Work Text:
"What's wrong?"
"What? Nothing's wrong. What makes you say that?"
Ignis pauses as he hangs up his cane, and then very, very slowly, proceeds to sit and begin to undo his shoelaces. "Noct."
"Yeah?"
"You rather sound like something's wrong."
"I'm distracted by your beautiful face?" Noct sounds hopeful. The incredibly casual tone of his voice from the doorway to the kitchen raises the hairs on the back of Ignis's neck.
"The apartment smells as if you've tried to dismember an electric bomb in it," Ignis says warily.
"Well, I — I thought I might uh, try out your newest recipe." A nervous laugh. "Maybe I could get you to taste-test for once." He sounds vaguely coquettish, but Ignis isn't going to be distracted that easily. Also, it really does smell awful.
Ignis frowns as he toes off his shoes. "Might I ask why you're leaning against the coat stand?"
"I what?" There's a sliding noise and the sound of furniture collapsing. "Shit — "
Noct scrambles to pick up the falling coat stand, and what sounds like a cascade of shoes comes tumbling off the nearby rack. Something rattles against the wall. He gets his feet tangled in an umbrella, throws out an arm, and slams his shin into the bench.
"The lights are off, aren't they?" Ignis says as Noct continues to curse.
Noct makes a pained noise. "Okay, before you say anything, this isn't like that time Prompto tried 'romantic lighting' out, all right, this was just — "
"Did they burn out by themselves? All of them?"
"I think a fuse got fucked up," Noct blurts.
"On its own?"
There's an uncomfortable moment. As nobody else is around to save Noct, Ignis waits patiently.
"I — fixed the oven," Noct says, strained.
Ignis raises an eyebrow. After a moment he realizes that Noct probably can't see it, but his silence seems to have the same effect.
"Not because I broke it," Noct clarifies. "I was just adjusting it. Because you know how it was heating up too slow because the coils in the back were, I dunno, gunked up or whatever, and none of the staff wanna touch it because they know you like it set just right and they're worried you'll kill them if they mess it up?"
"I was going to fix it myself," Ignis says, starting to feel indignant. "I don't — "
"Well, I didn't want you to have to," Noct says. Ignis's mouth closes, and a second later Noct grudgingly continues, "I think the staff might kill me if I let you try, actually."
"Noct," Ignis says finally, and then stops short, torn between chastisement and amusement and something softer.
"I uh, I did get it working," Noct says, sounding wilted. "Heats right up. Real fast now. Maybe too fast."
A small bubble of laughter rises out of Ignis's throat against his will.
"Hey, I did my best, all right?" Noct sounds offended. "I've been at it for at least — "
Hours, probably, but Noct stops short before admitting it. Ignis sits down again and reaches to help right the coat stand.
"I believe you were meant to make a showing at a charity ball tonight?" he asks. Noct has appearances to make at one or two of these every so often — truly wealthy folk are rare nowadays, certainly by the measures of Old Insomnia, but most everyone can use an occasion to celebrate the rebuilding efforts that they often find their scarce resources go towards. They have genuinely achieved an astonishing amount in a very short period of time, and the people tend to be encouraged by the sight of their King in their midst after so many years of thinking he was gone.
Ignis doesn't often attend. War wounds make the attendees uneasy — too close, too soon — and while Prompto and Gladio insist his presence would be missed, Ignis is more than happy to leave it to the others.
Noct sits back on his heels and gives up, apparently, speaking directly into the air. "Gladio took over for me. I might've mentioned that I needed time to do something for you before you got back. I mean, is there any way you would've let me try it if you were in the house?"
Probably not, Ignis has to admit. "I appreciate the sentiment, Noct. You don't have to go out of your way."
"You go out of your way all the time," Noct protests. "I mean, you do everything around here. I know you're good at it, but... just..." He scratches the back of his head. "Let me take care of you once in a while, okay? I want to. I can get better at it, just — give me time."
A fond ache settles warmly in Ignis's chest. "I've had ten years on you getting used to doing things on my own, Noct. Don't be too hard on yourself."
Noct laughs softly. "Ten years? More like thirty and then some." He shuffles on his knees as if trying to move closer, and then appears to realize he has no idea where Ignis is, thinks better of it, and settles back. "At least let me pretend to be useful once in a while, all right?" He sounds sheepish.
Ignis's lips twitch, and then — well, Noct can't see it, can he? — curve into a smile. "Well, if we must." He rests his elbows on his knees.
There's another moment of shuffling, and then a sour sigh from somewhere in front of him.
"I can't see shit."
Ignis has to stifle a laugh. "The oven's enough for today, your Majesty. We can fix the fuse in the morning."
"Easy for you to say," Noct says, only slightly irritated, and — yes, a little pleased. He's traded his lights for Ignis's oven, and Ignis knows full well he doesn't regret it at all.
Ignis leans forward, knee to the ground, and finds Noct's hand. Noct stays still for him, and Ignis easily stands, lifting him to his feet by the elbow; he lets Ignis place a hand to his cheek, slide fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, and his breath hitches as Ignis brings him in for a firm, slow kiss.
"I suppose I'll just have to show you to the bed," Ignis whispers in Noct's ear, and smiles at the answering shiver.
Noct's hand twines through his. "Lead the way," he says, and Ignis can hear him grin.