"With us. You're supposed to be with us." Gladio's arms tighten fractionally around Noct, unable to stop from thinking, for a moment, about the prophecy meant to take him away from them permanently. Then he does his best to banish it. He's never really held it against King Regis or the rest of the old guard, hiding the prophecy from the younger generation, but right now he understands their decisions more than ever.

Here, at least, Noct can be free of it. Completely. Gladio doesn't want him to have to deal with even a shadow of it. So why let it cloud his mind, either? Especially if it risks Noct picking up on something.

(Again, he's sure it's going to have to be addressed eventually. But if it doesn't have to be today, it's not going to be. Which, again, he suspects was what King Regis thought.)

"You doing okay?" he murmurs, even as Noct seems to be burrow into his chest face-first.