sonoftenebrae | College AU

[Ravus walks into to the lecture hall ten minutes before the class is scheduled to begin. He's got a messenger bag full of notes and graded papers slung over his shoulder and a can of Ebony in hand. Professor Highwind will roll in a minute before the lecture is supposed to start, so it's Ravus' job to switch on the projector so it can be booting up, plug in the jump drive with the day's powerpoint, and organize the graded papers at the front of the classroom into organized piles divided up alphabetically.

So he doesn't have time for beefy students and their practiced lines. 'Amicitia' is at the top of the list, alphabetically, which is the only reason he fishes the essay out of his bag and drops it into Gladio's lap as he passes him. The red ink at the top of the page reads 'A', and there are a few scribbled remarks from the professor about thesis potential, if he wants to expand and polish the premise.]

There, one less paper to sort. [Ravus remarks as he juggles his coffee and his keys to unlock the door.]

[So lost in his book, Gladio doesn't hear Ravus approach and doesn't acknowledge the man at all until the marked paper floats onto his lap. The grade doesn't surprise him, considering his marks have so far been consistently decent, but the early handout does.]

H-hey! [He quickly marks his page before haphazardly tossing the book in his bag and jumping up.] Let me help you with that.

[Gladio slowly reaches a hand out, going for the keys instead of the coffee (if Ravus is anything like Ignis, touching the coffee would guarantee his death), and tries not to reel back when their fingers brush.]

It'd be a shame for you to drop your coffee. I can at least open the door for you. [A grin.] Consider it a "thank you" for giving me my paper a little early.

[Ravus can't deny that having Amicitia jumping to serve him is a good look. He raises an eyebrow at him, but lets Gladio take the keys from his hand. He doesn't tell Gladio which key on the keyring to use, and instead elects to takes a pointed sip of coffee.]

You're not getting special treatment. Everyone else is getting theirs before class too.

[Just not...hand delivered. Only because they're not sitting underfoot. Gladiolus better not get a big head over this.]

[Gladio looks at the keys, as if scrutinizing them would reveal which one to use, before shrugging and just trying one. It doesn't work, but he doesn't let that fluster him. He just has to try the next key. Which also isn't the right one.]

You're not so great at jokes, are you. [It's a statement, not a question, but it's said with a friendly smile as Gladio tries key number three.] That's okay.

[Key number four proves to be the right one and when he opens the door he throws a flirtatious wink over his shoulder as he walks inside the classroom.] You make it look good.

[If Gladiolus is wondering if making him struggle with the keys is a power move, yes. It is. 100%.]

This is my work. It's not professional to 'joke'.

[He's not defensive about it, and he absolutely isn't caught off guard when Gladio walks into the class room, still holding his eyes, forcing Ravus to follow after him to retrieve them. ~~And he's absolutely not flustered from the unexpected flirting.~~]

I make it look efficient. That being said, since you're here early and have nothing better to do, I'm going to put you to work.

[That'll make Gladio think twice about teasing him...right? He retrieves one of the white board erasers and gestures to the scribbled formulas the calculus class ahead of them always leaves on the dry erase board at the front of the lecture hall.]

[He gives the keys back over with a cheeky grin, eyes sparkling as their fingers barely brush.]

All fun and no play makes Ravus a dull boy. [The quote is from an old classic, but Gladio's hopeful that the TA will know its origin.] Besides, there's no one else around to see you act so unbecoming.

[Depositing his things down on a different desk than usual, front and center as opposed to third row off to the left, Gladio lets his eyes drink in the man before him as he walks forward to take the eraser. Seriously, no one has a right to look this good. And definitely not a TA for a class most people find "boring and stuffy".]

Who am I to deny my TA's demands? [He doesn't say what he's thinking, that there are a few better things he could be doing that all involve Ravus, because that would be far too inappropriate, even for Gladio. Though he doesn't try to pull up his pants that are already low on his hips (he might have forgotten a belt this morning in his haste to get to class early).

So when he leans and stretches as he clears the board, Ravus will be treated to flashes of the tanned skin of his lower back to add to the slight sway of Gladio's hips and the reach of his muscular arms, on perfect display in his simple black t-shirt.

When finished clearing the various equations and graphs away, Gladio leaves the eraser below the board and turns around to lean slightly back and look questioningly at Ravus.] Anythin' else you need?

[He's entirely unaware that his shirt, having ridden up in the back as he worked, is just as raised in front and now a small slice of his taut lower abdomen is plainly visible - along with a peak of a soft trail of hair.]

[Ravus doesn't deign to respond to Gladio's flirtations, and he admits, his focus strays while Gladio cleans the board. That ass, it's not fair.]

What was that?

[He blinks when he realizes Gladio has turned around, and he rewinds Gladio's words. Um. Yes. But not in class. He's not looking at the exposed skin, not looking, not looking...]

No, that's quite enough. Go sit and wait for the Professor.

Yes Sir. [He punctuates the sarcastic words with a wry grin and a half-hearted mock-salute.

Gladio doesn't bother fixing his pants or his shirt and instead saunters to his chosen seat. He begins looking over his graded paper in earnest, reading the Professor's remarks and thinking about the possibilities for a thesis.

Honestly, he never gave much thought to furthering his education beyond undergraduate level. Considering he's going into the family business after graduation it always seemed unnecessary but if Professor Highwind thinks he could make a thesis of this... maybe he can look into graduate programs after all.

But he'd have to go for an MBA too, most likely, just to keep people from thinking he'd tank their security firm by pursuing a Master's in the arts.

He's about to bother Ravus again when Professor Highwind walks in, followed by the rest of the class, so he resigns himself to waiting. While the Professor gets situated, Gladio types out a quick email to send to the TA. So if Ravus gets his emails sent to his phone, he'll soon receive one from Gladio that reads:]

Ravus,

It's Gladiolus Amicitia (seriously, just go with Gladio). Just giving you a heads up that I'll be going to your next office hours to pick your brain about something.

~Gladio

P.S. That shirt looks good on you. And you shouldn't scowl so much - it'll give you wrinkles.

[Email sent, Gladio brings his attention to the lecture and does his best not to stare at Ravus as he scribbles notes. This new seat in the front definitely gives him a better view of the TA and he unconsciously licks his lips, his mouth drying up as he observes the handsome grad student.

He both wishes this class would never end and prays for it to hurry up because this is torture now.]

[A couple of weeks later, Ravus is at one of the frat houses, sipping wine on one of the ratty couches in the lounge and listening to the grad students he came with gossip about their classes. Ravus is pleasantly buzzed. He figured he needed to be, since in addition to being dragged to a party, he'd been forced to do so in costume. He thinks he makes a striking knight, at least. But it's still so...undignified. They're not children, for Astrals' sake.]

No, the freshmen aren't subtle when they try to cheat.

[He adds, as Loqi regales the crowd with the most recent story from Intro Physics with Prof. Besithia. He's only half-listening (the story has already made it to Highwind's office), and he scans the crowd of people pushing, dancing, sneaking up and down the stairs with prospective lovers, for something more interesting than Tummelt's prattle.]

[It's been a few weeks and Gladio has come to both love and loathe his class with Ravus. Because now that he's noticed the man, spoken with him and seen him up close, he can hardly keep his eyes away. So he readily accepts an invitation to a frat party, figuring a night of drinking and meaningless sex might help him forget his unfortunate attraction to his TA.

Of course it's not just any party - it's a Halloween party. Which means costumes and bets and people wearing costumes as a result of losing bets.

Gladio falls into that last category. But he doesn't mind. He's comfortable enough with his sexuality and his body to wear pretty much anything. And that's why he walks into the frat house in a stylish Victorian Harlot costume, complete with the fishnets and boots. He even has his hair painstakingly piled into a very sloppy bun and a dusting of rouge on his cheeks and lips, mascara and eyeliner highlighting his eyes. Because when Gladiolus Amicitia commits to a costume, he goes all in. Plus he couldn't resist his sister's puppy eyes when she begged him to let her do his hair and makeup. And yes, he got waxed in order to pull the costume off properly. The only thing missing is the bouncing chest, but his pecs fill out the top of the costume fairly well anyway.]

Damn, I need another drink.

[He hasn't had nearly enough and he's only feeling the faintest buzz. So he wanders the house to find some more booze when a familiar shade of silvery-white catches his eyes. That looks like Ravus... but why would he be sitting on the shittiest couch in the house drinking what has to be a less-than-delicious wine in a costume? Gladio's boots clack their way over before he can stop himself and as he gets closer he definitely recognizes the man.]

Ravus! Didn't think I'd see you here. [A dazzling smile as Gladio cants his hips to one side.

He casually motions to the TA's glass with a hand.] Any chance you can hook me up with a glass of that? Need something until they bring out the good stuff.

[Ravus feels every molecule of saliva in his mouth dry up as he turns and catches sight of a boot, leading up to stockings, leading up to bare thighs. Astrals, those thighs. They could crush Ravus and he'd die happy. He is not remotely sober enough for this encounter to happen.]

Gla-uhh...Amicitia. You're...here.

[He can practically feel his brain cells short-circuiting as blood reroutes southward. Ravus drains his cup, and absolutely doesn't choke on it as Gladio shifts his weigh around.]

...kitchen. I'll go get more. [Retreating is the only possible course of action. He pushes himself up, thankful that his fake chainmail falls mid-thigh when he stands.]

[Kohl-lined amber eyes widen when Ravus starts to say his first name and his lips, thankfully only coated in a pigmented chap-stick, split into a Cheshire grin at the flustered correction. Maybe losing that bet was worth it after all.]

Thanks Ravus. [Gladio's voice purrs as Ravus passes him, the seductive voice meant only for the silver-haired stud.

Though he wants to follow the TA, wanting to see if he can turn those porcelain cheeks a shade of pink or even red, he opts instead to take the seat Ravus vacates. He'll get up once the man returns, but why not keep the seat warm for him? Plus talking to his friends might help him gain some insight into his current ~~crush~~ prey.

As he sits, he makes sure to fluff his skirt to avoid ruining it (dude, this costume isn't some flimsy thing-it's practically the real deal) and even crosses his legs at the ankles like a proper lady would (or like a harlot playing at one) before leaning slightly in towards Loqi.] So what sorts of things do you TAs do for fun? Got any fun stories about us lowly undergrads?

[His smile is charming and in no time he's the center of attention, offering genuine laughter and interjecting here and there with some of the dumber things he's seen his peers try getting away with.] And then, the idiot had the balls to look our Professor dead in the eyes and say "Honestly I thought I could offer to suck your dick to get out of this test"! Can you believe - [Gladio can't contain his laughter anymore and practically howls at the memory.

When Ravus returns, he will find the brunet still in his spot and sitting close enough to Loqi that their thighs touch as Gladio smiles almost coquettishly at the blond and urges him to tell another story. It might even look like Gladio's completely forgotten about Ravus as he doesn't instantly notice the TA's return.]

[Ravus has never taken so long pouring himself a glass of wine. From the sanctuary of the kitchen, he hears laughter rising above the music, and he hazards a look out.

Gladio, cozying himself up to Loqi of all people. That fucking bastard. ~~Ravus isn't sure which of them that applies to.~~ So much for Advanced Literature loyalty.

Loqi loved playing with other peoples' toys, and he usually got away with it because his family was so well-connected. Well, not tonight. Ravus pours a second glass of the wine and marches back out.

For a moment, he's tempted to pour it out on Gladio's lap to see if that would cool down this flirtation. But no, Ravus can imagine- Loqi sliding off the couch, kneeling in front of Gladio, running a towel up those legs and beneath the folds of the skirt.

Instead, he keeps his cool and simply sits back in his chair...without bothering to let Gladio move first. It's not like those quads can't support him. He slips the cup into Gladio's hand.]

If you're hoping for 'extra credit' from Loqi, be aware he makes promises with no intent to keep them. [He whispers into Gladio's ear. Louder, for the group:]

That's nothing. A whole a capella group was taking the freshman lit seminar last semester, and they decided they were all in love with Highwind. They broke out into song mid-lecture on Valentine's Day- they thought it would be a romantic gesture. I've never seen the professor shoot someone down so thoroughly.

[That story is his ace-in-the-hole in social situations. Someone had filmed the whole thing on their phone, and it had basically gone campus-viral. Loqi wished it had happened in his class.]

[Gladio can't help it, he's flirtatious by nature. And maybe part of him wonders if it would even bother Ravus. The man is so hard to read and this sort of move will either end whatever dance started between them or will push Ravus to make some sort of move.

He isn't sure when Ravus got back, exactly, but suddenly he has a lapful of drunker-than-he-expected TA and honestly? He's not complaining. With the type of Knight costume Ravus wears, Gladio's bare thighs are treated to the feel of an exquisite ass and he immediately prays that the TA stays low enough not to notice exactly how much he's enjoying the feeling.

Mercifully, Gladio manages to keep hold of his wine glass even as he shivers at the way Ravus breathes those words into his ear. He has eyes only for Ravus as his own story is soundly one-upped by the recounting of the infamous A Capella Serenade Shutdown. He's seen the video way too many times to count, but the story never gets old and Gladio immediately starts chuckling. In order to avoid dislodging his coveted TA he wraps an arm around Ravus' waist, which of course pulls him a little higher on his lap.]

You were there?! Did the video miss anything? There's no way they caught all of Professor Highwind's reaction.

[Leaning up a bit to whisper into Ravus' ear, Gladio clinks their wine glasses together.] Good thing I don't give a shit about his promises.

[With that, Gladio takes a long pull from his glass and finds himself surprised again. It's actually not bad. Certainly not something he would get on his own, but definitely not bottom-shelf wine. His eyes rake over the current gathered group, out of politeness only, before settling once more on Ravus.

Loqi be damned. Gladio knows his family and doesn't give a single fuck them or their "connections", considering his own family ranks higher in most circles and his family's connections definitely rank higher than those of the self-absorbed blond. Besides, he has eyes only for Ravus.]

This wine is way too good for a frat house. You brought it, didn't you? [His voice is low enough for only Ravus to hear, the others completely ignored.]

[Grinning at Loqi's pissed expression as Ravus steals his thunder (and the undergrad who'd been hitting on him), Ravus leans back and makes himself more comfortable. Adopting as casual a sprawl as he can while on a lap, he recalls the infamous day.]

The video cut out half of the group running out of the lecture hall at the end, but otherwise it was a pretty extensive coverage.

[He pauses for dramatic effect, taking a sip of his wine.]

I am fairly confident, one of the most popular 'remix versions' of the video was edited by Highwind herself, though. She was humming it for days in her office.

[Ravus is silent through Gladio's response about Loqi- it's hard to have much of a private conversation sitting so close to the other grad students- but he nods about the wine.]

I have discriminating tastes. I'm sure you've seen from class, I'm not easy to please.

[He's feeling a unique blend of victory and regret. Gladio is definitely not in danger of falling into Loqi's clutches, but Ravus is now sitting on his lap, surrounded by his peers, and Gladio's damnable thighs are so solid and warm beneath him. He needs to be anywhere but here, or be here, but with everyone else gone. He's not sure how to remedy the situation.]

[With the story continuing, Gladio's laugh rings out again. He knew the video had to have missed something and now he finally has his answer. But hearing about the best remix of the video being made by Highwind herself? It's too much and he shakes with the force of his bellowing laugh, making Ravus bounce a bit on his thighs.]

Gods that's too perfect. Thanks for that.

[He's in the middle of another sip of wine when Ravus responds to his query about the wine with what sounds, to him, like a line. The spark of interest in Gladio's eyes blazes and he quirks his painted lips in a sultry smile.]

Why do you think I work so hard? It's not Highwind I'm trying to please. [Speaking of hard, Gladio is glad that his skirt drapes well enough over his crotch to hide exactly how hard he is. Ravus weight in his lap is warm and welcome, and the oh-so-subtle challenge has Gladio's blood racing.

He wants to separate from this group, to get Ravus alone where he can properly seduce the grad student, so he finishes his glass quickly and then uses the empty glass to tap Ravus' arm.]

Care to show me the bottle? I don't think I've had this wine before and I might have to get a case of it.

[That should provide a good out for the two of them. And if his voice is a little huskier than usual, the other grad students around them could just blame it on the alcohol, right?]

[Ravus drains his glass again, trying not to visibly react to Gladio's teasing. He pushes himself up, cutting off another one of Loqi's stories mid-sentence.]

Need another refill. [He offers by way of excuse to the other grads. He gives Gladio a quick look, a single twitch of his finger beckoning him to follow into the kitchen.

He's stashed the bottle in a cabinet, mostly to keep the drunken party guests from guzzling it down without even appreciating it.]

Here. [Ravus holds the bottle up, but not out. If Gladio wants to inspect the vintage, he'll need to come close.]

[Eyes blaze when Ravus beckons him to follow, and Gladio all to eagerly departs from the group of grad students with a rushed "Later" and a half-hearted wave. He doesn't give a shit what they think of him for following after Ravus like a puppy.

Arriving in the kitchen, he watches as Ravus takes the bottle from its hiding place. Of course the man doesn't offer it out to him, and with a raised brow Gladio saunters a few steps closer and pauses before taking another step that brings him completely inside Ravus' personal space bubble.]

Thank you. [Gladio makes sure his lips shape the words as he says them, and totally doesn't plan the way his fingers brush against Ravus' as he reaches out to inspect the bottle.]

Mmm, this is an excellent vintage. [His eyes rake over Ravus' form.] Care to share another glass?

[Ravus considers for a moment.]

Not here. Wine should be savored. [This house is loud and crowded with drunken students guzzling cheap beer- not the sort of place where a man can properly appreciate a fine bottle.]

We need somewhere quiet. [Private, but he's not going to say something so overt like that while they're still in the stage of dancing around one another.]

[Gladio hopes that's an invitation because if it isn't he's about to be blushing for real under his rouged cheeks.]

If you feel like savoring that with the sounds of everyone else's sexual conquests serenading us, we could always go upstairs. [As much as he'd like that just because it's closer, Gladio wants to savor more than the wine and intermittent moans and thuds will likely drown out the TA's sensual accent.]

Or if we want real quiet we can head to my apartment. It's on campus, so it's close by.

[And he's already flushing a little, feeling like a nervous teen asking his first crush on a date. But the offer is out there now and he won't rescind it.]

[This is the time when Ravus should say, 'no'. No to upstairs, no to leaving with Gladio, no to any more familiarity than he already has with a student.

...but those thighs, his brain protests. He hasn't even had enough drink to justify how thin his resolve has worn. Those damned thighs, thick and powerful enough to crush a man, and that man would die happy.]

This party isn't worth my time anyways. [There is no way he can walk back into the lounge, sit back down, and while away the rest of the night with the other grad students. He hands the bottle to Gladio to carry. There, now the 'Serving Wench' look is complete.]

I trust we won't be inconveniencing your roommates... [Please have a single, for the love of the Six. Ravus doesn't know if he can deal with anyone else tonight.]

[A zing of excitement zips up Gladio's spine as he accepts the bottle, making sure to hold it carefully despite his (minimal) buzz. He'll never forgive himself if he drops it.]

What roommates? [A smirk and a wink follow the question.] Got a three-bedroom to myself on the top floor and both my neighbors are away. We'll have all the quiet we need to really enjoy this.

[He doesn't specify what 'this' is - it could be the bottle, the company, more, or all of those things.

Please let it be all of those things.

With a nod of his head, Gladio silently asks Ravus to follow him and starts walking to the apartments on campus. And any extra sway in his hips is totally from the heeled boots and entirely unintentional ~~lies~~. Hell, Gladio's half-tempted to take the stairs if only to give Ravus a glimpse up his skirts but he's far too eager to be alone with the unfairly gorgeous TA so he presses the button for the elevator instead.]

So where'd you find this? It's too good to be from the liquor stores around here.

[So, this is what Ravus has been missing out on, living in the student housing rather than getting an apartment. Space, and privacy. Ravus has a single room, but the walls are thin enough that any encounter would be shared with the rooms adjacent to his.]

Quite the set-up...

[He isn't sure whether Gladio rented the place specifically so he could bring hook-ups here, or if he's secretly a serial killer ~~Ravus may have watched too many horror movies this month~~, because the setup sounds too good to be true. He's not going to jinx it by questioning it, though.]

I brought a few bottles with me from Tenebrae. I usually save them for the end of each grading period, but I got dragged to that party, and I knew I couldn't count on anyone else's tastes.

[Usually, the only one he shares it with is Lunafreya. Gladio does not know how lucky he is.]

Please tell me you have proper wine glasses.

[Glossed lips quirk up into a smirk as the elevator lifts them smoothly up to the 20th floor. He wonders if Ravus has already forgotten his last name or if the TA simply doesn't know the Amicitia family the way many Lucians do. Maybe the ridiculous security features on his apartment will clue the gorgeous older man in.]

It'd be pretty stupid of me to invite you over so we can properly enjoy that wine if I didn't have any glasses. [Gladio's eyes radiate amusement as he steps out of the now-stopped elevator and teasingly waves the prized bottle in an effort to wordlessly prompt Ravus to follow him. This time he will totally admit to exaggerating the sway of his hips as his heels clack dully on the thinly carpeted hallway floor, the sensual swaying of ass and skirt stopping at the third door.

Instead of fishing a key out of wherever he could have stashed one, Gladio enters a lengthy series of numbers on a keypad before placing his palm on a scanner and leveling one eye at what appears to be a lens. With a series of soft beeps, the door clicks and the brunet holds it open for Ravus before following the man inside and turning to deactivate the alarm system.

Perks of being the heir to the top security company in Lucis - he gets to use/test all the latest gadgets. But hey, he never has to worry about losing his keys.]

Welcome to my apartment! Take a seat wherever while I get us some wine glasses. [A small wink as he gives his voice a slightly breathier quality.]

Want anything else while I'm gone?

[Serial killer or high level spy/assassin. If Ravus wasn't so horny, he'd be phoning in the police. Not even Tenebraen royalty has this sort of set-up back home. ~~They're old school and rely on magic and the laws of hospitality, that could never go wrong...~~]

This doesn't seem like a standard feature. Do you expect to be besieged?

[The place practically echoes around him as he turns in a circle to take it in while Gladio fetches his glasses like a good barmaid. He doesn't take a seat.

He's feeling warm, but his costume armor doesn't afford him any options for ventilation short of stripping out of it.]

Put on some music.

[Gladio claims no one is around to listen, but who knows if the man has a security camera somewhere around, and he feels better knowing they won't be overheard.]

No Problem!

<3

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Skipping to Halloween if that's cool

Totes cool

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