The Count Down To New

[thechurbyboxmod]

Sometimes feelings build up. Sometimes all it takes is a resolution, some liquid courage, and the rush of celebration to break through the silence. This is what happens on those nights



[Post a starter below, or request one. Just note who for.]

Comments

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis laughed slightly at Nida's words but watched the other man intently as he stretched. Once he moved nearer, he smiled and slowly wended his way down to the shore. "Be careful, as the rocks might be slippery."

[skyward_eyes]

"Oh, is that true?" Nida asks, tilting his head. "Guess I'll need to hold your hand to keep balanced.

[faithfulsupport]

That comment earned a smile and Ignis moved over to where Nida was. Without a second thought he lifted his hand to the other. "I'd be delighted to be of assistance." Which of course meant holding Nida's hand too, but he didn't say that out loud.

[skyward_eyes]

As if they hadn't held hands the night before. But it was still nice.

"You have lovely hands," he says once he takes the hand into his own.

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis blushed at the compliment. To him they were simply hands. "Why thank you." So when their hands touched, he tried to keep his focus on holding on and letting nothing happen to Nida as they moved slowly towards the rocks he'd cautioned about. Some of course were covered with moss and sea spray which meant they were even more slippery.

"Please watch your step."

[skyward_eyes]

Nida wasn't actually worried about his balance of course. Trained guards were supposed to be good at things, and being Glaive as he was, he could recover easily from a fall. But he still took exaggerated care, mostly to buy as much time as he could.

"Do you come here often?"

[faithfulsupport]

"No, but we should certainly change it into a habit to do so."

Ignis didn't take days off. He didn't snag Prompto's camera and make a run for it to get out of meetings like a certain royal did. He also wasn't one to play sick so he could put off things if negotiations were going to be a pain in the arse or just because he didn't feel like getting out of bed.

But now Nida had come into his life and he knew he needed to make time for things and people that were important.

[skyward_eyes]

Oh, was that the goal? How interesting. Habits away from the Citadel weren't one that he expected to get into.

"You think this is cool, to do again?" Nida has to be curious. "You come here often?"

[faithfulsupport]

Naturally the advisor hadn't planned on anything like this either which included not sneaking away or trying to get away from the Citadel. And while they could definitely convene there in Ignis' suite of rooms, people at the Citadel would most certainly talk.

And Ignis worried about any negative gossip about Nida with the nosey courtiers who would certainly think nothing of besmirching someone's reputation just because they were bored with their own lives. "Coming to the ocean is always a good idea but I personally haven't been here in some time."

[skyward_eyes]

Nida hardly cared much about the gossip of courtiers. He's just a guard, and he knows nobles and others would talk. Talking was absolutely a mess. And his job was to not listen when it wasn't a possible threat.

"Have you been since the darkness came?"

He doubted it.

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis shook his head. "No, we haven't had the time to come back." So much of their efforts had gone into rebuilding and reorganizing. And there'd been no end to the stream of well wishers and people offering their congratulations to a shaken returned king and royal retainers.

"But with the light returned, hopefully we'll have more time."

Plus he had no doubt Noct would come for fishing shenanigans.

[skyward_eyes]

Well, that's a thought.

"Perhaps you should suggest that the royals take a brief break. No one would hold it against them."

And Nida would be happy to serve as an additional guard for that.

[faithfulsupport]

"I'm sure the king will be scheming to take a break, if he hasn't already." Noct was a good king, but there were days when everything got to him. And those were the days even Ignis suggested that he get his mind off of things and go fishing off of the royal yacht and take the Queen with him.

But there was no way he wanted the four of them in one place as of yet because he wanted to get to know Nida a lot better for his own personal selfish reasons.

[skyward_eyes]

Well, Nida's job might require him to protect the king. But he did want to steal the time he could with his new companion.

"Well, I hope he has that chance. He works so hard for all of us. So do you."

Be wonders how many people notice just what Ignis does.

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis' face turned red as he heard he worked hard. To him work was work and he did what he needed to do in order to get things done right the first time. And many were the nights that he stayed up worrying or had been woken up if Noct was having a nightmare and didn't want to wake the Queen. And neither of them spoke of those matters to her because that had been the king's wish.

"All of the credit belongs to Noct. He is the king after all."

[skyward_eyes]

“His Majesty is not the only one who works with the people, or organizes things, or any of that,” Nida dismisses. And while the people of the city didn’t need to know all of this, those who worked there saw it.

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis only smirked but didn't answer because he simply preferred to keep Noct in the spotlight and not himself. Even the king would acknowledge the truth of Nida's words but the advisor worked behind the scenes to keep the royal engine running smoothly.

"He isn't half bad at those things and will improve the more he does them."

[skyward_eyes]

“And he will always have strong and wise advisors.”

Especially with Ignis at his side. It was nice to consider anyway.

“You are a wonder.”

[faithfulsupport]

He just laughed it off because he wasn't going to take credit for anything here. "That he will." But of course he wasn't considering himself into the equation, Noctis would simply have advisors at his side. Ignis would always be there to help as much as he could, though he had been cut some slack since the Queen did a lot of the work with him as much as she was able.

But Nida's comment got a look and he smiled. "As are you."

[skyward_eyes]

Silly, that Ignis should not consider himself one. He was raised to be so, after all. Unless he had decided he wanted to change his life.

"I'm just a trained sword-arm, so to speak," he says with a smile.

[faithfulsupport]

"You're not merely a trained sword arm as you say." Ignis replied with something of a small drawl in his tone. But he was delighted that Nida was such wonderful company, not that he had expected anything else out of the man otherwise.

[skyward_eyes]

Oh, was that true? Nida smiled and tilted his head as he considered Ignis.

"And if that's all I've aspired to be? A protector of the crown?"

[faithfulsupport]

"Obviously there've been more..personal aspirations on your mind." Ignis smirked. Not that he minded. And boy was Noctis more than likely to give Nida guff in a good hearted sort of way. Hopefully the man just considered it as good natured teasing, but who knew, maybe the King might take him into his confidence or something.

He could only hope the two would grow close.

[skyward_eyes]

Well those don't count as work, but Nida laughs anyway, his hand squeezing Ignis's. Was that such a bad thing. But he didn't expect that being with Ignis was going to change his life, even though it should. In his mind the only high ranking officials he should ever deal with are Gladio given his role in military forces, and Ignis with this new romance.

"Is it really an aspiration when it's still so formless as 'earn as smile from that beautiful face'?"

[faithfulsupport]

The squeeze made Ignis smile a little and the words had him flush a bit. "Well you most certainly can start there." It would be a good start he decided. At least they'd start out with simple and hopefully it would continue no matter how tough things got. He might only have Gladio to answer to right at the moment, but that was indeed going to change, Ignis had no doubts about that one at all.