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Ignis was always prepared. It was his job. He’d spent his whole life cultivating preparedness as a lifestyle. He was not prepared for Prompto.
It had begun slowly. Prompto was not like the people that Ignis typically surrounded himself with. He was vibrant and full of life. And touchy. As someone who’d grown up surrounded within a bubble of pure responsibility, Ignis had not been afforded the same level of affection from adults that most children would have growing up. Even the affection between himself and Noctis had stopped involving any kind of touch as they grew. To be frank, Ignis was not accustomed to hugs or hand holding, or anything else of a similar nature. But Prompto, sweet Prompto, who had also grown up lonely, seemed to crave touch and closeness. And he seemed unable to hold back from it once he was comfortable with a person.
At first it was light pats on the shoulder, soft brushes against Ignis’s arm when Prompto stood too close. Prompto always stood too close. It had taken Ignis completely off guard at first. He was used to maintaining a certain distance from others and anything that got within that radius was a threat. Prompto was the furthest thing from a threat to Ignis, but his proximity still made Ignis’s heart race with what he could only assume was his fight or flight response. What else could it be? Prompto was merely too close and triggering his warning signs. That was all.
But that wasn’t all. Prompto, more and more at ease with proximity, had begun to lean into Ignis more and more frequently. Wrapping an arm around him as he spoke about something; pressing up close against Ignis’s body to examine what Ignis was cooking for dinner. Choosing to sit right beside him on the couch, thighs pressing against each others’ while watching movies with Noctis and Gladio. At first, Ignis had bristled at the unfamiliar touches. No one had ever behaved with this level of familiarity with him. It wasn’t that Prompto was specifically targeting him with his touches, Noctis got the brunt of them, and even Gladio got a few rare nudges. But it affected Ignis in ways that he hadn’t expected, and that he certainly wasn’t prepared for. The racing of his heart when Prompto got close never stopped, but the reasoning behind it had changed. He began to wonder what it would have been like to have always had a presence like this in life. Someone from whom physical touch wasn’t taboo, but wanted. The longer he thought about, the more he came to a conclusion. He wanted more from Prompto. One thing in particular. He was certain that it was going to be awkward to ask, but this was Prompto, there was no way that he’d deny him something like this.
It was weeks before Ignis finally caught Prompto alone to ask. Prompto was out on Noctis’s balcony taking pictures of the sunset skyline lazily, mumbling about testing different settings that Ignis didn’t understand.
“Prompto?” Ignis approached him carefully, not wanting to startle him into dropping his camera.
Prompto turned, back lit by golden rays of sunshine, and the curious look on his face melted into a blinding smile. It made Ignis’s stomach flip-flop and jittery nerves overtook him for the first time in his life. “I,” he cleared his throat. “I was hoping… That is, there’s something that I wanted to talk to you about. A request of sorts.”
Prompto tilted his head, smile never faltering even as his curiosity returned. “What’s up, Igster? You almost sound like me. What’s got you so nervous?”
“I’m not sure that it’s nerves exactly,” Ignis found himself lying. “Just an… unorthodox request.”
Ignis tried to ask. He really did. But every time the words rose to his tongue they sounded so ridiculous that he found himself unable to speak them.
Prompto frowned slightly at the prolonged silence, setting down his camera and taking a couple of steps closer. “Igs?”
Instead of answering, Ignis surged forward. Prompto made a startled sound, but then he relaxed as Ignis’s arms wrapped around him more than a little awkwardly. Ignis hesitated at first, stiffening without meaning to, even as he initiated the hug himself. It was something he wanted, he couldn’t deny it. But it was also something so foreign to him that he was afraid to do it wrong, to look silly. But Prompto was his friend. And highly affectionate at that. Surely this was something that was okay? Surely he wouldn’t be rejected? Not by Prompto. He was sure of it. But he was also very afraid. Maybe he’d misread the signs? Maybe Prompto liked only certain types of touch. Maybe...
Oh.
Prompto immediately reciprocated the hug, pulling Ignis tighter against him. “This is what you wanted? Why didn’t you just say so?” Prompto’s giggling was slightly muffled by Ignis’s shoulder as he readjusted his arms.
“It’s embarrassing,” Ignis managed to lament quietly as he relaxed into the hug. Prompto was so warm. Soft but firm under his fingers. There was something so unfamiliar about being held, but it was so desirable. Every fibre in Ignis’s being longed for it. And he had been right. Prompto gave the best hugs. The blond just radiated affection and it made Ignis feel like he was home. He found himself reluctant to pull away, so he didn’t. He held on tightly, closing his eyes when Prompto started rubbing comforting circles between his shoulder blades. And that was it. Ignis finally felt the tension that had been wound so tightly around him completely melt away, like ice melting in the sunlight. He felt so warm and free. And loved.
“It’s not embarrassing to want a hug, Igs,” Prompto assured him after a few moments of silence. “You can have them whenever you want. You don’t even need to ask.”
Ignis tightened his arms around him as emotion surged within him. He pressed his lips to the top of Prompto’s head without thinking about it.
“Thank you, Prompto.”