10th of May, M.E. 759
They stopped by Coernix station during a dreary evening in Cauthess to pore over their notes. Aleya had been notably slowing. Though she tried not to complain, Ignis could tell she was tiring. Suspecting a combination of the usual malady and the discomfiture of being dragged all about Eos, Ignis thought it would be best to provide her an acceptable place to rest up. He decided to procure a caravan so that she could get sufficient rest for the next few evenings.
However, his efforts were frustrated as he found it had already been rented out to a quintet of hunters for the evening. Never one to surrender where there was room for negotiation, he decided to speak with the tenants in the hopes to broker some sort of deal. His frustration grew even more intense, however, when he exited the shop and heard Aleya speaking to one of the hunters—one he had hoped to never meet again.
He approached warily, listening in to their conversation.
"It's good to see you again."
"Wish I could say the same." Aleya instinctively stepped further away from the man who attempted to approach her.
"Ouch. That hurts."
Ignis could hear Aleya's voice turn melodically sarcastic. "Sorry about that. Does it hurt as much as betrayal?"
"Don't be like that. You know I didn't have a choice…"
"Don't touch me!"
Ignis feet were already in motion, but he sped into a near sprint.
"Come on, Allie, I just want to talk to you. I need to apologize."
Ignis felt Aleya back into him as he approached. He skirted her for the most part and positioned himself between her and Alvor's outstretched hand. "Excellent idea. You do indeed owe the lady an apology."
There was silence for a moment. His voice turned dark. "You."
"It sounds as if you're as ecstatic to meet me again as I am to meet you. Am I interrupting?" His phrasing wasn't a question; It took a decided warning tone. He held his hand out to his side slightly in open invitation of support and protection, palm back and fingers spread.
It only took a moment for Aleya to accept his invitation by sliding her small hand into his. Her other hand took the crook of his elbow. "Let's go, Igs. They've already rented the caravan." She gave a small tug on his arm.
Of course, he had already surmised as much. "Ah, perfect. You're the man I need to negotiate with, are you? I'd like to broker a deal for the caravan."
There was another brief pause. "Sorry. You'll have to move on. We've got our heart set on indoor lodgings."
How he loathed this man! After what he had done in Lestallum, did he have no conscience? He couldn't even offer Leya one night out of the elements in recompense? "It's nice to hear you've set your heart upon something, at least." He replied with a polite and yet insulting growl.
He got an immediate shove in the chest. "Hey, what's your problem?"
Aleya moved towards Alvor to stop him, but with a slight push backwards with his arm, Ignis held her protectively at bay. She went tense, practically hugging his arm to her chest. He could feel her heart thudding hard against his arm. She wasn't afraid for him. She knew him well enough to know he could take care of the problem himself. It seemed she simply wanted to avoid the situation altogether; to avoid Alvor. That enough was to spark his detest for the Galahdian hunter.
As for Ignis; He hadn't so much as blinked when Alvor resorted to physical force. Though blind, he could have seen his reaction coming a mile away, and he had been prepared for it. He addressed him with the slightest hint of a curl in his upper lip, threatening a snarl. "Every man has his price, and I'm betting that's especially true of a man such as yourself, who lacks integrity." He let that sink in for a moment, to work on the man's ego. "I'd like to ensure Aleya a warm bed, safe from the impending rain."
"Didn't you hear me? I can't. I've got four people to look after."
"Interesting, as in Lestallum, you couldn't manage to look after just one."
He shoved him again, harder this time. Ignis couldn't help but crash into Aleya a bit, but he held his ground. He was completely unperturbed. There was very little the man could do to harm either one of them. "What is your problem? You want to go, Shades? Huh? Let's go, then. Right here!"
"Stop it!" Aleya commanded, trying to come between them again. This time she managed to lunge forward a bit.
Ignis calmly took her by the shoulders and pulled her away. He stood silently beside her, exuding calm. He again took her hand and held it firmly. "You'd hardly be worth my precious time or my energy," Replied the King's retainer with astounding composure. "I only thought you might like to make amends to a lady you very woefully wronged."
"What did you want me to do? It was obvious something was wrong with her!"
"I was sick!" Aleya answered defensively.
"You were changing!" He shouted back. "You had the plague! What would have happened if it spread to someone else? Think, Allie!" He moved towards her, gesturing at his head wildly.
Ignis could sense his movement, and he moved to block him. He scowled and extended a hand in warning. He wouldn't let him come near her. It was difficult enough that she had to lay eyes on him in the first place.
"Why didn't you try to get me help? Treat me? Quarantine me! You tried to kill me!"
It was a new revelation, something Ignis hadn't heard before. He had known Alvor had done nothing to prevent the mob, and had done nothing to help her. Was he truly involved in the mass swarm of those trying to take her life? His nostrils flared as anger rose up in him. He began to feel heat, burning deep down inside and spreading outward. Had he dared to try to hurt her?
"I wasn't a part of that!" He snapped at her.
"You didn't try to stop it, either! You may as well have been holding the pitchfork yourself!" She was getting upset, and quickly. It was hardly what he had wanted when he chose to rest here.
Alvor let out a growl of frustration. "I was outnumbered; outvoted. What was I supposed to do?"
"Help me!" She shouted back. There was thick and somber silence for a moment. Ignis felt the fire begin to fade, and in its place, he began to feel a deep ache. He put an arm about her shoulder. She finished in a near-whisper. "Hardly anyone bothered to help me."
He could hear the sadness in her voice; The river of deep mistrust and feelings of betrayal running through her. Perhaps he should be feeling jealousy. She obviously cared enough about the man to feel hurt regarding his apathy. She had obviously been shocked. Such hurt and pain had never extended to others in the town—mainly because she knew very little about them, and they were inconsequential. This man, though, had meant something to her. She had cared, though he wasn't certain as to what degree. Ignis had often found jealousy to be one of his least-desirable and unfortunately most prominent characteristics. When he sensed any sort of male interference with their relationship, no matter how slight, it tended to set off the worst in him. But in this case, he felt a bit of ease. The man had sealed his fate by wounding her so deeply. And though Ignis would never have wished such pain on her, he also knew such pain had bred distrust. She would never be certain of Alvor again.
"Listen Al," he attempted.
"We don't need his caravan," She told Ignis decisively, tugging at his waist. "Let's go."
"No…" he responded, running a hand over her hair to affectionately calm her. "We traveled all this way, and he owes you compensation. I believe we'll stay."
"Ignis…" she spoke with clenched teeth in her frustration, no doubt feeling like a wandering innocent chocobo between two bull behemoths. "Please."
He simply drew her closer under his arm again, holding her shoulders tightly to his side.
Alvor smirked at them, trying to save face. He was deeply shamed, and also shunned. He could see how close Ignis and Aleya naturally were; If he had ever even mildly desired her affection, it had to sting. "Look. We spent two days hunting to get enough to trade in for this place. What can you possibly offer to convince me and my posse to vacate? None of your royal crown city gil is going to work anymore."
Ignis smiled calmly. He reached over Aleya to pull at one of his cufflinks in nonchalance. It was true that he was blind, and the days of travel and battle had been onerous. Still, that was no excuse to appear unseemly. He still represented the royal family, obviously, and his appearance couldn't suffer more than necessary. "There are some things far more valuable than gil." He didn't bother reminding the man that the Crown City had never dealt in gil. It would be a step too far, he surmised. No point in rubbing in his ignorance any further.
"Oh yeah?"
"For example, a grateful populace; The title of Hero. A man to be honored and praised."
"What are you talking about?"
"Let's say a man were to walk into Lestallum with enough meteor shards to light the entire town for a week, and with enough meat to barbeque for every man, woman, and child in the City of Refuge. I'm sure you'll also find suitable accommodations at the Leville for a man of your station, forthwith."
"Iggy…" Aleya protested, turning into him, leaning in on tiptoe to try to catch his ear.
"Keep talking."
"There's a family of Kujata just over the way; I've run into them before. They sit upon a nest of meteor shards, ripe for your taking."
Aleya tried interrupting again, more urgently this time. She pressed into him, pulling at his jacket.
"Oh, yeah? You just going to point them out? There's five of us. How are we going to be able to take down a whole family of Kujata?"
"Because I'll be going with you." He made a brief swipe at the side of Aleya's chin sweetly, trying to tell her to calm down and stay out of the conversation. He was sure she would be upset about it later.
Alvor threw back his head and laughed ruefully. "Cocky, ain't ya? Fine. If you want to get yourself killed, be my guest. Stay here while I do a little consulting." Alvor walked off in the direction of the caravan.
Aleya turned to him. He imagined if he could see her face, her eyebrows would be steepled. "Iggy, don't do this. Please. I don't need the caravan. It doesn't matter where we sleep. As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine. I don't want…"
He took her shoulders in his hands. "Hush, now," he gently soothed. "We need a place out of the impending rain to study. Furthermore, this is something I want to do for you. No more tents and tombs for a night or two."
"So you're going out with a man that wants you dead to hunt down a bunch of vicious overgrown cattle, and what do you want me to do? Bake?"
He frowned a bit at her sarcasm. She should know better than to think him the kind of person to leave a woman alone to do domestic chores while he gallivanted off with the men. Of course, he also knew her to be upset, and most likely not speaking rationally. "No, I want you to stock up on our supplies. Then I desire you to buy something sweet from the mart and enjoy it. I want you to wait here."
"Because it isn't safe? It's never safe!"
"I'm not protecting you from the dark," Ignis explained. "I'm protecting you from distress. You shouldn't have to suffer the presence of that man." He bit out the last two words with distaste.
His words had obviously made an impact. She reached up and curled a hand around his forearm, and he could make out her shadow giving a short nod before looking down at her feet for a moment. Not knowing what else to say, she simply shook her head. "I don't trust him."
"Nor I."
"I'll be worried."
He smiled to himself. After all she had seen him do, she nevertheless consistently fretted for him. It was a nice feeling to be cared for so much, and from the person that he wanted to care for him so badly. Some days, hescarcely could believe their relationship as being real. He could barely recall his old guarded and bashful days. As far as he could remember, it had always been this way—two wheels in motion, rolling along together. "Come, now. There's nothing to be concerned about."
She sighed. "I know. But I keep thinking the one day I don't worry is the day something will happen." She crossed her arms. "My brother went to war every day, and I worried. He always came home safe. The one day I told myself I could relax, that all was well, that he was at home and there would be peace…It was the day he never came back." She faltered. Her voice was brimming with emotion. "So, until the sun rises…I can't stop worrying."
He didn't know what to say. He felt badly for her. Some days he managed to forget everything they had lost, what had happened to her that day, and what could have happened that would have been far worse. She made it easy to forget, as she was so calm and methodical. Most days she even managed to exude cheer, despite the dire state of the world around them. But, he was well aware they were approaching the fourth anniversary of the day their world changed forever. She had always had wisdom beyond her years, but he could discern the last four years had aged her. She was now a combination of advanced learning and trauma—and still, she had taught herself to carry on with a sense of composure. To hear her speak of what weighed on her heart caused him grief.
Yes, he was fighting for his King. He was fighting to save what was left of humanity. But the person keenly to the fore of his resolve was Aleya. One day, they would be as he had pictured before the walls fell. They would know peace and happiness again, he knew. He would help bring the dawn, so such disquieting thoughts would stop terrorizing her on a daily basis.
He took her under his arm. "There, there. You won't be rid of me so easily. I'll return, I promise."
"You'd better."
He opened his mouth to reply, but they were interrupted as Alvor returned.
The hunter clapped his hands together. "You've got a deal. We'll take the whole clan down and we'll get help from the locals to transport the goods. We'll settle up once it's over. And Al, it's dangerous out there. Stay close to me. I'll take care of you."
Ignis clamped down hard on his back molars. The audacity! As if she would go anywhere near him! Besides, if anyone was going to look after her, it was going to be Ignis. "She's not going," He barked back. "She'll be staying here."
"Thought you two were inseparable."
Ignis caught the chide born from insecurity. He turned his face in the man's general direction and shot him a hard look of displeasure; a 'glare', if he were sighted. He wished for all the world he could stare him down with as much menace as he felt. "Let's go." When he was sure Alvor had turned on his heel to leave, he gave Aleya a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll be back in time for supper—which as luck would have it, is marrowshroom chowder."
"I'll look forward to it."
And that was that. No muss, no fuss. For the first time in nearly six months, Ignis had accepted a task that would take him away from his closest companion. And though he had tried to assure her, he couldn't shake the ominous sense of foreboding that set into the cool pit of his stomach as he exited the rest area.
"Don't expect me to come to your rescue if you get in trouble out here." Alvor spit something out of his mouth as they walked along the dewy grasslands towards the Mencemuur area.
How he loathed this man! Ignis fought the inner voice of Prompto that urged him to stretch out his foot and trip him as he walked. It occurred to him that sometimes Prompto was a stellar example of spontaneity. He could do with a bit of spontaneousness at times, himself. Fighting his inner child—which, in all fairness, he never really had been—he hit back verbally, in calm nonchalance. "Likewise."
"What are you getting out of this little hunting trip, huh? What is it really? Why are you so desperate to shack up in the caravan?" Before Ignis could reply, he raised a hand. "Nope. Never mind. I don't want to know. What else could you possibly want it for? Going to spend a cozy night in with Allie."
He decided to become glacially smug. It wasn't that he wanted to implicate anything had ever happened. After all, Leya had fully explained to him Galahdian traditions of proper courtship. He didn't want to lower her reputation in the slightest. He simply wanted to remind him of the true object of her affections. "As we've been traveling together the last many months, we've had the opportunity to 'cozy up', as you say, as much as we would wish. We've been completely alone all this time. Why would a caravan make a difference?"
"Shut your mouth!"
Ah, a definite nerve. "You asked."
"I don't want to hear it."
"Then don't pretend as if you care. You obviously do not."
Alvor gruffed under his breath. "Would you stop it already? You two going to hold a grudge for the rest of your lives?"
"A grudge? No. Disdain? Yes."
"What was I supposed to do?" He asked, rounding on him, stopping him in his tracks. "She had the darkness in her. It could have spread to every man, woman, and child in that camp. That camp is the last mass haven on this planet. Our race could be decimated. What would your precious King be ruler of then, huh? A wasteland. He'd be the King of nothing."
"Preferrable to returning to a mass crowd of fools."
"What would you have done differently, then? You're supposed to protect the King's interests. You're one of the King's men. What would the King have wanted?"
Ignis lost his patience and snapped. "You know nothing of our King!" He fairly bellowed. "He truly loves her; As dearly as a sister. The King urged me long before you came along to not neglect her for his sake."
"Bullshit."
He balled a fist, and lowered his voice. With the uproar, they were probably attracting the attention of every fiend and monster within fifty kilometers. "I don't expect someone like you to understand: A man who craves a woman in perfect form but abandons her when she's less than such; A man who sees a caravan as an opportunity rather than an earnest effort of care and concern. You claim to have feelings for Aleya, but you do not. You're attracted to her beauty, her culture. You know nothing of her soul." He began to walk past him.
"At least I can still appreciate her beauty."
Ignis stopped and turned to him again. It was meant as verbal assault, a way to wound him regarding his disability. "No, you appreciate her physical form and appearance. You've never seen her true beauty. You may share a homeland, but you do not know her. And I assure you, you never will."
"Shouldn't Allie decide that?"
"Seeing as how she can't stand to be in your presence, I'm assuming she already has."
"What's the matter, Shades? Afraid of a little competition?"
Ignis dusted off the front of his jacket in an unconcerned manner. "Competition? I'd have more competition with a garula."
He gathered Ignis' collar in his fist in one smooth motion. "Listen here, you…"
Again unflinching, Ignis calmly pushed the glasses up higher on his nose. "By all means, attack me; If you've grown tired of having your features fully intact."
But Alvor didn't get the chance to swing. They were interrupted by a woman shouting at them in the distance. "Hey, guys! I think I can see them! Come on!" She was the lone female of the group, a woman by the name of Idelle, if Ignis remembered correctly.
For a few moments, Alvor did not release his grip. He seemed torn between winning the prize he sought for and getting one good satisfying punch in, before Ignis made good on his threat.
"And do tell her to keep her voice down," Ignis calmly added. "Unless she'd like every demon in the area to pinpoint our exact location."
Finally having made up his mind, Alvor released Ignis with a slight shove. "Just stay the hell away from me, got it?"
"My pleasure," Ignis replied, and they were on their way once more.
Ignis felt rather proud of himself as he strode into town, a fresh cut of meat and two meteor shards in tow. Under his stewardship, not a man or woman was lost on the expedition, and the battle had been won. The adult kujata were dead and the juveniles had fled to form up with another herd. He had taken a large cut of meat—enough for the promised marrowshroom chowder and perhaps a few other dishes—and only two of the nearly six dozen meteor shards. Those two alone would give he and Aleya ample power for a few weeks. Lestallum could have their fill of the rest. He supposed he was still hoping the refugees there in his own way. Noctwould have called it a successful hunt, and they would have walked away with pockets full of gil during their better days. Alas, gil meant not a whit anymore. Hardly anything did.
People mattered, of course. And of all the people Ignis had serviced this evening, there was one in particular he was longing to meet up with. The problem was that he couldn't find her anywhere. He turned this way and that, listening for her voice, trying to hone in on her scent, or catch a glimpse of her light-shadow. He checked the now vacant caravan, the shop, and the vendor table. Nothing. However, as he passed, he heard the locals voicing fear over the very recent demon raid that had just occurred after a power failure. Apparently hunters had been passing through and helped ward them off. Anxiety at its peak, he neared the voices on the far side of the rest area, who were all speaking at once.
"It's a brand new light tower. What happened?!"
"Power failure at the source, probably."
"Is the ladder really broken?"
"Yep, about fifteen feet up, by the looks of it."
"Are they gone?"
"I reckon…"
"Are the lights going to stay on now?"
"They're on, ain't they? They're fixed; Quit your whinin' , woman!"
"Think she'll wait for someone to come get her? Or is she going to camp out there?"
"Think she's working up the nerve to jump."
"That ain't gonna work, honey; You can't reach. You'll have to jump."
"Where's that guy she was with?"
"Well, I guess he ain't gonna get her, then. He's probably dead."
"I ain't seen no bodies…"
Ignis frowned as he stepped through the crowd, still carrying a slab of kujata flank over his shoulder on a chain. He could feel the bodies began to part and make room for him, separating as he wedged in between, advancing on the source of the commotion.
"I'll be damned! Look here! The skinny little blind lad made it back in one piece!"
A woman grasped his arm. "Is that your girl stuck up there in the light tower, honey?"
He sighed. "Apparently so." He turned to the middle-aged man who had congratulated his safe return. "Would you mind looking after these for me?"
"Sure, sure. You go get your girlfriend."
As he walked away from the crowd, he heard a younger woman confide to her friend. "Wow, I love his voice!"
It was a short walk to the nearly-constructed light tower. Ignis could still sense light—in an odd way, if he got too near intensely bright light, a deep burning pain would stab behind his eyes and between his ears. He tried to ignore the discomfort as he fell into the spill of the intensely bright light, shielding his face until he was able to cross under it and into the shadow directly beneath the tower. Though it was just outside the broad halo of light that engulfed the station, he knew it was a prime target for any large beast that may be wandering by. He'd best be quick.
As he neared, he could hear her muttering under her breath, giving a slight yelp of dismay or a groan of effort. There she was, a blur of amber green on an otherwise black world. Hovering slightly above him, and by the position of her limbs, clinging to what was left of a ladder. Ignis crossed his arms and called up to her. "Stuck, are you?"
"Ignis?"
"Like a cat up a tree. You know what the proverbial curiosity killed, yes?"
"You're back soon."
"No, I've been gone at least a few hours. Although I suspect all of this happened fairly recently?"
She gave a tiny breath as she stretched one foot out to one of the cross braces for a few moments. Finally giving up, she grunted in frustration. "The hunters forgot about me up here."
"Did they?"
"Would you just help me, please? Go find the rest of the ladder or something."
"I'm afraid that's no use, as it's more than likely splintered and beyond repair."
"How do you know? You didn't even look for it!"
"Perhaps you've forgotten I'm blind?"
She growled under her breath, beginning to lose her patience. "You have friends, don't you? Can't youcall in a Magitek engine?"
"As the communications are down, that's less than likely, and perhaps you've forgotten they're busy freighting supplies, pharmaceuticals, refugees; Rescuing the masses from certain death…"
"Ignis!"
"…And you'd like me to find a way to call them here?"
She blew out a breath oddly, the same sound she made when her hair was in her eyes and her hands were occupied. "Well, you're going to have to call someone, because it's starting to rain, and I'm getting tired up here. I'm going to fall."
"You could always climb up. You could spend your night at the top of the pylon, shivering, instead of in the warm and comfortable caravan I've risked life and limb to deliver to you."
She shifted her position on the ladder. The rain was indeed beginning to fall, increasing in speed and volume. "Okay, I get it. You're ticked off."
"Bloody right." His mood turned thoroughly dark. "Are you feeling so restless that you must gamble your life in my absence? I gave you an assignment to keep busy with, an assignment that kept you well out of harm's way." As he was speaking, two bombs popped up and advanced toward him. He dispatched them in quick order, no more effort required than swatting at a fly.
She wrapped both elbows around the rungs of the ladder, waiting until he put away his daggers before she spoke. "I did my 'assignment', thank you very much, Boss." She didn't state that title in the affectionate way she normally did. She sounded put out about it. "I wasn't exactly planning for a power failure, you know. I was minding my own business."
"And you volunteered to repair it yourself?"
"Do you know of any other electrical engineers around here? Someone had to do something."
"And I come back to find you dangling from a ladder that was obviously snapped in two by a demon attack?"
She lost her sense of patience. "It could have been worse. If I didn't fix the power, you could have found us all dead. Happy?"
His disposition immediately switched to somewhat sheepish humility. She was correct. As annoyed as he was over her taking such risks in his absence, he knew that inaction would have been far more devastating. With the power off, they would have been a prime target of even more of the dangerous creatures. They would have been raided. In fact, the raid had already begun and was well under way when she managed to climb the tower to make the repairs. He could have indeed returned to find her a cold corpse, instead of merely stuck on a damaged ladder. He recanted with a sigh, holding out his arms. "Jump."
"Are you crazy?"
"I'll catch you."
She shifted her weight on the ladder again, giving a slight hop-skip on one foot. The rain was coming down harder now, practically pouring. Not much longer, and the metal rings would be too slick to hold on to. She wiped water out of her eyes. "You can't catch me. Don't be silly."
He frowned. "Because I'm blind?"
"No. I have full confidence in your ability to find me. I always said you could see in the dark."
A twinge of a smile pulled at his right cheek. She had. She had always been the one who truly believed he could manage his handicap. "Then what are you waiting for?"
A veritable deluge, now. She brushed at her face with her left hand again, elbow still snaked around the rungs of the ladder. She raised her voice so he could hear her over the rain, although he could have heard her just fine. "It just…It's a long way down. There's gravity. And I'm not exactly…I'm kind of…"
He suppressed a chuckle. She couldn't force the word relating to weight out of her mouth. "Well, in my opinion, you've no choice. You could either jump or fall. With the rate of current precipitation, I estimate you only have a few more minutes, at most." He stretched his arms further. "Shall we?"
"I don't want to land on you. I'd rather break a leg. Two legs."
"Aleya, listen to me." His voice turned commanding. "This is not a request. I'm ordering you to jump."
Even as he spoke, her foot lost traction on the lower rung. She had to scramble to regain a foothold. "Ordering?" She asked in disbelief through a panting breath. "Who do you think you are? My C.O.?"
"No. I'm the King's personal retainer. What's more…" He gave a slight smile, deciding just how to rattle her. "I'll soon be your husband."
That surprised her. She turned around quickly. "Wha…" And in the motion of twisting to look at him, she lost her grip. Ignis braced himself for the imminent collision. At the very moment that her body met his, he closed his arms while dropping his body and rolling sideways. They tumbled over and over for a few feet, and wound up sprawled in the muddy turf. He didn't even have time to sit up. Aleya rolled over and grabbed at his collar. "Iggy! Are you okay? Iggy?"
"There, now." Suddenly in a very pleasant mood, he reached out and pulled her arm away, holding it aloft for a moment. "No worse for wear. And you seem to be in one piece as well."
"Did I hurt you?"
"Yes," he answered quickly. And then before she could apologize, he pulled her down towards him. She landed across his chest, and the crowd cheered and whistled. "But I rather enjoyed it."
"Stop it!" She fussed as she pushed herself up and away from him. "People are watching! Who are you turning into? Gladio?"
He sat up with a chuckle, extending his arms to his side to shake off the mud. "How are you going to make this evening up to me? I can't exactly send you to the dry cleaners these days."
She apologized as she stood, wiping at the mud clinging to his arms and torso. She was truly appalled. She knew how much he liked to stay spic-and-span in his role as the King's advisor. "Oh, Igs, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." She wiped at the muddy spot to the left of his naval with more force, causing him to sway a bit with every swipe.
"Never mind. I'm having a grand time."
She immediately stopped her wiping away and caught a glimpse of the smirk on his face. "Stop it!" She repeated, flicking the mud from her fingers across his face. "What's gotten into you?"
He smiled and pulled her elbow towards himself. She resisted at first, but then gave in with a frustrated sigh. He locked his hands behind her back and pushed towards her, closing the gap. More gusto from the crowd. "Perhaps I'm merely grateful."
"For what?" She asked in an embarrassed huff, leaning away from him.
"That you brought some light into my dark world."
She turned back to him, unsure of what to say. She would often go speechless in his romantic moments. He wasn't always certain of how to take her silence. Was she reveling in happiness? Or was she laughing at his ineptitude? Was she gazing at him in affection, or confusion? After all, this was his first relationship, and he was sure he was possibly mucking it up. But he had also learned boldness, and the benefits of such. Therefore, he slid his arms up and across her shoulders, pressing his lips to hers. They stood there as they had when he confessed in Lestallum: Oblivious to the cold and shiver of the rain, sharing their affections.
Every time they had a moment like this, things tended to go on a bit longer, tended to be more free and purposeful. And now was no exception. Aleya nuzzled back, giving as much as he. Her arms were now around his waist, squeezing to silhouette his own form. One kiss became several, until finally they pulled apart with breathless euphoria. "How did you think I deserved you?" She whispered to him.
They went for each other again, but they were interrupted by the man holding on to Ignis' trophy of the hunt. "Hey! You kids come in now, before you catch your death!"
At the realization that they had gotten carried away, that they were soaked to the skin, they both began to shiver. So Ignis threw his arm around her shoulder, and they made their way back to the station clinging to each other for warmth.
They might as well have been skipping over a bridge of sunshine.
(Two Hours Later)
Dinner was not marrowshroom chowder, as Ignis had promised. No, the locals helped themselves with Ignis' haul of meat, and they settled for rustic kujata skewers with leiden potato and caem carrot. The drinks had been somewhat alcoholic, and Aleya apparently never drank. She was pleasantly taken in by the artificially sweetened fruity cocktail. By the time Ignis noticed what she had been drinking, the glass was almost drained. In that moment, he had felt a little of his life slipped away. He could only imagine the trouble he was in for.
All things considered, up to this point the only problem had been her lack of concentration. She was struggling to look over their data for the evening. She couldn't remember anything he told her, and complained about her handwriting. After half an hour of such, Ignis thought he might be able to get more accomplished without her assistance—at least this once. "If you're feeling worn, you should retire," he told her helpfully, trying to make it sound as appealing as possible.
"No, I can't do that. This is important. All I need is coffee. I'll make some coffee." She went to stand and tilted sideways slightly.
Ignis sighed and stood behind her, guiding her back to her chair in a chivalrous fashion. "There, now. It's best that I make the coffee. If you try to stand at the stove, I'm afraid you'll fall in the bathtub."
She started giggling uncontrollably. Something about that she found delightfully funny. Her giggling turned into hearty laughter. "Because it's so small!" She peeled merrily. "Because the bathroom is behind the countertop!"
Ignis was bewildered for a moment. He couldn't understand the joke. Then, determining the only jest was that she couldn't hold an ounce of liquor, he sighed again and set to work. He had hoped for a quiet evening. He had hoped to sit and talk with her for a while. Despite the fact that they were always together, they hardly ever talked. It was always work. They were too busy saving the world to take much notice of the other, most of the time. Even he-the work-aholic, clueless about romance-knew the importance of building a relationship with strong material. If all they ever did was work, then they truly were just coworkers. Although, he supposed, that kiss this evening was certainly more than friendly…
He paused for a moment, noting that her laughter had died away suddenly. "Leya?" When he got no reply, he turned around, expecting her to be passed out on the table. Instead, she was back at work, pouring over the notes. It didn't matter that she couldn't remember the last sentence she read in the state of her intoxication. She was trying her best.
He did value her persistence. "Perhaps it would be best to put that away," he told her, trying to take the notebook from her.
"No!" She clung to it. "No, Ignis! Noct could come back any day. You have to know everything!" And with that, she jerked the notebook from his hand rather forcefully and slapped it down on the caravan table.
What had he gotten himself into? He wondered. He himself had always said he didn't like ambiguity; Though he loved Aleya dearly, she was an enigma he didn't understand at all. Intoxication wasn't helping matters. He couldn't imagine how she could go from hysterics to intense concentration to anger in less than a minute. Yes, Noct had been more sour, moody, and sarcastic. But at least Noct had been consistent.
He tried his best to be patient. After all, Aleya was usually sharp as a tack and in full control of herself. It wasn't her fault that she got tipsy at the scent of liquor. And he couldn't blame her for not recognizing alcohol, when it was so buried in other delightful flavors. "Leya…"
"No more slowing you down!" She fussed, irritably.
"What do you mean?"
He could tell from the slight haze of light shadow in his right eye that she was ducking her head, as if he could actually see her face. "I didn't know what was in the drink."
"Yes, I know that. It's my fault. I should have been paying closer attention."
"I'm causing you trouble." Her voice was barely audible. "And I'm acting silly, aren't I?"
"Well, I…"
She shook her head sadly. "I didn't do anything silly out there, did I? Out where people could see? Oh, Iggy, you're going to hate me if I embarrass you…"
"That's not…"
"Zavia Lorche."
He started at the name. She was shuffling subjects faster than Noct could shuffle through the arminger. "What?"
"Zavia Lorche would have known. She wouldn't make you ashamed of her." She sighed mournfully. "She's so pretty."
Ignis massaged his eyebrow for a moment, beginning to feel exhausted. "Aleya, please. You're only tired, My Girl. Why don't you go lie down and get some rest? Hm? You'll feel much better in the morning."
"Or Aranea. Aranea wouldn't have drank."
Ignis suppressed the urge to laugh out loud. "Are you mad? Aranea? She'd most likely drink Libertus under the table. Now, what's this all about?"
Big tears rolled down her cheeks suddenly. "I'm trying to be perfect! I really am!" And she sobbed. "You need someone—someone-perfect!" And with that, she crossed her arms on the table and flung her head down upon them.
He had been taught social etiquette and political skills from a very young age. By the time he was a teenager, he could back ambassadors down with his quick tongue; All while maintaining perfect politeness. He had been taught to maintain his cool when someone else was in a state of upset. Only today, he had driven Alvor mad by his non-concerned demeanor. But he had never, ever—since the first time he saw them—been able to handle Aleya's tears. Just the sound of that sweet little voice choking into despair drove him to his wit's end. Despite his meticulous training, he was beginning to recognize very well within him contained the burn of jealousy, the euphoria of attachment, the fury to protect, and yes, of course, the desire to console. He knelt before her quickly, trying to get her to raise her head. "Aleya, please don't. I can't endure that."
She sobbed again, thinking he meant that he was getting irritated at her.
"No, My Girl, no." He smoothed her hair, flipping frantically through his mental notes to figure out how to calm her down. "Aleya, don't fret; I never expected perfection."
She let out a slight wail.
Oh, this was not going well at all. He sat next to her and managed to pull her off the table. "Come, now. None of that. What's the matter?"
She buried her face in his neck. "I don't want you to be ashamed of me."
Finally. A lifeline. "Ashamed? Ashamed of you? My dear girl, nothing could be further from the truth! I've always been fiercely proud of you."
"Not right now."
She did have a point. He let that one pass. "You're only tired. You'll feel better once you get some sleep."
She shook her head.
"Yes, believe me. A bit of sleep, a hot cup of coffee in the morning, and you'll feel right as rain." He brushed her hair back sweetly. "And do stop your tears. I can't bear to know you're unhappy."
She finally fell silent, and was so still, he thought she had passed out, or fallen asleep. "But I am happy," she finally whispered, and ran her fingertips over his clavicle, under his shirt.
He felt a concerning jolt in his insides, and took to a cold chill. He froze as she fumbled with the collar of his shirt and tapped her finger on a few of the buttons. "Leya…" He took her hand away, but she only laced her fingers in with his, running her thumb down his forefinger, and placed her mouth on his neck. His heart jumped into an unnatural arrythmia. He wasn't sure whether to be terrified or thrilled; Whether to curse the liquor for its madness or praise it for its generosity. He kept as still as possible as she nuzzled into him for a moment. 'Control, Scientia.'
"Ignis."
He swallowed hard. "Yes?"
"I'm tired."
An escape, at last! "Then off to bed with you, then."
"What about Noct?"
Ignis felt a grin tug at the corner of his mouth. "Oh, I'm sure he's most likely asleep, too."
"Really?"
"Of course. Noct loves sleep. Even Kings need rest."
"You're so smart."
He couldn't help a bit of a chuckle, then. He helped her stand and walked her slowly to the back of the caravan, her mumbling into his neck the whole time. "Home, Ignis. I always…want…" She yawned, turning her face for a moment into his chest to smother the exhale. "…home."
He managed to get her on the little double bed without much of an issue, but the covers were a different issue, as she was now lying on top of them. Exasperated with her squirming and disrupting his efforts, he finally gave up and threw the other side over her—like a Lucian lunch wrap, he supposed. All the time, she kept repeating the word 'home'. To which 'home' was she referring? Galahd—decimated by the Empire? Insomnia, crushed by the Same? Or Lestallum, where they almost offered her up as a human sacrifice? He grew remarkably melancholy when he thought of it. He gave her a sympathetic smile as he took her hand. "Where is home, dearest? Where do you want to go?"
She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it, then cradled it between her clavicles. "Silly," she said, drowsily, "You're home."
Ignis' smile changed into something satisfying and sweet, reveling in the thought. She went to sleep shortly after. "Goodnight, My Girl." And with that, he clicked the light out and made his way back to the opposite end of the caravan, feeling as if a little alcohol hadn't hurt so much, after all.