[They don't stop kissing. They can't. Not when Gladio is guiding him back to lay down on the bed. Their chests press together and Noctis' hands finally grab a hold of the thin shirt. There's another heated kiss before he pulls it up and hikes it over scarred and inked skin. There's so much he needs to touch, to explore. What little he can see isn't enough.

Gladio's voice is a low rumble that still sends tingles down his spine even after all these years. But then he says something that makes Noctis pause. The words said are 'Shield' and 'friend' but they mean so much more. Gladio means so much more to him.]

I love you. [It's whispered against lips. Something he probably should have said years ago. Before Nifleheim. Before Altissia. Before they even started this journey.]