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Atlas Gym; Tuesday [04/09].

It was a very exciting day for Atlas Gym, because there was a whole new flavor of Cup Noodle^TM in the claw machine in the lobby and Gladio could not be more stoked to try it.

He was almost as stoked to try it as he was to tall Ignis all about trying it later!

And while he absolutely could just open up the claw machine and grab one for himself, that was clearly cheating, and so maybe a few of the admin tasks he should be taking care of in the office were being a little sidelines so that he could finangle his way around all the other flavors in the machine to snag one of the new ones. It was a challenge, but a challenge he would happily pursue.

Because the only thing that tasted better than Cup Noodles^TM was integrity!

Atlas is open!

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Summer was absolutely going to try to hit up that claw machine later (or just make pouty faces at Gladio to just give her some if that didn't work) to get some of those new noodles, to either absolutely house when high or think of a good way to incorporate them into a jello shot (or probably both), but first things first! Looking cute af in a whole new workout outfit, of course, and actually, you know, working out in them.

She was thinking weight, and then a nice little cooldown jog in one of those immersion booths with the screens that had been set up a few weeks ago sounded perfect right now.

Nell watched him for a moment or two, then just grinned and headed for the mats to work on her forms.

Edited 2024-04-09 12:51 (UTC)

Gladio liked to pride himself in his special awareness; it had always been a big part of being Noct's Shield, after all, but there were Cup Noodles^TM on the line, and so his focus was definitely in the game when Nell came in. Because another point of pride was an unflappable focus in the face of a challenge.

But, alas, the Cup Noodle^TM in question slipled from the claw yet again, and Gladio's hand slammed the side of the machine in frustration, and then he started rooting around in his pocket for another quarter. Then he sighed and reasoned a break might not hurt, slipped the quarter back into his pocket, and went to go take a walk.

And that's when he spotted Nell, and, surprised for a moment, headed over.

"Well, you just snuck right in, huh?"

Yeah, it didn't take a genius strategist to figure out when.

"I'm sneaky like that," Nell said with a smile. "You looked awful focused on your game there."

She'd also noticed he hadn't been successful. "I got me a bunchof quarters back home if you need them," she teased. "I can run right on home and bring them over, if you want."

"There's a new flavor in there," Gladio pointed out, as if that explained everything, and then he gave Nell as slightly withering look. "And I'm not going to need that many. Or any, really. I have the key to coin box, I can just open it and get my quarters back.

"I also have the key to the whole machine," he pointed out, "but that's cheating."

"Then wouldn't it be cheating to use your key to get your coins back?" Nell said innocently.

"No," Gladio said, with a resolute kind of firmness that suggested he had thought about it. "Because there's no skill in putting a quarter in a slot. And they all go back to me and the gym anyway."

Nell just smiled and stretched up to give him a kiss. "Should I leave you to your machine?"

Gladio grinned as he kissed Nell back. "I was gonna take a break anyway," he said. "Maybe I could use a little stretching and company to get my game back on track."

"Always good to stretch before exercise," Nell said with a smile. "I've been working my forms pretty hard, so I could use a stretch break as well."

"Should really stretch out these arms a little," Gladio decided with a nod, grinning back again while he started rolling his shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest to press them in for that stretch. "You can get a surprising workout trying to maneuver those little levers all morning!"

It was honestly a little surprising he never actually just snapped one right off or something.

"Mmm..." Nell poked at his upper arm. "They do seem tight. Seems like someone might need a good massage."

"You know I can't say no to a good massage," Gladio told her, the lift of his eyebrow and the tone in his voice making it pretty clear that he sure hoped she wasn't going to be throwing out things like that and then not following through. He'd have to be so sad and disappointed, Nell. The new Cup Noodle^TM wouldn't be Everything Bagel, but, instead, Bitter Tears and Sore Muscles.

As if Nell would fail to follow through!

"Then I guess I know what we're doing when you get home from work," Nell said with a smile. No Bitter Tears and Sore Muscles here - though having said that, it's entirely possible that Cup Noodle flavor would show up at some point.

And for the record, Nell would totally give him a massage here, but we all know that their massages quickly morphed into Not Safe for Work and being that it was Gladio's place of work, discretion was probably the best policy.

"Guess so," Gladio agreed, grinning over as he switched up his arms.

And he was tempted, to ask for at least maybe a little preview, but the narrative was absolutely right, and he did at least try to keep it professional.

"Gives me something to look forward to," he added. "And maybe motivation to really give you plenty to have to massage on out of me."

Tried to.

Nell raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Oh, I'll be motivated," she said. "And maybe you need to head home early." She gestured to the allness that was him. "I've got a lot of work to do here."

"What?" asked Gladio, laughing a little as he pulled himself up so that all of his allness was even more on display. Maybe even with a few flexing poses, too, including one that had him turning so she could get a full view of the back of him, too, with a wink over his shoulder. "You don't want to end up staying up all night trying to work out all these muscles?"

"You wouldn't want me to skimp on anything, would you?" Nell suggested with a shocked look on her face. "Even all night, well... I'm just a bitty little thing next to you! It takes time!"

The smirk on Gladio's face was probably lessening the effect of the dubious squint he was giving Nell, but then he relented. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, alright," he said. "I guess you got a good point there. And it's pretty dead in here as the day winds down, anyway, might as well."

"The sheer excitement and anticipation here is killing me," Nell teased. "I'm not sure my little heart can take it!"

"Someone as tough as you," Gladio informed Jeff with a faint snort, but there was a fond, admiring firmness to it, brooking no argument, "can handle just about anything.

"Even me."

"Well," Nell said. "That's true enough. And I never was one to shrink away from a challenge."

(Though since Gladio was apparently talking to Jeff, things might get a bit confusing.)

Stark's depth perception was off but he might have to give the machine a try. Just to see. And then hope that everything bagel noodle cupcakes weren't in his future.

"Morning, Gladio," he said when he arrived between classes (couldn't miss the chance for a new outfit sighting after all). "New noodles? Or working on precision today?"

"Morning, Stark," Gladio greeted him back, with a nod, and a little bit of a grunt as he manuevered the joystick slightly and then sighed as yet another delicious Cup Noodle^TM slipped out of the claw's metal grasp and tumbled down to rejoin its tasty brethren. "New noodles. Really interested to try these ones, too, but they've been a little hard to snag. I'll get there, though."

He nodded and pulled away from the machine a little to turn his attention more toward Stark directly. "I'd suggest you giving it a try, but then I'd feel real embarrassed if you got one before I did. But how you doing today?"

"I'm sure you'll get one eventually," Stark said encouragingly. "Or several. I'm sure I wouldn't have better luck than you at catching one."

Depth perception and all that.

"I'm all right," he said. "Good morning, so far. Class went well and I didn't eat anything horrifying. And you?"

Well, Ignis had no perception, and Gladio wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if that guy somehow managed to get it in just one try. Something something machine vibrations, or something.

Gladio snorted a little at that response. "No classes to speak of today for me," he said, "and I hope what I'm eventually eating isn't horrifying. But good. Just got back from Alaska, actually, you ever been?"

"No. Never." Stark shook his head.

"I didn't go many places here at all for a long time. I travel more than I used to. With the school and sometimes with Summer. How was it? Isn't it cold there?"

Gladio shrugged. "Colder than here," he allowed, "but it wasn't too bad."

He had worn a shirt a good portion of the time, though, so that probably said more than his answer actually did!

"But it was nice. Gorgeous. Nell made a deal with some people who own a cabin on an island and we had it all to ourselves. Got to see these Northern Lights? If you get the chance to catch 'em, you should, they're amazing. I think you'd really like 'em, Stark."

A shirt while vacationing with his lady love? It must have been chilly!

"Watts was telling me about the lights, when he went away with Steven for the new year," Stark said. "They sound beautiful. I should look into going somewhere where they can be seen. Even if it is cold where you can see them. I can live with the cold for a little while. I'd like to see them, someday. Maybe...maybe I ought to try and plan a trip."

He smiled softly. "I'm glad you had a good trip."

"See, now, that's the thing, though, Stark," Gladio told him, meeting that smile with a smirk. "Cold's not so bad when you've got someone there to keep you warm. That's the key, right there."

Not that he knew of anyone that Stark could invite along with him on that trip for that purpose, or anything...

Stark ducked his head a little at that smirk, then looked up and grinned.

"That does help, doesn't it? It makes the cold much easier to bear. I'm glad you have someone, you know. You seem happy."

"I am happy," Gladio confirmed, and his smile went a little soft, a little fond, maybe even a little dreamy. "And I'm glad, too. Nell is..." He laughed, just a small, almost humble thing. "She's really something else. I wake up every morning just grateful that she's even given me the time, you know?"

"I know the feeling," Stark said softly, glancing in the direction of nobody in particular, really.

It wasn't the same feeling, obviously, but it was similar.

"Finding someone who loves you is...wonderful."

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Atlas Gym; Tuesday [04/09].

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