We're back with smut, and angst, and fluff, and more angst. I hope you'll enjoy it. Ignea to start, a bit about Ravus, Iris and Gladio, and silver/gold to complete this chapter.

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Stranded

Chapter 16 – Pent up

Aranea had to pull him inside the airship, unbuttoning his shirt on the way in, Ignis forced to bend forward awkwardly to keep their lips locked together. It made for a strange angle, but neither of them were going to complain, the former dragoon yelping when he lifted her in his arms, the sleeves of his shirt barely shrugged off to the floor, the door locking behind them with a click.

"You're so eager," she giggled, which actually gave him pause.

"Too eager? I've tried running scenarios in my head for this reunion and now I can't think properly."

"I like when you stop thinking," Aranea reassured him, her fingers following the muscles of his chest, grazing a nipple with her nails.

"I wanted to have a proper talk with you," he managed through clenched teeth.

"You can talk to me now," she encouraged him.

But it was hard to talk and kiss her at the same time.

Some of their exchanges had been downright dirty talks, Aranea finding a way to spell codes in pretty much any subject and Ignis had to admit he'd liked the thrill of being naughty when everyone looked at him as such a straight-laced guy.

His hands were greedy on her skin, his fingers mapping her shivers and few shudders, running down her sides, pulling on her tank top to free her breasts, kissing a path down her cleavage, teasing one nipple while trying to steady her. Her fingers were all over his scalp, eliciting throaty whines from him as her legs clenched around his upper waist.

"Where's your bed?"

"Who needs beds? You can hold me against a wall," she directed him.

Ignis had barely checked his surroundings upon entering, too focused on the lady who was finally in his arms. He wanted to ask her how she'd really been those past 7 years, he wanted to shower her in love and bliss until she begged for mercy, but he wasn't sure where to start.

"I want to have a good look at…"

"Nah, what you want right now is…"

"All of you, naked and wet under my fingertips?" he cut her off, effectively making her flush a few shades more.

"Iggy!"

"Push me and I'll bite," he teased her, kissing her chin and lower lip, crushing her between him and the nearest wall.

Her gasp was not good this time and he backed away, surprised to feel her holding on to him even tighter. In fact, she wanted to escape the overly heated sheet of metal.

"That… that one's… too warm. East wall is insulated," Aranea explained herself.

He held her a little more delicately this time, his apologies shushed by her mouth back on his.

"Stupid Nifs and their obsession for metal," he muttered as they looked for air.

"I resent that," she warned, biting on his upper lip before to soothe the pain with her tongue.

Ignis parted from her long enough to spot the east wall and couldn't helped the question that followed.

"How solid is that table?"

He gently sat her on the very edge of said furniture, pressing into her impatiently, but keeping most of her weight on him.

"It's… okay I guess? Don't nibble on…Oh shit!"

His hair brushed against her neck as he followed an invisible path back to her left breast, relishing every sound she made. There were a few bumps on her otherwise unblemished skin, but he knew lingering on them right now would make her self-conscious. It had been so hard on their last time together, acknowledging the both of them were finally on the edge of adulthood and that their friendship had shifted to romantic love.

"Someone's sensitive," he observed.

"I wonder how quickly you'd lose it if those pants came off."

"Patience is a virtue, and it shall be handsomely rewarded."

"Oh please, no talking as though I was one of your scholarly public. Major turn off."

"What would turn you on?"

Aranea smiled wickedly.

"I can ask for anything?"

"Anything possible with what I have on right now," he offered.

"Well, I'd rather you take off a few layers."

Ignis took his glasses off with a smile, dropping them on the table a little more recklessly than he would normally ask.

"How's this for starters?"

She pulled on his waistband, undoing the buckle of his belt in a brief struggle, Ignis pulling the waistband of her pants down, Aranea shifting so he could help her out of the garment. His hands were immediately on her thighs, his mouth kissing a spot next to her navel.

"Ig…"

"Let me taste you, then every layer can come off," he promised, his voice hungry with need.

She was so flushed when their eyes met, Ignis pulling one of her legs over his shoulder, his fingers teasing her entrance as he lowered himself in a kneeling position to properly ravish her. She did tense at first, but he alternated between kisses, light brushes and just enough pressure to drive her to the edge. Every touch was loving, and his eyes came back up to look at her constantly, needing her assent whenever he pushed her just a little further.

Her fingers in his hair and her panted moans were all the encouragement he needed.

Aranea had never been vocal during their time together, her need of garnering no attention from superior officers too deeply ingrained in her, but the very way Ignis held on to her was enough to melt her heart.

"Can you slow down?" she asked through a whine.

He talked against her skin "like this?", his voice reverberating too deep inside and she shuddered when his tongue started moving again.

"Shit, Ignis, I…!"

Her hands tugged on his hair a tad too hard and he could sense a mix of fear and amazement in her trembling voice. His fingers took over, slow at first before to turn her shivers back into outright shudders, his smile cocky as he looked up to her.

"Don't hold back, last time was fireworks, but now…"

He wanted to make up for all this time apart and the horrors she most certainly had been through since their last meeting in real life.

Her hips were almost thrashing in her urge to find release and Ignis indulged her, bringing her to a violent climax and a low scream. He could hardly breathe, intoxicated with her scent and eager for more of those adorable sounds.

"That was… Gods, I can't remember the last time it felt this good," she confessed.

Aranea cupped his face, just about ready to plead for his arms around her, but Ignis frowned as he slowly got back to his feet.

"Was I that bad?" he tried to joke.

"No, it's not you, it's…"

She paused, her eyes widening as she realized what he could surmise just from this tidbit, tensing once more and this time, his primal need was overshadowed by fears Ignis could barely face.

"I thought you'd said…" his voice faltered and Aranea shook her head, wishing she could take it back.

"What matters is how amazing you make me feel, Ignis," she assured him, her hands falling on his shoulders. "I know I'm damaged goods, but…"

He instantly stroked her bad leg, his throat tightening as he pictured her between other men's arms.

"There's nothing damaged. I just… Why did you let me leave you there if they were using you like that?!"

"Because I can look after myself and I can endure a lot more than you think. I'm a woman in an army, Iggy, it's… The soldiers are told to take what they want so they take it. I fought back and won sometimes and lost some other times, it's not…"

"How can you say…? It's a hell of a big deal!"

Aranea almost whimpered as she tried to talk sense into him. The last thing she wanted was to lose him over this.

"They're gone now. It's in the past and I'm yours alone."

He wanted to ask who they'd been, what they'd done, if the assaults had taken place during those extended breaks she marked in their exchanges. He wanted to hunt the men responsible for hurting her and make sure they'd never raise a hand to her again, but right now, Aranea needed to know he still loved her.

"Tell me I haven't been treating you like they…?"

"Iggy, please…! Just hold me tight. You've always been different. I love you and you make me feel loved and cherished, even with oceans between us."

Why did I ever leave her? I nearly got Noctis killed, I followed that…

"I'm sorry, Nea, I'm so sorry, I should have…"

He lifted her off the table, stroking her hair and back as he held her, Aranea shaking her head and laying soft pecks on his chin, her hands as gentle as a feather on his skin.

"We both did our jobs to keep as many people alive as we…"

"Please resent me. I should have been here, I should have protected…"

"Ignis, it had started far before you left Nifhleim the first time. There were reasons why I was so skittish at first when we last saw each other."

Which meant he was never able to protect her, like he hadn't protected his mother. Or Noctis. Or Gladio.

His face crumbled, his breathing growing faster and harsher, his whole frame shaking. He still found the strength to carry her over to the second room of the airship, thanking the gods her bed was there for him to drop himself upon, cushioning her own fall on the low mattress with his body, holding her closer, sobs threatening to take over his voice.

"I wanted you safe, Nea, I always… I'm sorry," he repeated himself, unable to find any words that expressed his despair better.

"It's in the past, Iggy, we don't have to go there. I never mentioned it because I was afraid you'd turned too soft with me."

He could imagine she had a dozen other fears, since their relationship had felt quite precarious with the distance and the time between them, even though they always talked to each other with the same longing. But now she was here, holding him in her arms, welcoming him as though they'd last seen each other a few weeks ago, not years. A shuddering breath escaped his throat and he shook his head, the trembling taking over.

"I don't know what good I did in Lucis anymore, I should have been with you, we should have run together…"

"It's okay, Ignis, we've always promised each other not to look back."

Aranea hated regrets almost twice as much as him and he knew better than to linger on a past that couldn't be changed. Her hands were in his hair, holding his head and he couldn't fight his need to curl into a ball next to her, hiding his face between her arms.

"I know for a fact Noctis was innocent when I chased him out of Lucis. I threatened my best friend, I left you in the hands of monsters and never had a clue… I…"

A whimper came out, a brief shudder of sound, low and broken as his chest shook with every new whimper that followed. All the mistakes he'd refused to look at, all the time he'd wanted to run off and back to her so he could feel complete again. To think she'd been used all this time, that she'd been…

"Iggy, please…"

"I'm sorry. I wanted to wait until I'd make you smile more, I thought I was fine, I thought you were fine…"

"I'm fine now, Iggy, I swear, just…" He sobbed against her skin and she couldn't help the tears falling down her cheeks, her arms holding him closer, her voice shifting to a lulling sound. "Shh, we'll be okay, all we need is time."

All he could answer back was her name and it nearly broke her heart, because even when he'd needed comfort back in Nifelheim, he hadn't felt so fragile. But her Iggy who was strong and always had a comeback had seen too much pain and held it down for too long. He'd missed something for his entire life, be it his home, his friends, his mother, his freedom, or even her. Especially her.

More sorries wanted to come out, but Aranea held him through his sobs, kissing the top of his hair and keeping him together somehow just with her very presence. When he finally regained control over his breathing and dared to shuffle backward so he could look into her eyes, the tears he saw brought a new apology out.

"I should be the one comforting you…"

"Or we could just comfort each other," she suggested. "I was so afraid you'd run away if you'd learned…"

He sniffled, biting into his lower lip as he tried to keep himself from yelling in outrage. She was so strong, so proud and independent and for all these years…

"You know what happened to my mother. I never saw her differently for it."

"But I'm not your mother. I… I'm not a slut for the army, it's not like I…"

They were both on the verge of tears again and Aranea desperately wanted to hide herself, her arms shivering as she pulled away from him to cover up her breasts and hold herself. Ignis cupped her face, drying a few tears with his thumb, brushing her forehead and the tip of her nose in the way that would usually make her laugh. She tried to smile, but the fears she'd had all this time were taking over.

"No, Aranea, I don't think that. I will never… You're beautiful and you should be treated like a human being and not a tool, I just wish I could have protected you somehow."

"I tried to have it stop," she defended herself, even though it was the last thing he could have asked from her. "I tried, but they have the rules on their side and I've regretted not following you in Lucis when you offered. I had my recruits counting on me. And my strategies still saved us a lot of casualties. If I had left, Loqi might have taken my place and that brat…"

"That moronic prick."

This effectively made her laugh through her tears and since they were both crying, Arenea offered him a tissue, as undignified as it sounded. Blowing their noses and drying their tears actually helped them both in finding some peace again.

"I'm sorry I reacted this way."

"Are you kidding me?!" Aranea could have punched some sense into him if he hadn't been lying this close to her. "You kept holding me and it was what I needed. I'm sorry I kept it from you. Everything I have with you is different. Your touches, your warmth."

He paled slightly, struggling to find his words.

"It doesn't… scare you?"

"Ignis, I have needs despite… If we're talking Nifs, I get as much action as a hole on a wall in the bad…"

He wasn't ready to hear her crude words if it concerned this and he gripped her shoulders a bit too strongly, as if to remind himself she was really here next to him.

"Shit, Aranea, I can't…!" he cut her off, unable to finish his sentence. "If you want to talk about it, I'll do everything I can to simply listen, but right now, picturing it makes me want to kill someone."

"Silly knight. We'll have people to kill before you know it. General Glauca is still at large."

Ignis's eyes turned dark at the name. He wanted to ask if the general had been one of her abusers, since it sounded like there was more than one, but he doubted his ability to deal with the knowledge. If she were to refuse giving him names, it would mean only one thing. That he knew the men who…

"You're really not disgusted by me?"

"Were you listening to anything I said earlier?!"

Aranea blushed and leaned forward, her lips tentative on his and the touch bloomed into a light kiss, feathery brushes she turned into gentle nibbling. Ignis almost felt shy now, but her warm skin brushing against his and the soft whine she made were enough to convince him she wasn't forcing herself. If anything, she was almost more eager than when they'd first kissed, holding onto him possessively, her voice throaty when she asked him to relax and stop thinking.

"You're going to drive me crazy," he sighed, squeezing her waist as they both looked for air.

"That was my goal. Do you have any idea what all those sweet words did to me when we were playing enamored teenagers?"

He chuckled and kissed her on the cheek, following the tug of her hands on his hair to kiss a path down her jaw and to her neck.

"It was never a play, you know?"

"I do. For someone who keeps so many secrets, you're quite sincere."

"You have no idea how good it feels to be myself around you," he whispered in between nuzzling her neck, his nose brushing against her collarbone.

"I know you feel good," she told him, biting her lips at how corny it sounded.

"Just good?"

Her hands explored his chest a little more thoroughly, following a path down his abs and when she cupped him through the fabric of his pants to find him half-erect, she smiled into the kiss.

"Make love to me?"

He flushed, much to his own embarrassment, the hesitation clear in his eyes.

"I… Are you certain?"

"I'd prefer things to be fair. And I must confess… Knowing you still want me reassures me."

He choked down a sob and swallowed, hard.

"My desire for you can never tarnish," he promised, kissing her a tad more roughly this time. "I love you so much… Talk me through it? What you want, how you want… I need to make up for 7 years apart."

"Very well, Ignis Scientia," she teased him, helping him out of his pants. "I'm a puzzle and you complete me. I've been waiting to be fixed for a very long time."

"I fix you, you fix me?" Ignis suggested, running his hands over her hips as her legs parted for him.

"I love you, Iggy. Hold me close."

He repeated her name like a prayer, his fingertips ghosting new shivers and his lips drying the few tears that threatened to come out when his left arm wrapped around her frame.

It felt different, because they both felt broken for different reasons, but it was soft, gentle and caring and exactly what they needed. A reconnection and a chance to leave no space in between for doubts or distance. All they had to share was love. All they needed was each other.

Ignis was found and Aranea knew she finally belonged. This was their freedom. And for the first time in their lives, it was going to last.

…

Iris was holding him and if it wasn't for her arms he might have forgotten to breath in between the sobs. Questions haunted him, but he had no idea which one he should ask or if he even had a right to ask any of them.

"What… happened to my dad?"

"Ardyn stabbed him," Iris whispered in Ravus's ears, a shiver running through her as his breathing hacked with strong sobs. "Ardyn said… he said he needed him alive…"

"By the gods…"

The young prince cried himself to exhaustion, despite Iris trying to get him back to his feet, her brother keeping guard, but giving them space, hoping his anger would drop to something more manageable. When the sobs calmed down, Ravus's head lying in Iris's lap, she realized he was out cold, the successive beating and the very idea of his father fighting for his life because of his questionable decisions getting the better of him. Gladiolus had to carry him on his shoulder and drop him unceremoniously on his chocobo so they could ride to the nearest camping ground. Iris begged her brother to be more careful of the Lucian heir, to no avail.

"How can you still defend him?!"

"I love him. He might be flawed and I don't approve of his actions, but he came clean to me when he could have just kept the pretense."

"The fact he has one or two ounces of decency doesn't change his decisions," Gladio observed, stirring his bird into a gallop.

Ravus was precariously balanced on the mount's back, between the saddle and the bird's neck, a haphazard mix of limbs and bruises that kept slipping left and right. Iris grit her teeth as she pictured how sore he would feel when he would finally wake up. To think he had stopped fighting back entirely, accepting every punch and kick because of the shame and guilt.

"What happened with the royal arm?"

"He couldn't collect it," Iris explained simply, her voice tired with the emotional toll of the day. "Noctis might have stopped by after his exile."

"I'm glad he did. It's… I can't remember half the shit I told him. I'm so going to need a drink."

"Me too," Iris sighed.

The silence that followed made her realize just how shaken her brother was. He wouldn't worry about her being underage, his only objection might very well be the fact Ravus could be around her while she got herself drunk. But for tonight, they would remain sober and miserable, since they had to worry about daemons before looking for ways to alleviate their state of mind.

"What will we do?" the young girl asked.

"Well, we can't go back to Insomnia after visiting a single royal tomb," Gladiolus declared. "And Ravus needs a few more reality checks. Living in the wild with no one to pamper him, that includes you, sis, should teach him a lesson."

They finally reached a camping ground and quickly got to work to set up camp, Iris focusing on the food with what little things she had in her few packs, Gladiolus setting up their only tent. A check to his phone comforted him that Ignis had left most of their packages in Hammerhead, which meant they would travel more comfortably as soon as they reached the station.

Ravus woke up at some point, but he kept to himself, wallowing in shame with a few potions Iris had bullied into his hands. The Amicitia's siblings sat elbow to elbow on one side of the fire, Ravus hiding with the birds as he licked his wounds and wondered how he could piece back together his pride.

Iris and Gladio barely talked, whispering to each other.

"I can't believe Ignis left," she said.

"Makes you realize how blind we all were, huh? I thought we were friends, but he had always been closer to Noct. Ever since his time in Niflheim, Ig had been feeling out of place and I was too busy working to fully notice it. Or to try and get him to feel more at home."

Iris gulped down nervously, running one hand through her hair. Ignis was a good man and a great friend, but he had remained guarded even around her and it was always hard to tell what he was thinking. Growing up, Gladiolus had a few friends among the crownsguards and even the Glaives he'd started commanding not so long ago, but the one person he'd always trusted for advices was Ignis Scientia. And in the span of a few minutes, he'd lost any respect for his future king, learned his father might very well be in danger, that his sister had been threatened, that his actual King was a wounded captive and his only remaining friend had walked away…

"If Noctis is innocent," Iris started, "…don't you think Ignis will bring him back here to right the whole situation? He's never been one to stand for injustice."

"Yeah, and he's never been one to threaten someone like he did with your rave-prince. I wonder if I even know the guy anymore!"

"Ravus or Ignis?"

"Both!" he groaned before jumping to his feet.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I need to kill something. It feels wrong to leave you with that prick."

"Gladio, I'll be fine. Don't leave, okay? It's dangerous at night and I.. We shouldn't leave Ravus alone right now, I'm scared he'll do something careless."

The Shield rolled his eyes at that, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That brat is really starting to get on my nerves, but you're right. I'll go check on him."

"Let me," Iris offered, having a suspicion that Gladio's check-up might not be quite as nice as hers.

They were in for a rough trip.

…

Prompto had been snapping pictures of Altissia as they walked around, insisting that since people were actually smiling again and with the exotic feel of veiled ladies everywhere, the city had regained most of its charm.

Of course, there were broken bridges and traces left from the various raids the empire had done, but things were already being reconstructed. The gunman had wanted to join the effort, excited by the idea of participating into building something instead of destroying it, but his help had been rejected on account of his origins. Cindy watched over him as he photographed people, taking their numbers when they asked for a copy of their picture, promising he didn't want money or anything. Just the pleasure of being treated like a normal human being who could bring smiles upon faces was enough for him. And as every little pleasure he'd managed to find, that one couldn't last either.

A kid grabbed his hat while he was kneeling to take a picture of a square with a fountain and a few stands, his blond hair coming into view. With all the unrest in the city, it wasn't rare to meet officers from lady Camelia patrolling and two of them spotted the clone instantly. The rescuers had found a dozen of men looking exactly like Prompto among the mechanical MTs, and the few fallen soldiers.

"When did you get out of the hospital?" the tallest of the two inquired as he strode up to the pair of blonds.

At least they didn't sound angry at him this time.

"I… I'm not with the empire," Prompto answered, slowly standing back up and gripping his camera a bit too strongly.

Cindy stepped in, her right hand falling on his shoulder to offer him her support..

"Just scan his arm, you'll see the code isn't on the list. He's with the Oracle."

She knew Prompto hated this procedure, but he was a clone here too now and might always be nothing more than that once again. He lifted his sleeve and offered his tattooed arm to the officers, trying to unsee the few pointing fingers and curious looks thrown his way.

Freak, freak, freak, freak.

Cattle was scanned, not people.

"Let's see here. Okay, that sounds alright. How long are you staying in Altissia?"

"A few more months? It depends on my employer."

It had been Lunafreya's decision to protect Prompto by telling the press she had enrolled him after he'd defected. The Oracle had thus been known for working with war criminals, murdering princes and an assortment of misfits according to the tabloids.

"If it can protect you, I don't care what people will say. You've been loyal when you had no reason to, you were hurt for Noctis's and my sake. It's the least I can do," Luna had told him when he'd panicked at the idea he could cause her trouble from this hasty decision.

Prompto liked to kid around and joke and tease, but deep down, he was a lost child looking for somewhere to belong and all the scanning, questioning and constant harassing because of his looks was digging deep in his old fears.

"Do you mind if I…?" The second officer started asking, motioning to his still raised arm.

Cindy couldn't hold back her disgruntled sigh at that. Every officer would scrape at his skin to make sure the tattoo didn't contain added lines to fit into a different code from the list of clone prisoners. Prompto simply shrugged, gritting his teeth, wanting to run away more than anything but staying still.

Luna had put her reputation in danger to protect him. The least he could do was agree to the check-ups, no matter how humiliating it was. His skin was a really light shade of pink and his ears burned when the officers finally let go of him, and Cindy held his hand, squeezing his fingers in the hope it would help him regain his smile. He was quick to spot a quieter street and led her down there, wishing to head back to their hotel suite and hide away from prying eyes. Or any eyes at all.

"It doesn't get old, huh?"

"I think it does," Cindy objected. "They need to stop this nonsense, we can't paint on your face, works for Lunafreya."

"But she could have me tattoo her name somewhere, or her family's emblem. This way, people would get that I'm her property and not that of the empire anymore."

"Prom…"

"I meant that as a joke," he tried to defend himself.

"You've made funnier ones."

They lowered their voices as they passed a few shady people who paid them no mind and Cindy couldn't help her smile as Prompto stood a tiny bit taller next to him. She didn't need his protection, but it was endearing how naturally it came to him. Maybe was that why she felt different around him. He respected her and it wasn't simply because she was friends with Lady Lunafreya, because he most certainly didn't treat Luna the same way. He would protect the princess, there was no doubt about it, but he wouldn't inch closer to her when she looked sad and try to hold her.

Because she is a princess to him. You're approachable.

All these thoughts of what if I was another person that she could entertain were something quite foreign to him. He was another person and no one at the same time. She'd seen how he evaded mirrors and refused to stand in the lenses of his camera ever since the clones had resurfaced in his life. One night, he'd asked her if she'd prefer his hair different and when she'd fumbled with his pale looks, telling him she liked them just as they looked, he'd almost cried.

Somehow, he was still looking for himself and Cindy recognized herself in such a quest. They neared a busier street and at his clear hesitation, the mechanic removed her veil and wrapped it around his head like a lose scarf.

"That has to look so weird," he chuckled.

"A lot of guys are starting to walk around with veils," Cindy objected. "Everyone wants to help their savior."

Despite every bad thing that were being said about her, Lunafreya had undeniably saved Altissia from the ongoing raids and most certainly doomed the empire. The heavy loss had slowed Aldercapt's army and sightings of general Glauca in Lucis had been telling of only one thing. The general was alone. No unit, not even a soldier, nor a ship.

"Well, thanks for helping me hide," he sheepishly said.

"Don't scratch your head, you'll mess the veil. And you're welcome."

They had left with the goal to find a few components for Cindy's ship and after a few more hours of errands, Prompto not slipping back into picture snapping, the pair ended up inside the small airship, Prompto carrying a few pounds of metal on his shoulder and dropping them unceremoniously on the main cabin's floor.

"Careful!"

"I'm sorry, but it's hot under that thing."

He removed the veil and his jacket, wishing the temperature was more stable. With Gralea and the labs, he was more used to cold and looking for his warmth, but despite the marine air, Accordo was surprisingly warm at this time of the year.

"I need these in the machine room. Then you can relax while I work."

"I like the sound of that," he smiled, a twinkle in his eyes suggesting he'd be watching over her every move while she worked if she permitted it.

"Help. Now."

"Yes. Boss."

They laughed and hurried to the machine room, Cindy turning on a fan as she got to work and soon forgetting that Prompto was even sitting around, too engrossed by the repair and maintenance. It was really amazing how much she changed in attitude when she was in her element. This was her domain, she knew exactly what to do and even if she struggled with a few bolts and screws, she always won over the little pieces of metal. Prompto was downloading the pictures into his phone and sending them to the respective people who had asked for them, smiling whenever he received a small thank you in reply. He had always loved pictures and paintings as a child, often getting scolded for staring at some poster for too long. One time, he'd been allowed inside the emperor's fortress, only to test the barcode on his arm on the new locks and he'd eluded his father an instant, losing himself in the fortress and finding a small museum with all the empire's art collection. They'd found him contemplating a painting with amazement in his eyes and to this day, he was convinced the following punishment had been worth it.

All those colors were mesmerizing in his black and white world.

Cindy hmphed in exertion and as he looked up to her, Prompto realized she'd shrug off the top her mechanic overall, revealing her sport bra.

"Now that's… a sight to behold," he commented.

"What? Oh, I'm sweating, can't you smell it?!"

"Not from over here," he teased, standing up and trying to appear aloof as he made his way up to her.

"Gross! Stay where you are Prompto, I wasn't trying to entice you or…"

"It sounds like you need help though."

His voice had softened, and Cindy was only opposed to his help because of her pride by then, jumping a little as she pushed on her tool, the bolt she was trying to dislodge finally coming off.

"There, I don't…"

Prompto wrapped his arms around her, his breathing ghosting her neck, whispering against her skin.

"I don't want to interrupt your work, but maybe you should take a break. I honestly want a hug."

"It sounds a bit dirtier than that."

His hands immediately went back to her waist, because making her uncomfortable was the last thing he wanted to do. It was Cindy who initiated most of their intimacy, and they hadn't gone past the fumbling through clothes and making out like teenagers stage yet, even though his room was pretty much her room by now. He brushed his cheek against her shoulder like a cat and Cindy remembered the look on his face when he'd been answering to the officers earlier.

"Well, are your hands oily? Cause then I'd rather you'd…"

"I'm wearing gloves when I work," she cut him off, dropping said gloves to run one hand along his face.

"You smell like oil, I wonder if your skin taste like metal."

It was meant as a joke, but there was something fragile beneath his words and Cindy wondered how fair their relationship was. Not only to him, but to her, the overly self-conscious mechanic who always pretended otherwise because showing weakness only reminded her of the past.

"Think this scrap-body o' mine can give you some comfort?"

"Cin…" he started, his voice and hands unsure now. She turned around in his arms, looking for his eyes and finding them so lost and full of doubts… "You're not scrap."

"My meaning was that… I'm damaged too, Prom," Cindy explained herself. "So, you don't have to be scared about how you feel about yourself. I get it."

He might have objected, but she rose on her tiptoes to kiss him, her hands on his shoulders, her body pressed flushed against his and it was over with doubt once more. All he could do was hold her head, stroking her hair and back with reverence like he always did.

"You should be a tad more aggressive," she encouraged him. "I'm not made out of wood."

"Careful. I don't want to go overboard with you."

"Why?"

"Too precious," he managed, kissing her a little more fiercely.

"Don't be too sweet now."

It was hard to know how he was supposed to be when no other women had ever treated him like this. She allowed closeness, she allowed touching and stroking and… She just allowed him to stay around her and that was amazing.

"Tell me it's not pity," Prompto asked her.

"If I kissed every guy I pitied…"

"But wouldn't you rather be with someone that don't ask something like that?"

"Before you, I didn't want to be with anyone, assertive or not."

He lifted her in his arms at that, her legs wrapping around his waist, her hands under his shirt, drawing shivers from him as he struggled with the elastic band of her bra. And her breathing mingling with his, her voice moaning here and there, how welcome she made him feel just by the way she was holding him… It was too much and the words he'd started thinking were blurted out between two kisses.

"I love you, Cin."

She tensed up against him, her swollen lips still as he nibbled on her neck, her heart feeling cold and her hands back on top of his shirt, pushing against his chest. His thumb was brushing the underside of one breast and she wanted more of his touch, she wanted actual touch for once, but her brain was electrified.

"You love…? You can't… Put me down!"

Her legs slid down his hips, Prompto forced to lower her back to the floor and staring back at her wild eyes, feeling a new fear swelling in his gut.

"What do you mean, I can't? Is that… is that so unbelievable?! I've never felt that way about anyone. I like like you. I love you. It's genuine and…"

Her chest was moving up and down too fast and she'd raised her hands in self-defense as she took a step back, her back hitting an engine which was thankfully cold and shut down at the moment.

"Stop," she ordered him, her eyes looking through him as though she was seeing something else. "Stop, I'm not... This is… was comfort, just to take our minds off, I didn't mean…"

"You said you wanted to be with me," he reminded her, his voice almost breaking before he could finish his sentence.

"Like, in this moment right now, not… I'm a quick fix, not the type of girl who…"

"Bullshit! Cindy, we've been flirting and cheering each other up and I thought… I knew we were friends. We messed around with limits, but you seemed to care about me, so I…"

"It was pity! Pity for myself, pity for how sad your story is, I can't…"

She crossed her arms, holding herself, not even trying to put order in her clothes or to hide her left breast peeking out, her eyes shifting from warm to cold, her head shaking.

"That's… You don't have to love me back, you don't even have to like me, I know what I am, I won't say it again if…"

His voice shattered, and he wanted to throw himself out a window, to punch the wall, to scream and make her realize how much her words had hurt, how much healing she was undoing with just her rejection. But she had this hunted animal look in her eyes and he wasn't sure what he'd triggered.

Freak, freak, freak, freak, you can't even do this right.

"No. No, I can't do this," Cindy almost whimpered. "You're nice, Prom, I don't…"

That snapped him out of his self-misery as he remembered every time she'd felt fragile. How nice attentions scared her or brought her guard up. Was she lashing out of here? How could his mind still work when he felt so broken inside?

"It's not because of my face or the barcode, is it?" she nodded, shaking a little more. "So why, Cindy?"

If he loves me, I'll have to tell him. I'll have to let him in and what he'll see inside will be worse than how horrible I am to him now.

"Get out. Please."

"This is not fair, Cin, I…"

"Don't call me Cin again!"

It was sweet coming from him, she'd always fought against her fear for the nickname for Luna's sake, for everyone's sakes. But she was failing. She wanted to cover herself up, she wanted to hide, she needed his eyes to leave her be, she needed the wall around her heart back up and strong enough to resist.

He physically recoiled at that her new outburst, looking away from her eyes, wishing for his voice to muster a sound, for his shoulders to stand out, to look strong and like he could take it. But he couldn't…

Her phone rang then, making them jump and after hesitantly checking who it was -like there were that many options anyway…- she whispered, "it's Luna."

"Hey, no need to take pity on me once more," Prompto hissed. "I'll walk myself out."

Cindy took it in stride, pinching her cheeks as she answered in the hope physical pain would help her sound normal.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I couldn't wait until you got back here, Cindy, we're keeping the baby! And Noct just proposed!"

She had never sounded quite this excited and the mechanic mentally grit her teeth. Of course things would turn out so well for Luna. After everything she'd been through, she needed a reprieve.

"That's amazing, girl…"

"Yes, it's… Wait, Cindy, are you okay?"

I'm a horrible person.

She fought against her own tears as she heard the door to the engine room closing shut behind Prompto and bit her tongue to refrain from gasping as everything that just happened dawned on her.

"I'm fine. So happy for you. Noct even proposed?"

Why did these guys have to be timed with their feelings? Why did she have to let her past take over her reasons and sabotage herself once again?

It wasn't your fault then, but it's your fault now.

"Cin…"

The princess sounded so worried and Cindy hated herself for bursting her bubble.

"Please, don't call me that, Luna. We'll come back as soon as we can, need to celebrate this!"

"What…"

"We can talk tonight, get back on your little cloud, please, I don't want to make you worry. You're earned being happy."

Luna accepted not to dig any further on the phone, asking her to be careful and stay well. Cindy swallowed back her tears to head out and yelped as she found Prompto waiting for her by the entrance. He'd found his jacket and a spare hat to cover his hair and was studying his barcode when she walked out, replacing his sleeve slowly but not looking up at her.

"What's up with our royals?"

His tone was barely warm and her guilt rose.

"Good news about them actually," Cindy tried to get her voice to sound casual. She had no idea what would be better for him now. She wanted to burst into sobs and hide in a corner until the whirlwind of emotions inside had died down. "Noctis is going to be a dad."

That had the gunman looking up, eyes red but wide with surprise.

"The Oracle's pregnant? That mad bed piston knocked her up?"

Cindy was tempted to slap him for his insolence, but Prompto was gesturing to her clothes and she blushed at the realization she was still indecent. She quickly fixed it, zipping up her suit after struggling her arms into the sleeves, not waiting to be done to chide him.

"Good lords, don't say that in her face! They're having a baby and I'm certain Luna will do her best to keep it a secret until it starts showing. Noctis proposed to her…"

"Shit. Guess princes have a protocol to follow when stuff like that happens."

She rolled her eyes at him, even though she still wanted to cry and Prompto offered her a frail version of his cheeky smile.

"That has to mean I can drown my senses in alcohol with the daddy-to-be. Ready to leave?"

"I can go on my own, you don't have to…"

"I'd rather you'd occupy Luna when we get there," Prompto explained himself before to scratch the back of his head. "But I can leave on my own if you'd rather not be seen around…"

"No! Let's… let's go."

It was an awkward walk out of the airship, Prompto not sure how to act around her and Cindy wishing she could turn invisible for a minute. Their shoulders brushed as they tried getting through the main door at the same time and she had never felt anyone pull away from her quite this fast. By the time they were within sight of the hotel they shared with Luna, Cindy had to dab at her eyes with her veil, trying to get her emotions under control.

You've crushed Prompto, don't ruin Luna's day.

"You're going to be an aunt," the gunman told her. "Do that kid a favor and don't throw him in the sea if he ever says he loves you."

To be continued…

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Well this chapter ended up longer than my usual. And Prompto and Ignis took over lol. I hope you liked this angst-fest.

Next chapter, we'll see Noct/Luna, Ignea and ignoct bromance 😊 and also promptis bromance and heavy friendship fluff. They certainly need it!