Work Text:
“You’re shy around girls, aren’t you?” Ignis said over his book.
Noctis looked up from his computer screen. “What?”
“Your little encounter with Vanille-”
“She took me by surprise-”
“-and then Fang thanking you-”
“I hate attention-”
“-and then Stella asking you out for tea-”
“Lightning's a girl, I’m not shy around her," Noctis snapped, face reddening.
"Maybe, maybe not," Ignis yawned. "And maybe a different sort of 'shy'."
“Whatever." Noctis' gaze returned to his laptop screen. "What do you care, anyway?”
"Colour me curious."
The only answer Noctis was giving him was a shrug, and good thing too, because he had just spotted the librarian giving him the stink eye from across the room. Ignis too, when he followed his gaze. The other young man bowed his head, chuckling.
"What." Noctis grumbled.
"if there's one thing I know about Lightning, it's that she isn't the sort of woman someone would necessarily wait for."
"What!"
"Oi! Keep it down!"
"I am not waiting for her!" Noctis hissed.
“So I’m just supposed to assume you like to spend your afternoons moping outside the Odin Faculty Office, is that correct?”
Noctis said nothing and continued to type.
"I could give you a few pointers, if you want. Public speaking is my--"
Noctis let out a frustrated sigh and slammed his laptop shut, no longer in the mood for studying. He pushed off the ground, and let his seat roll right beside Ignis' place at the large study table.
“I don’t get it," he said. "I mean, I help lift the curse on the school, we save the world from certain doom, and right when all's said and done, she’s off on another mission, like the whole ordeal meant nothing to her.”
Ignis looked on the verge of laughter. “Were you, perchance, expecting a kiss?” he teased.
"No!" but Noctis' face reddened, betraying him. “Not a kiss, just…something. All I got from her was a punch in the shoulder and a ‘you did good Caelum’. Snow Villiers got a fucking hug!"
"Well he did save her sister--"
"She told me she hates the guy! What the actual--”
"Don't make me come over there!" the librarian snapped.
Ignis slid a folded note on the desk over to him, and then stood.
"Is this legit?" Noctis said, scowling at the numbers written beside Lightning's name in Ignis' tidy scrawl.
The other student shrugged, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
“Like I said: she’s not the sort of woman one would wait for. If you want more than a thank you, if you want more – then take it. Pursue her. Take that kiss – make it happen for yourself. I happen to know on good authority that a little reciprocation on her part is more than a little likely.”
"Really?" Noctis said, eyes full of hope.
"I give you my word."
A day later, a loud bang smashed through the library's quiet ambience as its entrance doors were all but knocked off their hinges.
"WHERE IS HE!" a familiar voice hollered.
Ignis looked up and tried to stifle a laugh. Noctis was rage incarnate as he raised his falchion over his head, heading straight for him. There was a very noticeable bruise on his jaw, that most definitely wasn't from the battle to determine the world's fate two weeks prior.
"Now Noct," Ignis smiled, holding his hands up in surrender as he slowly backed away "I did say she was going to reciprocate--"
"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"