[ Noct's expression makes Ignis somewhat abruptly and crashingly aware he is, if possible, now even more attuned to the prince's little hurts and disappointments; it won't do at all to dwell now, there's nothing to be done, but he chances a quick, hard squeeze of hands before they're out of reach, passable vision owlish as he fixes it on midnight blue. ]
You would say such things when I can hardly relish hearing them.
[ A little teasing, fond and wry, but--Ignis' gaze turns intent as he reaches up to put Noct's hair to rights as best it can be; that's probably a thing no one would bat an eye at coming upon, given the constant fuss over the entire group's tendency to become disheveled just by standing downwind of dirt. The focus on Ignis' face owes less to fastidiousness than it does to laser-focused affection, of course, but that's probably a mutable conceit at the best of times. He brushes a mostly imaginary smudge from Noct's cheekbone and steps back himself, puts palpable distance between them with a little sigh. ]
Soon, I promise. As soon as we can manage.
[ Actually verbalizing I promise is fairly extraneous, Noctis knows what it sounds like when he makes those, formally or not. He leans with excessive nonchalance by one hip next to the stove, fiddling with his own hair unconsciously before his expression goes all wide and quasi-alarmed, since. You know, his glasses are still sitting over there on the folding table. A quick, sharp gesture for them - thank you, Noct, you're a gentleman and a scholar - and he looks relatively himself, if not a little less terminally even-keeled than usual. Color slightly high, eyes a little brighter; he can only attest to either of these because he can see them on Noctis, a fact he will take no small satisfaction in for how well-concealed any smugness on his part might be. ]
[ no, there's nothing to be done. they've used up their too small allotment of time for the morning, and noct will have to live with it. not without vast leagues of exasperation and gloom, mind, perhaps for the better part of the day ahead of them, but he'll do it. it doesn't seem fair to ignis to burden him with this too, noct's unhappiness at being forced apart, but he has to know it's for good reasons. there is nothing comparable to the calm and the quiet that the simple action of being alone with ignis can create in the staggering noise of noctis's waking mind. ]
Yeah. I would. [ perhaps ignis will see that it is not entirely genuine, but his mouth tugs upward into a smile that borders on smug as ignis attempts to neaten his hair, a gesture that is far from unfamiliar but still new to these particular circumstances. ignis has been fussing about the unkempt appearance of the prince for as long as they have known each other, and it's this thought that turns noct's smile into something recognizably real. he reaches to brush his fingers through his own bangs, adjusting their sweep across his forehead to his liking before his hand drops unceremoniously to his thigh again, mildly defeated in the same way ignis's sigh is mildly defeated. ]
Hope it's worth the wait. [ he says lightly, hoping to keep up the trend of teasing. that seems to make things slightly easier, falling into the natural rhythm of things. though that isn't to say that kissing ignis feels any less natural than pestering him, and perhaps that's one of the reasons keeping this secret is so hard. at least there is no doubt that this will absolutely be worth the wait.
he watches ignis lean against the stove, the image of his usual grace until he realizes the lack of glasses on his face. noct manages not to snort at the wave of his hand, hopping off of the table before collecting up specs' specs. rather than place them in open palm, he unfolds the glasses and leans to slide them into place on ignis's face, slow enough to really take in the fading red of his cheeks.
it's a good look on him. ]
There.
[ noctis steps back again, putting regrettable distance between them so finally, it's safe for gladio and prompto to return. he reminds himself the distance can only last so long. ]
[ Ignis holds very still for this lightly ceremonious glasses replacement, rather like he'd do for some kind of official inspection. Especially since he can tell Noct is inspecting him to some degree, though since exactly what that might before remains a mystery, he just hikes an inquisitive brow, the sort of non-verbal "hm?" that's just as content without a real response. Either way the gesture is sweet and, if he's honest, a little arousing; there's little point in remarking upon, yet another time, how undone he is by the simplest of Noct's touches. Or not touches, or generally ...doing anything in his vicinity at all.
Utterly hopeless. ]
Ah. [ A small, self-contained smile: ] There you are.
[ Features crystal-clear once again, though Ignis can't spend as long as he would like studying them. Instead he laughs one of his husky, lower-register laughs, tilting his head to one side in an angle that just skirts flirtatious because he can hear Prompto's delighted crowing drawing closer with a swiftness. ]
I shall endeavor not to disappoint [ pause for effect ], your highness.
[ Then he goes to dispense breakfast and simply dare anyone to complain about the quality of the eggs. Go on, do it. ]
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no subject
You would say such things when I can hardly relish hearing them.
[ A little teasing, fond and wry, but--Ignis' gaze turns intent as he reaches up to put Noct's hair to rights as best it can be; that's probably a thing no one would bat an eye at coming upon, given the constant fuss over the entire group's tendency to become disheveled just by standing downwind of dirt. The focus on Ignis' face owes less to fastidiousness than it does to laser-focused affection, of course, but that's probably a mutable conceit at the best of times. He brushes a mostly imaginary smudge from Noct's cheekbone and steps back himself, puts palpable distance between them with a little sigh. ]
Soon, I promise. As soon as we can manage.
[ Actually verbalizing I promise is fairly extraneous, Noctis knows what it sounds like when he makes those, formally or not. He leans with excessive nonchalance by one hip next to the stove, fiddling with his own hair unconsciously before his expression goes all wide and quasi-alarmed, since. You know, his glasses are still sitting over there on the folding table. A quick, sharp gesture for them - thank you, Noct, you're a gentleman and a scholar - and he looks relatively himself, if not a little less terminally even-keeled than usual. Color slightly high, eyes a little brighter; he can only attest to either of these because he can see them on Noctis, a fact he will take no small satisfaction in for how well-concealed any smugness on his part might be. ]
no subject
Yeah. I would. [ perhaps ignis will see that it is not entirely genuine, but his mouth tugs upward into a smile that borders on smug as ignis attempts to neaten his hair, a gesture that is far from unfamiliar but still new to these particular circumstances. ignis has been fussing about the unkempt appearance of the prince for as long as they have known each other, and it's this thought that turns noct's smile into something recognizably real. he reaches to brush his fingers through his own bangs, adjusting their sweep across his forehead to his liking before his hand drops unceremoniously to his thigh again, mildly defeated in the same way ignis's sigh is mildly defeated. ]
Hope it's worth the wait. [ he says lightly, hoping to keep up the trend of teasing. that seems to make things slightly easier, falling into the natural rhythm of things. though that isn't to say that kissing ignis feels any less natural than pestering him, and perhaps that's one of the reasons keeping this secret is so hard. at least there is no doubt that this will absolutely be worth the wait.
he watches ignis lean against the stove, the image of his usual grace until he realizes the lack of glasses on his face. noct manages not to snort at the wave of his hand, hopping off of the table before collecting up specs' specs. rather than place them in open palm, he unfolds the glasses and leans to slide them into place on ignis's face, slow enough to really take in the fading red of his cheeks.
it's a good look on him. ]
There.
[ noctis steps back again, putting regrettable distance between them so finally, it's safe for gladio and prompto to return. he reminds himself the distance can only last so long. ]
no subject
Utterly hopeless. ]
Ah. [ A small, self-contained smile: ] There you are.
[ Features crystal-clear once again, though Ignis can't spend as long as he would like studying them. Instead he laughs one of his husky, lower-register laughs, tilting his head to one side in an angle that just skirts flirtatious because he can hear Prompto's delighted crowing drawing closer with a swiftness. ]
I shall endeavor not to disappoint [ pause for effect ], your highness.
[ Then he goes to dispense breakfast and simply dare anyone to complain about the quality of the eggs. Go on, do it. ]