When Ignis and Cindy got to the diner, the mood had calmed since the chaos not long before; Gladio was still steadily working his way through Takka's beer supply, and Prompto was looking sulky as he sat next to Noctis, who was engrossed in whatever game he was playing on his phone. Iris appeared to be playing the same game; she and Noct kept glancing up at the other, and laughing, or groaning depending on how they were doing. Occasionally one of them would yell in frustration and more than once, Iris made as if she were going to throw her phone across the room, but took a few deep breaths and went back to the game, her jaw set in determination.
Cindy and Ignis joined their friends in their booth and sat quietly, looking around at each of them and waiting for one of them to look up. Prompto pointedly ignored them and picked up his camera, pretending to be deeply interested in inspecting his camera roll.
Gladio looked from Ignis to Cindy and back again, let out a snort of laughter, and drained his mug before getting up and going to the counter to get more.
Iris must have lost her current game, because she slammed her fist on the table with a muttered "Fuck!" and tossed her phone across the table toward Noct before glancing up and noticing the couple's presence for the first time.
"Oh hey guys!" she chirped, the look of frustrated rage evaporating from her face "What are you two up to?" she asked, her eyes sliding from one of them to the other with sly delight.
Cindy leaned her elbows on the table and let her chin rest on her hands as she turned to look at Ignis with an expectant grin on her face "Oh, I think Ig had something he wanted to tell y'all."
Ignis flashed her a look of surprise that quickly subsided into a laugh, and he reached up, running his fingers through his hair distractedly and scratched the back of his head. "Yes, I suppose I do have something to say. Though Gladio is almost back, I'll wait for him."
Gladio was just sauntering back to the booth, a mug of beer in both hands this time, and set them down as he sank into his chair "Alright, what is it, you two? Finally good to admit you're boning?"
Noctis choked and Prompto stared harder at his camera, while Iris smacked Gladio upside the head and began to berate him for his crassness.
"You big drunk idiot!" she yelled "Why do you have to be so gross?!"
"Ow!" he shouted, trying to block her hands and protect his beer from spilling at the same time "It's true! You think they've just been holding hands this entire time?"
Iris continued cuffing him about the ears as she scolded him "You're telling me to mind my language, but you're talking like a total perv! Besides, what they do is none of our business!"
Cindy snickered behind her hands at their squabbling while Ignis pressed a finger to his temple and let out a long sigh "If all of you wouldn't mind being quiet for a minute, I'll tell you exactly what's going on between us."
Iris immediately sat down and gave them her full attention, an expectant smile on her face.
Noctis put down his phone, and prompto sighed and looked up from his camera, while Gladio set down his beer and wiped his mouth.
"Thank you." Ignis told them, and turned to look at Cindy "As some of you have surmised, we have been spending quite a lot of time together lately, and we immensely enjoy each other's company."
Cindy gave his arm an encouraging squeeze, and he continued "I just wanted to tell you all that we care very much for each other, and we have decided to be exclusive and open with our relationship. All of you are the most important people in my life and I wanted to share that with you."
Iris instantly began clapping her hands and cheering, while Noctis smiled and gave Ignis a pat on the back.
Gladio lifted his mug to them and tipped it up, draining it to the dregs and setting it down with a bang "Good for you, Iggy, I'm happy for both of you." he declared.
Prompto sighed again, but gave them a slightly begrudging "Congrats." before picking up his camera again, but instead of just going back to flipping through his pictures, he raised it to his eye and pointed it at Ignis and Cindy "Alright, try not to look too happy, you two." he said and snapped a picture of Ignis with his arm wrapped tight around Cindy's shoulders and pressing a kiss to the side of her head.
"We have to celebrate!" Iris yelled "I think it's getting cooler outside, we should all BBQ outside the trailer and I'll make a cake!"
The group of friends spent the rest of the evening cooking, playing games and happily chattering away to each other, until well into the evening. Prompto loosened up almost immediately, and was soon matching Iris' enthusiasm, running everywhere and taking pictures of everyone until Iris roped him into helping with different aspects of the meal prep and setting up the dining area.
Though they hadn't doubted it, Cindy and Ignis felt truly embraced by their friends as a couple, and stayed late into the night, laughing and talking, and enjoying the company of their friends until they were almost passing out in their chairs.
They finally decided to leave when Gladio actually fell asleep in his lounge chair, snoring loudly, a beer bottle clutched in his hand.
Prompto had long retired to the trailer, and Ignis had only just then realized that both Noctis and Iris had vanished, he and Cindy had gotten so engrossed in the other, that they hadn't even notice until they were alone in front of the fire.
"Shall we be going, darling?" Ignis asked, holding his hand out to Cindy.
"Yeah, I'm about all tuckered out, take me home, Ig." she answered, taking his hand and wrapping it around her shoulders and nestling against his side.
They got up and walked around the end of the trailer and were just crossing the parking lot when Cindy glanced past Ignis and gasped, before grabbing him by the shirt and dragging him down behind a propane tank.
Ignis frowned and was just about to ask her what was wrong when she held a finger over her lips and pointed over his shoulder.
Following the direction of her finger, Ignis squinted into the darkness that was cast by the wall of the diner, and was about to turn back to her and ask what she meant when his eyes adjusted to the dark, and he caught sight of what had grabbed her attention.
There was Noctis with his back shoved against the concrete wall, and who should be clutching the edges of his half-unbuttoned shirt, with her leg hiked up around his waist while his hands were under her skirt, gripping her ass, but Iris.
Ignis groaned and made as if to stand up and interrupt them, when Cindy seized him by the back of his shirt and yanked him back down.
"Don't you dare!" she hissed.
"I have to stop them, Cindy, he's due to marry Lady Lunafreya any day now. Do you know the consequences of anyone finding out about this? It could throw the kingdom into chaos! Not to mention be very dangerous for both of them."
His voice was desperate and full of worry, but Cindy reached up and took hold of his face, turning him to face her and making him look her in the eye.
"Ignis," she said, her voice serious "they're just kids. They know what they have to do, what the future holds, you can't blame 'em for wantin' a little break. Sure, this could cause huge problems, but there's a chance it won't. Besides, it's your job to keep 'em safe, isn't it? Keep 'em safe and let 'em have their time. It'll be taken away from 'em soon enough. Let's go."
Ignis sighed and pressed his forehead against hers "I suppose you're right. I would hate it if someone tried to keep me from seeing you. I'll keep their secret. For now, anyway."
The two lovers got up and continued on their way home, secure in the feelings they had for each other, while not far away, two other young lovers were just discovering theirs.