A/n: There are mentions of abuse in this one shot. If you're sensitive about the subject, please DO NOT READ! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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~3rd Person POV~

"Where the hell is she?" Gladio growled, trying to keep his anger at bay.

"Dude, calm down! This is (Y/n) we're talking about. You know she likes to wander around new places," Prompto said. Gladio sent a glare to the blonde, making him silent. "I've told her plenty of times to not wander around by herself," Gladio snaps back.

"We know she's still in Lestallum. This is one of the safest places to be," Noctis spoke up.

"(Y/n) is not one to travel out of town without company," Ignis adds. Gladio's anger was boiling and none of their words reached him. He ran around Lestallum with the others until they spotted familiar (h/c) hair. "Oh, there she is!" Prompto cheers. The four watched as she smiled and was handed a few ingredients from one of the stands in the market.

"See? She's a big girl. You can't keep holding her hand like she's a kid, Gladio," Noctis said matter-of-factly. Ignoring the prince, he stomped over in rage to (Y/n). Once she noticed he was approaching, she smiled and waved at him. "Good morning, Gladio. I just bought a few--"

"What were you thinking?!"

(Y/n) flinched at his booming voice. Gladio wasn't aware of her scared demeanor and continued to yell at her. "Why did you leave without telling anyone?!" He clenched his hands into fists, his anger growing by the second. "I-I just went--"

"You know the Empire is after us! What you did was careless!"

(Y/n) took a few steps back in fear that he would hit her. Images of her childhood flew through her mind as she remembered all the times her parents would abuse her. Swollen cheeks, broken bones, and large bruises were all she could think of while Gladio continued yelling at her. Tears began to stream down her cheek as Gladio grew more angry.

"Gladio, stop," Noctis sternly said as he ran over with Prompto and Ignis. The prince tried to stop Gladio's rampage, but the bodyguard pushed him away. He glared down at (Y/n), not caring about her current frightened state. His anger has blinded him from seeing her shaking form.

Prompto tried to push Gladio away, but the bodyguard only shoved him away. Noctis and Prompto tried again but failed. Ignis felt himself getting angry over the scene before him and was the next to step up.

"Gladio, enough!" He shouts. Hearing Ignis' shout, Gladio snapped out of his anger. No one had ever heard the advisor yell so loud before. Once the anger unclouded from his vision, he was able to see (Y/n) clearly. His eyes widened at her broken state. The sight of her broke his heart, making him feel guilty. She had sunken to her knees with her hands over her ears. Tears fell from her eyes like a roaring stream. Small sobs left her shaking and scared form.

No words left him, knowing it was his fault. He kneeled down and reached out to her. When (Y/n) saw him getting closer, she flinched and shrunk away. Noctis and Prompto wore the same expression as Gladio. No one has ever seen (Y/n) so broken except Ignis. He was the one who took her away from her abusive parents.

Gladio retracted his hand and stared at her with guilt. Suddenly (Y/n) stood up and ran away from them, her sobs becoming more audible. Gladio slumped forward, her broken state burned into his mind.

"Why did you yell at her like that?" Noctis asked, his voice much lower than usual. Gladio didn't respond as he was finally able to stand back up. "That wasn't right, Gladio," Prompto added.

"Especially with her past," Ignis states. Gladio snapped his head towards him in confusion. "Past?" He puzzled. Ignis adjusted his glasses before continuing. "(Y/n) is from a broken family. Her parents would physically assault her every day. The results were broken bones and concussions. She was lucky to just get a bruise some days."

Gladio's eyes widened as he absorbed the information. He leaned against a nearby wall to support himself. "And I made her remember it..." Ignis nods, confirming Gladio's words. "I didn't know (Y/n) had such a bad past. She always appears happy around us," Prompto said.

"What happened to her parents?" Noctis questioned.

"Imprisoned for child abuse. I had found her with a broken leg and slight bruising all over her body in the streets. While she confirmed my suspicions, I was able to have them arrested for such behavior."

"And that's how we all met," Prompto said. Ignis nods with closed eyes. Worry and guilt built up in Gladio's being. Not being able to handle the dreaded feeling, he ran after (Y/n). Turning corner after corner, he ran into his little sister, Iris. Her arms were crossed and a sharp glare was directed at him. She stomped over to Gladio and couldn't hold her anger at bay.

"What did you do to (Y/n)?!" Her glare sharpens, making Gladio feel more terrible than he already did. "Where is she?" He asked, ignoring her question. Iris then pointed a finger in his face. "I'm not telling you anything until you tell me what happened."

Gladio knew he couldn't get anything passed his sister. He took a deep breath and spilled every detail. Once he finished, Iris smacked him on the arm, hard. "There's no need to yell at her! She went out this morning for ingredients to make everyone breakfast. It was supposed to be a surprise for everyone, but I ended up following her and she told me why she left. You owe her more than an apology!"

"Where is she?" He asked.

"She's back in her room. If she doesn't want to talk to you, leave her alone. She probably wants some space after what happened. And--!"

Gladio raised an eyebrow at his sister, urging her to finish her sentence.

"If I find out this happens again, you better be ready!" Iris then moves out of her brother's way and heads to the market. Gladio dashes all the way to Leville and knocks on (Y/n)'s door. When no answer came, he slowly opened the door. The sight that welcomed him was (Y/n) laying on the bed, her back facing him. She was curled up in a ball on the white sheets.

"(Y/n)?" He gently calls her name. He received no response and walks over to her. He peered at her form to see she was asleep. His heart broke when he realized she had cries herself to sleep. Guilt consumed him as he brushed a hand through her (h/c) hair. Gently kissing her on the cheek, he slid into the bed and pulled her into his arms. In a few seconds, he had welcomed the dimension of dreams.

~(Y/n)'s POV~

After have fallen asleep, exhausted from all the crying, I woke up an hour later. When I tried to stretch, my movement was restricted by two strong arms. Recognizing the familiar warmth, I turned myself in their embrace. My eyes scanned over a sleeping Gladio, his breathing deep and even. Though he was asleep, I could see the guilt written all over his face.

"I know some of this is my fault..." I mutter under my breath. Slowly closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and sighed. The two arms around me suddenly tightened, making my eyes fly open.

"None of it is your fault." Gladio's eyes slowly opened, showing all of his worry and guilt. I stared into eyes and felt even more horrible. "No, I know I should've told you about leaving. And... I'm assuming Ignis told you about my past?"

Gladio nods and pulls me closer. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, (Y/n). Iris told me why you went out this morning. I feel like an ass for getting so angry." Feeling the sincerity in his words, I kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry about it. I'll make sure to tell you where I'm going before I leave."

Gladio nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck. His warm breath sent a shiver down my spine, earning a small gasp from me. He moved one of his hands from my waist and began to gently caress my back. "Hey, Gladio?"

He hummed in response, continuing to rub my back. "How about some breakfast? I do still wanna cook for you and the others." He lifted his face from the crook of my neck with a smile. "Does this mean we've made up?" I nod and smile back at him. "Of course! I was never really mad at you in the first place."

Gladio leaned over and kissed me on the lips. "And there's no way in hell I could stay mad at you. You're too damn cute." I giggle and stole a kiss from his lips.

"Then, let's get started on breakfast!"