Ignis frowned down at his phone, staring at the unanswered text messages on the screen. Every waking moment he knew Rue was alone was anxiety-inducing. He checked his connection to make sure he hadn't simply missed something. Nothing. Frowning, he barely caught the end of Prompto's sentence and glanced up before setting his phone aside with a sigh.

"I'm sorry?"

"I asked how Rue's doing…?" Prompto frowned, cocking his head to the side. "You doing okay, Iggy? You look a little distracted."

"I'm fine," the advisor replied curtly, resisting the urge to check his phone again.

"… Don't like her being alone?"

"Pardon?" Ignis scowled, his eyes boring into Prompto's. The gunman shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh, well, you just seem really on edge and I thought maybe it had to do with Rue. She was really hurt and she needs help. That's all."

"… I suppose." Ignis straightened in his seat and glanced at his monitor once more before standing and shrugging his jacket on.

"Where are you going?" Prompto got to his feet too, uncertain.

"To the throne room." Ignis passed Prompto stiffly, refusing to look back when he spoke. "Where my true duties lie."

"O-okay. See you around!" Prompto stammered.

The door to the office closed, and the gunman sighed, looking around the stuffy room tiredly. Ignis strode through the halls with his head held high and his shoulders squared. Everyone who passed would know—should know—that he was the royal advisor if they didn't before seeing him then. Everything demanded the utmost attention from any passerby—everything but his eyes. Those were hazy, indicating that his mind was anywhere but at Noct's side at the throne listening to the ramblings of angry old elders who felt the need to express the same opinion several days in a row before attempting to overthrow the king in favor of some ridiculous change again. His mind was an endless struggle between Rue and his work, which he had been dedicated to for so long before she'd entered the picture.

Sighing, Ignis ignored the protests of the pesky little guard who had yet to learn she wasn't all that important and opened the doors to the throne room. His steps were quick up the stairs, unfazed by the smooth, slippery floor or the narrow path. His entire being was conditioned to remember every square inch of this place, every face, and every detail shared in every whispered conversation around him. Noctis's eyes boredly turned up to Ignis when his advisor turned sharply to stand by his side, his gloved hands reaching up to give his jacket a sharp, straightening tug.

"Where've you been? Not like you to be late."

"I'm not late, I was preoccupied."

"That doesn't mean you weren't late." Noctis went from slouching to the left to slouching to the right, watching the door and heaving a sigh. "I don't have any meetings planned for today. Dunno why I have to be here."

"In case anything might arise."

"Can't they get me from anywhere else? I don't remember Dad sitting here so much."

"Times have changed. The world is rebuilding." Ignis touched his glasses, glimpsing down at the young king. "Besides, your court time is only four hours long. You'll manage."

"Four hours of staring in silence."

"Who says it has to be silent?"

"I do." Noctis straightened, lolling his head to the left with a wince. "You're boring and my neck's cramping."

"My apologies," Ignis muttered, facing forward. If Noct was in a mood, it certainly was going to be a draining day.

And a draining day it was. Ignis heaved a sigh when he entered his home, welcoming the sight. He hung his jacket up at the door, rolled his sore shoulders, and headed toward the kitchen for a glass of wine, only to pause when he heard movement in the other room.

"Rue?" he called, changing direction quickly. The sounds hesitated.

"Yeah?" Rue finally answered.

Ignis pushed the cracked door open wider to see Rue slouched against the wall, sweat beading her forehead. In her hands she clutched a bundle of clothes, the laundry Ignis had scrubbed the blood out of. On the bed laid an open bag—her bag. With my shirt, he thought, slightly irritated. He frowned, glancing over at her. She smiled, all too excited as she stumbled back toward the bed. He reached out to help her, but she waved him away.

"What are you doing?" he asked, resisting the overwhelming urge to take hold of her and pull her back into bed.

"I'm getting my things," she replied cheerfully.

"Why?"

"Because, Ignis," she scoffed, turning to face him with an innocent grin he could hardly be mad at. "I don't live here. I want to go home."

"Rue, you…" Ignis cut himself off, sighing. "You can't be alone right now. You're injured."

"So let me go home and heal," she argued. "You've left me alone all day almost all week; why's this any different?"

"Rue—"

"I promise, I felt so much better after you gave me those potions this morning, okay?" she insisted. Her hand was pressed to the wound in her side and she was panting, struggling to catch her breath.

"You can't go home."

"Why? You holding me hostage?" she demanded, getting irritated. "You can't make me stay."

"… I won't drive you."

"Okay," she shrugged. "So I'll call a taxi, or Relir, or Rayne. I don't need you to drive me and I want to go home."

"I understand," Ignis insisted, unsure why he was beginning to feel desperate. He searched for an excuse but found none. Rue sighed when she saw it on his face, her shoulders slumping.

"It's not because I don't want to see you."

"I know that."

"Then chill out." She offered him a reassuring smile, balling up a shirt and shoving it into the bag. Ignis frowned, hardly able to breathe under the weight that crushed his chest. What's wrong with me? "And instead of being stubborn, why don't you drive me and then we can hang out at my house, yeah?"

It was all coming back to him. The anger that drove him while she let Eren throw her around like a useless object. The fear that gripped his heart when she became Marks's next target. The pain that knocked the wind out of him the night he held her outside her apartment door, overwhelmingly grateful that she was alive and well after bearing the weight no one else would. He was determined to protect her, and yet, all he could do was watch her crumble under the iron will of Fate over and over again.

If she left, the loneliness that threatened to drown him before might sink in its claws and drag him under for good. He remembered the day she'd panicked, shouted at him even, because she was so afraid of isolation, and yet… She'd made no promises to him. It was he who swore to tell her when he wanted out. This was far more than his infatuation with Rayne ever was, far more than anything he'd ever experienced. Ignis dug his teeth into his lip, forcing himself out of his head.

"How's that sound?" Rue urged, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"Alright," he replied, touching his glasses stiffly. He couldn't trap her out of selfishness. The only thing left to do was to let her decide and hope for the best.

"Cool." Rue zipped the bag shut slowly, wincing. Back to himself, Ignis reached around her to finish the job. She stepped away, smiling gratefully. "You're the best."

"Sit down," Ignis replied under his breath. "I'll get your shoes."

"Thanks."

Rue sat down on the edge of the bed gingerly, looking up at the blank ceiling over her head instead of watching him leave. Her mind swirled with a thousand thoughts, most of them pertaining to her confusion about Ignis's easily overcome demands. Why was he so insistent that she stay one moment and alright with her leaving the next? What had him so afraid? She sighed, resting her elbows on her knees and wincing at the tug in her side. Why is he so scared to be alone?

Rue figured she'd try to understand by asking, afraid of what might go unsaid. It was all the secrets and the tiptoeing that destroyed her relationship with Eren; she wasn't about to relive that catastrophe with something this real. Ignis set her shoes down on the floor and she stepped into them, refusing his help, though she did let him carry her bags to his car. Her body felt like she'd taken a tour through Hades and experienced every punishment imaginable, but her mind felt light, for once not burdened by the weight of worry.

Exhausted, she slumped into the passenger seat and laid her head back, staring at the ceiling. It was pristine just like the rest of the car—just like Ignis. She frowned. Why is he so perfect? It's like the only thing that he's ever done wrong is kiss me, and even that worked out. She sighed, feeling the rumble of the car as it started, and sat up a little straighter. Well, he did call me desperate… The time passed quickly despite the silence. Rue tucked her hair behind her ear and took a deep breath, preparing herself. Please don't get mad at me.

"So, what's up?" she started awkwardly. Ignis raised an eyebrow, keeping his eyes on the road. "With you, I mean. Why were you so upset about me leaving?"

"I don't think you should be without help when you're still this early on in recovery," he replied simply.

"That's not all of it," she accused. Really, she knew nothing. She was fishing. He said nothing, staring hard at the road ahead. So, she pushed. "Ignis, you've been smothering me since the accident. Not that I mind," she added, touching his arm. He glanced down at her hand quickly, jumpy and uncomfortable. "It's just… I feel like there's something bothering you."

"I'm quite alright, thank you," he responded curtly. Rue huffed, pulling her hand away and sinking back into her seat.

"Were you afraid of losing me?"

"Would you be afraid of losing Relir in an accident?" he countered coldly. His eyes were sharp, just as she remembered seeing them back when she was afraid of him. She scoffed.

"Wow. That's a harsh way to friend-zone me."

"That's not what I meant," he muttered, clearly irritated. Rue sighed, staring out her window. A long silence passed until she spoke again, her tone much sharper this time.

"Ignis, if this is going to work, we have to be open with each other. You can't just keep refusing to talk to me."

"This?"

"Us." She frowned, turning to face him. "You said you wanted it to go somewhere, didn't you?"

"I suppose."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" she demanded. Ignis pulled the car into park, staring out his own window.

"We're here."

"I'm not getting out until you answer me." He said nothing. "Ignis." Rue gritted her teeth, turning her body to face him. "Look at me." He wouldn't. She carried on. "Do not tell me we've just wasted weeks of our time." In the mirror, she could see his face. He almost looked angry. Almost. The angle of his brow turned his expression into one of agony and regret. "Ignis."

"What if we have?"

"We haven't."

"Rue—"

"Ignis, snap out of your damn pity party and look at me!" Rue wasn't above raising her voice, not if it meant she could salvage this. She wasn't about to lose this battle to the foes of fear and doubt. Ignis fixed his face and finally obeyed, his eyes boring into hers.

"What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Noth—"

"Don't lie to me." She shook her head, fed up. "What are you so afraid of? Huh?" She scoffed, looking around the car for answers in disbelief. "Here I am. I've told you everything. I've given up so much for this. I've overcome so much for this. I'm here for you. But you won't talk to me, you won't look at me, and now you're telling me that for no reason whatsoever, we should stop. Why?"

Ignis's eyes fell away from hers and he swallowed hard, brows pinched together tightly. Rue waited impatiently, thriving in the tension inside the vehicle. He turned the words over and over in his head, but none of them felt right. Finally, just as Rue was about to give up and head inside, he took a breath to speak.

"It's… difficult to explain."

"I'm not stupid, Ignis."

"I didn't say that. It's difficult for me."

He paused, gathering his thoughts. Rue had never seen him so lost, so out of his element. She almost felt guilty for pushing him so hard, but then she realized this was the push he needed. If she could give him at least some semblance of comfort in speaking his mind, they could work through far worse than their little episodes.

"Okay," she said, waiting.

"I've never in this position before," he added, speaking slowly. He really is out of it. She suppressed a sympathetic smile."And I'm afraid that if I step out of line, I could ruin everything. Clearly, neither of us wants that." Rue couldn't hide her smile.

"Dude, you stepping out of line started all this."

"Yes, but…" Ignis touched his glasses. "This is different. Carrying on that way wouldn't have brought us anywhere in the—" He cut himself off, disliking the words that he meant to speak. Rue's heart sank. Long run. What's so wrong with that? She was startled to hear his chest shake when he took a deep breath. "I…" He sighed, shaking his head. Rue gently rubbed his arm, offering a sympathetic smile.

"Don't hurt yourself."

"… I don't want to be alone," Ignis said finally. "I was for a very long time and it's a suffocating place to be trapped in."

Rue nodded expectantly, asking for more with her eyes. Ignis was overwhelmed with a lot of things at once: the anxiety that froze his hands and pushed adrenaline through his veins relentlessly, the dread that sank to the pit of his stomach like a boulder in a lake, the ache in his chest he couldn't quite describe… the list never ended.

"I understand," she said finally, prodding. "So why did you say we shouldn't—"

"I never said that."

"You implied it."

"I… Yes, I did." Ignis glanced down at his hands, flexing his ice-cold fingers. "I figured… if this was to end now, peacefully, then perhaps we would be saved from the hurt of it later."

"So you don't want this to last."

"No, I—" Ignis stumbled over his thoughts once more. "That's not what I meant."

"But it sounds like you expect it to end."

"Everything ends, Rue."

"Yeah, but everything ends when it's supposed to." She leaned forward to catch his eye. "I don't think now's the time."

"But for the future…" His head was beginning to hurt from running in circles. "I don't know."

"Ignis, what are you trying to say?" Rue was exasperated. "You say one thing and then say that you didn't mean that, you meant something else but you can't say what that was either because you're too scared to or because you really, honestly don't know what to say. What do you mean?"

"I don't know." Ignis snapped, calming himself quickly.

"It's the former. Just say it; there's nothing to be afraid of. It's me."

"And that's precisely the problem."

"Why?"

"Because." He pulled the keys out of the ignition, turned them over in his hands. It hurt to say anything close to why, but he gritted his teeth and bore the edge of it. "I'd prefer something I foresee as difficult to be the least painful it can be for all parties." He knew he sounded ridiculous, but Rue was listening intently, so he continued. "I don't want there to be a moment when there's a final goodbye, but odds are that it's inevitable."

Rue frowned, trying to piece together his words. The realization hit her harder than it should have. She'd seen this before; hell, she'd felt this before. Ignis was falling hopelessly in love, lost in a new world altogether, feeling things he'd never felt and that he couldn't understand. The confusion was putting him on edge—it was more chaotic than he anticipated, bearing more difficulty than thought he could handle. He was afraid because he genuinely wanted them to last until the end of time and that was dangerous. It was his solution that made her laugh, shaking her head. The regret in his face was almost too much to bear. You can handle a lot more than you think you can.

"You're a coward," she snickered. He frowned, though he didn't argue. It was obvious that he thought she was about to rip him a new one. "But apparently only when it comes to something you haven't had a class on." Rue leaned forward, pressing a hand to the side of his face and forcing him to meet her eyes. "Ignis, you're one of the bravest people to ever live, you know that? I get that this is new and scary and shit, and it's risky as hell, but you need to trust me. I'm not gonna throw you in the trash for being human."

"Humanity has nothing to do with this."

"It has everything to do with this," she countered. "If we were animals, you'd treat me like Cam did, but we're not. There's more to this than that." She cocked her head to the side. "Just trust me." Ignis frowned, processing all the messy, messy words that he knew were right—they were incredibly difficult to swallow when he didn't want to admit the truth behind them. "Okay?"

"… Okay."

"Cool." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek, forever grateful for his weaknesses. "Let's go inside and find something to do. Sound good?"

"Yes." Ignis pulled away to leave the car, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. Rue stood, satisfied, and followed him to the trunk. Sensing his lingering hesitancies, she tugged his arm away when he reached for her bag, pulling him into a tight hug.

"It's gonna be okay," she murmured, squeezing her eyes shut. It took a moment, but Ignis let go of the tension and held her close, relishing the moment.

They held on far longer than they needed to, unaware of the young man that jogged past, eyeing them curiously. When they parted, Rue offered a thin smile and jerked her head toward the house, leading the way. Ignis followed, lugging Rue's bag with him. Curious, Prompto was tempted to turn back, pull out his earbuds, and shout a hello at them, but he figured he should let it be. Rue was probably just grateful that he'd saved her. Shrugging it off, he continued his run.

On his way back, however, his curiosity overtook him when he saw that Ignis's car was still in the driveway. The sun was beginning to set as Prompto looked around to see if anyone was watching, hurrying up to the house and turning the corner. His heart pounded when he peeked in a window. He felt guilty for being nosey, but he couldn't help it. He needed to know that Ignis was just helping take care of Rue—helping her recover. He nodded once. Just looking out for a friend.

It was the fourth window he peaked in that made his heart skip a beat and his breaths come to a sharp halt. Rue was curled up against Ignis's side, head rested on his shoulder in the dim lighting as something played on the TV before them. Ignis looked disinterested, but his finger slowly turned round and round in a piece of Rue's inky black hair, some sort of subconscious, endless motion. When Rue moved, Prompto gasped, ducking. He peeked up again a moment later, sick to his stomach when he saw Rue say something to Ignis before tracing the edge of his jaw and bringing him closer until they—

Prompto scrambled away from the window, ran from the house, and sprinted home with all the power his fear gave him. The development was almost exhilarating… But it was the realization dawning that he saw something he should not have seen that made him ill. No matter what happened, he couldn't tell anyone what he witnessed. Clearly that wasn't the first time those two had "hung out" outside work. He shook his head when his stomach squeezed. He was so, so happy and so, so afraid. What if they saw him? He slammed the front door behind him, pressing his back to the wood as he gasped for air. Holy shit. What if they saw me?