He hasn't seen Ignis break down like this in a long time, even when he started to crack under the strain of the petals filling his lungs and entangling his joints he hadn't broken apart this much, perhaps close but it was regrets for the past, the weight of things that had already happened. That was what had made those delicate petals so powerful. When Ardyn was at his worst, when Gladio himself had fallen apart after finding out about Ignis and Ardyn, when Noctis left them time and again.

Iggy never broke.

For Luna to be the thing that finally tipped him over the edge was surprising but then Ignis had been there, adjacent to the tragedy of that day and Gladio hadn't been able to get close enough to help. He pulls th other man in against his chest, letting himself sway slightly, a subtle comforting rocking. His fingers go to sandy hair, threading through and reassuring himself for the thousandth time that there are no flashes of petals there.

"But Bahamut sure as hell didn't count on this place. Or on Tory, or on years of us together in different timelines to pull together what we know. So fuck him and fuck fate." Then he cradles Ignis' chin, tilts his head up to he has to face him, lets his forehead rest against his lover's. Gladio even reaches out to capture one of ignis' hands, leading it up to settle his fingers against his cheek, let him feel the tension and strength there in the set of his jaw and the furrow of his brow. "It may be a fool's quest but I swear to you, I will not stop. I will never stop trying and I will never give up. Not for you, not for Noct and not for Ardyn. On my honor. On my father's grave."