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You leaned forward against the island counter in Ignis’ kitchen, your arms crossed as you watched him glide about, gathering ingredients and utensils as he moved. Coffee beans, a mug, milk and… sugar cubes?
“Ignis…” you drawled, sliding further down into your chair, “Is this really necessary?”
He nodded, sparing you a glance over his shoulder before he set to work. “Yes. I daresay I can make you the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had.”
You raised a brow. “No offense, Igs, but you’re going for the wrong audience. I’ll like coffee no sooner than Noct will like vegetables.”
Ignis paused, holding a hand up to his chest and fixing you with the most faux-pained look you’d ever seen on his face. “You wound me.”
You laughed as he turned back to his task, an adorable pout visible on his visage. “Alright, I’ll humor you. Make me the best cup of joe ever, chef Scientia. If I like it, um…” You paused for a moment, cupping your face in your hands as you considered your next plan of action. “I’ll give you a prize.”
Six , that was reckless of you. That was actually really stupid. Take it back, take it back--
“All the more incentive,” Ignis replied, completely unaware of your inner turmoil.
You sighed internally. No takebacks now. What could you even give him that wouldn’t potentially ruin your friendship with him? You bit the inside of your cheek, struggling to keep the frown off of your face.
All you could think about was a kiss, or a dinner date, or buying him something that he completely and utterly deserved but was also too expensive for a mug of coffee (something he would undoubtedly try to turn down), or -- nothing that gave the ring of anything remotely platonic.
You’d done so well concealing your feelings these past three years, and you couldn’t run the risk of exposing yourself now, or ever. It was hard on your heart to just remain friends, but it was survivable.
So, then… a cookbook, a simple one… yeah, a quick cookbook, perhaps about concealing vegetables in a meal -- that would be a solid, completely platonic gift.
At least, that was the plan.
You watched Ignis move about the kitchen, chatting idly with him as he worked. You began to breathe shallowly, as just the smell of the coffee was already invading your senses and trying to repel you, especially Ignis’ coffee, which was stronger than most.
Maybe you wouldn’t have to worry about the gift after all. Six, wouldn’t that be nice? You could just say that coffee still wasn’t your thing, and then you wouldn’t have to worry about getting that completely platonic gift because he’d have lost the challenge anyways--
“(Y/N)?”
You looked up from your daze to find Ignis staring at you inquisitively, jade eyes warm and showing a hint of concern. You quickly averted your gaze, trying desperately to fight the blush rising to your cheeks. “What is it?”
“You seem…” You could see him gesturing out of the corner of your eye as he tried to find the right words. “A gil for your thoughts?”
You made the mistake of looking back at him, and you were blown away (like you always were) by his sheer beauty. That strong jawline, those full lips, the little bump in the bridge of his nose, his cupid’s bow, the acne scars from your adolescence scattered across his visage, those eyes that were so guarded to almost anyone else yet so open to you--
“I, uh,” you stammered, your brain scrambling for an answer through all the fawning, “Sorry. The smell of coffee doesn’t do me too well.”
Okay, so that wasn’t a total lie. You could stand it, but would avoid it if possible… but it wasn’t too possible with Ignis being the object of your affections, was it? So most times you stayed around the smell just because he carried it so much.
Ignis studied you for a moment more before he heaved a sigh, going to retrieve a small pot from the lower cabinets. “I’ll put on some tea.”
“Ah, I… thanks,” you muttered, cursing your lack of focus today. “And sorry about the coffee.”
Ignis shrugged, fiddling with his glasses. “It’s no issue. That’s just more Ebony for me.”
You nodded slowly, pursing your lips a bit. “Yeah…”
Ignis left the water on the stove to come to a boil and joined you at the island, sliding into the seat next to yours. The two of you conversed comfortably about random things, with pauses in the middle, though never awkward. It wasn’t too long before your tea was done and Ignis’ coffee as well.
He collected the two mugs and placed one in front of you, keeping the other for himself. You thanked him as you watched him move back to the other side of the kitchen, grabbing back the materials he’d previously taken out.
Ignis returned to his seat with little fanfare, pulling his mug closer to him and grabbing his spoon. “Two sugar cubes,” he said, putting one large and one small sugar cube into his beverage, “And three spoonfuls of milk.” He threw that in as well, mixing the coffee until he was satisfied. He brought the mug to his lips, a hum of satisfaction leaving his throat. “And that is how you make the perfect cup of Ebony.”
You tilted your head to the side, a smile tugging at your lips. “The perfect cup, huh? Mind if I have a try?” You placed your own mug back onto the countertop, turning to face him fully. “Maybe it’ll get you that prize after all.”
Ignis chuckled, sliding his mug over. “Have at it, then.”
“Gladly.” If it was the perfect cup, then it had to be good, right? You lifted the cup to your lips and took a sip. Ignis seemed to be holding his breath in anticipation of your reaction, and you hated to disappoint him, but-- “Yeah, sorry Igs.” You pushed the mug back over to him with a wince, taking a large sip of your tea to try and rid your tongue of the still-bitter taste of the coffee. “I guess I’m a tea girl through and through.”
Ignis snapped his fingers in false disappointment, slapping his knee and letting his head hang briefly. “Drat. It’s unfortunate that you have to miss out.”
You laughed. “I suppose so.” Ignis laughed a bit as well before the two of you settled into a relaxed silence.
As you sipped your tea, you allowed your mind to wander a bit. Okay, yeah, coffee still tasted pretty terrible, even when Ignis made it (which is a feat in and of itself, and a testament against coffee, not that you’d ever tell Ignis that much), but he made a valiant effort. That was still deserving of a prize, right? It wasn’t a grand prize, but… a consolation prize, perhaps.
Ignis had already nearly finished his mug of Ebony by the time you spoke up, catching his attention. “I appreciate the thought, even if it didn’t go as planned, so for that… a consolation prize is in order.”
Oh dear… you were thinking a bit more with your heart than your brain. Three years, you tried to remind yourself, three years and counting, is this one moment really worth the possible destruction of your friendship?
Ignis quirked a brow, idly tapping the side of his mug with a gloved fingertip. “A consolation prize? I’m flattered.”
You giggled, taking another sip from your tea. “As you should be.” And in that small amount of time between one sentence and the next, you had a mental battle with yourself -- would you just take the chance, take the leap, see how Ignis would react and put everything at stake? Or would you just sit back and buy that cookbook like you had planned, letting those feelings remain under a careful lock and key? You weighed the costs against the benefits and quickly reached a conclusion, even if it may have been a regrettable one.
The heart wants what the heart wants, and this one moment was all that you desired.
“Okay, trust me on this one. Close your eyes.” You said, scooting forward in your seat a little bit. Ignis did as told, and suddenly you were thankful for your distinct lack of nerves. Three years of holding it in be damned. You were so tired of holding back. The floodgates were open already, you just had to let yourself get swept into the current… so you did.
You leaned forward and pressed a single, lasting kiss against Ignis’ cheek.
Your nerves hit you full force the moment you’d pulled away, and you couldn’t hide the way your face heated. Ignis had gone red too, but you didn’t want to get your hopes up, not just yet--
“(Y/N)?” He asked, his voice small.
“Y-yeah?” you replied shakily, having failed to keep your nerves out of your throat. Six, you felt like you were in high school again, all jittery feelings and stammered words.
He opened his eyes, staring at you, studying you. “You… I…”
You stared right back, no matter how much you wanted to look away from his intense gaze. It was now or never at this point. You took a deep breath through your nose, then set your shoulders and came out with it. “Ignis, I -- I’m in love with you. Have been for a while now.”
He remained silent just long enough to make you even more nervous, then relaxed and slouched forward. “Six, (Y/N),” he muttered, and then he was standing so close to you, his hands cupping your face and his body heat rolling off of him in waves and his cologne absolutely clogging the air in the loveliest way. “May I?”
“Please.”
And with how intense those green orbs of his were, you’d expected the following kiss to be a bit on the rough side, yet it was anything but. Ignis’ lips were so soft and so gentle, moving against yours unsurely, as if he still wasn’t completely convinced this was happening. He pulled away just barely, your breath still mingling. “Pardon me, I-I’ve never really--”
“Neither have I,” you cut him off, reaching a hand up and tangling it in his hair, the other coming to cup his face as he did yours. “Less talking.” And you pulled him to you again, the kiss just as gentle and soft as the previous, slow and chaste as the two of you just felt each other, getting acquaintanced with one another.
You weren’t sure how long the two of you remained in each other’s embrace, but it was the most heavenly time of your life, and you were almost convinced it was a dream until you finally got a taste of the coffee on Ignis’ lips.
You pulled away, shaking your head and sticking your tongue out. “Even a kiss can’t make coffee taste better. I’m a lost cause, Ignis.”
He simply looked at you for a moment, and then that radiant, joyous smile spread across his face and he pulled you close, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “It would seem so.”
You would shortly learn that Ignis had been pining after you for about as long as you had him, and the thought made you laugh. For three years, you two danced around each other, both doing entirely too good of a job at concealing your romantic feelings for the other, until today. It was utterly foolish and utterly perfect, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.