A LAWFUL WASTELAND

[counterattack]

[ it's December 8. Law turns 18 today. at this point, he's been living in Copalli for over a year. during the final relic fiasco, he achieved trance within about five seconds (because it's basically overlimit) and faced Tiamat in her castle because he had a score to settle with dragons (dragons, wyverns, same shit) and had enough taking shit from these mother fucking guardians in this mother fucking jungle. it was epic.

anyway, it's a few months later and Law lives in Tikal again, down at the bottom of the crater. they've built bridges and pulleys aboveground, as well as created a system to keep the crater from filling with water when it rains. although most of his farm was lost during Tikal's fall, he's rebuilt it bigger and better than ever and repopulated it with even more chickens, hogs, cows and even a few semi-domesticated mist monsters. there's also proper crops, probably due in part to at least one friend or another planting on the huge expanse of land he's set up there. he also rebuilt the inn that collapsed on top of him back then, and this time it's actually finished. he got a local business manager to help run the place and they export animal products and crops all over Copalli. the inn is booming. it's great.

all is well.

except now it's his birthday and Law is just trying to go about his business like he doesn't know that, strapping on his fancy wolf gauntlets and shouldering a big pack of supplies to go make some delivery trips to the other cities. nothin' to see here, not ya lil dude all growed up, a solid 5'9" (and a half) with some cool tribal tats done over his wyvern scars and something of a more mature countenance, buuuuuttt still the dweebo dorkus doofus meathead he's always been.

ANYWAY, THIS IS #LATERGRAM INCENSEDVERSE. medallion him, meet him at any of the cities, fight monsters together on the road, pretend there was a party planned that he's trying to sneak out of showing up to, WHATEVER WORKS. ]

Comments

[counterattack]

[ Finally. He's been holding that in for, what, six months? Maybe more? God—no, it's been closer to a year, almost. Gladio and the guys showed up right after Kiichpan got destroyed, and that was only a couple of months after his birthday if he recalls correctly, and... yeah, it was pretty much a "holy shit" at first sight with all of them. (...Almost all of them. Lose some weight, Noctis.)

Man. Nearly a year for him to finally crack. And what exactly did it take to get it to happen? Junk food. Not even the alcohol, because that one shot doesn't count for a thing and they haven't started drinking the other stuff yet. Law doesn't quite look surprised that Gladio agrees, but any amount of it that does show on his face is more at himself than anything. Like, dang, didn't know he had it in him. Prompto got the drop on him before, and everything had kind of fallen apart after that, so he never got the chance to try and make up for it, but maybe he is now, here, finally having a little confidence. Maybe he'll shoot his shot at Ignis next. Ha ha. (Help.) ]

What is it with you and my tail?

[ Lamely, but no less flushed with his feathers all ruffled, Law smacks his palm into Gladio's and gives his hand a very firm shake. Hey, at least he isn't all sweaty. When he went out with Prompto, he kept having to find ways to subtly wipe his hands off, his nerves were that bad. ]

Deal. But you're not gonna win, so you'll have to settle for the tail action in your dreams.

[ phrasing. that was on purpose though. he's trying to save face here. ]

[indeferent]

What? It's soft and I bet it'd feel nice.

<sub>[ not like Gladio would know, unfortunately. Behemoths sometimes had a thicker winter coat depending on what parts of the world they lived in, but Gladio wasn't one of them. whenever he changes he's lucky to wind up with something akin to a labrador's outside of his mane — enough to run ones fingers through, but not long enough to derive any genuine pleasure out of it like he would if someone were to play with his hair. surely it's bound to feel just as nice when it comes to tails, right? he's a giver.

once Law slips his hand into Gladio's, he resists the urge to pull him forward to plant a kiss to the top of his knuckles. the ball is in Law's court, not his. maybe on the actual date? but... hm. it's not going to stop him from swiping his thumb over the back of his hand once, though. that he allows himself to do. ]</sub>

Who's to say it's not already in 'em? They make me wonder...

_{[ wonder what? he refuses to elaborate and instead uses his free hand to twist off the top of the bottle and tilt it towards Law for a quick sniff. one thing is for certain — it's not the paint remover they call alcohol here. this was more sweet. almost with a hint of some sort of spice. Gladio couldn't say for sure what it was given parts of the label was in an old dialect he never learned, but he knew it was good and that's all anyone can ask for. ]}

Whaddya think? Yea or nay?

[counterattack]

Wonder wha—

[ If Law had those dog-ears he's overdue for, this would be when they'd prick up. The touch to his hand is one thing, but he can handle that. I mean, sheesh, he's at least held hands before. He's eighteen, not sixteen, man. A grown-up. An adult who can do adult things. (Technically, by Calaglian standards, he was a grown-up who could do grown-up things at sixteen, too, but who's counting, not him. He's not good at math, even.) It's the smell of what's in that bottle that instantly catches his attention. His senses are sharp, but none of that smells familiar to him at all. And yeah, it's not the straight gasoline Isabela's got on tap, that's for sure. ]

Oooh...

[ That smells like the kind of sweet that he likes: spicy-sweet. Cinnamon-sweet, like mango paleta con chile, which he will fucking lose his mind if anyone ever introduces to him. Grinning, he tightens his grip on Gladio's hand, then lets his fingers slip away. You're not getting his lips on your skin that easily, buddy. Give it a few shots first. ]

Yeah, I'm in. We doing this, or what?

[indeferent]

Hold your 'bos, birthday boy.

_{[ a half-snort of laughter and Gladio lets him pull his hand back so he can start pouring their shots, Law's first and his own second. the bottle goes in the middle of the table surrounded by that cozy, crinkly nest of bags, and then he's passing one glass across the table held between his thumb and middle finger. ]}

Savor the first one — you'll thank me for it.

_{[ but Gladio? naw, he's knocking half of his back already. he's missed this, okay? ]}

[counterattack]

What, you think I need a handicap?

[ No, but seriously, he probably would have done anyway. Law takes the glass and gives it another sniff, closer-up, then takes more of a sip than a swig, just to check out the flavor first. It doesn't taste quite the way it'd smelled—it's sure as fuck not candy, hoo boy. Still, most of what he gets out of it is taste rather than the sting of strong liquor, so it hits him real, real smooth. Not even the wine Dohalim had served them back during their first meeting in Menancia had tasted like this, and he'd thought that was as fancy as fancy could get, drinks-wise. ]

Wow, that's... really good. It tastes like... what liquid gald probably tastes like, I guess. Rich. Fancy.

[ Cool. Down the hatch goes the rest. Look, he at least takes the time to let it touch his tongue before he swallows it, alright? Not even so much as a grimace afterward. Look at this fucking chump: he's got the food preferences of a twelve year old (I want chicken nuggets!!!) and the tolerance for alcohol of a fifty year old man. ]

Oh, yeah. This isn't gonna be a problem.

[indeferent]

S'one of the oldest in my dad's collection. I think it's... It's not Lucis-old, but it's definitely a couple hundred. I... think it was a gift? I don't really remember 'cause he's had it for as long as I can remember, but I know he didn't buy it. I never saw him splurge on expensive booze for himself, just for friends 'n stuff.

<sub>[ maybe it was a shield-coronation gift? wedding? Clarus never did answer when he asked as a kid, nor would he ever get the chance to now. the mystery makes it that much more thrilling, and seeing as it's just an exact copy from the dragon itself he doesn't have to worry about any guilt which is the best kind of expensive, hard liquor.

the best kind to pair with the cheapest junk food money can buy. ]</sub>

Make sure to pace yourself, alright? I want that date but I'm not throwing the game just to get it.

_{[ WINKWINK. ]}

[counterattack]

You won't have to. I'm gonna win fair an—wait, what? You do?

[ Dude... serious?

Okay, obviously he hadn't had any problem with agreeing to the terms of this contest, which implies something. If Gladio hadn't wanted any part of this, or if he had just been humoring him, it probably would've been really obvious. Still, it's one thing to agree to it and another to say you want it, you know? Like, actually want it. Actively want it. Law stops short with his glass slid forward for a refill and his other hand securing that smashed bag of chips he'd demolished with his elbow, eyes a little rounder than he means for them to be.

And he must realize it, because he course-corrects a moment or two later, clearing his throat with a bit too much pronunciation. A-HEMMM... ]

I mean... geez. If you're that serious about it, you could've just said something sooner.

[ As if it hasn't been some subliminal, unspoken thing that that ball's been in his court for nearly a year now or something. They never said anything, never gave any real indicator, but it's just one of those cosmic things Law knew without knowing: if it was ever gonna happen, he was gonna have to be the one to make it so. Hence why it didn't. For a year. Because he sucks. (And also his world almost ended twice, and he got eaten by wyverns, and he died, so there's that too.) ]

[indeferent]

Would you believe me if I said I didn't know?

<sub>[ a hundred percent anyway. there was always some unspoken thing but Gladio had never dared take that final step over the line. they'd tease one another in the way that Gladio always teased his friends. they'd get physical while sparring and sometimes — sometimes — Gladio would stay on his back for a few seconds longer than usual under the guise of having the wind knocked out of him or simply out of surprise. they'd touch one another over speaking because words were hard and too complicated when something simple was needed instead, and... it was comfortable.

he just wasn't sure if that's something Law actually wanted and hence he'd simply been content to wait. let Law come to him first, and then he'd move.

he tosses his glass back, refills his own, and then Law's. a beat, and Gladio bites at his lower lip. ]</sub>

Not... completely, anyway. I didn't wanna risk this — _{[ a vague gesture between the two of them, ]} — when I wasn't completely sure where we... uh.

_{[ shot time? shot time. ]}

[counterattack]

...Oh. I thought... it was kinda obvious.

[ He'd tried to be subtle about it, kind of, but subtle isn't exactly his middle name. Every time he slipped up it'd always seemed as though Gladio was quick to capitalize on it and tease him, but that could've also just been his personality. I mean, everybody else always teases him and picks on him, and he's pretty sure none of them want to get with him, either (unless?!).

Yeah, it's. It's shot time. Somehow, he keeps from flushing about it, but that's more because he's feeling that squirmy, awkward sort of feeling rather than flustered. Rather than just chug it back, though, Law kind of drains his in one long sip, which at least has the benefit of being able to taste it before it's gone. Dohalim would probably know what this stuff is. He'd probably have something snooty to say about it, too. That at least gets a modicum of good humor back in him, thinking about it. ]

I guess it probably doesn't help that I already went out with Prompto. I didn't wanna make things weird, either. And I'm, uh... pretty used to not... uh.

[ he literally cannot even find the words for what he's trying to say. god, how lame can he get? What he actually started to say was not being what people want, but that's not even it. (That is it. He's just not going to say it.) ]

Used to just being a friend, I mean. I guess. Or, y'know. Just a kid.

[ And back goes the rest of the shot. ]

[indeferent]

I've been told I can be pretty thick-skulled.

<sub>[ more behemoth jokes at his expense? always. at least he's stopped taking them to heart after getting used to Those changes, even if it still rubs him the wrong way if he really sits and thinks about it. with friends it's okay, though. himself? it's... tricky. he still thinks about that day in Kiichpan when the locals shot at him. he still thinks about running into Noct and nearly losing control of himself. he remembers having him pinned under a heavy paw, teeth mere inches from his king's face and the shame that washed over him when he'd come to his senses. to say he was touchy about any and all jokes was an understatement for awhile.

but... none of them had held it against him. they still accepted him. Noctis never shied away when he really ought to have, and Law... his father changed often, didn't he? so really, Gladio had no reason to be worried about that but Prompto— ]</sub>

That's... part of it too I think. I'm not Blondie, so... I wasn't exactly sure if I was your type.

_{[ a half-grin and Gladio laughs, shaking his head. as awkward as it all feels, it's strangely nice to get it all out in the open. shots or no shots. ]}

'specially with the horns. And everything else that comes with it. With strangers I don't give a damn if I shoot my shot and miss, but with someone I'm friends with? That's where I get worried. So... I get it. 'sides, it's not often I find myself on the other side of it all — being asked versus me doin' the asking first. I kinda like it.

[counterattack]

[ Once he's finished that shot, Law lets out a clipped laugh. "Type"? Does he even have a type? When he first got here he would've said definitively that it was just "hot chicks", but life has a funny way of surprising you with who you are, for one thing, and for another, Copalli has had a funny way of bringing things from deep inside up to the surface that had been buried so deep, he hadn't even known they were issues until they were being weaponized against him by the incense. Some of that had obviously been problematic and traumatizing, like his deep and complicated history with indoctrination into the Renans' regime, but some of it was just... feelings. About his family, his friends, other things. In a way, he'd almost been lucky to have those things forced up and out of him, instead of being allowed to keep them buried. It would have made things even more awkward than they're feeling right now if he were still in total denial about the sorts of people he's interested in.

Anyway, all that to say: a type? Nah. As it turns out, he's pretty open. ]

Man, how could you not be somebody's type? Have you even seen yourself? The horns don't matter. None of that matters. And if it does, it's just another part of you.

[ They might've, once, but yeah, he's had a long time to get very used to transformations, even partial ones. He's been through the whole emotional gauntlet on that, too (what if this is what I really am? Just some twisted zeugle, a monster bent on violence that can't see, but can smell fear and taste pain?), but Trance really helped him come to terms with all that.

And also, just, like, let's just say, when he's checking Gladio out, the horns are the last thing his eye is drawn to, okkkk. ]

I get it, though. I've never... tried it before. I didn't know I could do it, and I hate not getting it right the first time, y'know? All it takes is one screwup to ruin everything.

[ ha ha... ha... ok, let's not be so dire, we're just talking about a date. sheesh. ]

I thought you were tryin' to make a point. Like, get me to man up first. So I did. No regrets.

[ some regrets, mostly related to what a nard he is. please refill that glass god he needs it. ]

[indeferent]

I don't think I gotta ever worry about you needing to man up. Noct? Sure, 'cause that's part of my job but you? Dude, I've seen the things you can do. The things you've done...

<sub>[ Gladio pauses to refill as he's asked, his eyes lifting up to meet Law's for a spell or two. even when he wasn't hanging around he'd always hear little stories and tidbits from the local population whether it be about that cozy little farm or just how he'd help people in general. that was something to admire and respect in his book, and Law? had anyone told Gladio a year ago that he'd meet someone so headstrong and caring like him outside of his immediate circle and even catch a few feelings in a world like this one, he might've laughed.

he's not thinking about laughing anymore. no way. ]</sub>

It'd take more than a fumbled confession to ruin everything between us, runt. Like trying to date my sister or something.

_{[ he's kidding, he's kidding. or is he? ]}

Real talk? I'm glad you spat it out like you did. I like when people're upfront and direct like that, 'cause that means neither one of us gotta sit around trying to figure out what we mean.

_{[ shot number 3 for Gladio? g o n e. c'mere, number four. he's gotta get all of this out before he starts saying Stupid Things and makes an utter fool out of himself. ]}

[counterattack]

[ Law's smile is modest. No matter how often he hears it, he's not sure he'll ever get used to hearing praise for what he's done or what he can do. Sometimes he absolutely eats that shit up and sometimes it feels like they've got to be describing someone else entirely different, definitely not him. Nothing ever feels like enough, not for all the mistakes he's made at crucial moments that cost people their lives, no matter how temporary that's become since they got here. Still. It's nice to hear, just... weird.

He'll get used to it eventually. And anyway, he can't go about looking shy for very long, because that comment about his sister weasels a smirk onto his face as he's taking the glass back. It's only there for a second, but it's there. You think for one second he wouldn't be into Iris, or that he'd think of having already dated her brother as a reason not to hit her up, think again. He's that bitch. Or he's gonna be someday, just watch him. ]

Yeah, I'm glad, too. I've been carrying that around for awhile.

[ Ok, let's not embarrass ourselves and say just how long, shall we? Man, the alcohol may not be having a strong effect on him, but it's clearly helping to loosen his tongue up juuuuust a little bit. Regardless, he knocks that third shot back, too. ]

I'm guessing you're not gonna wanna pet chickens as a dating activity, though. I'll have to really think about it, since I'm obviously gonna win and all.

[indeferent]

Hm... Maybe after. You wanna take me out? You're gonna have to wow me, 'cause I might be easy but I'm not that easy.

_{[ is he implying what he's implying? Gladio flashes a wink and motions to refill. he'll keep doing so either until he drops or the bottle empties, and given how long it's been since he's had anything of half-decent quality? only time will tell how much it'll take for it to knock Gladio down. as of right now though, he feels content. warm, content, and happy - genuinely happy. ]}

You can't drop something like that in front of me and not tell me how long, though. I'm gonna be curious 'til the day I die at this rate. What's it gonna take to get you to spill?

_{[ thatsbait.gif ]}

[counterattack]

[ phrasing.

The first part goes right over his head, bless his heart, but the second part sure doesn't. As usual, when he's flustered, the color goes straight to the apples of his cheeks, but even if it's the most... explicit thing that's gotten said so far tonight, somehow his feathers are a whole lot less ruffled than they'd gotten earlier. Just as soon as he's drained that shot, he sticks his glass out for the refill, and then, yep, that one's getting thrown back, too.

For the first time since they started, the spice of it gets him in the back of the throat, but he manages not to cough. That's just what he needs while he's trying to navigate a minefield of acting like he knows what he's doing, being cool and confident and all that, and not completely stepping on every single innuendo rake Gladio lays out for him. ]

Yeahhh, you can just go ahead and forget about that. I'm no narc.

[ Ain't that the god damn truth. He learned his lessons there real quick. Now when he has a secret to keep, you'd better believe it's one that's gonna die with him. Unless—

He leans forward, plinking down his empty glass. ]

I don't think you can afford what it'd take to get me to talk, rich boy.

[indeferent]

_{[ rich boy, as if he's not constantly broke like they all were outside of Insomnia's walls. Gladio laughs and lightly kicks Law's foot under the table, swirling the bottle around at the same time. A good, proper wiggle of it as if to say uh-huh? ]}

Name your price. Ten gald says I can afford whatever it is and if not? I'm sure we can settle on an I.O.U of some kind. Or... payment plans? I'm flexible.

<sub>[ it wouldn't be the first time he had to do something like that. he remembers the cost of repairs on the regalia outside Hammerhead and ouch, that was a bad day to be completely broke. upside at least he won't have to worry about hunting anything dangerous to actually pay whatever Law asks for - he knows he's got plenty of money, so... something material? or something he can do, and... huh, yeah, he's coming up with a few ideas already. are any of them good? it's questionable, but at least it's a start.

for now, he dutifully tops the glass up and lets the mouth of the bottle rest against the rim for a few moments. considering. ]</sub>

A kiss. Unless you'd rather save that?

[counterattack]

[ A devilish little grin spreads across Law's face the moment Gladio starts bartering. It's a fine time not to have an extreme amount of inner turmoil over his past, and so he doesn't. It's just, you know, it's reflex to know he's already won once somebody starts trying to bargain with him, and especially when they're stooping as low as saying dangerous things like name your price. At that point, you're pretty much as powerful as you can possibly get. Of course, he'd never use that to take advantage of Gladio the way it was done in Cysloden, but that doesn't mean he can't put a spin on it, have a little fun with it for once.

Like, uh. Like that. Alright, so the grin disappears right off his face. Damn. He wouldn't have asked, specifically because it would've made it cheap, but to just have it offered up like that? mother dahna please save him. The inner struggle is written all over him, from his face to how he sits upright just a little straighter, his lower lip caught under his front row of teeth. ]

It's... it's not that I want to save it, just...

[ Like why bother? Kiss now, kiss later, it's a kiss. Not that he's oblivious to the concept of it being special and things like that, but it's not a major concern to him at this time, that's all. Life's too sort to be so careful, and he'd rather explore. Indulge. Savor. All that. Y'know, uh, once he can work up the nerve. And he's got nerve, no matter how boyish and shy he might look for just a second there. Eventually, he wrests some kind of composure back. ]

That's really tempting, but... I dunno if that's gonna be enough. It'd have to be a really good kiss, and you've got some stiff competition already.

[indeferent]

I haven't had any complaints if that helps.

<sub>[ cocky? nah, just confidence which was always nice. he listens while taking the next shot, then sets the glass down and leans forward with his elbows on the table - something the upper class would no doubt have Feelings about - as he fixes Law with an eager, curious look. maybe offering it first wasn't the best plan but hey! he at least seems to be Considering It and Considering isn't a no. Six, he's definitely not hearing a no regarding one.

but what else? he's coming up with nothing or at least nothing that'd be suitable for something like a harmless answer. nah, Gladio's not going to break Law. ]</sub>

What would be enough? A kiss and... what else?

_{[ a moment of thought, and he pulls his chair in with a loud squeak from its legs scraping against the floor. closer, closer until he nearly risks hitting the table with the rest of his body, ears perked in attentiveness. ]}

C'mon... You can't just leave a guy hangin' like that!

[counterattack]

[ Hold on, he's experiencing a little bit of remorse for not just taking that offer. Law's eyes linger on Gladio's mouth for a long, mournful moment. This is something he's laid awake at night agonizing over and having absolutely crazy dreams about, and he just said "nah"?! Seriously???

But it's not a no, as in, no forever. If it wasn't clear to him already, it's starting to be clear to him now: he's gonna get a kiss. From Gladio. Like, a real one. It's gonna happen. He might even be the one to initiate it, himself, depending on how things go.

That puts the power back in his hands again. Recovering from his brief moment of deep regret, Law drags his gaze up to meet Gladio's. He pulls the refilled shot glass back over to himself and sips it real slow-like just to buy himself a little extra time. What is this, shot four? Shot five? Whatever it is, he can feel it in his limbs a little bit, in his head a little bit, and that warm feeling in the pit of his chest like he'd swallowed a partially-cooled hot coal. Always very aware of his body and his energy, that's part of how he manages to have such good alcohol tolerance: he can feel very keenly how it's affecting him and adjust accordingly. Which is great for things like not falling over and being a clumsy drunk, but unfortunately he doesn't have the same control over his mind, so he's just as liable to make the same stupid decisions as everyone else.

Eventually. ]

I want... to know a secret.

[ He sets the glass down and scoots his chair closer, too, leaning in conspiratorially. ]

Something nobody else knows, not even the guys. To your knowledge, anyway. As long as you think it's a big secret, it counts.

[ This is a long way off from weaponizing secrets to bust his fellow Dahnans. Like, a long, looong way off. If he ever bartered in secrets, it wasn't ever like this, so he doesn't feel weird about it. Besides, he's not going to do anything with it. All things considered, he's a great person to tell your secrets to. Even drunk. Probably. Smirking, he lifts his chin, satisfied with this play. It still feels intimate enough to him. ]

Fair's fair, since I'm gonna be telling you one, so... a kiss and a secret, that's my price. Take it or leave it.

[indeferent]

<sub>[ a... secret? Gladio's brow goes up for a moment, then he leans back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest as a thoughtful look crosses his face. a secret. one that no one but him knows. that's actually a hard one, but it's one that gets him thinking. there were some obvious ones of course but most of them were also ones he meant to take with him to his grave - none of the guys needed to know about an old, long crush he once had on the Marshal (and godfather, whoops), especially considering everything else. nor did he ever once tell them about the time he'd gotten sick and when speaking to Regis with his father, vomited over His Majesty's shoes at the tender age of six. thank the gods that had occurred in the privacy of the Amicitia home because if the tabloids had gotten their hands on that?

yikes.

but there was another one that wasn't so "dire" in his mind. one that he'd often thought about fessing up to a few times but often decided against it, and one he now regrets keeping purely because they were no longer around to hear the truth of it.

a kiss and a secret. he nods slowly at first, then laughs softly to himself and rubs at his cheek once the motion stirs a vague sense of vertigo in him. it's really starting to creep up on him and now he understands why his father rarely broke this particular bottle out and why it was always limited. ]</sub>

What kind of secret? Harmless? Some deep, dark, family secret that I probably don't know? Dirty?

_{[ it's always good to clarify and regardless of the answer, Gladio starts to ready another shot. will he need it? probably not, but it never hurts to prepare. ]}

[counterattack]

[ Law finishes the last of the shot in his hand with a gulp, watching Gladio ponder his terms. Frankly, he couldn't blame him if he decided to cut the deal and pass. Secrets about him that no one knows (other than this one, the one he's about to fess up to, he guesses) can also as good as go to the grave with him. He's a whole lot better at listening than telling, when it comes to things like this, although he's had a lot of time to work at it and now it isn't so bad, but—

His eyebrows jump at "dirty," but other than that, he wears the same grin on his face as he slides his glass over for the next refill. It's not at whew, really hitting me now stages, but it's getting there. He's starting to feel the liquid courage, that much is for sure. ]

Any kind, just as long as it's not some cop-out like, "I secretly love peanut butter sandwiches" or whatever. It's gotta mean something real, and it's gotta be something you haven't told anybody else before.

[indeferent]

Alright. Okay.

_{[ another nod and Gladio throws it back, lets it sit in his mouth for another three, and swallows. alright. alright. even if he can't spill to the people involved, he can at least say it now and get it off his shoulders. deep breaths, and- ]}

I spent about two months sabotaging the family kitchen so my dad would order a nicer stove and better countertops for Jared when I was eight or nine. After Iris was born my dad didn't... really come home from the Citadel and when he did it wasn't for very long so he was essentially raising the two of us. He got hurt that year and started havin' to use a cane while he was recovering but because of how things were set up he was having a hard time taking care of us and the house, so...

_{[ Gladio rubs at the back of his neck a little sheepishly and drops his eyes to the bottle, slowly rolling it this way and that across the table. wordlessly, he refills Law and clears his throat a little. ]}

It was never anything major, just enough to make it seem like it was natural. And never anything that Jared used a lot. The last thing I did that finally got my dad to cave was, uh... He came home one night and made himself something in the oven when he thought I was in bed and Jared was away visiting his kids. I kinda made it seem like he did it by sticking some of our old pans in and turning it on. They wound up melting and fusing to the racks and stank real bad. There wasn't any saving it after that so while he was still gone, dad got people to come in and renovate the entire room top to bottom.

_{[ dangerous? risky? absolutely. he knows now that he could've very easily started a fire and done so much worse but at the time? he was angry at his father. he was angry, struggling to grieve, and was trying his damndest to be the strong one in the face of everything. but was it worth it? yeah. yeah, it was. ]}

Everything was stuff that Jared would talk about in passing. The cabinets were lowered to make it easier for him to reach, the countertops were a lot easier to clean for the both of us... He could do a lot more on the stove too, which helped a lot when he started teaching me how to cook on my own. I think mom would've liked it too. She used to do a lot of baking and left a bunch of recipes in a book for us that we finally got to try. I wanted to tell him - both of them - that it was me after awhile but I didn't wanna have my dad pull the "I'm not mad I'm disappointed" look on me, 'specially since I was starting my Crownsguard training at the time and I definitely couldn't have handled it from Jared. No way.

_{[ now? six, he wishes he could've told them. should've told them despite his own worries. then he flashes a faint grin. ]}

By the way — I don't secretly love peanut butter sandwiches. I love 'em and I'm proud of it.

[counterattack]

[ Once his shot's refilled, Law takes it back and sips it down, letting the taste linger on his tongue until it's drained. He's reaching for something new to snack on, something he hasn't tried yet, and manages to get his hand on a bag of what look like little fruit-shaped kinda thingies that'll probably wind up being too sweet for him when Gladio really gets started in earnest. Naturally, anything that contains the words "my dad" is going to get his attention, but as the story goes on, Law finds himself sort of frozen in place, just listening. Too invested in it to remember to grab those fruit snacks.

It strikes a chord, one he hadn't expected to be struck at a time like this, on a day like today. Not here, in this company, anyway. He'll be seeing his dad later, and he's already sort of mentally prepared himself for feeling something, but now? Geez. While he can't completely over-relate to the story, he can relate to enough of it. A dad who never came home, who overlooked things when he did. Doing things to avoid getting on his bad side that'd technically get him in trouble and could've been totally dangerous, but it all came from a good place in his heart, really. He feels a pang, but he can't help but smile back, a little bit wry and then a little bit more earnest. Good thing he's a happy drunk. ]

Bet he wouldn't have been that upset, in the end. None of them would've. They would've seen it was coming from the right place.

[ Funny how he can say that confidently to someone else, but in his own version of events? Yeah, that's a lopsided double-standard. He's always been hard on himself. ]

You said... your dad was the Shield before you? That guarded the ruler where you come from. And you picked it up after him, for Noct. I guess it must've been a heavy mantle to take up. Was your mom away a lot, too?

[indeferent]

_{[ something in his chest blossoms into warmth at that. even though it's not from his father or Jared, hearing someone actually say it soothes the frazzled beast that spent years agonizing over it. they'd have understood. they wouldn't be upset. they... yeah. Gladio makes a soft sound in his throat and shakes his head with an even fonder smile, his ears slanting down and back while he thinks. ]}

For as long as I could remember she was always at home with me. The guys didn't know me very well at the time — Noct's three years younger than me and we didn't really start hanging out until I was around thirteen — so they never knew how big of a mama's boy I was.

_{[ it feels strange talking about his mother after all this time. strange, but. it's nice. he doesn't get to do such a thing very often even if it makes his heart ache. somehow he gets the feeling that Law's in a similar place — he only ever hears about his dad over in Coatepec, never his mother. he can only assume something more or less the same happened to her just like his own. ]}

For what it's worth she never tried to dissuade me from becoming a Shield. She knew what it meant when she met my dad and married him, and she knew that with me being the first-born I'd wind up going down the same road no matter what. Probably.

_{[ and if he didn't? the job might've gone to Iris which to a younger Gladio had been entirely unacceptable. it's still unacceptable - that's his baby sister and he'd sooner fight a flock of wild cockatrice than see her put herself in danger like that. ]}

I know she would've nailed me with the "not mad just disappointed" speech though, one-hundred percent.

[counterattack]

[ For a second, Law considers whether he should've asked, but just as soon as Gladio starts to answer, he feels better about going ahead with it anyway. Once again, he can relate all too well. It's actually kind of funny how similar they sound, even though, in reality, they're literal worlds apart. Of course, the circumstances and situations are undoubtedly very different, but this isn't the first time he's found it kind of jarring how much he's able to relate to someone he's met here. Meeting Alphen and Rinwell in particular, along with the rest of his friends, had given him the room to accept that his pain wasn't unique, but that had just introduced an insular sort of mindset that he'd come into Copalli a bit prejudiced with, in a way: no one else could ever possibly understand me or what I've been through but them.

Listening to Gladio now, watching his face and still thankfully having the functioning brain cells available to interpret his facial expressions, he doesn't have that walled-off feeling at all. It actually... feels really good. Liberating, you might say. (Ha ha.) ]

Heh... I know exactly what you mean. Moms are tough like that, though, huh? Knowing what's coming, probably worrying themselves sick half the time, but strong enough not to let you see that. And giving you a hell of a talking-to when you do something stupid.

[ He can almost hear the you come hear this instant, young man from his own mom if he thinks about it hard enough. But, uh, he'd rather not think about it that hard, so he just gets himself another shot lined up, one he's not going to knock back right away. Instead, he sets it off to the side for the time being and motions for Gladio to sit forward. ]

Wherever they are, I know they're proud of you.

[ He doesn't know, but like... he knows. It's just something you can feel, having that in common with somebody. It makes him feel guilty for having a chance no one else who's felt the same kind of pain has gotten to have, but it also makes him feel incredibly lucky, too. ]

Now c'mere before we both get all choked up so I can tell you my secret.