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It had been a harrowing day, to put it mildly.
Between fighting Titan, being rescued then stranded by the Empire, and making their way on foot to the Chocobo Post, the four of them were exhausted. For once, Ignis was relieved not to be cooking. He was certain that he wouldn’t be able to manage anything even remotely palatable.
He stared at the Chocobo Post’s menu without reading it.
They had almost lost Noctis today. He would have died if Gladio had been just a little slower. Ignis still felt the weight of that knowledge curdling in his stomach, the taste of remembered fear sour in his mouth. Ignis had almost lost Noct and that was unbearable.
He didn’t even realise that Prompto was talking to him until he felt a tentative touch on his shoulder.
“Ignis? You in there?” Prompto said, but his smile was careful, not quite as bright as usual.
“My apologies,” he replied, mustering up a smile that, by Prompto’s expression, was about as convincing as it felt. “Just contemplating the menu.”
“Right,” Prompto answered, sounding dubious, and then hesitated. “Hey, can I ask you something – you totally don’t have to answer, but I’ve gotta ask.”
Ignis tilted his head, regarding him curiously. He looked nervous. “Be my guest.”
Prompto fidgeted, before looking him directly in the eye and taking a deep breath. “How long have you been in love with Noct?”
Not are you in love with Noct, but how long, like Ignis’ most closely guarded secret was common knowledge. Ignis gaped at him in shock, and lost the time in which he could plausibly deny Prompto’s assertion.
“I…” he began, lost for words. “Does Noctis know?” It was the only way he could think that Prompto could possibly know of his hidden feelings – if Noct had worked it out and had discussed the matter with his friend. The thought made him cringe inside.
But Prompto shook his head. “I saw your face today, when Noct fell over the cliff. I mean, I was worried too, but you looked…” he trailed off, then put his clenched fist over his chest and dragged it away, like his heart had been ripped out of him.
“Well,” Ignis said, still feeling wrong-footed and exposed. “That’s an accurate summation, at least.”
Prompto’s eyes widened in surprise at his reply, and then got wider still when he continued, “and in answer to your question, I can’t remember a time in which I didn’t.”
“Dude,” Prompto murmured, his voice low and full of sympathy. Ignis found it more comforting than he cared to admit.
“I assume I don’t have to ask you to keep this to yourself,” Ignis told him, deceptively casual, as he turned his attention back to the menu.
Prompto bit his lip, like he wanted to say something he knew he shouldn’t. “I won’t tell Noct a thing, but you know, maaayyybeee you should? Like… that could be a really good thing to do.”
Ignis opened his mouth to refuse, before he was interrupted. “What aren’t you telling me?” Noct asked from behind Ignis.
Before he could panic, Prompto threw up his hands. “If you’d just eat your veggies like a grown-up, Iggy wouldn’t have to sneak them onto your burger.”
“You wouldn’t do that to me, would you?” Noct said, putting a pleading hand on his shoulder.
“Of course not,” Ignis replied in defeat, Noct’s smile hitting him like a physical thing, even more so than usual after almost losing it.
Prompto winked at Ignis and mouthed “tell him” with a thumbs-up, before excusing himself to take pictures of the chocobos.
Ignis’ mind raced as Noct leant comfortably against his shoulder while he read the menu. There had to be a reason Prompto so fervently encouraged him to confess his feelings to Noct, and for the first time, his hopeless feelings for his prince didn’t feel so hopeless.