A Cure for Writersblock; Drabbles and Oneshots

Phrase Prompt ~ Ignis

Short and sweet (not really) so I can finally get through my never-ending list of requests!

"I've seen the way you look at me when you think I don't notice." 

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 Ignis watched with a slightly amused smile as you sparred with Gladio while he was preparing dinner for the evening. Noctis and Prompto were nearby, trying to chase down a black chocobo they both swore they saw in the area, even if none of the rest of you did. He didn't mind, as long as they were still within eyesight. He was cracking and frying eggs while he watched you and Gladio go at it. 

He loved watching you fight. It was more like dancing, the way you moved and dodged, and you were always laughing while doing it. Laughing because your opponents would get frustrated, laughing because you loved it, he wasn't sure, but he enjoyed the sound. You were a thing of grace in the midst of chaos, and he could watch you for hours. And he felt like he did. 

He looked down at his cooking and realized he had broken the yoke of one of the eggs as it cooked, and cursed himself for being so careless. It was usually extremely difficult for anything to distract him, but that didn't seem to apply to you. 

"Hah, come on. You can do better than that." You said, putting your foot on the top of Gladio's sword after he swung it down at you and you dodge it, leaving it stuck in the ground where it sliced through the dirt.

"Yeah, okay. Stop talking, kitten, let's see some claws." He shot back, and the two of you locked into combat again.   

"Perhaps we could swing a little less aggressively? This is meant to be combat training, not 'let's see who needs emergency medical attention first' training, after all." Ignis called out to the two of you as you were forced to hit the deck and go summersaulting away as Gladio slashed at you. 

"Would you relax, Iggy? It's not like he's actually ever going to be able to land a hit." You taunted, and Gladio grumbled as he pulled his oversized sword out of the ground again.

 "It's like fighting pixies; what with Noctis teleporting and ≈≈≈≈≈ being a goddamn ballerina in a fight, I'm losing my mind. Give me someone who fights fair!" 

"You could always fight Prompto." You shrugged, cracking your knuckles as you decided that was enough training for one night. 

"I said a I wanted a fair fight, not easy pickings."

"Hey!" Prompto fussed as he walked up with Noctis. 

"Are you guys done?" Noctis asked, looking between you and Gladio. 

"Why, you wanna go a round?" Gladio smirked. 

"I'm game." He shrugged. 

"Need any help?" You asked, walking over to Ignis with a smile on your face. 

"Not particularly." He answered, knowing he was having a hard enough time concentrating without you being right next to him. 

"Well too bad." You laughed that contagious laugh of yours and he smiled. 

"If you insist, I could always use help peeling the vegetables." 

You nodded and grabbed a potato and sat down, pulling out a small knife that was tucked away in your boot. You didn't need to use it today, so it was clean. "What are you making?" You asked, beginning to carve away at the potato, trying to get the skin off in one peel. 

"Grilled vegetables and steak with fried egg on top." 

"That sounds elaborate. You know, most people make a can of soup when they're out camping." You eyed him as you grabbed another potato, finished with the first one already. 

"I am not most people. And I am not cooking for most people." He shot back simply.

 "I guess that's true. It's kinda funny, I've been forgetting he's a prince lately. You see him grumbly and sleepy in a tent, or off chasing a chocobo in the woods instead of helping pitch the tents, and I swear he seems just like a normal guy."

He realized you thought he was talking about Noctis, and he sighed lightly before coming up with something to say back, "Well, he is. He just also happens to be royalty." 

"Do you think that things would be different if you hadn't ended up working for the royal family? Like, you'd be a chef, or something?" 

He looked at you carefully as you let your head fall to one side while you peeled away at the potatoes, just making pleasant conversation like you weren't his favorite part of every day. "I imagine a lot of things would be different if this were not my job."   

"Oh yeah? Like what?" You said casually, looking up at him with raised eyebrows like he was about to spill something juicy as you grabbed a carrot to peel next.

"Probably everything."

You groaned, "Well that's a cheap answer." 

"Fine, what would you do?"

"Not sure, really. Maybe, if I didn't have to be a guard, I'd like to be a dancer. I mean, I love my job, but sometimes I wonder. It feels a bit like I'm holding back, you?" 

He nodded, "I do know."

"Are you holding anything back?" You looked away from him, focusing back on the knife in your hands, though you were still listening intently. 

"Why do you ask?" 

"I donno. Just...felt like asking." You shrugged, handing him the last of the veggies that were now ready to be cooked. 

"There are a lot of things I push below the surface so I can preform my job to the best of my abilities."

"Does that include your feelings for me?" You asked so calmly it was almost as if it were a perfectly normal thing to ask. He felt a lump in his throat that made it hard to talk. 

"I beg your—"

"I've seen the way you look at me when you think I don't notice. I know."

"If you know, then why has it taken you this long to say something?" He asked, trying to regain control of his breath. 

"Because, I figured if you weren't going to say anything about it, then it must be because of your job. Because you don't want to have anyone else there who might take your attention away from protecting Noctis." You brought your knees up into your chest and rested your chin on them. "I know because...well, I'm the same way." You looked up at him, and he adjusted his glasses as he looked away. 

"I wish things were different. Sometimes I find myself noticing how I will get jealous of the wind for being able to brush against you, and mess up your hair. It has certainly been closer to you than I ever have. In that world, where I'm a chef, and you're a dancer, I would tell you that I care very deeply for you...but in this world...I'm forced to hold back." 

You bit your lip and nodded, "I understand. I hate it. But I understand."