NOTE: Again, I apologize for any errors, spelling, grammatical or otherwise. I try to edit my own stuff, but I'm sure you know how it goes! It's definitely better if you have someone else who can edit for you!
** 13 Years Ago **
"Iggy! Iggy!"
The sound of a child's body crashing against marble was unmistakable, even to the then-nine year old Ignis Scientia. He whirled around from where he had been putting away some books he'd claimed from the Citadel's expansive, exclusive library, his heart thumping in his chest as he saw where his charge had eaten it on the floor as he'd whipped around a corner to get to him.
However, Noctis Lucis Caelum, age seven, leapt up to his feet and waved a DVD at Ignis like he didn't just crash and burn. "We need to watch this!" he implored eagerly.
Ignis smiled to Noctis, setting down the few books he'd yet to place, and went over to take the DVD and see what it was. It was some sort of cartoon movie, featuring superheroes in helmets and solid colored bodysuits. Even at that age, Ignis wasn't exactly caught up with what was normally interesting for boys his age, but Noctis made up for it in the way he refused to watch anything without Ignis with him.
"When would you like to, Noct?" he asked, keeping hold of the DVD to hopefully avoid Noctis crashing and burning again.
"Can we now?!" the boy asked with wide eyes. While he had been rather shy but grateful for Ignis's presence when they were first introduced, he'd taken his father's request that Ignis stand with him as a brother quite seriously. Anything he considered 'fun', Ignis had to be right there with him. If Ignis wasn't there, there was a good chance Noctis would refuse to move until he was brought to him.
The little boy in Ignis, who had very little exposure to children his age due to his chosen role in life, really liked that fact. "Have you finished your studies?"
"Mmhm! I wasn't even allowed to touch that until I was done," Noctis replied, pouting a little as though that had been the worst moment in his life. "Please, Iggy?!"
"Okay," Ignis agreed, giving him a small smile.
"Yes!" Noctis rushed forward, grabbing Ignis's hand, and started to pull him along with such force that it was nearly Ignis falling to the ground that time.
Out of the library, he dragged his steward and brother, narrowly missing crashing into none other than King Regis and his entourage as they were passing through. Ignis looked horrified and pulled to a stop to bow to the king once they were out of the way, and assumed Regis would be moving on once the path was clear. However, Regis was just standing there and, when Ignis chanced a short glance up, found he was smiling back down on the two boys.
"I hear you've a new movie, son," he said to Noctis.
"Yep! Me and Iggy are gonna go watch."
"'Iggy and I'," Regis gently corrected.
"Iggy and I are gonna go watch," Noctis repeated back, moving closer to grab onto and hug Ignis's arm.
Regis smiled at that and looked at Ignis. "Thank you, Ignis," he said kindly.
"Yes, your Majesty," Ignis replied, bowing the best he could.
As soon as he got that out, he was being pulled by Noctis, much to Regis's amusement. He was pulled away, down the hall, into an elevator, up an elevator (a break came when Noctis couldn't reach the button to his floor, so Ignis had to do it for him), out of the elevator, down another hall, and another hall, until they were at his room.
"Okay, you get where you want to sit," Ignis encouraged as he pulled over an extending counter that had a television on it, and set up the DVD.
Noctis clamored onto his bed and crossed his legs together as he sat there, and as soon as Ignis got everything ready, he started banging on his mattress. "Come on, Iggy!"
"Coming!" Despite his maturity, Ignis was still a little kid, and had to crawl up onto the bed to sit beside Noctis all the same. He had the control with him, but didn't use it immediately. "Do you want anything to eat or drink before we start?" he asked.
"Nonono, turn it on, Iggy," Noctis insisted, watching the title menu excitedly.
Ignis did as he was told, and watched as Noctis became completely engrossed in the animated drama of the cartoon they were watching. He was so excited to be watching that movie, and did everything he could to involve Ignis with the story. He'd talk about the different backgrounds of the characters, and how awesome they each were, and even though Ignis acknowledged all of it with an elder brother's sort of passive interest…
…it was pretty cool.
** 12 Years Ago **
"Please, let me go to him."
"If the king wishes for you to be in the room with the prince, he'll call for you," one of the many adults charged with Ignis's training and education said, waving a scolding finger at him. "Begging is unbecoming."
Ten-year-old Ignis sucked in a deep breath and held it at that, bowing to the woman who was scolding him. "I understand. My apologies."
It was a nightmare. Fifteen people were dead. People who dedicated their lives to the nurturing of Prince Noctis, age eight, and to his protection while his Shield was still growing strong, gone. A breach in the Wall led to an attack on the Crown Prince via soldier and daemon. If not for his nanny shielding him with her own body, the blade that was thrust into him from behind would've gone far deeper. Ignis was also hesitant to imagine if Regis hadn't heard of the breach before the attack and rushed with his own to Noctis's rescue what might have happened.
Ignis had been preparing Noctis's things for his arrival from his little day out in the outer forest within the Wall when he received word of what was happening, and the 10-year-old wanted nothing more than to at least see him. To have proof he was alright…
But it seemed the courtesies extended to him didn't stem further than when he was in a room with King Regis or Prince Noctis.
His heart was breaking, and he couldn't even show it. What if Noctis… died? He couldn't even be there for him.
The desperation hurt, and it only hurt worse as the days clicked on and Noctis wasn't getting up. He had prayed to whatever deity would listen that maybe King Regis would remember his existence, and call for him so he could go and be with the boy he was to call brother, but the call never came. Nothing ever came. Noctis continued to sleep, locked away after one time awakening, having also struck his head so hard on the ground when his nanny landed on him that he was severely concussed and was bleeding profusely when found.
The only people who offered Ignis a shred of kindness were the nurses of Noctis's care. About two weeks into his long-running slumber, he awakened briefly and started calling for, 'Iggy', and the young women took it upon themselves to seek Ignis out.
They became immediately charmed when they saw the little boy with the maturity of a twenty-year-old.
Maleene and Savra were their names. Nurse Maleene and Nurse Savra, that was how he chose to address them, however. Maleene was an ebony-skinned woman, fit and athletic, with a fountain of naturally tight curls dyed with a soft, dark red ombre style. Savra was more like Gladio and Noctis, with a slant to her eyes, and soft, straight black hair, also decked with a matching red ombre. Ignis remembered that part well, because he wondered if they were best friends, or what. She was shorter than Maleene. They were both clearly good work friends, at the very least, because they were funny and warm, and comfortable with each other, which made Ignis feel more comfortable when they approached him.
"So, you're Iggy, hm?" Maleene asked, her smile pearly white against her dark, dark skin. In later years, on reflection, both those nurses were very attractive, but for Ignis at ten, they were just nice ladies.
"H-How do you know?" Ignis asked, looking absolutely exhausted. His worry was getting the best of him, and not a single adult in charge of his care and education cared, and he rarely saw his own family as they were as busy as he in their servitude to King Regis directly.
"Prince Noctis came to very briefly last night," Maleene explained softly. "While the king was sleeping. He begged for 'Iggy', but fell asleep before we could ask for more details. We learned Iggy was Ignis, and Ignis was his steward, but…"
"Such dedication you must have to be so young and mean so much to him," Savra took over, leaning down and smiling all the same to Ignis. "You've been worried, haven't you?"
The little boy in Ignis was taking over in that moment. He hadn't had anyone speak to him like he was truly a child for as long as he could remember. Because of that, he hummed his yes and nodded, looking to the floor otherwise.
"We'll take you to him," Savra decided, causing Ignis to snap up straight with wide eyes.
"After you let us do a once-over of you," Maleene added, reaching out and tenderly fixing some of Ignis's rogue hairs with her fingers. "To be blunt, you look like you haven't slept a wink in ages. That's not very healthy. A lad at your age should be getting no less than nine hours of sleep."
"Must I?" Ignis asked, not thrilled at all. He just wanted to go to Noctis.
"Please? We'll make it quick," Savra promised.
Ignis relented fairly quick, since it meant him ultimately getting what he wanted.
As promised, it didn't take long at all. While Savra checked his pulse and blood pressure, Maleene checked his breathing and his vision. It was awkward, but he didn't say anything. He wanted to see Noctis, so he felt it was worth it. After they were done, and quietly compared notes to the side, Maleene came over to smile to Ignis. "You've been really very stressed over this, haven't you?"
"I would just like to see him in person," Ignis insisted, looking determined beyond his years, but scared in his little frame.
The nurse smiled softly and held out her hand for him. "Come on. Nurse's orders: My patient has to see his friend."
Ignis quickly took her hand as he stood, eager to get to Noctis. Savra stayed behind, clearly logging the readings they got from him. He was curious about that, but waited until he and Maleene were closed in one of the elevators of the Citadel to look up and ask, "What is she going to do with whatever you documented on me?"
"Well, we can see that you're stressed in your numbers," Maleene said, not talking down to him, which he appreciated. "We're not sure why you've been kept from him, either, given that you're his steward. My father served as a nurse to King Regis when he was still a prince, as a matter of fact, so I know what your role means from all the stories my father told me about the king and his steward."
"Thank you," Ignis said, stunned.
Maleene smiled and turned, crouching down to Ignis, to get on his level. "If someone tries that again, you come find me. I'm here every single day, even when no one needs me, and I live in the medical wing for the Crownsguard," she said quietly. "If I'm not available, you find Savra, okay?"
"Okay," Ignis said. He had to square himself at the shoulders to keep from allowing the child in him to break down. He was just so relieved someone was actually caring and not making him suffer through protocol, especially since Noctis was asking for him.
But despite his efforts, Maleene seemed to see through them, and tenderly pulled the 10-year-old in for a delicate hug. He bit on the inside of his cheek, but still, Ignis returned that hug gladly. It was nice that someone was caring.
When they finally reached Noctis's bedroom, Maleene escorted Ignis in as one of the Crownsguard by his door said, "Hey, good to see you, kiddo." They weren't perturbed or trying to keep him out, so why did his teachers and tutors get so insistent on it?!
Inside the room, Maleene said, "He isn't going to wake up, but that doesn't mean that he can't possibly hear you. He just can't open his eyes right now."
"Is it because of his head…?"
"Yes." She released Ignis's hand once she had him at the foot of Noctis's bed. "He hit very hard when he fell, so his brain is healing as much as his back. So, if you get on the bed with him, be very gentle with your movements, okay?"
Ignis nodded, and then was surprised as Maleene offered him a small smile and wave as she turned to leave the room. He wanted to ask why she was okay with doing that, but he also didn't want her second-guessing herself, so he just watched her go.
There was nothing to do for Noctis, but at least he was there, and he could see with his own two eyes that at least the boy was alive and breathing. Many of his fears were calmed by that alone. It was as though someone had given him a sleeping pill, too, because all at once, weeks worth of exhaustion was catching up with him, but he refused to leave unless King Regis himself kicked him out (and he would be pleasantly surprised later to learn that Regis would be doing nothing of the sort, having a bed brought in for him instead).
He crawled up onto the bed, using the toy trunk at the foot of it to be able to do so delicately. Once on it, about a foot away from Noctis's feet—it was a long bed, and both boys were still small—he went to lay down sideways, using his arm as a pillow for his head. He didn't even bother taking off his glasses as he did so, not that he thought about it much once he was settled.
He was with his prince and brother, and finally, he could sleep.
** 10 Years Ago **
The prince was never the same again after he woke up from his coma, and healed from his injuries. Even after his trip to Tenebrae to meet with the Oracle, and former Princess, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, he wasn't the same.
There were glimpses of the boy that Ignis used to know every so often, such as when a new movie released of something he liked, or when he was bored and wanted to play video games, but besides that, he became disinterested in most anything else, including Ignis.
Nothing reminded the young steward of this more than when he approached Noctis with a tray of muffins, as the boy sat in the bay window of a waiting room, staring out at the gardens. "I thought you had training with Gladiolus today," twelve year old Ignis commented as he placed the tray down beside Noctis and then folded his hands together behind his back.
"I walked out," Noctis said without looking at the tray or Ignis, his tone bland. "I don't want to train today."
If the bruises on Noctis's arm were any indication, Ignis could imagine why. Although he'd had very little interaction with the prince's future Shield before then, he'd seen enough to see the junior Crownsguard disliked the prince, and those bruises weren't the first, despite the personal armor he had Noctis wear to protect him.
"He didn't hurt your back or head, did he?" Ignis asked.
"No, not intentionally," Noctis replied. "I'm fine. Don't worry." He sighed and finally turned to look at the tray. "Thanks, Iggy."
"Of course. I made certain they were made to taste for you," he assured. Ignis didn't know how to cook or bake, but he'd been deciding that would be a good idea to learn, and was spending quite a bit of time in the kitchen to learn from the chefs there. They had to focus on the whole facility. He could afford to focus strictly on Noctis's tastes and preferences, of which there were still an obscene amount.
Noctis picked one up and offered it to Ignis. The lack of expression on his face killed his steward a little more on the inside, because he missed when Noctis was relentless in his cheerfulness with him. He was a lot easier to get along with, but Ignis also understood that Noctis had experienced an incredible trauma two years ago. He wasn't even allowed a break when they traveled to Tenebrae, where he and his father narrowly escaped Niflheim forces and the boy had to witness even more death. That would scar anyone, let alone a child. Ignis hadn't even experienced such horrors, and it made it difficult to fully empathized, although he certainly tried.
He delicately took the muffin, and was going to simply thank Noctis, but was interrupted when Noctis nodded to the space of the bay window on which he'd sat himself down. "How's school, Iggy?" he asked.
Ignis didn't let a smile out, but he believed that was the first time Noctis had asked how he was doing with anything at all outside of his initial recovery time since the coma.
He went to sit as silently requested. "Very good, thank you," he replied. "And for you? Your experience is ending up so much different from mine."
"I don't understand why you can't go to normal school," Noctis scoffed.
"Because I'm luckier than you are," Ignis replied. Noctis looked at him, confused. "Well, you go to school, then you come home and have to train with Gladiolus, and then you have to spend hours with private tutors. I spend my day with private tutors, and then you. I'd say that's far easier, wouldn't you?"
"…huh. Hadn't thought about it that way," Noctis said, slowly pulling a muffing into meticulous pieces so he could eat them one at a time with his fingers, instead of biting in.
That, Ignis presumed, was the dinner table etiquette training. 'Never bite into anything. Always cut or pull it apart in small enough sections to eat a piece,' he remembered Noctis being taught. Even to the young steward, that sounded silly, but he realized it was likely to make certain the prince never had his mouth too full of food during important mealtime conversations.
"What have you been learning at school?" Ignis asked. Yes, while occasionally he went with Noctis's driver to pick him up, Noctis was never in a mood to speak in those rides. He was never hesitant to just punch the divider button between driver cab and passenger cab just to get the driver and Ignis to stop engaging him.
"History," Noctis replied, still somber. "I dunno."
"How do you know but not know?"
"There're these… stupid girls around me in class, and they won't stop trying to talk to me. They've even gotten detention for never shutting up, but they still don't stop," Noctis grumbled. "They never call me just 'Noctis', it's always 'prince' or 'Prince Noctis' and it's stupid."
"Well, you've got to get over the title. It is what it is, you are what you are."
"I just wish they'd gimme a break. I don't want people talking to me at all. Well…"
That last expression of reconsidering caught Ignis's attention. "'Well'?"
"So, like, the other day, I was out behind the school—well, not so much behind. There's a storage… thing… there, and there's a space between it and the school that has all this construction stuff, and we're not supposed to go there, which is why I totally go there."
Ignis refrained from scolding him right then. That boy was asking for an accident, though.
"Anyway, I was there, and this kid approached me. Big kid, blond, glasses. I've seen him around. He looks about as happy to be there as I do, normally." Which explained why Noctis noticed him. "So, yeah, he called me 'Prince Noctis', but he seemed pretty okay. I was trying to figure out why he suddenly wanted to talk when we passed each other like… five million times before and after school, and during lunch."
"A question, for sure," Ignis said, just to let the prince know he was listening.
"Well, he fell over coming over to me, and was so busy protecting his camera that he hit the ground, and it looked like it hurt a lot. I helped him up, but didn't get a chance to ask anything, 'cause the bell was ringing and we're not in the same class."
"Perhaps he wanted a friend."
"Maybe."
Ignis took a thoughtful bite of his muffin. After finishing with it, he asked, "Have you thought of approaching him?"
"Nah. For all I know, he's too embarrassed after falling. It'll make him feel worse."
"Well, I hope for his sake, if he's looking for a friend, and you wouldn't mind the right sort of friend, that he gets up the courage to approach you. It'd be better than the ones clearly wanting to befriend you for benefits."
"Yeah. I just hope he's not like all the others. I mean… if that even happens."
Ignis hoped for Noctis's sake that it did, and that indeed this other child wasn't like the others. Noctis needed someone not connected to his life as a prince to be his friend, that much was clear.
Finishing his muffin, Ignis went to stand and looked to Noctis. "Shall I rid of the tray now?"
"No, I'll take care of it," Noctis replied, focusing on his torn up muffin still. "Thanks."
Whether it was intentional or not, that gratitude was also a dismissal. Even then Ignis could tell, and he bowed to Noctis. "Of course. Call me if you need me." And then he was heading out of the room. While he understood many of Noctis's 'modes', he would never admit that Noctis had become such a complex creature, and trying to understand everything about him required a lot of effort, to say the least.
** 5 Years Ago **
"Are you kidding me?"
…
"How?"
…
"Bloody hell, I'm on my way."
Seventeen year old Ignis Scientia was going to have the blood of royalty and civilians on his hands. Had he known this would be the natural evolution of Noctis Lucis Caelum if he got an actual friend at school, he would have discouraged it at all costs.
The drive was about half an hour to get to the park where Noctis was at, sun having fallen about an hour previously. It was a bit late to be out, but Noctis usually spent that time at an arcade with his friend, Prompto Argentum. That was acceptable.
What wasn't acceptable was Ignis pulling up to a bench where Noctis and his blond friend were sitting, and Noctis standing and showing off an unnatural swing to his lower half of his arm. Mortified, Ignis didn't even park correctly as he got out of the car and approached the two. Prompto was holding his chest, Noctis his arm, and Ignis was beside himself.
"I want to make absolutely certain," Ignis said slowly, about to have heart-failute, "that I fully understand what happened here. You two bloody fools decided to try being… Assassins…"
"It was awesome," Prompto snickered wildly.
"It was. You should've seen how Prompto fell out of a tree and onto a trash bin," Noctis said, grinning a bit. "Not in! On."
"That is a video game," Ignis reminded.
"Isn't life nothing but a video game, Ignis?" Prompto asked, a wheeze behind his words as he made himself sound like he was revealing the meaning of life or something. The fact that Noctis looked at Prompto and snickered made everything all the more surreal.
"And why didn't you call an ambulance?" Ignis asked, stunned at everything going on in that moment.
"Because I'm trying to convince my dad that I can get my own place, remember? And if I call an ambulance, the press is gonna put me on blast, and he's gonna be pissed. I can hide a cast so long as the media doesn't catch on," Noctis justified. "So you need to take us someplace quiet and small, and throw hush money at them."
"Hush money? Hush money!" Ignis repeated, incredulous. There was no way he could think of how to scold either of them, because he was trying to figure out how they ended up so damn stupid. He turned and pointed to his car. "Both of you, backseat. Turn on the reading lights and make absolutely certain you have no other injuries on you." The boys did as they were told, Ignis looking around for anyone who might've seen all that.
And for someone who would witness the potential double homicide, if those boys didn't behave and do absolutely everything they were told.
When he dropped in the car, Prompto and Noctis were rambling at each other wildly about how they could free run better in the future. "I think we have to bring ropes," Noctis said.
"No Assassin uses ropes, dude. We need hookblades!"
"Where the hell are we gonna get hookblades?"
"I dunno, doesn't the Citadel have an armory?"
"There are no hookblades in the armory. I guarantee you."
"How do you know?!"
"Because I'm in there at least every other day! It doesn't have anything even close! …but, maybe we could find something at a sporting good's store. Mountain climbing stuff."
"Hey, I like mountain climbing!"
"Riiight, and when's the last time you climbed a mountain, Prompto?"
"I go to Beadley's Sports Cafe! They got a rock wall there!"
As the boys went on and on, Ignis stared at his steering wheel, imagining slamming his own face into it several times. They were the epitome of the 'stupid male' stereotype. What was even going on?!
He looked over his shoulder at the two. "Find any other injuries, lads?"
"Cuts and scrapes," Noctis said. "Nothing else."
"Yeah, same," Prompto replied when Ignis looked at him for an answer because he wasn't giving it right away.
"Off with the reading lights," he directed. The boys obeyed, and Ignis pulled out of park to start getting them to a doctor as fast as possible. "And you're certain no one saw you even just goofing around in the park?"
"Hey—hey," Noctis said, slapping the back of Ignis's headrest and making him grunt. "Being Assassins is not equal to 'goofing around', you respect the Creed, Iggy." That whole sentence was painful to hear.
"Respect the Creed, Iggy!" Prompto echoed, snickering.
It only got worse after they got their treatment, which included painkillers.
The final outcome of the situation was that Noctis (as if it wasn't obvious) had broken his forearm, and Prompto fractured several ribs. They weren't caring though. They were feeling fantastic, and Ignis was wondering if they even realized how stupid they were.
"Man, Noct, there's this really pretty girl that just started in our school," Prompto drawled while Ignis was headed for his house to drop him off.
"Yeah?" Noctis asked, so dazed that he didn't realize he was staring at his good arm's hand for the the last five minutes.
"Yeah, aw man, she's so prettyyyy… Red hair like down to her waist, and blue eyes. The most amazing green eyes. I've never seen such pretty brown eyes."
Noctis looked over at Prompto and started snickering as he doubled over. "What color eyes does she have again there?"
Prompto looked over at Noctis and cackled. "I don't remember!" he crowed.
Ignis was pretty sure shoving his head into a fire would be more welcome than whatever the hell was going on in his backseat.
He appreciated the fact that Noctis's new friend seemed to have a knack for bringing out the boy Ignis first got to know. It wasn't all the time, but it seemed more frequent with the boy, who was just a few months younger than Noctis. He also admired that Prompto, who was in no way obligated to Noctis, was willing to put up with his worse moments without faltering. Normally, Ignis would've suspected that Prompto was after something and just more charming than the rest, but the more he saw of him, the more he realized that he really just wanted a friend in Noctis.
When they arrived at Prompto's home, Ignis looked into the driveway as he pulled to a stop. The relatively small, but well-kept and decently ranged home didn't have a garage, and the only vehicle there was a bicycle. He clucked his tongue and glanced at Noctis in the rear view. "Please just stay seated. I'll be back shortly."
"Yep," Noctis acknowledged, popping his lips loudly at the end of that word.
Ignis stepped out and to the back, opening the trunk. Before Prompto could grab his bag, Ignis did it for him, and Prompto laughed out. "Hey, you're not working for me," he protested.
"You really should give yourself a night without carrying this about." Thank God it was Saturday, and that they both had the next day off. Ignis turned and gestured. "After you, Prompto."
Prompto huffed, good natured in how he did so, and headed off for the front door. He stopped by the mailbox to peek in for any mail, and was unreadable when he closed the hatch up after it produced nothing. He busied himself with keying into the front door while saying, "Noct let me taste some of the lunch you made for him the other day. Man, you are a hell of a cook!"
"Thank you," Ignis said with an appreciative nod.
Once Prompto had the door open, he was hobbling in and holding it open for Ignis. "Why don't you hang out with us more often?"
"Who would drive you to hospital if I was participating in such antics?" Ignis asked as he stepped inside. "Where would you like me to set this?" He was looking around the house, trying to find indications of life beyond Prompto.
"Oh, dude, the chair right there's fine," Prompto insisted, pointing to a guest chair by the door, while he worked his shoes off with his feet. "Thanks a lot, but you don't have to worry about me! You're Noct's friend."
Ignis actually smirked at that. "Yes, well." He looked to Prompto. "Will you have someone caring for you tonight and tomorrow?"
"Oh man, I've handled worse without even someone to drive me to and from the doctor, I can handle this just fine," Prompto insisted cheerfully. "My dad'll be home on Monday!" Ignis looked at the 15-year-old with pursed lips and a furrowed brow. "I promise. Wow, you really are a mom!"
That loose tongue from the painkillers could be annoying or funny. Ignis, frankly, thought Noctis's and Gladio's jokes about him being a mother were pretty funny, and hearing an incredibly high Prompto crack one too was equally so. He knew what he was, and yes, it was quite comparable to being a mother. That was fine by him.
As such, Ignis actually smiled faintly and chuckled. He pulled his wallet and plucked a card from it that contained his information. Normally, those cards were for business contacts, and people he needed to apologize to for Noctis's behavior at times, but he wanted Prompto to have his information.
"Should you need anything at all before your father comes home," he said, "I want you to call. No heavy lifting. You heard the doctor. Ideally, you should be waiting at least two weeks to do much of anything so the fractures can heal and not get worse from stress."
"I got it," Prompto said, taking the card and smiling brightly. "Thanks, again, Ignis. I appreciate it."
"And don't worry about showering. You can't get your bandages wet, and you're too medicated to be worrying about wrapping them in plastic."
"Uuuuuuugh," Prompto groaned. "I'm dirty thooouuugh."
"I know, but you can survive a day. Keep up on your painkillers in modest, prescribed amounts, and if you need to go shopping or anything, I mean it, call me."
"Okay, okay, I promise," Prompto said, using Ignis's card to cross over his heart. "You have a great night, and thanks for the help!"
Ignis bowed his head to Prompto. "You as well, Prompto." And off he went for his car, where Noctis had switched to the front passenger seat and was waiting patiently.
Once Ignis was in, he put his seatbelt on while asking, "Does he have both his parents?"
"Yeah," Noctis replied. "I mean, they adopted him when he was an infant, but yeah." The chain of logic in that information drop was somewhere, and not even the one dropping it knew where.
"Are they both gone often?"
"Yeah." Noctis looked out the window once the car was moving again. "I mean, he denies it, but he's a latchkey kid."
"How do you know for certain, then?"
"I've been over here before," Noctis replied. "Several times, and nothing's ever different."
"I don't follow."
"Prompto's a neatfreak," Noctis elaborated, looking at him and, judging by the way he wobbled in his seat, was probably seeing two of Ignis there. "He's not OCD, but he wants things a certain way, and you never see things different in his house. It's always exactly the way he wants it."
"Hm." Ignis had no doubt that Noctis's attempt at explaining that ended so poorly because of the pain medication, but it ended up doing its job. Ignis, anyway, believed him. Noctis wasn't prone to observing subtle things, so when he did, Ignis tended to listen. "Will he call if he needs help?"
"No," Noctis said, starting to sound more sober than he was before, perhaps because they were headed to the Citadel, and whatever disassociation he created for himself when he was with Prompto was starting to break down. "I mean, I suppose if it gets too bad, he'll call me. But he's not going to call unless he breaks his legs, too. He thinks he's being a 'pain' if he needs help."
"And what do you think?" Ignis asked, glancing at Noctis.
"I think he's a pain for not asking for help." He took to moving around, to grab his school shirt that he had shoved into his schoolbag when the doctor needed access to his arm. It was better than having him cut the shirt off, even though it hurt like hell to get it off in the first place. He had an undershirt on, so it didn't matter to take off the outer layer. "But whatever."
"Why haven't you invited him to the Citadel? Why don't you now?" Noctis was being more candid and open right then, but was rapidly reaching shutdown with him, so Ignis wanted to get as much of an idea about his friendship with Prompto as possible before he cut him off entirely.
"I've tried," Noctis replied. He busied himself with fastening the button on the wrist of his shirt, to help hide the cast. "He just goes on about how it's 'no place for a plebe' like him. He's been looking for a job, so I offered him something at the Citadel. He said no. I think he's intimidated."
"By you?"
"By all of you, not me." Noctis moved around next to get his uniform blazer on. "So… I dunno."
Ignis drew quiet on his interrogation for a time, staring out ahead in silence. It went on for so long that Noctis pulled his phone to start playing some music to break up the rattling quiet. He bobbed his head a bit to the music, but otherwise just did something on his phone, likely playing games or something since his social circle was very limited by his choice.
"What is that?" Ignis asked, because it was just racket in his opinion.
"The music?"
"Aye."
"Atari Teenage Riot?" Noctis asked like Ignis was stupid. Ignis lifted an eyebrow. "The last good thing to come outta Niflheim?" When Ignis shook his head, Noctis just gaped at him. "Are you kidding me?! Dude, you're only two years older than me, what the hell do you listen to?!"
"Never mind that, I want to talk to you," Ignis sighed. God, he felt so much older than seventeen. "Can you turn it down?"
Noctis turned it down, alright, while staring at Ignis, unrelenting.
"Gladio and I were speaking about you the other day," Ignis said, slowing the car, to make a turn into the private parking area of the Citadel. "I mentioned that you wish to convince your father that you would be able to move out and be on your own."
"…yeah…?"
"Well, we both agree that could potentially be very good for you—"
"Does that mean you're gonna help me?" Noctis asked, eyes even bigger than before.
"Conditionally."
"What're the conditions?"
Ignis didn't respond right away, focusing on parking his car. He then looked to Noctis, resting his hands on his legs. "For Gladio, he wishes for you to prove that you can defend yourself, without weapons or magic to aid you, against a five-man attack. For me, I wish for you to learn your way around the kitchen just enough so I know you won't die in between my visits, since it'll be harder for me to come visit you with any frequency. Additionally, we both will require that you maintain the ninety-five average and GPA that you have now. We also want you to be sixteen. If you can fulfill all of these, we will speak up in your favor to the king."
"Really?" Noctis wobbled some in his seat, but his eyes were wide with his form of legitimate excitement. "So I need to be able to beat the shit out of five dudes with my bare hands, learn how to make toast, and get good grades, and at sixteen you'll help me?" he summarized.
Ignis nodded (despite wanting to tell him he needed to learn something more complex than 'toast'). "Given also the revelations about your new friend, I believe that we will have a selling point there, as well. I'd have no problem caring for the both of you whilst you're like this, but not when you're in separate locations."
Beyond that, he knew for a fact that Regis had heard about Prompto. The fact that no one told Noctis to stop being around him, Ignis took that to mean that Regis approved.
"Aw man, let's do it," Noctis said eagerly. "I'm gonna cook five men so hard you won't even know you're eating human."
He flung Ignis's car door open to get out, leaving Ignis to wonder… was he joking or were the drugs talking? With Noctis, it could be either one in equal measure.
** 3 Years Ago **
Never in his life had he encountered something like it.
Truly, he was horrified.
Ignis Scientia, age 19, steward to the heir, was never going to go over a week without checking in on Prince Noctis, age 17, ever again.
The kitchen counter and the coffee table were both littered with Cup Noodle containers and energy drink cans, some of which were still half-full. The dining table was stacked up, nearly to the chandelier, with books and comic books, and had used kleenex all over the table. He had to step over empty tissue boxes, and couldn't even see the sink thanks to all the dishes that were left with poorly cooked food still on them, no care even taken to the side with the garbage disposal.
He set his briefcase to the side of the doorway and opted to leave his shoes on because of the debris littering the floor. "Noct!" he called as he navigated through the main area of the prince's apartment. "I hope you've a good reason for not being in school for the last week!"
There was no answer, and Ignis frowned. Perhaps he was with Prompto?
He hoped Prompto had at least visited, because how in the hell did he go through so much stuff in just fifteen days? Ignis was serious. Even though he was gone for so long because he was taking specialized courses on battle tactics, something the king himself was adamant Ignis do, he should have taken the time to have Gladio drive him, as tired as he was, to see what in the hell Noctis was up to. Since Gladio hadn't heard from him, he wouldn't helped.
He entered the hallway to the three bedrooms and the guest bathroom. The latter was as trashed as every other part of the apartment, while the guest rooms were untouched. Several days' worth of clothes trailed to the master bedroom, as though Noctis was stripping them off day by day when he crossed that way, and the piles included at least three days' worth of school uniforms.
When Ignis reached the master bedroom, he knocked on the door, and pushed it open. It wasn't like he'd be getting up to anything scandalous. Noctis was such an outlier about things like that, it was actually funny.
What wasn't funny was how Noctis was balled up in his bed, at least four blankets on top of him, and an array of over-the-counter medicines on his nightstand. When Ignis reached him, he located his head under the blankets, moving them just enough to reach the top of his face, and touched his forehead. He became incredibly concerned when it was clear the prince had a high body temperature.
Noctis's voice came through the blankets, but it was too weak to be heard. So Ignis pulled the blankets down further, so that he could see all of Noctis's face. "What was that, Noct?" he asked.
"I'm dying, Iggy," Noctis repeated, his voice coming out pitifully hoarse. "I can't breathe and the room hasn't stopped spinning for like two sunrises."
"Do you know what day it is?"
"No."
"Is this why you haven't been in school all week?"
"Yes."
"Alright. I'll be staying over, then," Ignis said without hesitation. He went over to start looking over the medicines on the nightstand, to remove anything that either wouldn't help. "You won't get better in an apartment that looks like Ifrit himself decided to stampede through."
Noctis snorted, and then groaned and held his head.
"Why didn't you call me?" Ignis asked next, looking down at Noctis.
"…you were busy…"
Ignis shook his head. He also wanted to tell Noctis he was stupid for not calling but that wouldn't help anything. "When you say you can't breathe, is it just your nostrils? Are you nasal cavities full?"
Noctis wasn't moving, aside from his steel-blue eyes as he watching everything Ignis was doing. "Chest is rattling like a baby toy."
Ignis sighed out. "This won't do, Noct. We need to get you to the Citadel so the royal doctor can have a look at you. Are you dressed under there?"
"No." A pause, and then Noctis added, "Boxers."
"Alright." Ignis went over and started pulling the blankets away. Noctis protested frantically, but when he raised his voice, whatever illness was surprising it turn his voice into nothing but lip movement, before he started to cough hard. Loud. When Ignis pulled the last blanket away, he could hear the rattling Noctis referred to, and he was honestly horrified. "Why didn't you call me?" he blurted. He hurried for Noctis's closet to find something comfortable and warm.
"I'm dying, Iggy," Noctis croaked out, blindly trying to get a good hold on his blankets in order to ball up again. "I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm dying—"
"You're not dying, though you very may die if we don't get you to a doctor," Ignis said. He pulled out a set of track pants and a soft, white button-up from the closet, which looked like Noctis had fallen into it, tried to break his fall by grabbing his hanging items, and consequently pulling them all off the hangers.
He returned to Noctis and slapped at the hand trying to bring the blankets over. "You need to cool off," he said. "I know you're freezing. That's the fever, but I suspect you're rather up there. You don't have a personal thermometer, do you?"
"I do."
"Where?"
Noctis brought his hand up to his face, and stuck his thumb under his tongue. Ignis's face fell flat as he watched the sarcastic child then rip his thumb from his mouth and croak out, "The temperature is Ifrit with a dash of Burn in Hell."
"Bloody hilarious." Ignis sighed and took hold of Noctis by the wrists. It was clear the teenager was also dizzy, because when he was seated on the side of his bed, his eyes actually actively rolled back in his head and he covered his eyes. "I know, Noct, this isn't fun. The car ride will be even worse, but please work with me."
He started fighting to get Noctis dressed, the boy's limbs flopping around uselessly. His entire body was pale and hot, and it was honestly scaring Ignis, despite the fact that he stayed perfectly calm on the outside. "When did this start?"
"W-Week ago," Noctis coughed out as he wobbled in place. "Been out with Prompto late. Cold. School clothes. Not else."
Ignis hoped to the heavens that he was talking like that because it was easier on his voice, and not because he was delirious.
"'m sore, Igs," Noctis complained hoarsely.
"I know, Noct." After he finished buttoning up that shirt, Ignis stooped down and helped Noctis put his feet into the legs of those pants. He helped him stand to pull them up fully, and then swung Noctis's arm over his shoulders to start walking him out.
"Need shoes…"
"You've slippers at the door, you can wear those."
"Those're bad for warps."
"That's fine, because you're not warping anywhere."
"Am if I see Glads."
"I don't want to know. You can settle whatever problem you have with once you're better, understand?" Ignis directed, implored, as he helped Noctis walk. He started to kick debris around in order to clear the way for them, since Noctis was barely lifting his feet.
"Said 'm a monkey brain," Noctis rambled.
That… was… interesting, because it both sounded like something Gladio would say, and nothing like something Gladio would say. Ignis just sighed and shook his head.
"'m dying, Iggy, this is awful."
He proved that statement when he almost fell over, and Ignis was sorely considering calling Gladio in to carry him out to the car. It'd likely take too long, though, so when they reached the door and he helped Noctis step into his slippers, he propped him up against the door. "Stay right here, do not move," he directed.
"'kay." Noctis nodded slightly, and then groaned and slapped his hands over his eyes. "World's spinning, make it stop, please."
"We're going to get you to the doctor," Ignis said as he hurried off for the desk Noctis never used except to play video games. He grabbed the chair there, which had wheels on it, and picked it up to rush it back to Noctis, leaping over the mess Noctis had everywhere.
As he approached the prince, Noctis's legs gave out and he started sliding down the door. He flapped his arms around uselessly for something to grab onto in a display that was going to be hilarious in hindsight, because he was acting like he was falling at the speed of light, but in reality was just sliding slowly down to the floor. Ignis caught him before he reached it, though.
"Oh, my hero," Noctis coughed as he flopped in Ignis's hold. "Almost had an oopsie."
"Good lord," Ignis sighed, getting him into the chair. He realized pretty quick that just having Noctis sit in it wasn't going to happen, that he was going to slide right out of it, and hurried off to the master bedroom. He dug around to find a particular bag that Noctis used when he and Prompto were wanting to break bones.
It was a black duffel, in which ropes and hooks for climbing were placed, and were perfect for tying Noctis to the chair. When he found it, he grabbed it and rushed back out to the entry, where Noctis had slid so far down on the chair, but had been trying not to, that his head and shoulders were on the seat of the chair, he was clinging to the back with his hands, and his heels were digging into the tile entry, outside of his slippers. His shirt had hiked up, and his pants had slid down some, and he was grunting as he fought to stay with the chair, and was still losing.
Ignis looked up at the ceiling, to say a silent prayer. Not for Noctis's health, but just for them to get through it without Noctis somehow hurting himself or ripping his clothes off where people would see him. The boy was such a train wreck.