"Skill issue. Common misconception." Gladio smirks wider now. "I'm just built different."
Then, with an almost internal snap of some cord of patience that sounds very much like to hell with it, Gladio is striding across the room and pulling Noct into a rough hug. "What've we told you about being late to things?" he chides him, fondly. "We missed you, Noct."
Six, it's so much deeper even than that, but Gladio...can't let his emotions run too deep, here. Easier to let himself fall into how things had been with this Noct, the Noct he remembers, the last time they saw him. Easier to keep it light. Not just because it's a lot, but because he'd have to explain a whole hell of a lot to Noct for it to even make sense to him. And a lot of the things he'd have to explain...no, they're not fair to dump on Noct right now. Maybe ever - though that will probably be necessary at some point - but certainly not now.
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Then, with an almost internal snap of some cord of patience that sounds very much like to hell with it, Gladio is striding across the room and pulling Noct into a rough hug. "What've we told you about being late to things?" he chides him, fondly. "We missed you, Noct."
Six, it's so much deeper even than that, but Gladio...can't let his emotions run too deep, here. Easier to let himself fall into how things had been with this Noct, the Noct he remembers, the last time they saw him. Easier to keep it light. Not just because it's a lot, but because he'd have to explain a whole hell of a lot to Noct for it to even make sense to him. And a lot of the things he'd have to explain...no, they're not fair to dump on Noct right now. Maybe ever - though that will probably be necessary at some point - but certainly not now.