Work Text:
You woke as you usually did, in the far pre-dawn hours. You never did it on purpose, but something in your internal clock said that this was the time to wake. You carefully tiptoed out of the tent, stretching your arms high as soon as you stepped into the chilly night air. The blue light from the haven was dim but comfortable, and since there was no fire, you could stare up at the stars all you wanted.
“Good morning,” Ignis smiled as he set up the gas stove. This had become somewhat of a ritual, the pair of you waking early, having a coffee, sitting quietly together before the others woke and things became far more hectic (and loud). “Unfortunately I seem to be out of Ebony, so I must brew my own today. Would you still care for a cup?”
“Of course,” you yawned. “Nothing compares to freshly brewed.”
“How dare you,” he said in mock horror. “Ebony is my dearest companion.”
“I feel so abandoned.”
The pair of you laughed quietly, not wanting to wake the others and disturb your own soft waking hours. It had occurred to you that watching the sunrise with Ignis almost every day had become your favorite part of your journey together. It certainly wasn’t the monsters, that much was for certain. You were excellent in a fight, slinging magic and arrows at the enemy from afar, and you were gifted in healing magic, but it’s not like it was fun. You didn’t get a thrill out of it the way Gladio did, or even Noctis and Ignis at times.
Ignis handed you a hot cup of coffee, and sat in the camping chair next to yours. “Did you sleep well? You had mentioned having trouble the other night.”
“Ha, you remembered? I slept fine last night, thank you. No nightmares.”
Ignis’s cup stopped halfway to his mouth. “Nightmares? You had not told me you were having nightmares.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to bother you with it.” You busied yourself with your coffee, refusing to look Ignis in the eye.
“It’s quite all right to, as you say, ‘bother’, me with it. You’re not a bother. Between you and I, I believe the group would starve without the two of us. They would quite possibly never get anything done,” he whispered conspiratorially. You had heard Noctis grumbling about the pair of you, always fretting over everyone and making him eat vegetables. He always mumbled “whatever, mom,” any time you scolded him.
“We really are the mom and dad of the group, aren’t we?” you chuckled lightly. “Thank you for worrying about me, but I’m fine, really. It’s probably just anxiety, you know? There’s a lot going on.” You tugged at a string that was coming off of your shirt. “The attack on Insomnia, King Regis…Noctis acts like he’s fine, but you and I know better than that. He lost his father. He just found out about the royal arms, we’re all learning about this as we go.”
“Are you frightened?” Ignis’s voice was steady, his eyes focused on you. He would know if you were lying.
“Yes,” you replied. “And no at the same time. We’re strong, all of us. Even more so together. That sounds stupid and cheesy, I know, but it’s true. We’re better together than alone, and I just hope Noctis can remember that.”
Ignis smiled warmly. “I believe that is true. I hope His Highness keeps that in mind as well. You may have been a surprise addition to our retinue, but you are an extraordinary companion.” His hand covered yours, and you had to force yourself to not jolt in surprise.
While you hadn’t been accompanying them for long, all four men had taken a place in your heart. Prompto, so sweet and kind, always asking you to pose for photos at any given location. Noctis, sleeping in the Regalia with his head in your lap. Gladio, always teasing you about any and every thing he could think of, but always with affection in his voice.
Ignis, however, was harder to pinpoint. You and he had quickly found a rhythm, caring for everyone. Ignis would cook while you fussed over every single scratch on your friends. You both took care of laundry when stopped at a motel, and always ensured that you were stocked with enough food (including vegetables, despite Noctis’s grumblings). You didn’t have the same easygoing relationship with him as you did the others. You had a feeling he kept you slightly at arms length, but couldn’t figure out why.
“Thank you, Ignis,” you said quietly. He smiled at you, and your heart fluttered. You hadn’t MEANT to catch feelings for Ignis, but it was difficult not to. His caring nature, his sure and steadfast presence, it had begun to affect you. You treasured these soft mornings with him to begin your day, to set your temperature, so to speak. You couldn’t help but feel calm in his company.
Ignis looked down to see his hand still on yours, and pulled away quickly. You noticed the slight blush on his cheeks, and couldn’t help thinking how you wanted to make him blush all the time. It was rare to catch Ignis off guard. “Well, yes, of course, we make excellent partners. Er…Companions. Or rather, thank you for assisting me so much in keeping us all safe.” Ignis rambled, his face flushing even more, as he busied himself with brewing more coffee. “We should begin preparing breakfast, the sun will be rising soon.”
“Hold on, Ignis. Can we…Can we watch the sun rise this morning? I mean really watch it, not just notice it while we make breakfast. I bet it would look really pretty over the lake.” His eyes widened a bit, again taken off guard. “N-Nevermind, let’s start breakfast. I’m sure Gladio will probably be famished, as usual-”
“Let us go to the lake,” Ignis interrupted. “I’m certain the view will be spectacular.”
“O-Okay,”
Your brain was rattling with thoughts as you walked just a few paces behind Ignis, heading to the nearby lake. You didn’t want anything to interfere with the mission, or disrupt the precious dynamics of the group. You already felt like an intruder, although the men never deliberately made you feel that way. Ignis looked behind him every few steps, to ensure you were still there.
You reached the lakeshore, and sat down in the grass, legs stretched in front of you, leaning back on your hands. The sky was turning a soft purple-pink as the sun began to make its presence known. You stole a glance at Ignis, only to find him looking at you. “Do I have something on my face?” You self-consciously brought a hand to your face, feeling for anything.
Ignis chuckled. “No, my dear, your face is quite lovely.” You were fairly certain your jaw dropped and your eyes widened. You turned your head, not willing to let Ignis see how flustered he made you. It was just a simple statement, it was just the way Ignis spoke, all proper and polite. You, in contrast, were not anywhere near being called a lady. You fought in battles, didn’t even know how to dress in anything as proper as Ignis, and certainly had no clue how to carry yourself should you end up at an event with the prince.
The sky began to change to a dark pink, and then burst into shades of red and orange. “My dad always said when the sky is red in the morning, it means it will be a fiery day. Said it was something he learned from the other hunters.”
“Would it be all right if I said something to you that may be improper?”
You laughed. “Ignis, since when I have I cared about propriety?”
“Very well. I must confess…You make me quite flustered. I find myself distracted by you in a way I haven’t been in…Ever, actually.” He couldn’t quite meet your eyes. “I fear I have developed some romantic feelings for you. I know it is inconvenient, given the journey we have ahead of us, and the uncertainty we seem to face every day.”
You were certain the blush on your face would rival the sky. “Ignis, my favorite part of every single day are these mornings with you. You set the tone for my day. You make me feel calm, and safe. I always know you’re looking out for me, for all of us.”
“Give yourself credit where it is due. You look out for us, as well. I see it when you’re tending to us, healing our wounds and comforting us.” He scooted closer to you, until your thighs were touching and his hand covered yours. “I understand if your feelings do not mirror mine-”
“They do,” You had to take advantage of your brief moment of bravery. “I am completely and totally crazy about you. I have been for awhile, and wow that was really forward of me to say, I don’t plan on letting it interfere with-”
“Pardon me, but would you indulge me a moment?” He stood up and held a hand out to you. You stood awkwardly in front of him, your arms going to cross your chest, but he wrapped you in his arms before you could move. Your hands gingerly came up to rest on his back, your head tucked perfectly under his chin. While he may have looked calm, his heartbeat betrayed him, racing in his chest. You grinned, knowing that you were the cause. He pulled away from you, and put a hand on your cheek, cupping your face gently. You leaned into his touch, and closed your eyes as he leaned forward.
The kiss was chaste, but made your chest explode anyway. His hand didn’t leave your face as you parted, and he was smiling in a way you hadn’t seen, his proper guard down replaced with a smile that came naturally, with no need to look put together or proper. “We should return to the haven before the others wake. If we’re lucky, perhaps we can have a little more time to ourselves.”
You weren’t so lucky, Gladio wide awake, leaning back and reading a book. Prompto was adjusting his camera, and Noctis was reluctantly stretching as he came out of the tent. “Where have you two been?” Gladio winked. You knew he had figured out your feelings for Ignis, and wondered if he had figured Ignis out, too.
“Just watching the sun rise. We get up early so we can feed you jerks, so we might as well take a break once in awhile,” you responded, but Gladio’s eyes went to your hands entwined with Ignis’s. “Erm. A romantic break, together, to watch the sun rise. Shut up!” you exclaimed at Gladio’s booming laugh.
“I knew you two would figure it out eventually. So who started it? Bet it was you, Ignis is too proper-”
“I will have you know that it was me, in fact, that confessed to her. Now, if you are quite finished with your teasing, we must get started on breakfast before you eat those dreadful Cup Noodles to start your day again.”
Prompto clapped Ignis on the back, congratulating him, while Noctis sleepily gave you a thumbs up. Your worries about affecting the group dynamics immediately faded. This was your found family, there was no doubt.