A/N: I just really wanted to write another little short for Versus... But this time it's not for Noctis! Ignis gets the spotlight in this. And was even debating of whether or not to post this...
Still, please keep in mind that though this little short does seem connected to my main story for FFvsXIII, it is NOT part of the main story! This is basically an AU (of an AU, heh...). As the title says, more of a "what if..." deal. The characters are the same, the plot is the same, the only thing that is different is that in this version, Ignis began to hold some feelings for my OC Niveus. Please do not start thinking "oh geeze, does everyone fall for her OC?" because they simply don't. In the main story, Ignis does not even begin to harbour the slightest feelings for her. This is actually more of an...inside joke between a friend of mine and me since she started to ship Ignis and Niveus as a crack!pairing. So that's what this is. A "what if that had actually happened?" short. That and Noct's buddies need to share some of the love too, and not have it all for the Prince. Anyway, just wanted to make that all clear so people wouldn't get the wrong impression...
And, though this does take place closer to the end of my story, there are no spoilers in it. Nor is it even critical for you to read Lux Crystallis. Just know that Noct and his friends are off to restore their shattered Crystal, and they ended up having a woman with amnesia join them...and that she doesn't seem to understand emotions/things everyone else takes for granted.
On with the little story!
What If
There was no rest for him that night. While his other friends snored loudly in their sleep, Ignis went off to get some fresh air in attempts to ease his troubled mind. As he stepped out into the cool night air, he removed his glasses and cleaned them on the fabric of his jacket. Raising to put them back on, he stared at them for a moment before letting out a long sigh and slipping them into one of his pockets instead.
This was not like him. Allowing his emotions to get a better hold of him. He was the logical and level-headed one. He was not like Noctis, nor Gladiolus, and he was certainly not like Prompto. With a little patience and thought, everything could have a reasonable explanation. That is what he believed.
That was...until she came along.
He was not certain when it had occurred, but Niveus had begun to get under his skin. When she was happy, he wanted to smile. When she was sad, he wanted to comfort her. When she was confused, he wanted to explain all he could to her. It had not happened like a clash of thunder and lightning. It had been slow and steady, like water dripping down. Each near-insignificant drop added to the whole until it reached such an amount that Ignis could no longer ignore it. But he had to keep a hold of himself. His emotions had never ruled over him, nor would he let them start now. Not to mention, there was another external factor that kept him at bay:
His friend, Noctis.
Even if the Prince did not want to admit himself, Ignis could see his friend starting to change in how he acted around the pale woman. As for Niveus.. Well...she was still very hard to read. With that how it was, Ignis could never bring himself to reveal what feelings he may had. Not only was he still uncertain of them, but he felt like it would be a betrayal to one of his dearest friends if he did anything. Besides...why would Niveus even like someone like him? When compared to Noctis, he felt like he would always be a runner-up. How could he compete against, not only one of his best friends, but his Prince?
Frustrated at where his thoughts were headed, Ignis looked up to the star-filled sky. Without his glasses, they were rather blurry, but that did not take away from their beauty. In a small way, they reminded him of the Crystal Shards that they had been collecting. They were nearly done now, according to Noctis. Ignis let out a soft sigh. What would happen when this was all done? The brunet let out a light huff. There was no point in worrying over such matters now.
Looking back down from the sky, Ignis felt his heart nearly jump into his throat. Clad in her easily-recognizable white outfit, Niveus was walking back to where they had all decided to rest while in this ancient place. Ignis quickly tried to get control of his emotions. This was not becoming for him. With a moment's thought and hesitation, he headed off to meet her. As much as he did not want to admit it, his emotions were starting to decide his actions much more than they once did.
"Niveus!" he called out, getting her attention. Their journey was drawing to an end. Soon, he knew, she would be gone. Whether it be from her finally regaining her memories and turning out to be a completely different person, or the officials of his home deciding to take her in to "study", or her simply leaving once they were done, or even some combination of those options or something else entirely, the Niveus he knew would more than likely be gone. That would be that. There would be no more confusing emotions to plague and unsettle him. A small part of him would be glad to longer have to deal with all this. But then again...he knew he would regret it for the rest of his life if he did not at least try...
"Ignis?" The pale woman looked up at him as he neared. Her pale eyes were still quite haunting, especially in the dim light that illuminated their surroundings.
Questions still plagued his mind. He analyzed everything before he could bring himself to do anything else. What if he stopped trying to be rational about everything? What if he had not been such close friends with Noctis? What if they had met under different circumstances? What if... What if... It was always what if.
"I need to get some rest now," she muttered, noticing that Ignis was unable to say anything further. Ignis mentally cursed at himself. Already she was starting to leave.
"Niv, wait!" He was not sure why. It had just happened. His hand had reached up and cupped her chin neatly in his grasp. His actions stopped her as much as it stopped himself. For the first time in a long time, he could not think of what to do next. He stood there, frozen, uncertain of how to proceed further.
Say it...
Just say it!
What if he could just tell her how he felt?
Niveus looked back at him, her hand reaching up to brush over his. That did not make matters any better. What made it even worse was when he saw the confusion in her eyes. She did not understand his unsaid feelings. Would she ever be capable of comprehending? Ignis already knew the answer to that particular question: as long as she was the Niveus he had come to care for, she would never understand.
"Goodnight..." he whispered, letting his hand fall from her skin. Forcing himself to look away, he waited for her to go. She did not move, at least right away. He could feel her confused gaze linger on him moments longer before it slipped away. Sighing once she was gone, Ignis reached into his pocket and pulled his glasses back out. It was time to lock his emotions behind his wall of reason. They were causing him too many problems for his liking. If there was to be any regret from all this, he would just have to live with it. But still...
That's it.
What if...
No more of this. Stop fooling yourself...
What if things had been different?
A/N: Yep, that's it. Fun to write more from Ignis' side rather than Noctis like I normally do. Crack!pairings are always fun. Poor Ignis though, feeling that he'd always be second-place compared to Noctis... Hope you liked...and if not...sorry =.=;