Final Fantasy XV Songfic~Don't let the light go out

Gladio

Stare at a wall that's told a thousand tragedies, holding a hand that's loved every part of me.

When Ignis and Gladio had first met, they weren't exactly fans of each other. Ignis was perfection and Gladio..wasn't. But as they spent more time together and learned about one another a little bit, they developed a respect for each other, and then before they knew it a deeply rooted trust. Ignis and Gladio trusted each other explicitly. They had to, but it went beyond work and to a point, beyond their mutual charge. Gladio was his voice of reason when his own was silent. Gladio on occasion even reminded him to eat when he got so absorbed with paperwork or affairs for Noctis that he forgot. It was to the point now that Ignis was sure he wouldn't be able to continue the things he did everyday if he lost Gladio.

A lady comes and tells me that I've got to leave, right away everybody is the enemy.

Noctis was stubborn on a good day, let alone a bad one; so when the hospital staff came in and told them that they had to leave, Noctis refused. Gladio had gotten hurt protecting him, and it wasn't right to have to leave him just because the hospital thought they should. Prompto started to stand partially in fear when the lady leveled them with a look, but Noctis held his ground. Ignis was holding Gladio's hand and Noctis knew they were really close as his advisor and shield, and he knew Gladio and Prompto had grown closer too. Noctis put his hand on Prompto's shoulder and gently pushed him back into his seat before looking at the nurse and informing her that they weren't leaving and if she wished to try and make them she would have to go to his father as that was the ONLY person that could make him step from this room.

Deep breaths from the room where I watch you lie, any beat from your heart gets me through the night

Prompto tried really, really hard not to cry, but it was hard when literally the strongest person he knew was laying unconscious beside him. The steady beep of the heart monitor kept reminding him that Gladio was alive but that didn't help when he was covered in bruises from head to toe. Prompto took a deep breath to try and calm himself down, and it worked for a minute. Gladio wouldn't want him crying over him like this.

you're my love

Gladio was like an older brother to Prompto that he hadn't known he had needed until they met. At first he had been terrified of the giant dude that was pissed at his best friend, but once he had learned who he actually was, he felt slightly more comfortable knowing Noct had someone like that on his side. Of course Noctis also told him that Gladio beat the shit out of him in training and recently he had sat in a couple of sessions and seen it, but he also knew that Noctis needed those sessions too. Because as much as Gladio dished out and as much as he pushed Noctis to his limit, Prompto understood he wanted Noct to be the literal best. Gladio just wanted him to be able to handle himself in a fight, and when Prompto had timidly walked up to Gladio one day and asked if he could teach him a few self defense moves, Gladio had first laughed, then smiled then had shoved Prompto away from him and said 'show me what you got kid'. It was the most brutal but also possibly one of the best days of his life, because he felt respected to be able to handle himself for the first time.

you're my death

Gladio was Noct's shield, and he knew that was a role that Gladio took seriously. More than once when a dinner party or something royal went to complete shit, Gladio was always there and pushing Noct behind him. Noctis would never admit it out loud but that action alone made him feel safe and protected. Noctis felt safe and protected in the fact that his friend and brother, and person who beat him up on a daily basis, would actively seek him out and protect him. Noctis knew that was his job, but he also trusted Gladio as his friend. Sometimes if the assailant had decided to shoot the place up, he found himself shoved down behind a table that had somehow been kicked over. Gladio was always saving his ass from something or another, or at least making sure he was in a safe location at the possible expense of his own life. And when something was that chaotic, like that was sometimes Noctis didn't know which way to turn. So having Gladio by his side helped a lot, and Noct was pretty sure without him he would die.