sword_chocobro | Patterson Park; Baltimore, Maryland; Saturday [07/29].

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Patterson Park; Baltimore, Maryland; Saturday [07/29].

The heat was definitely still persisting, which made Gladio think that maybe his grand plan of finding an ice cream place on the mainland near a park, so that he and Nell could make their picks and then go take a nice walk while they enjoyed it was...a little less than ideal. But there was some good shady spots and the ice cream itself did a lot to help...assuming they could eat it before it melted too much. The heat never really did bother Gladio too much, though; he just mostly hoped that Nell wasn't too uncomfortable with it.

And, if he was entirely honest, even though Baltimore was pretty tiny compared to Insomnia, it did sort of feel good to be in a metropolitan area proper again. After all, even with all his love of nature and the outdoors, he was at his roots a born and bred city boy. Made him feel a little homesick, but what didn't, really?

None of that really mattered that much, anyway, as long as Nell was having a good time, so he'd of course be sparing her a few speculative glances here and there, and, at one point, letting out a soft huff in regards to the quick work he was making out of his ice cream cone.

"Might need to swing back around for a Round Two," he speculated, with a bite to really highlight that, between the battle between the heat and Gladio's appetite, the winner was clearly the latter.

[[ for the ice cream date~ and NFB for distance, obvi~ ]]

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"Oh," Gladio said, and Nell probably couldn't see the smugness in his grin, but it would definitely be there in his voice, and in the faint chuckle that accompanied it, "I know. I just like to hear it. You know. Good for my self-confidence."

Nell shifted just enough to be able to look up at him and she let go of his hand so that she could reach up and gently touch his face. "Then yes. I'm very happy and I'm enjoying this a lot. Never expected to have anything like this in my life."

And so there was Nell, doing that thing she did that she seemed so incredibly adept at, where he was just trying to be light and teasing and not too heavy, only to have her hit him with that almost achingly frank sincerity that left him at a bit of a loss. Everything about Gladio softened in that moment, as she looked at him and touched his face, and he looked back with uncertainty of how to even respond.

Of course, he knew how he'd like to respond, but he didn't was to overstep. Even if these last few weeks had been filled with nothing but an encouraging (and often unexpected) enthusiasm from Nell, it still felt like a pretty big thing to ask. Even worse if she started to feel like it was what was expected.

But then there was her hand on his face. Her head on his shoulder. That moment the other day with his arm lightly around her with her hand on his chest. All the little excuses to touch his arm or lightly nudge him with her elbow, her shoulder, even her foot...

"Nell," he said, finally, so quiet that it got a little lost in the low rumble of his voice, as his hand went up to hers and all but engulfed it, lightly, "what do you want...from...something, like this, in your life?"

It was hard for her to catch her breath for a moment - when his hand covered hers and they were so close - and for a second she just closed her eyes and let herself be right there in that moment. It was hard to think of how to answer him because she was pretty sure she wanted too much, even if she didn't entirely know what 'too much' entailed.

And to answer him would make her so vulnerable.

Her heart, her true heart, hadn't been tested like this before. She'd loved her family and John and Leah, of course, lost them and lived with the loss and all of the everything that was the messed up life she'd been in. She'd trusted Marc with some of her deepest secrets, let him become one of her dearest friends, and lost him when he'd disappeared from her life because of some nameless unknown thing she'd done wrong.

And all of these things had hurt her, deeply, but none of them laid a candle to the hurt she'd feel if Gladio left her. Or laughed at her if she dared to say what she might want or hope for.

It was terrifying. And exciting.

To think maybe she could have at least some of what other people took for granted. Some of what she'd thought really only happened for real in books despite what friends had said or she'd seen her. That maybe she could have some of that with Gladio, even if it wasn't, if she wasn't...

So it took her a moment to answer, and she was sorry for that Gladio. But when it came right down to it, Nell was brave right down to her bones, even when it terrified her.

"I don't rightly know, exactly what I want from this - all of this," she said finally. "Partly 'cause every time I'm with you I realize how much more I could have. But I know I want it, want this, with you. To be with you, to see where this can go. I'm a little afraid that, that if I said just how much my heart hoped for, that I'd scare you away. But it's a lot. I hope for an awful lot and it's wonderful and scary all at the same time and I want all of it anyway."

And then she waited, hoping desperately that he wouldn't laugh or pull away from her or look at her with pity and try to say something kind.

Gladio was more than willing to let Nell take her time in answering; in fact, he was glad that she did, because he knew it wasn't really an easy question. If she'd given him a quick answer, he'd be worried it was all just impulse, but a thoughtful, considerate answer, especially from Nell, he knew would be reasonable and truthful, and so when she did finally have something to say, he smiled, softly, gently, and his thumb lightly brushed against her hand underneath his.

"So it's not just me, then," he said. "Good."

Nell laughed a little breathlessly, joy and relief and that amazing whatever it was feeling in her stomach all mixing together.

"Not just you. And now I'm guessing not just me either."

Nell's laugh had easily become of one Gladio's favorite sounds, and that one was probably one of the best ones yet.

"Definitely not just you," he confirmed. "But I worry, sometimes, that it might be too much."

But here, his grin broadened a little with that cocky smirk of his as he added, "I am a lot to handle."

"Bring it on, Tall Man," Nell said with a grin, still a bit breathless and giddy with happiness.

She sobered for a moment. "But I promise you that if something is ever too much or I'm uncertain, that I'll tell you. I promise you." And by this point everyone knew just how seriously Nell took her promises.

And then the giddy smile was back. "But I don't think either of us need to worry about that."

"So that's going to be a thing now, huh?" Gladio asked, but, well, as far as nicknames or pet names went, it wasn't inaccurate.

But once that was out, he sobered quite a bit, as well. In part for the solemnity of his nod to acknowledge that vow, and in part...mostly, actually...to try and work out of he wanted to be so bold as to venture in a direction that could swing things pretty dramatically one way or the other...he couldn't really see it resulting in much of a middle ground...or if it was better to just stay the current course and nit risk ruining what was already pretty good and high up there already.

And it wasn't like there was any need to rush...

"Need to?" he asked, snorting faintly. "Probably not. But I'm still going to."

"Maybe," Nell said. "Unless, if it bothers you, I won't."

Then she huffed out a little laugh of her own. "Oh, can't much stop me from worrying myself," she said, "So at least we're in good company?"

She gently ran her thumb along his cheekbone. "Makes me happy when you smile."

"Doesn't bother me," Gladio assured her. "I've been called worse."

But that was just a slightly mumbled commentary, a side-note, as most of his attention went into the movement of Nell's thumb, leaning into it slightly, and squashing down another urge with the reminder that they had time, no need to go rushing in, marathons, not sprints...

And, of course, he smiled.

"You give me a lot of reason to smile."

Which made her smile.

She traced ever so gently just above the top curve of his lip, tracing his smile. "Seems like we're an awful good match then."

There was a yearning somewhere inside for even more, but never having been truly kissed before, she was happy to just be here in this moment of happiness.

"You ever feel so happy that you just wish you could wrap the feeling around you and roll around in it?" she asked, "'cause that's just about how I feel right now."

Oh, those wandering fingers were threatening to get Gladio in trouble, but he had to admit, the fact that they moved without much trepidation or reserve was...encouraging.

"I don't know if I'd want to be wrapped up in much of anything in this heat," which wasn't entirely truthful, he could definitely think of one thing, but that would likely be back indoors with the benefit of air conditioning, "but, yeah. I think I know the feeling."

Nell laughed. "Oh, but happiness is always the perfect temperature so right now it would be like a delightfully cool breeze."

It was hard to contain just how giddy she was feeling right now, so instead she just tucked her head right into the crook of his neck and sighed happily. If he showed any inclination that he wanted her to move because it was so warm, she'd shift away, but if he was content to have her there, she was staying.

And that sentiment right there just felt so sweet and...well, exactly like the kind of thing Nell would say, that Gladio had to laugh a little, and it was probably pretty clear, the way he shifted not to move away, but to just facilitate it being easier and a little more comfortable for her, and, figuring she wouldn't mind it in equal measures, lightly draping an arm around her shoulders.

Like she said herself, the perfect temperature, right?

Just maybe a little extra sweaty.

Nothing wrong with a little sweaty, especially not in this situation.

Nell made a quiet little happy sound when his arm went around her. She closed her eyes to just stamp this moment into her memory as hard as she could because she didn't ever want to lose the way she felt right now.

She could probably stay like this forever.

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Patterson Park; Baltimore, Maryland; Saturday [07/29].

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