First of all, user Myscarletletter, unfortunately, I couldn't thank you for your lovely review, as you don't have the PM feature enabled, but I still wanted to let you know how much that review meant to me. I'm not lying when I say it absolutely made my entire day! I like the idea of the ring having gives Ignis a preternatural sense of some sort, I've never thought about it, but I can absolutely see it!
Anyway I just, uh, gotta admit I don't even have any more words rn, but I loved that review so, so much, it made me insanely happy when I read it, and I've read it quite a few times since. So if you're still here, thank you. It meant so much! 3
*shows up a month late with starbucks and a chapter* hey uh so this delay happened because I read other Ravus/Ignis stories and suddenly hated the way I wrote Ravus, but I still wanted to finish it so here we are. Enjoy!
Ravus and Ignis teamed up regularly now. Together, they were able to take on more powerful daemons, and it had also been a lot easier to teach Aqua how to behave in a fight as she was a lot more willing to leave Ignis' side when she knew someone else was around to look after him when needed. If he was entirely honest, Ignis was even a bit surprised but no less grateful for how quickly she had taken a liking to Ravus, enough to trust him with Ignis, but also in general.
Ravus opened up over time. More often than not, they spent some time together after a successful hunt, either at Ignis' apartment or in whatever shelter they could find when they were too far away from Lestallum. Ignis would cook, as he was still determined to keep Ravus fed as best as he could. Nobody was getting malnourished on his watch if he could help it.
During mealtimes, they would talk. Ravus was very awkward when it came to small talk, as Ignis soon found out. He was trying his best though, Ignis had to give it to him. Soon, the forced casual conversation turned into idle banter and occasionally something that could almost be called heart-to-hearts.
Ignis learnt that Ravus didn't really have a place to stay, that he just slept in whatever semi-safe place he found. There were still a lot of abandoned places he could have claimed as his own, of course, but he wouldn't feel at home anywhere even if he tried, he said when Ignis asked about it once.
"I have forgotten what home feels like a long time ago," he said carefully, but Ignis could still make out the pain he was trying to mask with the blank statement.
One night after a particularly hairy battle in which they'd both gotten minorly injured, they were sitting in Ignis' living room, almost too exhausted to eat the unusually simple dinner Ignis had quickly thrown together.
Unexpectedly, Ravus broke the silence that had almost been enough to lull Ignis to sleep sitting up.
"Do you truly believe in Noctis' return?"
Ignis replied without hesitation. "I have never been more certain about anything in my life."
His conviction stemmed from his unwavering faith in Noct, of course, but no matter how hard he tried to lock that particular memory away, he couldn't forget what Lunafreya's dog had shown him before he had attempted to fight Ardyn. Noct would return and bring back the light, yes, but at what cost?
Nevertheless, even without the prophecy and the vision he'd had he wouldn't have doubted Noct's return for one second.
Ravus made a thoughtful noise. "Then I shall support him as best as I can once he returns."
"Do you truly mean that?" Ignis asked, feeling only mildly surprised. After all, Ravus had already spoken words of something akin to approval back in Altissia. Still, he appreciated it greatly, knowing Ravus was willing to let go of the grudge he had held for so long and chose to support Noct instead.
"Yes," Ravus confirmed, then after a few seconds added, "And until then, I shall remain by your side, if you don't object."
Ignis' eyebrows shot up. Now that was unexpected. The two of them had come to form some sort of… comradeship over the past months - if it could be called that at all. Somehow, it felt different, but for once, Ignis didn't have a word for it - and he certainly appreciated working with Ravus, but he hadn't though Ravus would address the topic so openly.
"It would be a pleasure," he replied honestly. "I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy your company both in battle and outside of it."
"…Likewise," Ravus said, and of course, Ignis couldn't see his face, but he could have sworn Ravus sounded just the slightest bit flustered.
After breakfast the next morning, Ravus gathered what few things he owned.
"Thank you for your hospitality and the food. We will meet again soon," he told Ignis, who quickly stopped him with a hand curled around his bicep when he was about to step out of the door.
"Ravus… If you would like, I would be delighted to share this flat with you. It doesn't seem right for me to occupy it all by myself anyway. Perhaps you'd have to start helping with the dishes as I would continue to cook for you, but other than that, I believe myself to be quite the undemanding flatmate"
Ignis wasn't sure what had brought him to propose such a thing. Perhaps it had been Ravus' decision to trust in Noct as well, or it might have had to do with Ravus being convinced he couldn't have a home anywhere. Part of Ignis simply wanted to prove him wrong, to show him he could indeed feel at home somewhere again, and Ignis wanted to be the one to provide said home for him.
Ravus didn't say anything for so long Ignis was starting to feel somewhat foolish for even just thinking of it, but when he did reply, it was so soft and vulnerable Ignis almost missed it.
"I believe I would like that, Scientia."
Sighing in both exasperation and relief, Ignis told him, "Perhaps there is another thing I'd like you to change after all – if we are going to be living together, I believe it would be appropriate for you to start calling me by my given name, don't you think?"
"Very well… Ignis," Ravus allowed, testing how the name felt on his tongue. "Thank you."
That night, their first night as cohabitants, Ignis remembered, perhaps a tad too late, a crucial fact about his living quarters.
He only possessed one bed.
So far, whenever Ravus had stayed over, he had insisted on taking up the couch, and Ignis had relented, albeit reluctantly. But if Ravus was going to live with him permanently, of course, he had the right of a proper bed.
Ignis' own bed was quite sizeable, and technically the two of them could have fit in it without any issues, but he didn't know if Ravus would agree to it. If he was honest, he wasn't even sure if he agreed to it himself. He didn't so much mind sleeping next to someone else per se – travelling with Noct, Prompto and Gladio certainly had made sure of that – but rather he didn't wish to disturb Ravus at night with his frankly quite fitful sleep.
"Ravus," he sighed, figuring he'd better talk to his new flatmate about the issue instead of trying to come up with some kind of excuse to sleep on the couch himself until they got a second bed. "This is something that has slipped my mind until now, but there is no second bed at the moment."
Feeling strangely flustered, he hurried to continue before Ravus had the chance to speak at all. "Of course, I would be happy to take the couch. Or if you are absolutely against it, there's the option of switching each night until we have the chance to get a second bed."
"Or we share," Ravus suggested in that carefully schooled tone of his that Ignis had long since learnt to decipher but couldn't seem to figure out this time.
"…What?"
"You heard me," Ravus said impatiently. "I saw the bed, it is big enough for both of us. And you have spent countless nights cuddled up to your companions in the past, have you not? It should not be an issue for you."
"That's not it," Ignis admitted. "I don't mind having someone sleeping next to me, not at all. The issue is, in fact, that I don't want to disturb you rather than the other way around."
"I'm afraid I don't follow."
"Well, firstly… I should inform you that my dog sleeps in my bed at night. At my feet, not next to me, but…"
"I see," Ravus said simply, but Ignis didn't miss the faint trace of distaste in the man's voice.
Ignis smiled. There had been a time when he, too, would have never allowed a pet in his bed. But so many things had changed since then, and he felt the need to explain himself.
"I get… night terrors. I am used to being without sight by now, but when a nightmare wakes me up at night and I cannot see a thing, I need her nearby to be able to calm down and remember myself."
"I see," Ravus repeated, but this time, he sounded just a touch softer and somewhat thoughtful. "Very well. I wouldn't dream of trying to take away your source of comfort at night, so I will simply have to adapt."
"You… are still willing to share?"
"Yes. Your dog is very well behaved, and I must confess, I've grown rather fond of her over the past months as well. I'm sure we won't get in each other's way."
Ignis smiled. "Alright, then. Share we shall, until we get ourselves another bed."
They never did end up getting a second bed.
Okay so, I know there's barely any bed sharing (or romance in general tbh) in this and the last line isn't all that great, I'm aware, BUT! I've got several more ideas to write in this... AU? Can I call it AU? Anyway, in this universe, such as the same thing from Ravus POV, as well as a sequel, kind of. Just oneshots set after this story I guess, like some actual bed sharing (to add to aforementioned last line), maybe something like Gladio and Prompto properly meeting Ravus, stuff like that.
But here's the thing, I'm a terrible procrastinator and I procrastinate EVERYTHING, plus I just started uni last week (first semester y'all, I'm terrified), so idk when I can actually manage to write more. But yeah, in case you actually enjoyed this and would like more, good news! And if not, thank you for making it this far still!
As always do comments make my day! Thanks for reading!
