[Log] Witty Valentine's Related Title

[seeingeyesteward]

Who: Ignis, Prompto, anyone else..?
Where: Olivine City
When: Valentine's Day!
Summary: Stupid chocolates from a stupid owl.
Rating: PG, probably.



It had been a lark that Ignis chose to purchase candy at all. It was mostly for Dahlia and the other Pokemon but he partook in a little himself since it was apparently a holiday of note. He expected to regret eating chocolate in the normal way but while he hadn't connected the chocolates to what was happening he certainly knew something was different and wrong.

Rigatoni was cuddling up to Ravioli more than usual. Dahlia had disappeared to find Puff. Cid was attempting to woo Cindy to little effect and Oleander had disappeared to stalk around Prompto's home, waiting for him to wake up. Even calm and collected Caelum had become distracted by two particular females in his life.

Needless to say, Ignis found himself taking Fleuret, who was too young for such nonsense in town with him. He trots beside Ignis and uses his body weight to guide the man here and there since he was so much smaller than Ignis's usual company.

Town was.. bustling, so far as he could hear. He had found a small coffee shop and chose to sit silently, listening to people move about and chatter about their romantic day plans.

He was glad he couldn't see to use his gear. Of course he could make a call but he was resisting with all of his might. Why did he suddenly want to bring any of this up now? He knew that it was inappropriate. It was always inappropriate but of all points in his life, in this unusual world, it was at its peak of inappropriate.

Alternatively, he could call Prompto. It would be good to have a friend nearby to talk to. To distract himself.

"Dahlia..."

Fleuret lifts his head up from where he was laying in Ignis's lap and he puts his hand gently onto the Eevee, remembering.

"Ah, right. She's spending the day with Puff Trouble. Perhaps I should have you run and get Prompto. I doubt I'll be moving from here anytime soon."

Comments

[freckledfocus]

Prompto woke up to a symphony of squeaks. He'd deliberately slept in, not really wanting to have anything to do with the holiday today, and was not expecting to be woken up to paws on his face and stomach ... and shoulders ... and chest. He cracked one eye open to see Pryna's face directly in front of his. It should have surprised him, but really - he was used to this. What he wasn't used to was the extra weight on his stomach. Craning his neck, he spotted Fleuret and wondered what he'd be doing here when his face was gently patted by little paws that could only be Olly's, if he remembered their coloring correctly.

"Remind me to have a talk with Iggy about his Pokemon just walking in here," he chuckled the thought to himself, knowing he really didn't mind. But it was kind of weird that two of Iggy's Pokemon were here. Wiggling to get the Eevees off of him, Prompto gently shooed the Pokemon out of his room while he changed. Once he was dressed, his usual casual clothing deemed good enough, he opened the door and went about his morning routine... with several followers.

As he fed everyone he idly noted Lux walking with Caelum and An Toirneach, looking flustered but happy, and saw that a lot of Iggy's Pokemon seemed to be paired off. Morning chores finished, he turned to Olly and Fleuret.

"Alright, what's got you two cuties here? Is Iggy okay?" Oleander apparently decided staring at Prompto was his new favorite thing, so the blond just gave him a smile and plopped Olly on his shoulder. Maybe Fleuret could help.

... Man, he seriously needed to figure out how to actually understand PokeSpeak. The Eevee's chirps made no sense to him, but as he gestured to the door Prompto began to understand. He designated Kirby as the Head of House for today (well, for as long as Prompto and Eevee were gone) and asked him to keep the house from burning down (a running joke after Fulgur got a little too rambunctious and scared a fireball out of a certain Houndour that would be joining Prompto and his little troupe).

Making sure plenty of ... everything was available in case anyone needed it and locking the door behind him, Prompto made his way towards Ignis. Flueret led the way, with Pryna and Gladio trailing her and playing a little game of their own as Olly made himself comfy on Prompto's shoulder and Umbra yipped at Prompto's feet, happily trotting alongside his trainer.

The moment he sees the coffee shop, Prompto knows Ignis will be inside. And he's proven right as Fleuret darts towards it. Still worried about his friend, but less so than earlier, Prompto enters the shop and quietly asks Olly to become Iggy's eyes.

"Hey Iggy. You okay? I was kinda worried when I woke up to two of your Pokemon but no sign of you... " his voice trails off as he sits across from Ignis. Pryna and Gladio sit on either side of the table, forming a sort-of buffer between their trainer, his friend, and the rest of the shop. Umbra huffed and curled up next to Gladio, the little pup having taken a shine to the Houndour.

"What's going on? Want any coffee?"

[seeingeyesteward]

Ignis knew Prompto would be there shortly but the parade was unexpected. At least having Oleander nearby meant he would be able to see though the point of view was a little odd until the Meowstic settled into his own spot at the table.

"I see Fleuret made short work in fetching you." Though it had been long enough that Ignis had a letter he'd penned without the distraction of an Eevee. It was folded neatly and tucked into an envelope, marked for Noctis.

He planned on burning it to be honest. Or trying.

"I'm not feeling... right, is the word I would use. Almost out of control."

His leg was bouncing uncharacteristically. Three cups of coffee were sitting empty and a fourth was now in front of Ignis. This had been an uncomfortable morning.

And Oleander was staring particularly hard at Prompto.

[freckledfocus]

"Yea - when both Fleuret and Olly were part of my wake-up crew I got worried, so I tried to get here as fast as I could. So here we are!"

Prompto added a flourish of his arms at the end, inevitably knocking into their table and sending Iggy's fourth coffee sloshing (but thankfully not spilling). He'd noticed the bouncing leg, and the fact that his friend was nursing a fourth cup of coffee so early in the day definitely spoke to something being wrong.

Leaning forward, an earnest look on his freckled face, Prompto spoke gently and sincerely as he tentatively placed a hand on the bouncing knee. "Out of control how? Talk to me, Iggy."

If Oleander really was focusing on his face, the Meowstic would see the genuine concern in Prompto's eyes, the subtle pinching of his light brows, and the way he was focused solely on Ignis.

[seeingeyesteward]

"Oleander likes you quite a bit so I'm not surprised he made his way inside once he had the opportunity."

Oleander turns a little scowl onto Ignis before looking back at Prompto. Hush, Ignis, this had nothing to do with you.

"Please, Prompto, don't." He pulls his leg away but there wasn't malice in his voice. Just.. exhaustion. He wasn't looking for physical comforts at the moment.

"The conversation we had, pertaining to Noct. I woke this morning and I was lingering on it worse than before. I needed to leave. I thought distance would change things but here I am, having written a letter full of things not needing to be shared and I should burn it before I do something untoward with it."

[freckledfocus]

Prompto gently removes his hand, placing it on the table instead, trying to listen to Iggy's body language as much as his words. Plus, Ignis had never been overly physical to begin with. So it's not surprising that he pulled back.

His face offers an apology for touching him, but he stays silent as he lets Ignis speak. Clearly there's a lot more to his feelings for Noct than Prompto had understood from their conversation.

"How do you know that what's in the letter shouldn't be shared? Don't you think it's important for Noct to know why you're trying to distance yourself from him?" He's trying so hard not to be rude, not to pry, but curiosity outweighed common sense and he found himself asking anyway.

"What did you write?"

He regrets the question as soon as it's out of his mouth, thinking it too personal and too invasive. "N-not that you have to tell me. Sorry. Just - you know I'm here for you and I won't judge. But I shouldn't have asked that. M'sorry."

If Ignis wants to share, if he's willing to share, Prompto will gladly listen. But he should know better than to pry. Hopefully Ignis won't be too upset with him for asking.

[seeingeyesteward]

It wasn't Prompto, per se. Ignis wasn't a heavy contact person but he'd been in heavy contact with Prompto. He knew it was what the young man needed and he appreciated that Prompto accepted that this was what he needed in turn.

"I'm not.. ...It isn't about distance, it's about.. wanting closeness." His unseeing eyes were staring at where he knew the letter was lying. It was in shaky handwriting, ink a little messy because he had to guide his hand without being able to see.

"I shouldn't have written this. I shouldn't speak of it. I am a brother to him and it should... It should be that way. Brothers. Friends."

He touches the envelope, pushing it away a little bit with his fingers before his fingers draw it back.

"I don't know why it's weighing so heavy on my mind. I haven't struggled with any of this since I was a teenager yet... here I am, struggling again."

[freckledfocus]

His eyes focused on the envelope sitting innocently on the table. He wonders what it contains, wonders why Ignis is so worried about mailing it, and is about to ask again when Ignis keeps talking.

He watches the older man push then pull the letter, sees the conflict and turmoil in his face, and feels his heart clench. Prompto understands this kind of pain, but this is ... he'd figured from their conversation that Iggy loved Noct. This? This was definitely something deeper - a level of love Prompto hadn't known could exist, maybe? Probably.

"Iggy," his voice is soft, trying to bring some semblance of ease to the distressed man in front of him, "Iggy, you're saying that you've felt this way since you were younger than me. Maybe even longer - and you never told him? Never told anyone?"

Prompto shakes his head, amazed at the strength Ignis had and at his ability to push his feelings aside for the sake of duty. Amazed, but also sad. No one should have to suffer through this kind of emotional turmoil day after day without anyone to talk to.

"Dude, you can't -- maybe in another time and place that's how it should have been, but you said it yourself - it's different here. Tell me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you love Noct. A lot more than I thought. And probably a lot more than he knows..." He looks up to Iggy's eyes then over to Olly's, wanting Ignis to truly 'look' at him in the eye.

"Maybe this time you should tell him. If nothing else, it'll take this pressure - this super painful secret off your shoulders. There's no shame in loving someone, Iggy."

[seeingeyesteward]

It was natural, wasn't it? To love someone that you knew for so long. It should have been that Noctis was a brother and for a long time he was but there were those moments when Ignis felt differently. Because it was obvious that he wasn't Noct's brother. They looked different, Ignis even sounded different.

But Noct always saw him as a brother. Brothers don't express these things to each other. They certainly don't feel them. It wasn't right and it certainly wouldn't be ... positively received, he was certain.

"No. I'm his steward and meant to be.. his friend. We've known each other so long.. and Noct has seen me as his brother."

Family. Ignis had been content with that. He was happy as friends were to just be around Noct. He never let it affect how he treated the young man. He never let it change his encouragements for Noct to find love himself. Ignis would never have Noct's attention in that way but he could make sure Noct never had to feel unreciprocated.

"It isn't.. more or less than how anyone... It doesn't stand as something special or unique. It is simply.. old."

Old was a good word for it. Reliable, always there. Something Ignis expected always would be, through any relationship he himself had but it had never affected his day to day actions. It was a part of him as much as anything else.

"...I have been.. content with how things are. I don't know why I am not today..." He pushes the letter a little again before picking it up and offering it down to Fleuret.

The Eevee hesitates, not sure if he should take it. He looks to Prompto, knowing the blond had been encouraging this. But wasn't everyone acting strangely today? Shouldn't Ignis wait..? But he couldn't very well refuse. So he takes the letter and turns to scamper off to find a post box.

Ignis pulls his hand back sharply once the letter was gone, forcing himself not to reach for it again. This was against every ounce of his better judgment. This could lose him everything.

"... I saw Noct today, he was going to pick up Ash. I'm... glad that he is finally telling Ash how he feels."

Something else, a different topic than Ignis's own feelings.