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The first one was an impulse buy at the trading post, humouring the kid who was always trying to make an extra sale for his grandfather’s shop where he could. Gladio almost forgot about it, until he emptied the bag he’d thrown it in out on the counter.
Ignis, who knew the business of where things went in the fridge better than he did, was helping sort and put the food away, not needing much direction, but as his fingers passed over the small rectangle lying flat on the counter, a puzzled look came over his face.
“What’s this?” Ignis asked, turning it over to feel the engraving with his thumbs.
“Something for the fridge.”
“A magnet, then.” Ignis found the lettering quickly enough. “Lestallum?”
“Yep,” Gladio said. “Next to it is–”
“Don’t tell,” Ignis cut him off, lips curling at the edges, “I fancy having a guess. This is the cable car.”
“Got it in one.”
“I remember the first time we saw it, Prompto, I think it was, wanted to ride it.”
“Didn’t know it was for shipping only.”
Ignis smiled, and moved to stick it on the fridge. “Maybe I’ll use it for my shopping lists.”
“Very funny,” Gladio replied.
“I picked up another one.”
“Another what?” Ignis asked, pulling the earbud attached to his phone out and setting the lot down on the coffee table. “I hope it’s not another ingredient that doubles as a diuretic, because those forest ferns–”
“Another magnet,” Gladio said, leaning over the back of the couch, passing it to him as Ignis reached a hand out. “I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.”
This one was plastic mostly other than the backing, but the etched style was much the same as the last one, the kind of thing that never comes in nor goes out of style.
Ignis put it down almost immediately in favour of removing one of his gloves. “It happens that I’m beginning to think you’re attracted to me.”
Gladio refused to laugh, but he leant in beside him and pecked him on the cheek. “You’ve figured me out.”
Ignis picked up the magnet again, running his bare fingertips over it, taking in the irregular edges, this one cut to a unique shape. “No lettering, but if I’m right, this is the Meteor?”
“You know you’re always right.”
“Says the man most inclined to argue me out of things. But, thank you. I like it.”
‘I like it’ was quite enough, and gradually the negative space on their fridge disappeared as Gladio picked up these old souvenirs wherever he could. Hammerhead, Galdin Quay, the Rock of Ravatogh, all the many places they travelled together, commemorated in cheap tourist memorabilia long forgotten by the ruined world, that were nonetheless a fond reminder of everything they’d seen.
“That almost completes the set,” Gladio said, as Ignis figured out the most recent acquisition, a Chocobo shaped magnet with Wiz’s Chocobo Post faintly embossed on it. The Chocobo Post was long gone, but it made finding it accidentally on a hunt feel like a real reward.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you stop there,” Ignis said, affixing it to the fridge.
“You can’t?”
He turned towards Gladio. “You might have to move on to tokens of affection with an expiration date and that could be dire.”
Gladio snorted.
“Besides, there’s something missing still.”
“What, exactly?”
“There used to be so many of these kinds of souvenirs in Insomnia.”
“Yeah, there were,” Gladio said. It came out a little heavier than he meant.
Ignis brushed past it. “I want at least one of those. Preferably with the Citadel on it, just as I remember it.”
Gladio rubbed at Ignis’ shoulder lightly, then kissed the top of his head. “One day, yeah,” he replied, thinking firmly of the future he needed to believe in even in the darkness of the long night. “One day you’ll get your wish.”
Ignis smiled.
Gladio added, “But only if you promise not to break up with me when your collection is finished.”