V-day with a Shield and a book | blkwings

[houseofscientia]

[ To be honest, Ignis started arranging his Valentine's day way before Gladio asked him for a date. To get a few hours off from his busy schedule it needed excessive rearrangements, and in a few cases, bribing too. Ignis figured if the man wouldn't ask him, he'd signal his wish in time for him. Thankfully, he could trust Gladio to deliver a pretty smooth request for a Valentine's day date, to which Ignis could bravely say yes.

It didn't mean Ignis wasn't busy that day. He prepared some cards and obligatory chocolate Noctis can give to a few people. Ignis also prepared a batch he spiced up a little for an important soon to be Shield too.

Preparations were easy in some way, but the actual date stroke Ignis with a strange emotion. Something akin to unease, though not entirely in the wrong way.

It did help his nerves a little that he was the one driving them, even if Gladio insisted it would be faster if he drove. But it gave them something to focus on during it and so Ignis didn't have to just smile to himself all the time like a fool. Gladio navigated them to a part of the city Ignis wasn't too familiar with. Which was exciting.

He gets out of the car, looking around as he's setting his shirt and vest he is wearing for this occasion, with slacks and too expensive shoes. They are far from the Citadel, but not too far, which is good. Even with all the arrangements, he could still be called to assist Noctis. Both of them, actually. ]

Show me the way, then.

[ One thing about being in a different part of Crown City however, is that Ignis can hold out his hand for Gladio to take and people won't bat an eye. Would he try that near the Citadel, hell would get lose. ]

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[blkwings]

[Gladio hadn't been surprised at Ignis' easy acceptance of the date. Not really. While it was true the other man tended to be busy far more often than not, it stood to sense that he'd also have the foresight to clear things out in order for them to go out and do something while unhindered.

Gladio wished, at least remotely, that he shared the same tenacity. It wasn't as if he didn't want to do it- oh no- but he found that, at the very least with this, his usual easy manner had transformed and changed into complete and total neuroticism.

He'd stared, many times, at his phone looking at things to do and see in the city. Rolled his eyes, snorted at most of it. Wondered, really wondered, what Ignis would think to doing cheesy, manufactured, impersonal "quirky" things like Geocaching "experiences" (ugh) or Night at the Museums alongside other couples.

Ugh, the lot of it stressed him out.
And it didn't seem good enough for Ignis.
That pissed him off even more.

Then he found it. It seemed as pretentious as all hell- gentrification, if anything- of one of the more boring areas of Insomnia by re-purposing a rotting old library into a fancy coffee shop that promised both a place to sit down and read, as well as to drink way too expensive coffee. He'd flicked through the website quite a bit, really. Far too much.

Then he'd decided.

The question had been asked, accepted, and he'd kind of, sort of, internally, done a backflip. But he'd masked it with a gruff response of affirmation, and gave the prince's advisor a grimace of a smile as he'd unclenched his hands in the inside of his hoodie and sloped away.

Actually happening. Actually happening.

And happening it was. He'd made sure to get a haircut before it. A shave, too. And perhaps he'd taken way too much care in choosing what he was to wear to this date. Then chose again. And again. And again.

So much so that Iris had even commented 'Gladdy, for such a big guy, you totally act like a girl sometimes.' ...Which had led to merry Hell breaking loose in the Amicitia household.

As a peace offering, Iris had assisted him in choosing a simple, longsleeved vest as well as a leather jacket. (With sleeves- she insisted. Something he agreed with- at least because his tattoo was still very much a work-in-progress.) That, as well as a pair of worn jeans and his usual boots was effort.

...So much effort.

He got out of the car shortly after Ignis, unable to not look at him as he did.

Damn. Even in unfamiliar surroundings, he couldn't keep his eyes off him.

So he joins him, freely winding his arm around the other's as he takes his hand.]

It's just down this alley. Not far. Promise.