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The city of Altissia was a beautiful place. People from around the world gathered to visit. It was quite literally the city of romance. So many weddings, engagements, and dates took place in the city to the point where that was almost the main attraction to the city.
Outside of love, many academics visited to study the city itself. The food was magnificent, the architecture was other-worldly, the history of the city attracted many scholars.
Circumstantially, you and the boys happened to end up in Altissia for Noctis’ supposed-to-be wedding. Even though you lot were there for business, Ignis always found the time to spoil you a little.
Dates were a rarity during this time, both you and Ignis were aware of that. You didn’t get to spend a lot of time together outside of the hotels and tents you stayed in. There was rarely any alone time. You never complained though, circumstances were hard and there wasn’t enough time to think how much that sucked in retrospect.
This was no secret to anyone, but Ignis was a planner. He managed to sneak away from the rest of the group for about an hour, going through the city and picking out every single thing the two of you were going to do on your first official date. He seemed to be quite knowledgeable about everything. He knew the best places to eat, the best places to shop, the best spots in town, he even knew where the best place was to view the sunset every night.
Within that single hour he had away, he managed to plan the entire night: he found complementing outfits for you both, reserved a wonderful meal for you two at Maagho, reserved a Gondola at the front of the city, along with two others for a guitarist and a violinist, and planned an entire map’s worth of strolls for the two of you under the evening stars. Ignis was a classic romantic, and he’d definitely prove it to you before the night would end.
After being distracted by the other boys for that hour, you returned to your hotel room with a beautiful outfit paired with a note that read: “Be ready in an hour.” You couldn’t fight off the smile that crept onto your lips, recognizing the handwriting that belonged to your boyfriend. After teasing Noctis about how you’re getting more than him and it’s supposed to be his wedding, you began to get ready. Your heart raced with eagerness as you sat in front of the mirror, using whatever you had to your disposal: blow dryers, hair straighteners, hair gel, hair spray. The look of excitement in your eyes was hard to miss, Prompto offered to take pictures so that you would remember this moment forever. You politely disagreed, though, knowing that you could never forget this day already.
After you were ready, you had about fifteen minutes to spare. As your excitement high began to wear off, anxiety began to fill your veins instead. What if you didn’t look good? What if you messed up? There were so many “what ifs” running through your mind, you began to fear that maybe backing out would be a better option. You couldn’t disappoint Ignis though... Surely he worked hard to pull all of this together.
Your hands were shaking and your leg was bouncing as you waited out the fifteen minutes, multiple and conflicting thoughts rolling through your mind as you considered all of the possibilities of how tonight was going to go. Noctis, Gladio and Prompto had all disappeared to go do their own things, so you were left waiting in the lobby as people came and went. Eventually, the front doors to the Leville opened again, revealing quite the dashing character.
As soon as your eyes fell on Ignis, your heart swelled. He looked incredibly handsome. He certainly didn’t look like he had been running around town for the past two hours getting ready for this fantastic night. A soft blush crept up your cheeks as you stood to greet him, your breath stolen away as you stared at him somewhat in awe.
You could tell he was somewhat pushing the boundaries with what he chose to wear. His usual neat and orderly attire was replaced with a black button-down shirt, the first three buttons undone. His skull necklace was polished and hanging somewhat further down. His pants were complemented by the newly polished dress shoes he wore, along with a simple belt. His coat was placed over his arm neatly, probably so that he could cool down after running around. His hair was styled somewhat differently too, it didn’t stick up like it normally did. Instead, it was relaxed a little bit, the height of it brought down until it looked like it was simply pushed back by his hand. Of course, there wasn’t a single strand of hair that was out of place though.
He was in the middle of rolling up his sleeves when you timidly approached him, a shy smile forming on your lips as you forced yourself to stop looking him up and down. “Hey.” You greeted sweetly, catching his attention.
The moment his eyes landed on you, the corners of his lips turned upwards. His eyes examined your appearance, a look of awe mixed with relief and admiration in his eyes. He reached out to take your hand, lifting it to his lips and pressing a kiss to your knuckles. “Good evening.” He returned, his voice smooth and low. It felt more intimate than how he usually spoke, causing butterflies to form in your stomach.
“What a surprise, Mister Scientia.” You hummed playfully, the air around you flirtatious. Ignis began to guide you out of the building, his fingers immediately intertwining with yours.
“A surprise?” He repeated, biting back the smirk that fought its way to his lips. “Surely you didn’t think we weren’t going to go on a date in the city of romance.” He teased, causing you to chuckle.
“I began to get worried when there was no mention of it.” You replied, instantly matching with his energy. He chuckled as well and began to stroll alongside you through the city. “So... That hour you had the boys spend with me, that was just a cover-up, wasn’t it?” You asked immediately, already getting to the bottom of his devious plan.
Ignis offered you an innocent smile. “You’re a clever one, aren’t you? I hoped they wouldn’t cause too much trouble for you.” He answered, his thumb running over your knuckles. “I suppose my plan had fallacies all along, I figured you wouldn’t just willingly spend an hour left in a hotel with them.” He chuckled. Even time he smiled, one of your heartstrings were pulled.
“It wasn’t so bad.” You reassured as the two of you came up to one of the gondola stations. “I’m sure you’ll redeem yourself tonight.” You joked, smiling as he helped you inside the gondola.
The ride to Maagho was silent, the two of you simply sat together and held hands, your head resting on his. You examined the passing scenery, humming along to the quiet sounds of the radio on the gondola. Neither of you were nervous. It all felt natural... Something that you both desired for ages and were able to finally bask in it. When the gondola slowed and waded against the water to the edge of the floating restaurant, Ignis was the first to leave. He turned and offered you his hand as you slowly stood.
The two of you were immediately guided to your table. Ignis had reserved the only table left in the slowly setting light, the glow of the sun’s rays kissing your skin as you sat down. Complemented by candle lights and Maagho’s finest dining wares, you found yourself to be impressed once again. Even if it was busy, Ignis and Weskham together were able to make it feel like you two were the only people in the restaurant.
Ignis could tell by the look on your face how impressed you were but decided to downplay it still. “It isn’t much, but I figured you would prefer familiarity over something new.” He explained, pouring you and himself a glass of wine.
You bit back a smile, knowing he was simply trying to stroke his own ego. Had it been anyone else, you would have told them off, but Ignis can at least play it off. “You did an amazing job.” You praised, watching as his smile grew wider. “Although, there’s one last thing that could have made this better-” You attempted to critique, before noticing one of the few waiters making their way over to your table. In his hands was the biggest bouquet of Altissian flowers, the vividness of the red and white flowers popping. You were left astonished as the bouquet was placed on the table in a beautiful marble vase.
“You were saying?” Ignis hummed, his voice holding a somewhat cocky tone. You bit back a giggle and ran your fingers over the petals, a quiet “wow” leaving your lips.
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” You stated, chuckling. “You did an amazing job... I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have this chance.” You mused your gazes meeting. A shy smile formed on your lips as he reached over, grasping your hand gently. The feeling of his somewhat rough hands on yours made your heart race.
“I should be saying that about you, my dear.” He responded smoothly as his chin came to rest on the palm of his free hand. “If it weren’t for you and your unending love, I would have gone insane by now.” Ignis murmured, trailing kisses along your knuckles. The way his lips brushed against your knuckles as he spoke sent chills down your spine. The way he touched you was filled with love, he made it so obvious how his heart beat for you.
The rest of dinner was almost the same. As the sunset, Ignis cursed himself for not hiring a professional photographer to capture these moments... So he made sure to take in every moment. He wanted to remember your sun-kissed skin, the way your eyes were brought out by the sun. He never wanted to forget your smile and the way your nose scrunched or your eyes crinkled. His heart swelled at each giggle and every touch made his stomach flood with butterflies. The others were right, it was painfully obvious how badly in love he was with you, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Thankfully Weskham delivered on his promise for the finest meal he could prepare. Perfectly cooked fish and meat, paired with a decent amount of greens and fruits topped off with the perfect garnish was placed on your table, along with some specialty dessert items. Ignis could see the way your eyes widened, the hungry look in your eyes being replaced with surprise.
You couldn’t imagine the bill that Ignis had to pay for this. As each food item was placed down, you slowly became intimidated by the amount of food. It all looked so delicious... You shared a look with Ignis before smiling shyly and happily beginning to eat, starting off small with the side salad and fruit. Eventually, you both shared your meals, the both of you wanting to try everything at least once.
After dessert, a satisfied sigh left both of your lips. It was getting close to time for Ignis’ next phase of his plan. As he stood, he carefully helped clean up your table with the waiters before leaving a generous tip. His hand came down to hold yours gently as he guided you back to the gondola. This one was different than the last one that had dropped you off. It was bigger and had a lot more room, and overall seemed fancier. You raised a brow at Ignis, but he simply smirked and stepped onto the boat, helping you on. The cushioning was soft and comfortable, Ignis’ warmth shielded you from the slight wind coming off of the water. As the gondola took off, you couldn’t help but wonder where you two were off to now. You weren’t going back the way you came, instead, you two were traveling along the outskirts of the city. Eventually, you slowed near the front of Altissia, allowing you to see the glowing lights of the city reflect off of the water.
The sun was still setting, the sky was painted several shades of yellow, orange, pink, red, purple, and finally blue. One half of the sky showed the sun setting along the horizon while the other side had the moon growing and the stars twinkling. A quiet breath left your lips as you looked around, hardly noticing the accompanying musicians beginning to play. Ignis moved to sit in front of you, his smile wide as he watched your reaction. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He questioned, not taking his eyes off of you.
You finally turned back towards him, your lips curved upwards as you slowly nodded. “It is.” You replied, reaching over to take his hands in yours. “Thank you... This was magnificent.”
Ignis smiled and gently tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear before carefully leaning over to press a feather-light kiss on your lips. “Don’t thank me yet. We’re not close to being done.” He whispered softly, watching as the sun disappeared under the horizon. Your face flushed from the kiss, causing you to hide your face in his shoulder. Ignis wasn’t one for display of affection, it was a rarity when he would kiss you unless it was in a tent or hotel. His arms came to wrap around you tightly, allowing you to melt under his touch.
As the stars began to twinkle above you, you slowly pulled away. “How did you manage to plan all of this in an hour?” You asked curiously, a quiet chuckle leaving his lips.
“Well...” He began, pulling off his coat and wrapping it around your shoulders. “There was a lot of rushing. I was afraid that I wouldn’t have been able to plan everything out how I wished, but this is all perfect.” Ignis explained, smiling down at you. Deep down, he knew it was perfect because of how happy you were. Otherwise, would all of this had been worth it?
You smiled and rested your head on his shoulder, your eyes examining the stars and galaxies above you. “I wish we could do this more.” You murmured. Ignis’ arm carefully wrapped around your waist as he brought you closer.
“I know... I wish we could too.” He murmured softly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “We will have more time in the future. Whether it’s tomorrow or two years from now.” He reassured, looking down at you.
You looked up at him and your gazes met. “I love you.” You whispered almost breathlessly. He smiled gently and pressed a kiss to your forehead this time.
“I love you too, darling.” He murmured, turning back to the stars.
This phase lasted for quite some time. The two of you sat in the gondola silently, appreciating and cherishing your time together. The soft hum from the instruments carried over the water as the boat rocked beneath you. When it came time to move onto the final phase, your heart tugged and begged you to stay here. It felt so right to be in his arms like this... You weren’t ready to move on. Moments like this were rare these days, feeling at peace and having the privilege to stay like this with Ignis made all of the troubles in your life go away.
When the gondola boarded the docks, Ignis was the first to stand. He carefully stepped out and reached out with his hand, allowing you to grip it as you stepped up. You continued to hold his hand as he silently guided you away from the docks, a somewhat disappointed feeling bubbling up in your chest. Tonight was amazing, you weren’t ready for it to end. It had gone by so quickly...
The final phase of Ignis’ plan was a walkthrough of Altissia, but he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to carry through with it. The thought of you two returning to the hotel just to face the same struggles again the next day made his heart ache. He knew how difficult it was for you, for both of you. As you both walked through the city, a quiet sigh escaped his lips.
“As the evening grows later, the more I dread tomorrow.” He murmured softly, causing you to turn towards him. A sad smile graced your lips as you gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
“I know... I also dread it.” You muttered, your arms wrapping around his arm. “Tonight was so amazing... I don’t want to go back.”
Ignis furrowed his brows as he continued to guide you through the empty streets, his shoes occasionally kicking through small puddles, ruining the reflection of the streetlights. “It’s our duty.” He reminded shallowly, knowing that he couldn’t outright refuse it. A conflicted expression formed on his features as he refused to say any more and instead pressed a kiss to your temple.
You knew what that meant. He was uncomfortable with the topic and wished to move on. A quiet sigh left your lips as the two of you continued on, possible conversation starters rolling through your mind. Your eyes landed on a sign quite a bit away, the large white letters advertising a vintage wedding store.
Altissia: The City of Love and Marriage.
“If you were to ever get married, would you marry here?” You asked curiously, looking up at him. You knew how interested he was in visiting Altissia once again, he seems to admire it.
His answer shocked you when he shook his head. “No... This place is wonderful, but it doesn’t fit my plan quite well.” He answered, looking down at you. “I figured it would be too... Hm... ‘flashy’ for your tastes.” Ignis added, a small smirk forming on his lips.
His last statement caught you off guard. Was that some kind of promise or hint? Your face adopted a deep shade of red as you tried to brush it off, looking back out at the water. “You’re right.” You responded somewhat stubbornly. “I prefer somewhere quiet. Maybe like Cape Caem.”
Ignis hummed softly. “I figured as much. I’m surprised you stayed in Insomnia as long as you did.” He replied. “I’m thankful, though. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have met.” He explained, furrowing his eyebrows.
“Hm? You think so?” You asked, raising a brow. “I’m sure we would have crossed paths eventually... You know, like soulmates would.” You hummed, attempting to get him back in a similar way. It seemed to have failed though.
“Soulmates, hm?” He repeated, seeming to consider it for a moment. “Then I suppose you’re right. We would have crossed paths.” He replied thoughtfully, offering you an innocent smile.
“Ah, why don’t you ever get flustered?” You complained, pouting up at him. Ignis simply laughed, not bothering to answer as you continued to complain and playfully scold him.
After that, your night quickly came to an end as your walk finished up in front of the Leville. As you stared up at the hotel, a pout formed on your lips. “Is this really the end?” You questioned, looking up at him. “No more surprises? Adventures? Nothing?”
“No, my love. This is where our evening finishes.” He murmured softly, his voice giving away the slight sadness he felt. “This won’t be the end of it, though. We’ll have our own journey eventually.” He whispered, his hands moving to cup your cheeks.
You smiled sadly and placed your hands above his. “Promise?” You whispered, feeling the gap between your faces begin to close.
“Promise.” He answered just before his lips met yours, his eyes falling shut. You melted under his touch and returned the kiss. It was smooth and gentle but passionate at the same time, both of your unwavering longingness fueling it. As he pulled away again, he noticed the slight dampness on your cheeks, causing him to brush his thumbs beneath your eyes. “It’s late. It’s about time we get some rest.” He murmured softly, taking your hand in his once more and guiding you inside. You didn’t get the chance to say anything else as you both entered inside.
Thankfully, the boys were asleep. You and Ignis changed into your nightwear and moved to take up the empty bed, his arms wrapping around your frame and holding you tightly against his chest. The dreadful feeling never lifted from your heart as you listened to his beat, your eyes falling shut. Eventually, his heartbeat lulled you off to sleep, allowing you to bask in his warmth and scent without feeling apprehensive about your futures.