[ Look at him, banged up and weary and looking like he's been through hell. Sure, they've all been through terrible things when they travelled together, but this is different. Noctis hadn't been with him when this happened, and Ignis had been taken away from him, left to his own devices with monsters that Noctis still itches to kill.
He takes a deep breath, forces himself to remain calm; the last thing Ignis needs is for him to freak out. He continues to gently clean him up, staying close. He's wiping the dirt and sweat and everything else off of him, helping to peel his shirt away from his body and to check if there's any wound he has to treat, anything that's slipped from the cracks.
They took Ignis away from him, and he will never forgive them for that.
His touch lingers, and he shakes his head. He almost lost him today, and he spares a quick moment to wrap his arms gingerly around him, holding him for a few long, long seconds. ]
Please. I need you to rest. I'll make you some food, okay?
[Everything in him screams to insist. Insist that he's fine, insist that this isn't necessary. It's his duty to be all right; it's his duty to serve, not the other way around. Noctis shouldn't have to take care of him like this. Noctis shouldn't, Noctis shouldn't —
But for all that he's exercising a king's authority in making Ignis stay put, Ignis still knows that Noct isn't being a king right now. This isn't about duty or the crown or what they are to each other, liege and servant. This is Noctis fussing over someone he loves, and it leaves Ignis wondering why it is that he has such a hard time accepting that, regardless of whether he's aware of the reasons behind the fussing or not.]
I'm more all right than you're giving me credit for.
[And yet his fingers still twist surreptitiously into Noct's shirt, holding on to him while he's still close, like he secretly hopes he'll somehow be able to keep him from getting away.]
[ Ignis is right, this is not Noctis tending to his advisor -- this is Noctis tending to the man that he loves, and everything else rational just goes out the window. Ignis is hurt, the man he loves has suffered under the whims of a creature and Noctis couldn't save him up until now, and the truth of that hits him like a truck, sits within him like stone, like lead, threatening to make him go under.
His Ignis, who, even as he makes his weakened protests, clings to him and Noctis doesn't move, holding him in his arms and fighting to keep himself from panicking, from fretting. His Ignis is hurt. He's hurt, and Noctis is more than ready to break limbs in vengeance.
He's staying close, greedy for more contact, to reassure himself that Ignis is finally here and he needs mending and he pulls him against his chest, careful not to jostle anything that might make it worse. ]
I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. I was looking everywhere for you.
[ He says softly, burying his face in his hair. He doesn't care if it's seen better days. ]
[He aches to keep saying it, over and over again, I'm all right, it's all right. He knows it's not true. He knows he wouldn't be convincing anyone of anything by saying it. But maybe that's just his own way of reacting to how wounded he is — wounded the same way that Noct is right now, hurt from witnessing the distress of someone he cares about, physical injuries be damned — is responding to the need to try to console him, even just a little, in any way that he can.
He understands how it must've felt for Noct, though. The separation, the need to return to his side. Of course he understands that feeling; he'd lived it in Altissia, right before they'd wound up here together.]
Don't blame yourself for a bit of this.
[He closes his eyes, wanting to stay upright and strong, but unable to keep from sagging a little bit against Noctis when he draws close.]
[ Noctis says roughly, because he's not having it -- his Ignis is hurt and still wants to comfort him, which makes his heart ache all the more. He can feel him sag against him, and instinctively shifts to take more of him in, keeping a better hold on him. ]
I have you, Iggy. I have you, too. I'm not letting you go again.
[ Noctis tells him quietly, fiercely, nuzzling against him. He can't forget the desperation he felt when he had come for him, the ferocious need to get to Ignis no matter what.
He's nuzzling him, shifting to press his lips to his forehead. He can't imagine how his Ignis must have suffered, away from everyone else for days. ]
You're safe with me now. You know that, don't you?
[He sucks in a sharp breath, his first overtly vulnerable reaction since the moment Noct found him and carried him back from the island of the sirens; there's something about the way that Noct is nuzzling against him that rings so familiar, yet so vastly different. He's used to Noct seeking him out like this when he needs Ignis's steadying presence, when he's unsure or doubting himself or just seeking a brief respite from the weight of the world for a while. He's not used to having Noct approach him like this from a position of protectiveness, like a mother coeurl fussing over her young, unable to keep his hands off of him like he's continually taking stock of Ignis's injuries and enumerating them lest a single additional one dare to turn up and test his wrath.
The juxtaposition is...it leaves him beside himself, a little. He's always known that Noct has had it in him to lead, to protect, to command. There's never been any doubt of that. But more often than not, when Noct asserts power and authority, he does so like a boy still playing in his father's shoes, aware of all the motions but on some level not really believing in the weight his position puts behind them.
This —
This Noct is more than just Regis's son. This Noct that won't let him go is Regis's successor, the next king, the true king. This Noct is Ignis's king, and he fiercely takes care of his own.
This isn't the sweet, withdrawn boy who would fall asleep on his shoulder every chance he could get. It's Noct in a different light than Ignis has always tended to perceive him, and he finds he doesn't know quite what to do with that.]
Noct...please —
[The resemblance to Regis is especially bitter, given the voice that had lured him out to the island in the first place.]
[ This is definitely not the boy talking -- this is not the boy who seeks out his advisor for comfort, nor the boy who needs it. This is a young man who hates seeing the one he loves hurt, who is making note of every scratch and bruise, taking inventory and swearing vengeance on every single one that Ignis has endured.
He steps into the position almost seamlessly, commanding and secure even if he's upset, and he strokes Ignis' cheek lightly, catching the vulnerability in his eyes, precious and treasured. For the first time, he feels something between them crack and shift, something good, and he presses a kiss to his forehead, taking a breath.
He understands now, the weight Ignis has always borne on his shoulders, and he shakes his head at his attempt to comfort him, holding him tightly still. ]
No. I'm not the one who needs comfort right now, Iggy. I need you to stop and put yourself first, not me.
[ He tells him firmly, before he's tipping his face up and looking him steadily in the eye. ]
I need you to let me take care of you, do you understand? You're my boyfriend; I need you to be that for me right now.
[ Show Noctis all of him, the weaknesses and the vulnerability, the fact that Ignis needs him just as much as Noctis does, and he smiles, just a little. ]
It's a prospect that's easier said than done, all things considered. It's not as though he can just switch off years upon years of ingrained duty, or let his compulsions fall by the wayside because he's been told to. He's so used to suffering a setback and willpowering through it, simply because there was nothing else he could do but endure it.
But that's not what Noct wants. Noct is telling him to...not be strong for him, right now. To let himself go, a little. To trust that if he lets his guard down, there will be strong arms to catch him, arms sufficient enough to carry him while still walking tall, themselves.]
I...
[He falls silent a minute, wavering around a thought before finally gathering up the wherewithal to voice it.]
It's just that you're upset. I want...I want to — I don't want you to be upset, but I can't fix it without taking action you don't want me to take...
[ He gets a clearer picture of it now, and isn't it wonderfully ridiculous? Noctis is upset that Ignis is hurt, hurting on his behalf because how dare they lay a finger on him, and Ignis, so attuned to Ignis' moods, is upset because of this, and is falling all over himself (despite his injuries) to try and make it better.
Despite himself, Noctis huffs a soft laugh and shakes his head at him, breaking the tension. No, it's ridiculously sweet and silly and despite the fact that Ignis needs tending to instead of simply being held (blame Noctis for being greedy), he presses a kiss to his forehead. ]
This isn't something for you to fix.
[ He says softly. Not this time. ] Do you trust me enough to need me, Iggy?
The things that hurt you are always something for me to fix.
[But the way he says it, it's clear that he's not being contrary. If anything, he sounds almost guilty, like he's making an admission of something he already knows is wrong. The vulnerability is undeniable now; he's trying, he's trying so hard because he knows that Noctis wants him to, but everything in him is keyed to ignore the pain, set aside the hurt, and throw himself between this boy and his anguish as quickly as he can.
But —
Do you trust me enough to need me, Noct says, and reframes the question in a whole new way. Now there is a duty to fulfill, in the way his words align; his duty is to trust, even when it hurts the most. Even when it looks like shirking his responsibility.
Noct is asking him to trust that he isn't.
Noct is asking him to believe that he's allowed to need him.
If it were anyone but Noctis, he doubts he could manage it. But it's Noct who's asking, Noct whose arms are around him and whose lips graze his forehead, and slowly, something inside of him starts to give way.]
If I do this, will you —
[But he cuts himself off, hesitating, because he can feel that's not right. It's turning his focus back to Noct's feelings again, always fixating on Noctis, when this time Noct is telling him to focus on himself.
[ What a right pair they make, indeed. Ignis is hard-wired to respond to Noctis' distress, and Noctis has done the same for Ignis, and it's become a strange echochamber of sorts that he would laugh at if it weren't somewhat... tragic.
His Ignis had cared for him for the longest time, and Noctis knows that there are plenty of complications right there, between loyalty to his charge and his king and the newer feelings for someone who is, in all terms of the word, a lover. Ignis has always been required to be strong for them both, which is something Noctis realises he'd always come to associate with him, but in this moment Ignis reveals something new, something precious to him, and Noctis swallows hard.
It will take a lot of time to de-tangle the complicates they've wound around each other, but that's okay, Noctis is in it for the long haul -- they'll figure it out together. ]
And the things that hurt you are something for me to fix, too.
[ He reminds him gently, because theirs is no longer one of retainer and liege, it's something far more complicated, something that demands equal ground, demands that Ignis trust him enough to know that Noctis will hold him up if he falls, will carry him through.
He's brushing Ignis' hair back from his forehead, and he watches, feels how Ignis gives in, so painfully vulnerable. It takes such courage to bare himself like this before someone else, and Noctis takes care to be gentle with him, to encourage him, and when he finally makes his wish known as an equal, Noctis' heart is so full he fears he cannot hold it all in.
This is Ignis the man, asking Noctis as one half to another to stay, to not go anywhere, casting aside their conventional roles, and Noctis will give him the world if he asks.
He makes a soft noise and holds him closer. There are a hundred things he needs to do to make Ignis comfortable -- he needs to treat that sprain, to feed him, to give him water, but Ignis is asking him not to go anywhere, and Noctis stays put, his arms wrapped protectively around his Ignis, his love. ]
Yeah.
[ He says, soft and strained but firm. Determined. ] I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to be right here with you.
[He sags a little now, like a puppet with its strings cut, now that the initial hurdle of admitting to a moment of weakness is over and he's coasting downhill on the ramifications of it.]
You carried me all the way back...
[A thin, hoarse laugh escapes him, but it doesn't bounce with mirth so much as it just sort of rattles.]
I wouldn't have thought — we'll have to tell Gladio. His work with you has certainly paid off...
[His Noct, tall like the king he's been told to be, wise with years Ignis still sometimes forgets he possesses. Had Noct grown up more than Ignis had thought he had, somehow, when he wasn't looking? In his eyes, there's always a part of Noctis that will be that little boy he met on his first day with the Citadel, shy and hiding behind his father's legs but smiling with delight when treated with kindness.
When had Noct become so much like Regis? Ignis doesn't know, but he slumps against him anyway, glad for the strength he finds there because it means he doesn't have to find it in himself, instead.]
[ Noctis tells him simply, but it's not with as much pride as it should be when Noctis is in a cheerier mood. He can hear it, the strain in Ignis' voice and how the sirens have done a number on him in his prolonged captivity. He's frowning, cupping his face and pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth.
He'll fix this -- Ignis is trusting him to take care of him, and Noctis will not fail him. He's grown up, you see, stepped into his father's shoes when nobody was watching, shouldering the burdens of the world, the kingdom, his loved ones in the days between. He's nodding briefly. ]
I need to make you something to eat and drink a little later. But I'll come back right after that.
[It won't take long, he thinks. Not now that he's back on soft cushion instead of wet sand and unforgiving rock. It won't be a good sleep, but he might at least doze a little, and at least if he's only semiconscious he won't be awake to miss Noct's presence so much.]
And if you could, help me...help me get the, um. Clean clothes on.
[ Noctis murmurs readily -- Ignis looks exhausted, and Noctis weighs the necessity of food, water against his need to rest, and decides that sleep should probably come first, the rest later. Who knew how long he had gone without sleep?
He immediately moves, too, to help him with his clothes. ] And yeah, of course.
[ Noctis is careful, changing out his trousers and underwear, cleaning him with damp washcloths so that he's comfortable, and keeping his gaze up, trained away from where Noctis knows he's... well, exposed. His purpose is to care for him now, all the others can wait.
Eventually, Ignis is clean and in a fresh set of clothes, a pile of washcloths in the tub of water he had brought in earlier. ]
[It's amazing, how much difference something as little as a change into fresh clothes can make. Slowly but surely, the feeling of finally being clean starts to take its hold on him, the same way that the softness of the mattress had, and his body starts to release its ironclad hold on the tension and adrenaline that he's been running on ever since his capture, letting exhaustion come rushing in to fill in the empty holes left behind by his drained reserves.
It's quite possibly one of the most unsexy moments they've had together, for all that it had involved Noctis stripping him down and tending to him. But it is a bonding moment in its own way, when he learns firsthand just how careful yet confident Noct's hands, so bold with a sword, can be when wringing out washcloths and dabbing mud and sweat from skin.
Soon, he's clean, and he's sinking sleepily into the bed, and he's just barely managing to keep his eyes open but Noct is still here, so he's got to make the effort.]
[ It might be deeply unsexy, but Noctis doesn't care -- the only thing that matters is that Ignis is safe and back with him, and that he's recovering, slowly but surely. Ignis must have been on edge for so long, captured with no possible way of knowing when he can be rescued.
Seeing him like this hurts Noctis' heart, makes his jaw clench and riles up an anger in him all over again -- he's never seen him so open and so vulnerable, but more importantly, he's never had the privilege of Ignis' trust like this, and it matters.
He's helping to tuck him in now, laying a soft kiss over his forehead, his cheek, lingering. All that matters is that he's safe now. ]
Mmm. I'll stay here with you until you fall asleep.
[His eyelids are already threatening to fall closed, his lashes long as he slowly loses the battle to drowsiness.]
Noct.
[There are a hundred things he wants to say, all of them grateful and vulnerable and adoring, but none of them manage to wind up fitted into words before the need to sleep finally overtakes him, and he drifts off into a shallow, fitful sleep beneath Noct's watchful gaze.]
[ Noctis doesn't move away when Ignis falls asleep, reluctant to put any distance between them. It was a night like this, too, when Ignis disappeared from his arms, and he swallows a lump in his throat. Noctis has never quite worked past his own issues about being left behind, and the last thing he wants to do is let Ignis be privy to it.
Ignis worries, and that's the last thing Noctis wants him to do.
He very quickly heads to the kitchen after a few minutes, pours a glass of water and brings out a plate full of leftover meat. Ignis had slipped from his grasp far too often -- first off when they had those ridiculous talking birds, and then now, too, with the sirens.
He tucks himself back against Ignis again, and falls asleep with him for a few good hours until he has to go to the bathroom. Quietly extricating himself from Ignis and the warmth and comfort he provides, Noctis goes to relieve himself.
He has to make it quick, before Ignis wakes up and finds him gone. ]
[He only intends to sleep for a few minutes, really he does, but then slumber takes a hold of him and the minutes quickly turn into hours, and the only thing that ultimately brings him around is the emptiness in his stomach, too insistent to ignore even in dreams.
It brings him around gradually, and when he opens his eyes it's dark, and he's grown so accustomed to the sight of the rocky beach that the cozy enclosure of their room is foreign and unsettling — and he's alone.
It's awful timing, but it is what it is. And he knows he shouldn't, but unable to help himself, the name falls from his lips anyway.]
[ It's awful timing, worse still that Noctis doesn't hear it at first over the white noise of running water as he rinses his hands. Oblivious to the burgeoning distress coming from his room, Noctis spares a moment to look himself in the makeshift mirror before he steps out of the bathroom, ready to return to Ignis.
He's going to have to figure out a way to keep Ignis in bed and resting, and make breakfast for the rest of them, but that can wait until morning.
Now, he just has to make sure Ignis is still there. ]
[What he might hear instead, then, is what happens after Ignis receives no reply, disoriented as he still is from being half-asleep and unable to parse what the sound of running water might mean. The covers rustle, and his good foot thuds as he swings himself out of bed, hobbling up onto his uninjured leg and hanging on to the mattress as he tries to chart out a path across the floor.]
Noct —
[Where is he? Where is he? He said he would come back.]
[Hopefully he's ready to catch Ignis, too, because he's slightly off-balance and his legs are weaker than he thought they were when he stood up, and he only just barely manages to keep his injured foot off of the ground as he tumbles forward into Noct's arms.]
I'm back, I'm back here, I'm sorry -- had to go to the bathroom.
[ He says softly, stepping up to catch him in his arms, wrapping them around him firmly. He's got him, keeping him securely braced as he guides him back to the bed, his heart racing. Ignis is distressed, and oh, he shouldn't have gone off on his own and left him to wake up alone.
Noctis is giving Ignis a gentle squeeze, fitting his body to his to show Ignis that he's present, he's here. He's not going anywhere, not for a long time. ]
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no subject
[ Look at him, banged up and weary and looking like he's been through hell. Sure, they've all been through terrible things when they travelled together, but this is different. Noctis hadn't been with him when this happened, and Ignis had been taken away from him, left to his own devices with monsters that Noctis still itches to kill.
He takes a deep breath, forces himself to remain calm; the last thing Ignis needs is for him to freak out. He continues to gently clean him up, staying close. He's wiping the dirt and sweat and everything else off of him, helping to peel his shirt away from his body and to check if there's any wound he has to treat, anything that's slipped from the cracks.
They took Ignis away from him, and he will never forgive them for that.
His touch lingers, and he shakes his head. He almost lost him today, and he spares a quick moment to wrap his arms gingerly around him, holding him for a few long, long seconds. ]
Please. I need you to rest. I'll make you some food, okay?
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But for all that he's exercising a king's authority in making Ignis stay put, Ignis still knows that Noct isn't being a king right now. This isn't about duty or the crown or what they are to each other, liege and servant. This is Noctis fussing over someone he loves, and it leaves Ignis wondering why it is that he has such a hard time accepting that, regardless of whether he's aware of the reasons behind the fussing or not.]
I'm more all right than you're giving me credit for.
[And yet his fingers still twist surreptitiously into Noct's shirt, holding on to him while he's still close, like he secretly hopes he'll somehow be able to keep him from getting away.]
no subject
His Ignis, who, even as he makes his weakened protests, clings to him and Noctis doesn't move, holding him in his arms and fighting to keep himself from panicking, from fretting. His Ignis is hurt. He's hurt, and Noctis is more than ready to break limbs in vengeance.
He's staying close, greedy for more contact, to reassure himself that Ignis is finally here and he needs mending and he pulls him against his chest, careful not to jostle anything that might make it worse. ]
I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. I was looking everywhere for you.
[ He says softly, burying his face in his hair. He doesn't care if it's seen better days. ]
no subject
He understands how it must've felt for Noct, though. The separation, the need to return to his side. Of course he understands that feeling; he'd lived it in Altissia, right before they'd wound up here together.]
Don't blame yourself for a bit of this.
[He closes his eyes, wanting to stay upright and strong, but unable to keep from sagging a little bit against Noctis when he draws close.]
I'm here now. I'm right here.
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[ Noctis says roughly, because he's not having it -- his Ignis is hurt and still wants to comfort him, which makes his heart ache all the more. He can feel him sag against him, and instinctively shifts to take more of him in, keeping a better hold on him. ]
I have you, Iggy. I have you, too. I'm not letting you go again.
[ Noctis tells him quietly, fiercely, nuzzling against him. He can't forget the desperation he felt when he had come for him, the ferocious need to get to Ignis no matter what.
He's nuzzling him, shifting to press his lips to his forehead. He can't imagine how his Ignis must have suffered, away from everyone else for days. ]
You're safe with me now. You know that, don't you?
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The juxtaposition is...it leaves him beside himself, a little. He's always known that Noct has had it in him to lead, to protect, to command. There's never been any doubt of that. But more often than not, when Noct asserts power and authority, he does so like a boy still playing in his father's shoes, aware of all the motions but on some level not really believing in the weight his position puts behind them.
This —
This Noct is more than just Regis's son. This Noct that won't let him go is Regis's successor, the next king, the true king. This Noct is Ignis's king, and he fiercely takes care of his own.
This isn't the sweet, withdrawn boy who would fall asleep on his shoulder every chance he could get. It's Noct in a different light than Ignis has always tended to perceive him, and he finds he doesn't know quite what to do with that.]
Noct...please —
[The resemblance to Regis is especially bitter, given the voice that had lured him out to the island in the first place.]
It's over now, I'm —
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He steps into the position almost seamlessly, commanding and secure even if he's upset, and he strokes Ignis' cheek lightly, catching the vulnerability in his eyes, precious and treasured. For the first time, he feels something between them crack and shift, something good, and he presses a kiss to his forehead, taking a breath.
He understands now, the weight Ignis has always borne on his shoulders, and he shakes his head at his attempt to comfort him, holding him tightly still. ]
No. I'm not the one who needs comfort right now, Iggy. I need you to stop and put yourself first, not me.
[ He tells him firmly, before he's tipping his face up and looking him steadily in the eye. ]
I need you to let me take care of you, do you understand? You're my boyfriend; I need you to be that for me right now.
[ Show Noctis all of him, the weaknesses and the vulnerability, the fact that Ignis needs him just as much as Noctis does, and he smiles, just a little. ]
Okay?
no subject
It's a prospect that's easier said than done, all things considered. It's not as though he can just switch off years upon years of ingrained duty, or let his compulsions fall by the wayside because he's been told to. He's so used to suffering a setback and willpowering through it, simply because there was nothing else he could do but endure it.
But that's not what Noct wants. Noct is telling him to...not be strong for him, right now. To let himself go, a little. To trust that if he lets his guard down, there will be strong arms to catch him, arms sufficient enough to carry him while still walking tall, themselves.]
I...
[He falls silent a minute, wavering around a thought before finally gathering up the wherewithal to voice it.]
It's just that you're upset. I want...I want to — I don't want you to be upset, but I can't fix it without taking action you don't want me to take...
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[ He gets a clearer picture of it now, and isn't it wonderfully ridiculous? Noctis is upset that Ignis is hurt, hurting on his behalf because how dare they lay a finger on him, and Ignis, so attuned to Ignis' moods, is upset because of this, and is falling all over himself (despite his injuries) to try and make it better.
Despite himself, Noctis huffs a soft laugh and shakes his head at him, breaking the tension. No, it's ridiculously sweet and silly and despite the fact that Ignis needs tending to instead of simply being held (blame Noctis for being greedy), he presses a kiss to his forehead. ]
This isn't something for you to fix.
[ He says softly. Not this time. ] Do you trust me enough to need me, Iggy?
no subject
[But the way he says it, it's clear that he's not being contrary. If anything, he sounds almost guilty, like he's making an admission of something he already knows is wrong. The vulnerability is undeniable now; he's trying, he's trying so hard because he knows that Noctis wants him to, but everything in him is keyed to ignore the pain, set aside the hurt, and throw himself between this boy and his anguish as quickly as he can.
But —
Do you trust me enough to need me, Noct says, and reframes the question in a whole new way. Now there is a duty to fulfill, in the way his words align; his duty is to trust, even when it hurts the most. Even when it looks like shirking his responsibility.
Noct is asking him to trust that he isn't.
Noct is asking him to believe that he's allowed to need him.
If it were anyone but Noctis, he doubts he could manage it. But it's Noct who's asking, Noct whose arms are around him and whose lips graze his forehead, and slowly, something inside of him starts to give way.]
If I do this, will you —
[But he cuts himself off, hesitating, because he can feel that's not right. It's turning his focus back to Noct's feelings again, always fixating on Noctis, when this time Noct is telling him to focus on himself.
What does he need?]
I. I...
[What does he need?]
...Don't. Don't go. Anywhere.
no subject
His Ignis had cared for him for the longest time, and Noctis knows that there are plenty of complications right there, between loyalty to his charge and his king and the newer feelings for someone who is, in all terms of the word, a lover. Ignis has always been required to be strong for them both, which is something Noctis realises he'd always come to associate with him, but in this moment Ignis reveals something new, something precious to him, and Noctis swallows hard.
It will take a lot of time to de-tangle the complicates they've wound around each other, but that's okay, Noctis is in it for the long haul -- they'll figure it out together. ]
And the things that hurt you are something for me to fix, too.
[ He reminds him gently, because theirs is no longer one of retainer and liege, it's something far more complicated, something that demands equal ground, demands that Ignis trust him enough to know that Noctis will hold him up if he falls, will carry him through.
He's brushing Ignis' hair back from his forehead, and he watches, feels how Ignis gives in, so painfully vulnerable. It takes such courage to bare himself like this before someone else, and Noctis takes care to be gentle with him, to encourage him, and when he finally makes his wish known as an equal, Noctis' heart is so full he fears he cannot hold it all in.
This is Ignis the man, asking Noctis as one half to another to stay, to not go anywhere, casting aside their conventional roles, and Noctis will give him the world if he asks.
He makes a soft noise and holds him closer. There are a hundred things he needs to do to make Ignis comfortable -- he needs to treat that sprain, to feed him, to give him water, but Ignis is asking him not to go anywhere, and Noctis stays put, his arms wrapped protectively around his Ignis, his love. ]
Yeah.
[ He says, soft and strained but firm. Determined. ] I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to be right here with you.
no subject
You carried me all the way back...
[A thin, hoarse laugh escapes him, but it doesn't bounce with mirth so much as it just sort of rattles.]
I wouldn't have thought — we'll have to tell Gladio. His work with you has certainly paid off...
[His Noct, tall like the king he's been told to be, wise with years Ignis still sometimes forgets he possesses. Had Noct grown up more than Ignis had thought he had, somehow, when he wasn't looking? In his eyes, there's always a part of Noctis that will be that little boy he met on his first day with the Citadel, shy and hiding behind his father's legs but smiling with delight when treated with kindness.
When had Noct become so much like Regis? Ignis doesn't know, but he slumps against him anyway, glad for the strength he finds there because it means he doesn't have to find it in himself, instead.]
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[ Noctis tells him simply, but it's not with as much pride as it should be when Noctis is in a cheerier mood. He can hear it, the strain in Ignis' voice and how the sirens have done a number on him in his prolonged captivity. He's frowning, cupping his face and pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth.
He'll fix this -- Ignis is trusting him to take care of him, and Noctis will not fail him. He's grown up, you see, stepped into his father's shoes when nobody was watching, shouldering the burdens of the world, the kingdom, his loved ones in the days between. He's nodding briefly. ]
I need to make you something to eat and drink a little later. But I'll come back right after that.
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[It won't take long, he thinks. Not now that he's back on soft cushion instead of wet sand and unforgiving rock. It won't be a good sleep, but he might at least doze a little, and at least if he's only semiconscious he won't be awake to miss Noct's presence so much.]
And if you could, help me...help me get the, um. Clean clothes on.
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[ Noctis murmurs readily -- Ignis looks exhausted, and Noctis weighs the necessity of food, water against his need to rest, and decides that sleep should probably come first, the rest later. Who knew how long he had gone without sleep?
He immediately moves, too, to help him with his clothes. ] And yeah, of course.
[ Noctis is careful, changing out his trousers and underwear, cleaning him with damp washcloths so that he's comfortable, and keeping his gaze up, trained away from where Noctis knows he's... well, exposed. His purpose is to care for him now, all the others can wait.
Eventually, Ignis is clean and in a fresh set of clothes, a pile of washcloths in the tub of water he had brought in earlier. ]
Is this better?
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It's quite possibly one of the most unsexy moments they've had together, for all that it had involved Noctis stripping him down and tending to him. But it is a bonding moment in its own way, when he learns firsthand just how careful yet confident Noct's hands, so bold with a sword, can be when wringing out washcloths and dabbing mud and sweat from skin.
Soon, he's clean, and he's sinking sleepily into the bed, and he's just barely managing to keep his eyes open but Noct is still here, so he's got to make the effort.]
Much. You're too kind.
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[ It might be deeply unsexy, but Noctis doesn't care -- the only thing that matters is that Ignis is safe and back with him, and that he's recovering, slowly but surely. Ignis must have been on edge for so long, captured with no possible way of knowing when he can be rescued.
Seeing him like this hurts Noctis' heart, makes his jaw clench and riles up an anger in him all over again -- he's never seen him so open and so vulnerable, but more importantly, he's never had the privilege of Ignis' trust like this, and it matters.
He's helping to tuck him in now, laying a soft kiss over his forehead, his cheek, lingering. All that matters is that he's safe now. ]
Mmm. I'll stay here with you until you fall asleep.
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[His eyelids are already threatening to fall closed, his lashes long as he slowly loses the battle to drowsiness.]
Noct.
[There are a hundred things he wants to say, all of them grateful and vulnerable and adoring, but none of them manage to wind up fitted into words before the need to sleep finally overtakes him, and he drifts off into a shallow, fitful sleep beneath Noct's watchful gaze.]
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Ignis worries, and that's the last thing Noctis wants him to do.
He very quickly heads to the kitchen after a few minutes, pours a glass of water and brings out a plate full of leftover meat. Ignis had slipped from his grasp far too often -- first off when they had those ridiculous talking birds, and then now, too, with the sirens.
He tucks himself back against Ignis again, and falls asleep with him for a few good hours until he has to go to the bathroom. Quietly extricating himself from Ignis and the warmth and comfort he provides, Noctis goes to relieve himself.
He has to make it quick, before Ignis wakes up and finds him gone. ]
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It brings him around gradually, and when he opens his eyes it's dark, and he's grown so accustomed to the sight of the rocky beach that the cozy enclosure of their room is foreign and unsettling — and he's alone.
It's awful timing, but it is what it is. And he knows he shouldn't, but unable to help himself, the name falls from his lips anyway.]
N...Noct...?
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He's going to have to figure out a way to keep Ignis in bed and resting, and make breakfast for the rest of them, but that can wait until morning.
Now, he just has to make sure Ignis is still there. ]
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Noct —
[Where is he? Where is he? He said he would come back.]
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[ This, he catches, and he makes a beeline for his room, rushing in just in time to catch him struggle to his feet.
He's coming to grasp his arms, eyes wide and concerned. ]
Iggy. Hey, hey. Where are you going?
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You said you were coming back —
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[ He says softly, stepping up to catch him in his arms, wrapping them around him firmly. He's got him, keeping him securely braced as he guides him back to the bed, his heart racing. Ignis is distressed, and oh, he shouldn't have gone off on his own and left him to wake up alone.
Noctis is giving Ignis a gentle squeeze, fitting his body to his to show Ignis that he's present, he's here. He's not going anywhere, not for a long time. ]
Are you okay...? Did you need something?
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