sunset_horizons | With Fang and Claw (Private to iwillshieldhim)

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With Fang and Claw (Private to iwillshieldhim)

Who: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia
Where: The Royal Gardens, the Citadel, Insomnia
What: Lycanthropy AU! The crown prince meets his Shield in the most adorable(?) way.
Warnings: None yet!

Noctis had a little problem that most of his line did: sneaking out and away when everyone else thought they were asleep. Usually it wasn't very far, still inside the Citadel. Hey, even Iggy would join half the time and they'd climb up the tower steps and just gaze up at the stars! Tonight though was one of those nights when Iggy couldn't 'cuz he'd already fallen asleep, and Noct had already gotten him in trouble so he felt bad about even thinking of waking his friend.

Climbing up the tower just wasn't nearly as fun without the other's quiet amusement. So instead, he decided to head for the gardens. Heck, maybe Mr. Cat would be there! It always liked sneaking in at night before.

He made his way quietly, once in a while checking around a corner to make sure there were no guards or attendants to notice him make his way through the citadel's hallways. He'd gotten lucky by missing their patrols so far. So by the time he made it, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew. Made it," the little prince muttered under his breath, rubbing his eyes with a tiny fist. No, now wasn't the time to be sleepy! He wanted to see if his furry friend was here! Though he'd forgotten one tiny little thing.

Mr. Cat never visited the royal gardens on any night with a full moon.......

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That was leather that Noctis bit down onto, not that it didn't hurt but it didn't have the effect he was hoping for. The stomp, however, brought out a curse from the person who held him and his grip loosened enough to partially let go of the child in his arms-- It's all the opening the werewolf needed. Gladio pounced on the stranger from the shadows with a snarl that, even from a pup was still terrifying. Noctis would go down in part from the leap as the attacker landed flat on his back and Noctis part on top of him, but the werewolf already had his jaws locked around the man's shoulder. Now there was screaming, shrill and painfilled, as Gladio shook his head. Noctis had a chance to slip out, but not without some blood spraying on him.

Noctis jumped on the opportunity the moment he could, ducking down and pushing his arms out to get free-

That's when he heard his new friend's snarl, ducked down just a little more and covered his head with his newly free arms as he fell as well; briefly sandwiched between his attacker and his now-protector. The screams bring back the memories of that night, a horrid nightmare he was still recovering from as he lay there frozen until he felt a splash of hot blood on his arm. He crawled out from the position that he was in. Shaking as he scooted farther and farther away. Trying to cover his ears to block out the sound.

The sound would have alerted the guards closest to the gardens, and knowing the moon cycles, they'd likely fetch his father or Cor in particular. Both of which being the only two (aside from him, now) who know how to calm an Amicitia. Now he wasn't sure if he was trying not to cry due to the horrid flashbacks, how close he'd likely been to being abducted from his own home, or just how terrifying the wolf could be. Maybe even a mixture of the three.

All he knew was that, after a few moments, there was another hand on his shoulder. One that knew not to try to sneak into the gardens under the light of a full moon. The moonlight reflecting off the black ring on his finger.

"Shhh, Noct. I'm here. I've got you." the King said, leaving Clarus to handle his pup. Noctis doesn't even hesitate to cling onto his dad's robes.

"H-he..." He tried to choke out, careful not to bite his own lip in fear of the blood staining his arms and sleepwear. "The man tried to grab me... H-he saved me."

"I know, Noct." Regis rubbed his back gently, just barely grazing the cloth on the still-tender skin. "You can come back and play with him tomorrow night. For now, let us get you cleaned up and changed into some clean clothes."

Noctis meekly nodded, allowing his father to pick him up but still turned his head to find his friend. To see if he was okay despite knowing how strong he was.

The moment between father and son, for the wolves, was not nearly so tender.

While Gladio, even at this age, was a massive wolf, it showed his age when standing beside his father who easily would have stood at nine feet if he was on his hind feet. Instead, the larger wolf with hints of grey in his fur was growling at his son, yet it wasn't a deep, bass growl like the terrifying one Gladio had produced before. The younger wolf was staring up at his father, teeth still latched into the figure that he held, almost shaking with the intensity of the moment. Another low sound, slightly darker, almost as if threatening, a faint dip of the head, like the two were communicating in a language unlike anything that Noctis knew.

When the younger growled back, challenging, Clarus moved all at once. Within a few seconds of snapping teeth and snarls, the bigger wolf had the younger pinned. There was some flexing from the younger, trying to push his father off, but the far bigger wolf just held his son down and growled low until, slowly, Gladio finally calmed down, panting there in the grass. Body was still where it lay beside the two werewolves, unconscious, in shock, dead, it was difficult to tell, but it mattered little to the two wolves now.

Once Gladio gave a quiet whimper, a completely different sound to that darkness of moments before, Clarus' head came down and rubbed the end of his muzzle against his son's ears.

Regis turned to an attendant that had followed the two fathers, green eyes alight in anger. Once Noctis has calmed down will he receive his own scolding, but for now there would be inquiries as to who had attacked his son. "Check him. If he yet lives, give him an elixir and wolfsbane draught before tossing him into the dungeons."

"R-right away, Your Majesty." The attendant bowed deeply, before moving to do as ordered. Yet Regis did not wait to see what became of the man. Turning on his heel, he left the gardens. Clarus and Gladiolus were free to follow, yet his sole intent was to ensure his son and only heir was taken care of and not infected by their blessing and curse as well. Pulling out a vial, he held it out to his son to drink. "It will taste horrible, but it will keep you from getting sick, my son." He said as he loosened his grip enough to allow him to drink the draught. "Hold your nose. It helps."

Noctis did not hesitate to do so, holding his nose closed as his dad helped him to drink it. He still gagged a little, but it did indeed go down. With a slight sigh of relief, the doting father mask waned. "What were you thinking, Noct? You could have been-"

"I-I'm sorry." Noctis buried his face in his dad's shoulder, his own shaking. "It was my fault. I forgot the moon phases and wanted some fresh air..."

Regis paused, looking over his shoulder to see if father and son wolves were following or not. He would need to have a word with Clarus in the morning, but for now, he gently patted his son's messy and blood-soaked hair.

"Shh, I am not mad at you, my dearest son."

"'M your only son."

Regis chuckled. "That you are, Noct." Though that did not stop him from giving the boy in his arms a cross look. "But you need to understand that the rules regarding the gardens are in place for the protection of all in the palace grounds. Even you are not exempt from them."

"Mm-hm..." Noctis buried his face into his father's neck, "But I remembered what you taught me. We were playing when I heard-"

"You can tell me in the morning. Bath, and then sleep so that draught can do it's job."

"Yes, daddy..."

The two werewolves were walking behind the other father and son, and only then would Noctis see that the younger of the two was limping slightly as he did. Yes, there would be a great deal to discuss in the morning, but at least Noctis hadn't been hurt in the process. Clarus' eyes seemed to glow ever so faintly in the low light, a hulking figure walking in Regis' shadow, but as they moved into more lit parts of the Citadel, it turned from creature of nightmare more into very large handsome wolf with a smaller version of himself at his side.

Clarus' eyes were shifting between his son and his King, not that he so much knew Regis as 'his King' as 'brother-pack' right now, but there was concern there, the sense of being protected. Gladio's eyes, however, were on his playmate alone. There was something he could sense there about the other, even if he had no name or even understanding for it. A connection, perhaps.

Gladio planned to follow Noctis right to his bedroom and stay there.

Noctis lifted his head from its resting place to look behind them as his father carried him to his chambers in the royal quarters. Spying the two werewolves as his father had. The sight of Clarus' glowing eyes made his own midnight blue widen in terror before they step more into the light, revealing who the shape really was.

The small boy heaves a sigh of relief, smiling faintly at the younger wolf. Though when he sees that limp, he tugs on his dad's shirt. "Dad... he's hurt."

Regis paused slightly, looking to his lifelong friend's son and too noticing the limp. Humming to himself as he thought, he nodded. "Then your first task in the morning will be to tend to him once he has transformed. After,, you are grounded for a week."

He opened the door to his son's chambers one-handed with practiced ease, but instead of placing him on his bed, he turned to give Clarus a single look. One they had practiced for years both in human and in wolf form. They would return to this room shortly, once Noctis was cleaned.

And yet, he did not close the door to the attached bathroom. It was late, and no attendant would want to chance the risk of turning. Yet Regis did not hold that fear. He was, after all, a pack-brother to them. So in a display that would have otherwise have earned a note of protestation from any of his advisers, he took care of making sure his son was thoroughly clean himself.

"Daaaad, I can do it myself..!" Noctis protested, only to earn a chuckle from the king. The boy huffed, even though he did a good job on his own, he couldn't quite reach his back, where much of the blood had been splattered.

"I know, Noct. Allow me to at least assure your back is cleaned?"

Noctis blew a raspberry. His father took that as a "yes." So, in little time at all, Noctis was cleaned and redressed The moment his feet touched the ground again, though? He was sleepily walking over toward the son, wrapping his tiny arms around his neck and being careful not to get more blood on himself. "Thanks, Gladdy."

His father had told him that it was, in fact, his future Shield. Someone he was now expected to forge a dual-bond with; the same bond their fathers had.

Noctis barely registers his father placing a potion bottle on his nightstand, before catching him resting a hand on Clarus' large shoulders. He smiled faintly at their dads and nodded.

While Noctis is getting a bath, Gladio is getting one of his own. The younger wolf is pinned down by his father and despite his protests and wriggles, isn't being let up as a tongue swipes again and again across his fur. He's too old for this! Stop! ~~I am the night!~~

By the time Noctis is fully cleaned and out of the tub, a sullen, but mostly clean Gladio is waiting beside his father. He watches as Noctis toddles over to him, head coming up along with both ears, though he freezes under the unfamiliar gesture of being hugged. When nothing bad comes of it, he ends up sniffing all along the young Caelum, confused by the scent of soap.

Clarus stands sturdy beneath the King's hand, watching with his own sort of intelligence over their sons. It gives both of the fathers a chance to see as Gladio licks Noctis' che-- well, his whole face given the size of his tongue, then looks very much prepared to remain there as he looks up at his father.

A moment of silent communication.

Then Clarus huffs and stands up, shoulders easily coming up to Regis' waist, and gestures towards the door with his nose as he looks up towards his alpha.

He won't lie, but Noctis does take a few peeks outside into his room to see what the fuss was about. He also couldn't help but laugh a little at the parallel (though he still has no idea what that word means just yet).

Noctis notices that freeze, blinking before realizing. Oh, right. First fully human contact while in wolf form, huh. He holds out his hand again for Gladio to sniff it. It's still him! See? Soap is just weird like that.

At least, until Gladio licks his face. He blinks again, before laughing it off only the way a child and those familiar with canines could. It also gets an amused huff from the elder Lucis Caelum, who nods to his old friend in response.

Another moment of silent communication, before Regis led the way back to his own chambers. They would not be far, after all.

Edited (phone autocorrect please) 2018-03-14 16:29 (UTC)

[ooc: I promise I haven't forgotten this thread. :( Trying to go through the house buying process and this medical stuff is just wrecking me. I hate being this slow.]

Gladio does take the offered chance to sniffsniff at the hand, but his tail gives a wag when Noctis laughs at his lick. He has no idea that, much like the notion in his own head, his father fully intends to spend the night tucked up beside his king, watching over him protectively and keeping him warm, though with an ear cocked in the direction of their children.

For the moment, tail still swaying back and forth, he looks to Noctis and gives him a head-nudge towards the bed. Without conscious realization, the human knowledge of using the bed to sleep has leeched in, and it takes little effort for him to leap up onto the huge bed (creaking slightly under his far greater weight) to lay out the length of it. The tip of his tail actually falls over the far edge with his back legs splayed to the side, leaving... most of half of the bed for Noctis to come up and lay beside him.

[ooc: Jantra, you're more than fine. I know just how shitty both those are combined. You don't have to worry about it from me. :( <3]

He's going to need a bigger (and perhaps sturdier) bed if this keeps up when they're older. Noctis crawls up into bed after the other, still grinning despite how exhausted he is after that ordeal. Yet as he did so, he found himself half-curling up against the wolf pup instead of simply beside. He's warm, and despite how scary that was, he feels oddly... safe. Beside the other.

Maybe that will make more sense in the morning, when he's not as sleepy. Until then he's just going to pull the blankets towards him and nuzzle into the warm, moving pillow of a protector.

[ooc: sjdkhskajh <3 -- If you want to keep going, we can! Otherwise, we can end here. Or we can go to another wolf-time.]

Gladio easily tucks his head around Noctis, huffing quietly as he 'holds' Noctis close, eyes watching towards the door. He is a solid, warm presence there, the scent of blood (mostly) gone from his fur and some of the scent of soap transferring. It doesn't even connect in his mind that he hasn't known this man-child until tonight (or so he believes) or that there should be an oddity in wanting to protect something he just came into contact with, but it doesn't matter.

He'll fall asleep there only when Noctis does, the tiny boy almost hidden curled into his protector.

It will be a very awkward morning, though, when there's a nude Gladio.

[ooc: I'm cool either way <3]

It doesn't take long for Noctis to drift off, tired as he was from the ordeal. It also helps that Gladio is warm. That's all it really takes for this crown prince to doze off soundly.

Fortunately for Gladio, Noctis is a heavy sleeper. Has been ever since the attack. So when he transforms back into a human, he doesn't notice - still in dream land. What he should notice is the change of clothes by the foot of the prince's bed and a handwritten note from the King stating he's free to use his son's bathroom should he wish, and that there would be no repercussions for the awkwardness that was this little scenario. Though Noctis is grounded for the rest of the week.

Not to mention the fact that Clarus would have to speak with him later. That went without saying. First thing's first: Get cleaned and dressed, while being thankful the young prince doesn't so much as stir unless a certain someone makes a huge fuss over it.

With cheeks ever so slightly pinked from waking up in this situation, Gladio thanked the Six in the back of his mind as he gathered up his clothing and ducked into the bathroom. To wash off the night, to give himself time to remember what he could of what happened, was a welcome necessity to keep him from being unsettled for the rest of the day. The wolf didn't remember things like the human and it took time to process, but by the time he was drying himself off, he remembered enough of it to piece it together.

The talk with his father is not going to be so easy, he thinks, lips thin as he pulled on clothing and stretched out into a human's skin. All of his changes up until now had either been had home, when he was a pup, or here in later years where they is more safety for him and everyone else around. Or... so they thought. The fact that Noctis had come into the garden...

But he hadn't hurt Noctis. He'd protected him. There's something that settles well into his chest, the place that was promised since birth to become the prince's Shield.

There's a small noise in the other room as Gladio finishes dressing. The prince's sleepy brain likely beginning to recognize the extra warmth had left finally as he rolled over onto his back. A small noise that's followed by a short note of pain that made him sit up far too quickly. Blearily looking around before gently lying back down.

"Nngh..." Today wasn't going to be a good one for the prince, he could feel it already. His back aching from both old wounds and that attack. It shouldn't take long for his nanny to come in, considering what time it was. So he just... curled up into a ball on his side. Wiping some sleep from his eyes until then. That's when he noticed the door to his bathroom was closed, which is more than enough to peak his curiosity. "Mornin'." He greeted, not really sure if the young Amicitia heard him.

Sensitive ears, regardless of form, pick up the greeting and he looked towards the door. There was a certain level of uncertainty as he hid in the empty bathroom, wondering what exactly he was supposed to do on the heels of the previous night. Already he felt like he was in trouble with his father, or at least 'a talk' which had questionable connotation towards either good or bad, but more, what was the brat going to do about it all?

He remembered most of Noctis' actions last night, including curling up to him after all was said and done, something that was drastically different than the quiet, almost emotionless child that had come back from Tenebrae. A slow breath out, thinking on the laughter that had come from the Prince the night before, and he stepped out of the bathroom with the towel around his shoulders, catching the last drops of water from his short hair.

"...Morning." Keeping his uncertainty to himself, his back straight, he tried to be the guard he was supposed to become instead of the ridiculous wolf pup he had been last night.

To be fair, he didn't really have much to smile about. Not after both the attack and what happened in Tenebrae. Last night was one of the exceptions, making a new friend despite already knowing his human form. He kind of hoped it wasn't some sort of trend. Making a new friend or two and suddenly, boom, attacked. It's two for three, now. Ignis being the only one nothing bad happened after.

He hugs his legs closer to himself under the blanket, a tiny hint of a smile pulling at his lips before he ducked his chin to his chest. His future Shield didn't need to see him like this.

"Thanks- for last night." Whether he meant protecting him, or just being a friend. Most likely it was both, but it was hard to say. Especially since he didn't feel like specifying.

"...You're welcome." He isn't sure what to say. Is he supposed to act... more professional? 'It's my job' or 'my privilege'? He's trying to imagine what his father would say, but his father has been the King's right hand for so long that there is a natural, unspoken bond between them that allows for the most simple communications to always seem like something more.

Then again, he believes that his father has a Bond with the King. A capital B type bond. He doesn't know a lot about it, but he's heard little bits and pieces, snippets. It'll be years before he even has the chance for that, he thinks.

"Why did you come to the gardens, anyway?" He knows for sure that Noctis - and everyone - has been banned from the gardens during the full moon, ever since he got big enough to jump the wall of the garden at home.

Gladio, they just had one of the most strange and impromptu sleepovers he's ever heard of. Granted, he doesn't really have much in the way of experience with sleepovers considering Ignis lives inside the citadel too, but... the prince doesn't seem to mind the lack of professionalism. In fact, he almost seems grateful for it as he peeked out from under the covers briefly.

"I..." Noctis pauses, before gingerly sitting up and attempting to ignore the way his back protests the action. "-forgot the moon cycle, and couldn't sleep."

It was stupid and he knows it; he frowns as he pulls his knees back up to his chest and he hugs them. "But- Dad taught me how not to get attacked when I was younger, in case I ever needed him during a full moon." And since Clarus stayed with the King in his chambers at night, it had been necessary for the young prince to know from an even earlier age than Regis had. Considering his grandmother had slept in another chamber those nights. "Normally I'd just go to the top of one of the towers and stargaze, but..."

He hasn't really had the energy for the trip on his own. Not since he started being able to walk again of his own power.

His eyes narrow ever so slightly as he sees Noctis moving oddly. Stiffly? Had the other been hurt? That settles like a lump in his stomach, trying to run through what he can remember of the previous night but without the better recall of a human, it leaves him unsettled that there is something he's missing. Still, he listens silently through the explanation, trying to puzzle it out in his mind when things suddenly clicked into place.

There's the barely resisted urge to facepalm at his own stupidity. Right.

"My father's... got better control than I do." Not exactly easy to admit, but he feels in the face of this, it might be allowed. A little. For a werewolf, he is young (truth for a man he is as well) and the fool of a pup he can be will improve as the man trains. "You didn't get attacked," by me, "so you did it right."

Well done, really.

Gladio slowly walks over and after a moment's hesitation, sits on the side of the bed near Noctis. "Why couldn't you sleep?" Is there something he can do to help with the pain? Not exactly something he's done before, more of an Ignis thing, but if that pencil pusher can do it, so can he.

Noctis is quick to shake his head at the implication that Gladio might have done something other than play with and protect him. It....was actually nice for a change. Still, he doesn't really say much else on it.

"You're still a pup," he mutters, a thin smile crossing his lips. "I liked playing with you." It helped him forget the pain, and the haunted look in his attendant's eyes, for that brief period of time. Until that stranger attacked, that is. At the question, though... he can't voice it, so instead he lifts his shirt up slightly. Specifically, the back of it, where it looks like some sort of blade did a real number on it. Months ago.

"'Comes and goes." The pain, sometimes the flashbacks like what happened last night after being pinned.Technically his meds are on his nightstand, but he doesn't trust himself to not overdo it. He is still a kid.

Gladio's face sure does fall at that 'you're a pup', given that he's older than Noctis but more so because it's actually true. Why, as a wolf, he tends to act more immature he has no idea when real wolves grow more mature more quickly than a human, but it's frustratingly true. His lips thin in his displeasure, but he tries to soothe himself with the idea that if he hadn't been there last night, who knows what might have happened. Also, he wants to know what that man had in mind. Who he was after.

However, his whole series of thoughts gets derailed when Noctis suddenly lifts his shirt and turns to display the massive scar running across it.

He knows... a little. The information about what happened that night has been very hush-hush, not even Ignis willing to talk more about it. He knows there was a daemon attack and many had been killed, nearly Noctis as well. He knows Noctis had been hurt, badly, and had spent a great deal of time away getting healed.

But seeing it, the scar still pinked as it would take years to fade to white, is a very different reality than hearing about the terrible news some months back.

"...Noctis..." Quiet, not even sure what to say in the face of that reality.

Gladio and Noctis both. Though it's low on the list of high priorities right now. Especially with the scolding he's likely going to get even more this morning, and how he's currently grounded.

"You asked," he mutters, pulling his shirt back down again. While he's pained by it, there's some sort of determination in his eyes. "I know, I shouldn't have been there last night. Just like I shouldn't have gone outside the Wall without my dad."

Noctis frowns, already accepting the blame for his actions. But then he remembers what his dad told him last night. "You were limping last night. You alright?"

Gladio looks down at his leg, shifting his weight ever so slightly. "Just landed badly when I leaped." It's strange to talk about this with someone who isn't his father because this is the first time he's ever done so. He rubs the back of his neck, stretching out his leg a little. "I'll be fine." It's sore, and he'll be trying to hide that limp all day, but he knows it would heal pretty quickly and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Noctis is safe, and that's important. Something in him, deep as can be, tells him that it's important. It doesn't matter so much what his father says (okay, that's a lie, it matters immensely) as much as that something. There is a connection building there that's nestling deeper into him with every passing year, the same kind of connection his father has with the King.

"...you should lay back down if your back hurts."

Noctis purses his lips, glancing over at the nightstand. It doesn't take much, even in his still-sleepy and pained state to tell there are two glasses of what was likely either water or ginger ale. Knowing his magic lessons though, it's probably the latter.

"Hm..." Noctis scoots closer to said nightstand, carefully, so he'd be able to reach the two glasses without threat of spilling them in the process. Trying to ignore how the movement hurts and focus more on one particular lesson that's been drilled into him from the first day his dad started teaching him elemancy. If it had just been because his dad told him to, he likely wouldn't have in this state, but he genuinely wishes to help speed up the natural healing process.

So, he takes one of the cups, and lets his free hand hover over the liquid within. It glows, briefly, and he sighs with relief when it does. Good. He- can still do this, after all.

"I will, but... Here," he holds out the cup to Gladio for him to take. He'll bless the other one for himself after Gladio takes his.

One thing that tends to be pretty rare outside of some created specifically for the Kingsglaive and the Crownsguard are potions, rare enough that Gladio actually doesn't catch on immediately what he's being handed. Instead, he stares down at the glowing liquid with a what on Eos...?

Then, feeling immensely stupid, it clicks in his mind. He'd seen his father with them before, on rare occasion. Noctis turned it into a potion! Right. Just drink it, stop looking like an idiot.

So he lifts it to his lips, then pauses. A gesture with his index finger on the glass. "You, too." He needs to make sure that Noctis will be okay before he goes about helping himself.

With Fang and Claw (Private to iwillshieldhim)

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too.... cute.... developing... cavities...

Welcome to dealing with Lucis Caelums when not involving shitposting....

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