he unbuckled his belt. The sound of the music, the engine, and the wind zipping past them covered the metal clinking from his buckle.
"We always have to hurry." Prompto complained, but leaned over the center console all the same. He pulled down the zipper that ran down Gladio's right thigh and parted the leather as the larger man settled his hands back on the steering wheel. He could feel the blond's hot breath against his dick as he kissed it through the soft cotton of Gladio's dark grey briefs. Even with the simple touch, the shield already felt a pleasant tingling in his core as blood rushed further downward.
"Don't worry, Prom. Ig said we'll be staying at a motel in the Taelpar region tonight. I even talked him into getting two rooms, so we won't have to rush. Wasn't exactly hard with him being half-asleep." Gladio reassured him, combing his fingers through the mop of blond hair in his lap. Prompto tugged down the waistband of Gladio's briefs and gave his cock an experimental tug. The brunet sucked in a breath as he throbbed agonizingly in the gunner's grip.
Prompto brought his mouth back down and gently sucked the foreskin between his lips for a few moments before releasing it. He slid it down to expose the swollen head, teasing it slowly with his tongue. He licked over the sensitive flesh, swirling his tongue expertly and lapped at his slit as beads of precum leaked out - just the way the older man liked. He loved Prompto's teasing, it made him almost delirious with desire, but they didn't have the time to indulge in it.
He slid his hand onto the back of the sharp shooter's neck and tapped three times - 'no time, pick up the pace'. Next thing he knew, he was inside Prompto's hot, silk-smooth mouth as he started sucking and taking him deeper. A low, vibrating hum from the smaller man made Gladio's dick jump, and he bit back a moan. It took every ounce of concentration he had to keep his eyes firmly focused on the road, only breaking his gaze to check his speed and make sure the boys in the back seat were still passed out. His fingers wound tight in Prompto's hair, guiding his head up and down on his cock.
The blond became more enthusiastic, hollowing out his cheeks, lips curling tighter over his teeth, and letting his saliva drip freely from his mouth. It was warm and slick, and gods it felt so fucking good. His climax was building, coiling tight in his belly, and he felt his balls drawn close to his body. The pace picked up and his fingers tugged Prompto's hair just enough to let him know he was teetering on the edge.
Gladio's mouth was dry and his breathing shallow as he held back every sound that threatened to escape him. Steady, consistent snores in the back told him that they were still safe from being discovered. His attention was promptly focused back on the blond's mouth. Prompto concentrated his efforts around the head of Gladio's cock and worked over the rest of his length with a hand. The kid was wickedly talented with his tongue - oh the things it did to the shield. The things it was doing to the shield now. His grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles went white.
Prompto's right hand dipped under the waistband to stroke his balls, playing with them. Combined with the ceaseless laving at the tip, Gladio lurched to the edge, balancing at the tipping point. He throbbed desperately within Prompto's mouth, and it was all he could do to keep the car steady on the road. In a split-second of clarity, he engaged the Regalia's cruise control, and not a moment too soon. The pleasure was quickly becoming a focused pinpoint deep in his gut and he found himself holding his breath as his climax got unbearably closer. Even his cock seemed to still and go excruciatingly rigid with anticipation. With a few purposeful strokes up and down with his mouth, tongue dragging deliciously over every curve and crevice of his dick, the blond had him spilling over the edge and into his mouth. Nearly every muscle in his body clenched, his core's convulsions bringing a wave of bliss. Had his foot been on the gas pedal in that moment, they'd have sped off at a hundred miles an hour.
Gladio fought down every last moan and curse that threatened to bellow out from his mouth. He sharply inhaled and exhaled through his nose as Prompto worked him through the aftershocks, making his body tremble. Sure that he'd gathered every last drop of cum in his mouth, the gunner pulled off of the spent cock and made a face at the flavor on his tongue.
The older man winced and gave him an apologetic smile as he tucked himself back in his underwear. Prompto enjoyed giving him head, but rarely swallowed because he hated the bitter, salty taste.
"Grab my cup from the back and spit it out in that." Gladio offered quietly. It was a to-go drink he'd gotten at the Crow's Nest before they'd left the Alstor station, and the shield had long since finished it. "Just put the lid back on and leave it up here until we can toss it." He added while the blond fished the styrofoam cup out of the drink holder behind the center console. His lips were drawn in a tight, thin line as he kept the liquid in. The moment he lifted the lid, he practically put his face in the opening and spat silently. When he was done, he made another face as a visible shudder ran through his body. Yup, Gladio thought, definitely not a fan.
The blond picked up his own nearly empty sports drink and took the last few gulps to wash down the lingering bitterness. Before Gladiolus could ask, Prompto reached over and began zipping and re-buckling the larger man's pants and belt.
"Thanks, chocobo." Gladiolus murmured. Upon seeing the gunner adjust himself in his skinny jeans as he sat back in his seat, the brunet added, "I'll take care of you when we get to the motel later."
The blond's mouth quirked up at the corner and he bit his lip to mask his eagerness, "Yes, please."
Gladio snorted in response, checking the rear-view mirror to check on the their napping companions before he scooped up Prompto's hand once more. Even though they weren't an official couple, even though they didn't know exactly how to describe their non-relationship relationship, Gladio thought what they had was nice; and so far, the time he got to spend with Prompto made him happier than he could ever remember being. Neither of them knew how long this thing would last, nor were they eager to end it any time soon. For the time being, Gladio would enjoy what he had with the gunslinger, even as three small words clawed at the back of his mind with growing persistence as of late - words he vowed he wouldn't say because of his duty. Because it wasn't the right time. Because it wasn't what Prompto wanted. Briefly, he squeezed the smaller hand intertwined with his. What they had was enough.