A/n: Idea from Znationdaryl10k! You are a tiger hybrid. My Chinese zodiac is a tiger so this'll be fun to write! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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~3rd Person POV~

While trying to set up camp, a group of Sabertusks had ambushed the group. While Noctis and Ignis were handling the ones near the tent, Gladio and Prompto were killing the ones that were trying to sneak up behind the prince. Gladio had gotten too distracted by one Sabertusk and failed to sense the one sneaking up behind him.

"Gladio, behind you!" Prompto yells. Gladio killed the one in front of him but was too late to attack the one behind him. A sudden loud roar rang out and a tiger jumped on the Sabertusk. It bit into the monster's neck, making the thing shriek in pain. Gladio watched in awe as the tiger defended him from the Sabertusk. The tiger clawed and nipped at the Sabertusk multiple times to get it away from him.

"There's more!" Noctis shouts. Gladio wasn't able to kill the one that jumped on the tiger's back before it bit into its back. The tiger roared in pain as blood spewed everywhere. Gladio killed the Sabertusk that had bit the tiger. The group was able to take down the rest of the ambush before anyone else got hurt.

Once the monsters were all gone, Gladio checked on the tiger. The poor thing had been surrounded by its own blood. Gladio went to touch the tiger, but a blinding light caused him to stop. When the light vanished, the tiger was replaced with a girl.

Everyone ran over to the bleeding girl. Gladio was the first to her. He didn't care about the blood as he scooped the girl into his arms. "W-what is going on?" Prompto asked, shock tinting his voice. Gladio ignored him and gave the girl a few potions he had on him. Ignis ran over to check on the wound. "She needs rest. Put her in the tent."

Gladio doesn't hesitate and lays the girl down in the tent. "Damn, even with those potions, she's still losing a lot of blood," he growls under his breath. The potions were only able to heal part of her wound. Ignis came back, a first-aid kit in hand. Noctis and Prompto also joined them in the tent.

"The wound is more deep than we thought. She'll need more than potions to help her," Ignis said as he prepared bandages. "Will she be okay?" Prompto asked worriedly. Ignis kept quiet as he cleaned the wound. "I need you to hold her down for the next part," the advisor told the bodyguard. "Oh, Gods..." Noctis murmurs. The prince knew exactly what was coming next.

When the disinfectant hit the girl's wound, she arched her back in pain. She screamed in pain as Gladio held her down. Seeing her like this brought pain to everyone. It's as if they all felt what she was feeling. Once Ignis finished disinfecting the wound, he wrapped it gently with bandages. "For now, she needs to rest," Ignis informs everyone. Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis left, but Gladio stayed with the wounded girl. She was breathing heavy and tears streamed down her cheeks.

A frown took over Gladio's lips as he wiped the tears away. The girl looked horrible and exhausted from all the screaming. Gladio began to whisper gently to her to calm her down. He ran a hand through her (h/c) hair to lull her to sleep. After a few minutes of stroking her soft hair, the girl finally falls into a deep sleep. Gladio kept a close eye on her until she woke up a few days later.

~(Y/n)'s POV~

As I slowly opened my eyes, I felt a presence nearby. When I looked around, a man with tattoos caught my attention. 'He was with the group that got ambushed by those Sabertusks,' I thought. That's when it hit me. "Uh-oh..." I mumble. The man must've heard me because he turned to face me. He sent a warm smile my way. "Glad you're awake."

"U-um, did... did you see...?" My voice trailed off before I could ask the question. Even though I didn't finish, the man knew exactly what I was going to ask. "We know you're the tiger that helped us." I sat up and hugged my knees sadly. The man noticed and laid a gentle hand on my head. "Don't look so sad. We're not going to tell anyone."

I sigh in relief once I hear that. I went to stretch, but it hurt too much. I flinched at the pain in my shoulder. "Don't move around too much. You're still recovering," he informed me. "What happened to me?" I ask. He filled me in on what happened and how I got the wound. My body must've been in shock and caused me to forget part of what happened. I thanked him and he helped me to my feet.

He guided me out of tent to meet everyone. "Hey, she's awake!" A cheerful blonde came bounding over to me. When he announced my presence, a man with glasses joined us. "How are you feeling?" He asked, concern laced through his voice. "I'm fine. The pain is still there, but it's faint."

The man was relieved to hear that. "If I may, could I know your names? I want to thank you all properly," I ask as I put my hands together. They each introduced themselves. Prompto pointed to someone who was fishing not too far from us and told me his name was Noctis. I smiled and introduced myself as well. "I'm (Y/n). It's nice to meet friendly faces this far from Insomnia."

"I should be the one thanking you, (Y/n)," Gladio said. "You totally saved Gladio's butt!" Prompto yells with a grin. I waved my hands in front of me. "Don't worry about it. I was following that herd of Sabertusks for a few days. They were acting strange."

"You noticed as well?" Ignis asked. I nodded in response. "There's been rumors that a daemon is controlling hordes of monsters. Sadly, I haven't found out if this is true or not."

"Wait, aren't we looking into that rumor, too?" Prompto asked Ignis. He nodded and glanced back at me. "Why not let her travel with us?" Gladio questions. All eyes were now on me. "It is up to her," Ignis replies. I was taken by surprise. "You... you wouldn't mind me tagging along?"

All three shook their heads. Prompto then smiled at me warmly. "It'd be nice to have a girl around." A huge smile spread across my face. I thanked them repeatedly until Noctis came over with a fish in his hands. "So, who's hungry?" We all had a nice meal and then sat around the fire.

Weeks pass and our journey has taken us to the opposite side of the Duscae region. We kept asking around towns to see if anyone has seen any suspicious activity with the wildlife. As the sun set slowly, we decided to get a room at a hotel. I offered to pay for my own room, but Ignis wouldn't let me.

As I was sitting on the bed in my room, someone knocked on my door. I quickly get to my feet so I could answer it. When I opened the door, a smiling Gladio stood before me. Even though he was smiling, I could tell there was a lot on his mind. I let him in my room and closed the door behind him.

"What's wrong, Gladio?" I ask him. Ever since I woke up, he and I had gotten closer in the past few weeks. Gladio sighed as he sat on the edge of my bed. I didn't hesitate to sit next to him. "How's your shoulder?"

"It's completely healed. It's been healed for a week now. Why do you keep asking?"

"Just worried."

I peer into his face and raise an eyebrow. "No, it's something else. Tell me," I said. He ran a hand through his hair with a nervous look on his face. "Something Noct said earlier today has been bothering me. He pointed out that you haven't transformed since the ambush. Did the wound cause you to not be able to transform?"

Him worrying about me this much made my heart flutter. I knew his worry wouldn't go away until I eased it. I placed a hand on his arm. "Gladio, the reason I haven't transformed is because a man is looking for me. It'd be bad if he learned a tiger was running around with a group of men."

"What man?" He asked. I could tell he was solely concerned about the man after me. I fiddled with my thumbs as I took a deep breath. "A scientist from Niflheim. I don't remember his name, but I would know his face from anywhere. He... he..." My voice trailed off as I remembered what he did to me. I soon realized my whole body was shaking. Suddenly I was pulled into a hug. Gladio wrapped his arms around my small frame. He rested his head on top of mine.

"Don't force yourself, (Y/n). Tell me when you're ready." I nodded and took another deep breath. "He used me as a test subject," I finally manage to say. Once those words left my mouth, Gladio's hold on me tightened. I told him about how the scientist pretended to be nice to me just to get his hands on me. The only reason he wanted me was because of my ability to transform.

"I broke out of his lab a few months ago. I needed money and started to take requests. And now, here I am." He gently combed through my (h/c) hair to soothe me. "That bastard will pay," he growled. I looked up at him from his arms. "There was also something else bothering you. Make sure to tell me everything. You won't feel better if you don't."

A frustrated sigh slips from his lips. "I swear, nothing gets past you." I giggle and smile at him. "Even though I've only known you for a few weeks, you're an easy read, Gladio." Suddenly, Gladio's demeanor changed drastically. A grin spread across his face. "Instead of telling, I'll show you."

"Huh?"

Gladio freed me from his embrace. Without warning, he pushed me down on the bed. Before I could escape, Gladio had pinned my body down with his. "G-Gladio, h-have you-" I wasn't able to finish my sentence. Gladio had sealed my lips with his. The deep and passionate kiss took my breath away. When I started running out of oxygen, I squirmed under him. He noticed and broke the kiss.

I inhale sharply and began to catch my breath. Gladio hovered above me while grinning like an idiot. "You... have lost your mind!" I shout at him. All he does is chuckle in response. After a long silence between us, Gladio speaks up. "I have to blame you for that."

"... Excuse me?"

"You let your guard down. I just took the advantage."

I went silent. My mind was too scrambled to even think of a comeback. I also felt my cheeks beginning to heat up as I replay the kiss in my head. "Y-you are a bully..." Gladio just laughs at my response. I was able to slip free from him while he was laughing. When I tried to stand, my legs felt weak. Gladio snaked his arms around my waist so I wouldn't fall.

"That good, huh?" Even though I couldn't see his face, I could hear the smirk in his voice. An idea came to mind as he held me. I regained the strength in my legs and spun around in his arms. "Payback time!" I shout and grab his collar. His eyes widened as I pressed my lips to his. Gladio moves his hands from my waist to my cheeks.

After the kiss ended, I smiled in victory. What Gladio said next caught me completely off-guard. "I love you, (Y/n)." My eyes widened at his declaration. Even though I was in shock, those three words made my heart skip a beat. Tears of joy soon cascaded down my cheeks. "Hey, don't cry," he said as he wiped my tears away.

"I'm just really happy," I meekly said. Gladio smiles and leans his forehead against mine. "Does that mean-?" I smiled at the man. "Of course. I love you, too, Gladio." He pecked me on the cheek. Our beautiful moment was ruined by shouting from the other side of my door. Both of us sigh in unison. "I'll be right back," he groans.

"Just make sure not to hurt them too much."

"I'll try."