Attempted noncon in this one, but it's not described in detail.
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In retrospect, perhaps Gladio shouldn't have been so quick to gag him.
Noctis' new docility lasted as long as it took to scrub himself down over a basin in the king's private bathroom. As soon as he emerged, fresh-faced and with only a slight bow to the legs to show for Gladiolus' efforts, the spark of defiance was back in his eyes. Gladio had to press down on the back of his neck to make him kneel again, and he climbed into his clothes with considerable slowness.
It took three catty remarks for Gladio to break. He had an attendant fetch one of the thick leather gags they used in on-the-field surgeries, fitted it tightly between Noct's teeth, and tied it firm enough to stretch the corners of the man's mouth.
He cuffed his hands again for good measure. Noct rolled his eyes, but flinched away when one of the guards shifted forward, and held out his hands with a sigh.
When it came time for Gladiolus' daily sparring session that afternoon, a guard came in with a thick chain and secured Noct by the collar to one of the benches overlooking the training yards. Noctis sat cross-legged on the bench, the picture of noble languor, and gently massaged the soles of his feet.
Gladio ignored him, focusing instead on the heft of his sword, the balance of his step, the heat of the day. He was nearly back in the comfortable, quiet mindfulness that always came upon him in the midst of a fight, when he heard a booming clatter behind him and a shout of pain. He lowered his sword and turned to the commotion.
Noctis had yanked the chain so forcefully that the bench he was sitting on had overturned. The young man was lying on his back, a knee to the groin of one of the younger enlisted soldiers, cuffed hands gripping the links of his chain as it wound around the soldier's neck. The soldier scrabbled at the chain, but his mouth was parted in the desperate gasp of a man on the edge of consciousness.
Gladio reached them just as the soldier was going under, and wrenched Noctis' hands from the chain. The soldier collapsed on top of the dark-haired man, coughing and gasping, and Gladio gently pulled him to the side to get more air flowing through his lungs. Noctis stayed where he was, panting silently, limbs trembling with adrenaline.
"He's mad," the soldier said, when he could finally choke out the words. "All I did was walk past him and he..."
Gladio looked from the soldier to Noctis, and noted the red flush to the prisoner's neck, and the leggings that had been tugged down to his thighs. Leaving the soldier to catch his breath, Gladio crouched over the other man, who jerked back and raised his knees in self defense.
"Yeah, I know," he said, softly. He avoided Noctis' flailing limbs and tugged his leggings up again. Then he carefully loosened the gag and pulled it down to his chin.
"He's right," Noctis said. Gladio glanced back at the soldier, whose eyes widened in astonishment. "Took one look at him and thought, well, all this chain can't go to waste..."
"The mage is a menace, Your Majesty," the soldier said. "We all know what he's capable of."
"Mm." Gladio unhooked the chain from the bench and wrapped a loop of it around his wrist. "What do you say, Noctis?"
"Smart men you have here," Noctis said. "You should listen to them."
Gladio shook his head and fit the gag back into Noctis' mouth, gaining a strangled cry of protest. Then he turned to the soldier, his eyes hard.
"You will report to Cor for punishment detail," he said, and the soldier stiffened. "If you'd take advantage of a prisoner, I cannot trust you among your fellow soldiers. There will be an investigation, I assure you." The soldier opened his mouth, and he lowered his voice. "Cor. Now."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the soldier said, and fled.
"You," Gladio said to Noctis, and gripped the chain hard. He pulled the man up by the collar and spoke in a low growl. "When I ask you a question, you respond honestly, not out of some weird fucking death wish. As long as you're mine, Noctis, you'll have to learn to live with yourself."
Noctis made a muffled noise against the gag, but Gladio knew enough to recognize the look in his eyes. "If I want your opinion, I'll ask you."
He dragged Noctis to his feet and tugged at the chain, urging him to follow once more.
Fill: 6/? Re: Gladio/Noctis - war prize AU
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In retrospect, perhaps Gladio shouldn't have been so quick to gag him.
Noctis' new docility lasted as long as it took to scrub himself down over a basin in the king's private bathroom. As soon as he emerged, fresh-faced and with only a slight bow to the legs to show for Gladiolus' efforts, the spark of defiance was back in his eyes. Gladio had to press down on the back of his neck to make him kneel again, and he climbed into his clothes with considerable slowness.
It took three catty remarks for Gladio to break. He had an attendant fetch one of the thick leather gags they used in on-the-field surgeries, fitted it tightly between Noct's teeth, and tied it firm enough to stretch the corners of the man's mouth.
He cuffed his hands again for good measure. Noct rolled his eyes, but flinched away when one of the guards shifted forward, and held out his hands with a sigh.
When it came time for Gladiolus' daily sparring session that afternoon, a guard came in with a thick chain and secured Noct by the collar to one of the benches overlooking the training yards. Noctis sat cross-legged on the bench, the picture of noble languor, and gently massaged the soles of his feet.
Gladio ignored him, focusing instead on the heft of his sword, the balance of his step, the heat of the day. He was nearly back in the comfortable, quiet mindfulness that always came upon him in the midst of a fight, when he heard a booming clatter behind him and a shout of pain. He lowered his sword and turned to the commotion.
Noctis had yanked the chain so forcefully that the bench he was sitting on had overturned. The young man was lying on his back, a knee to the groin of one of the younger enlisted soldiers, cuffed hands gripping the links of his chain as it wound around the soldier's neck. The soldier scrabbled at the chain, but his mouth was parted in the desperate gasp of a man on the edge of consciousness.
Gladio reached them just as the soldier was going under, and wrenched Noctis' hands from the chain. The soldier collapsed on top of the dark-haired man, coughing and gasping, and Gladio gently pulled him to the side to get more air flowing through his lungs. Noctis stayed where he was, panting silently, limbs trembling with adrenaline.
"He's mad," the soldier said, when he could finally choke out the words. "All I did was walk past him and he..."
Gladio looked from the soldier to Noctis, and noted the red flush to the prisoner's neck, and the leggings that had been tugged down to his thighs. Leaving the soldier to catch his breath, Gladio crouched over the other man, who jerked back and raised his knees in self defense.
"Yeah, I know," he said, softly. He avoided Noctis' flailing limbs and tugged his leggings up again. Then he carefully loosened the gag and pulled it down to his chin.
"He's right," Noctis said. Gladio glanced back at the soldier, whose eyes widened in astonishment. "Took one look at him and thought, well, all this chain can't go to waste..."
"The mage is a menace, Your Majesty," the soldier said. "We all know what he's capable of."
"Mm." Gladio unhooked the chain from the bench and wrapped a loop of it around his wrist. "What do you say, Noctis?"
"Smart men you have here," Noctis said. "You should listen to them."
Gladio shook his head and fit the gag back into Noctis' mouth, gaining a strangled cry of protest. Then he turned to the soldier, his eyes hard.
"You will report to Cor for punishment detail," he said, and the soldier stiffened. "If you'd take advantage of a prisoner, I cannot trust you among your fellow soldiers. There will be an investigation, I assure you." The soldier opened his mouth, and he lowered his voice. "Cor. Now."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the soldier said, and fled.
"You," Gladio said to Noctis, and gripped the chain hard. He pulled the man up by the collar and spoke in a low growl. "When I ask you a question, you respond honestly, not out of some weird fucking death wish. As long as you're mine, Noctis, you'll have to learn to live with yourself."
Noctis made a muffled noise against the gag, but Gladio knew enough to recognize the look in his eyes. "If I want your opinion, I'll ask you."
He dragged Noctis to his feet and tugged at the chain, urging him to follow once more.