fandomhigh | Phys Ed; Thursday, First Period [09/07].

Call him crazy, but Gladio was thinking it felt pretty good to be back in the gymnasium again. Maybe it was just the promise of another semester of subjecting hapless ~~victims~~ students to at least an period's worth of physical activity each week. Maybe it was just that persistent aroma of plastic mats and stale sweat and the promise of squeaking tennis shoes on the gym room floor, but he was feeling pretty psyched to get started.

He'd even gotten a shiny new whistle for the occasion, but that wasn't all that was new, as was to be revealed as soon as everyone in the class was there, and Gladio gave a little nod (and maybe just faint extra grin directed at no one in particular, really) before getting started.

"Alright," he said, "hey, everyone. And welcome to this semester's phys ed class. I know you all know me because I know all of you, so we can probably skip the introductions and get right into the good stuff, and that's the first day physical challenge and assessment."

Oh, and that was a rare grin from Gladio, one that unabashedly stretched from ear to ear.

"But before we get to that," he said, gesturing toward the neatly stacked clothes on a fold-out table beside him, "your gear."

He figured that would be a more appealing word to use than uniforms, but, really, providing neutral-colored shorts, tanks, sweats, and cover-ups for the students had been an elegant solution to the wide variety of clothing people would be rolling in on, although everyone was on their own for footwear. If it helped, too, Gladio was already kitted out in the new FU branded sweats, and, hey, at least you knew they were brand new, too, right, and hadn't been just sitting in a storage closet somewhere for who knows how long.

"So suit up, stretch out, and we'll get started with some standard drills to see where everyone's at."

Considering the class roster? This could get interesting.

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"It's okay," Nell said, though she wasn't quite sure it was, which was a strange feeling. "You can do them if you want. I did last year, just to meet people. Or, you know..."

She shrugged, then smiled shyly. "But I'm glad you're just bringing Iggy. And he does need to get out more."

"Yeah," said Gladio, smiling faintly back, "I'm feeling pretty good on that front right where I am, but he's definitely going to need the moral support. I got Prompto on back-up, too. I can't really blame him, I guess, I just know it's been hard for him to put himself out there again after everything with Goose..."

There was a pause, and a realization that Nell probably didn't even know the first thing about all of that.

"His, uh, ex. They were together before....well, before everything happened, and when he got back...Well, he'd changed so much, and Goose hadn't hardly at all, and...it was hard on him. Still is, really, that things didn't work out..."

"Oh," Nell said, thinking about it. "Oh. Poor Iggy. After all you've been through and then to find - that must be so hard. I didn't realize, I'm sorry."

Nell didn't know from being dumped by an ex, but she could imagine how she'd feel if she'd been seeing Gladio before she'd gone home and when she'd returned he thought she was too different to still care about. It was a terrible feeling.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Gladio shrugged a shoulder. "You already help," he said. "He really enjoys talking to you, and it's good for him to be included in things."

"I enjoy talking to him," Nell said. "And I don't get to talk about cooking with people very often."

She sighed and lay back, turning onto her side to face Gladio. "I guess maybe I'm so happy I just want everyone to be happy too."

And it would seem Gladio had gone and gotten a head start on that who sitting there and staring thing, although, really, it was more just watching her with a fond smile as he appreciated just how comfortable she seemed right now.

"Not just going to try and hoarde it all for yourself?" he asked.

"Me?" she said, looking shocked, then laughed when she realized he was teasing her. "No, no hoarding. Happiness is like love - plenty to go around."

And that she could still think that way after all she'd been through, too...

"Definitely the better way to approach it. One of the many things I really admire about you, Nell."

She shook her head. "Thinking there's enough to go around doesn't make me anything special," she protested. "Any caring person would and there are lots of those."

"Maybe." Gladio's shoulder lifted, and shifted a little, too, leaning now on just arm to turn toward her as well. "Not so many of them have been through what you have, though. And a lot of people aren't so caring, either."

"I suppose you're right," Nell said. "But I guess I feel like here people are different. Maybe because so many of us know what it's like to be, well, not treated well."

She reached out to delicately touch one of the feathers on his arm before blushing and letting her hand fall to the ground. "Anyway. I think it will be nice to do some camping this weekend."

Gladio smiled softly, and when Nell touched his arm, delicate as it was, he couldn't help thinning of her then doing the same to each of those feathers. Sure, they would be there for a while, but he could definitely find the patience for something like that...

"Then we should do it. Maybe Saturday. Head out early, get everything set up, I'll take a break for matchmaking duty, and then come back when it's done and Igs is hopefully being shipped off to someone else's place for a while."

Maybe she'd like to do that. One day she'd just carefully trace over every feather.

"That sounds like a good plan," Nell said. "I'll make sure the plants and cats are all set before we go. They'll be fine on their own then."

Phys Ed; Thursday, First Period [09/07].

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