WHO: Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia WHAT: A NOT proposal. (Noct finds something when packing, Iggy has to explain, they talk and get distracted.) WHEN: Today, May 17th WHERE: Chocobro apartment - Closet WARNINGS: It’s so sappy y’all STATUS: Complete!
Noct had never actually packed a house before. He’d lived at the Citadel for most of his life and even the time he’d had an apartment of his own, the place had been set up when he got there. He’d only added a few personal touches. He didn’t realize how much work was involved. Admitted, he’d been a spoiled prince. But he still thought it was a little unreasonable that moving could be stretched out over a full month when overseen by an organized perfectionist like Ignis Scientia.
“We should’ve paid for magical movers. That has to be a thing, right?” Even if it was a thing, they didn’t really have the extra money. Everything had gone into the new house. At least it was almost done. The current timeline from the construction company had put them moving in no later than the beginning of June. The thought alone made Noct feel lightheaded. In a good way.
He collapsed down onto the sofa next to a stack of boxes and flung a hand over his face. “Five minute power nap and then I’m back on the case, I swear.”
Ignis chuckled lightly and passed by Noct just close enough to lean in and press a quick kiss to the side of his head before finishing his path. “Yes, but we couldn’t afford them and I didn’t particularly trust them.” Too much of a perfectionist, Ignis worried that his things would get mis-folded or misplaced, both ideas made him twitch thinking about them.
“We’re nearly done today, all I have left on my list is to finish the closet and if we work together, we’ll get it done in half the time.” Or double, given how likely it was they would get distracted, but he still preferred the company. “If you take a nap now, you’ll miss out on the suspenders.”
If bribery was the path to success, Ignis was fully willing to contribute.
Noct squinted one eye open as Ignis kissed him and then started to leave the room. He was – unfortunately – very easy to lead when it came to the men in his life. Ignis could’ve patted his head and wandered off with a vague join me when you feel up to it and Noct would still have done exactly what he did now. Which was grunt inelegantly and roll to his feet.
“You just had to say the s-word, huh?” He smirked and followed Ignis into the bedroom and then into the closet. They were leaving somethings obviously to wear between now and the end of the month but there was plenty that could be packed. Ignis might’ve been the only clotheshorse in the house, but he encouraged the rest of them to get plenty of new clothes here and there too. Most of the winterwear was boxed up in a corner but there was a set of shelves left so Noctis yawned and padded over to it barefoot.
“Do we have some of those vacuum bag things for sweaters? To make them—” Another yawn. “—small and flat?” He dug deep behind a sweater pile, feeling around until his hand closed around something that felt like a small box. A small ring box. He froze in place and tried not to look obvious.
“Of course I did,” Ignis was crouching in front of the chest in their bedroom now, in earshot of the open closet door but not visibly looking in Noct’s direction. It allowed him to remain oblivious for a little while. He pulled out a few items to put away, packed them neatly into the box on the bed, moved around the room with a gentle sway of a calm man in no particular hurry.
He popped his head into the doorway of the closet and thought for a second. “I don’t, no. I was worried about wrinkles on cashmere.” He did have tissue paper in case the shirts required separation, but that was another topic he’d already been teased about.
The drawer in question had been untouched as the weather had gotten warmer, to the point where Ignis had forgotten what he’d put there months previously, just days following his birthday and the creation of this whole place. He raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend-in-question. “Problem?”
"Uhhh….” Noct blinked at Ignis. “Right. Wrinkles.” He knew he sounded dumb but he was feeling the shape of the box, the way it opened, and there was no way it wasn’t a ring box. But they all wore different bits of jewelry. Sure, they were mostly necklaces, but that didn’t mean this was a particularly important ring box. Noct stared at Ignis just long enough that he couldn’t really shrug off the silence as nothing.
“I found something.” He pulled it out and held it out towards Ignis, rubbing at the back of his neck with his other hand. “Behind your sweaters…” He was sure his eyes were wide and curious, his mouth softly gaping. Maybe Ignis had hidden the box because he changed his mind about what was inside of it. Maybe it was just a fancy mood ring. Noct needed to stop acting like the world had turned on its axis. “Is it yours?”
There was a silence. A drawn out silence, as Ignis felt his stomach clench and his heart stop for a brief moment. “Ah.” He’d forgotten. He hadn’t forgotten the meaning behind that ring box, or the thought that it held in the back of his mind. The feeling, the desire, the love. That was all there.
The purchase itself had been an unplanned one, when their four was three instead, and it only contained two small bands on the inside. He hadn’t had a plan yet, just-- a thought. The thought was still there, of course, only now it was on pause while they let their fourth catch up.
He took a step closer to Noctis and nodded, he’d always been terrible at lying to his best friend and partner. “It is.” He didn’t take the box from Noctis. “Well, technically. I suppose I should have been better about hiding it, but I’d forgotten with everything that was going on.”
Noct was watching Ignis closely. He knew many of his tics and body language so he hoped to glean extra information from them now. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite figure out how Ignis felt about him finding this box. It was a good sign that he moved closer at least. Noctis did too.
"Should I…pretend I didn't see it?" That was the opposite of what he wanted to do, but if Ignis said yes, he'd suck it up. "I mean, I haven't, really. It's just a box right now. So if you…if it's something you want to forget about for a while…" He frowned. Words were dumb. There wasn't actually any doubt in his mind that Ignis wanted them to spend the rest of their lives together. So why did he feel anxious? He ran a thumb over the top of the box.
"Not gonna lie, I really want to open it, Specs," he admitted with an awkward smile.
Ignis’s chuckle was gentle and soft, he clearly wasn’t surprised. Or annoyed. “You’re not very good at pretending that sort of thing, love.” Forget about made him take another step, until Noctis was in arm’s reach. If his partner was to open that box, even clearly knowing what it was, that deserved explanation for why it had been there long enough to be forgotten about.
“I only had half an idea formed. It was an impulsive purchase, I admit.” But this was the sort of thing that if not impulsive, would have likely taken too much overthinking. “Not my usual style, but I don’t regret it. Just know that my not asking wasn’t that I changed my mind, it was just-- I’d already second-guessed waiting for Prompto, and then he was here, so it felt unfair to not let him catch up to us. So while it isn’t now, it is my intention someday.”
It was more words than he usually strung together, but important ones that needed to be said, and Ignis reached out to softly push a piece of hair out of Noct’s eyes so he could get a clear look. At what he was about to open.
While Noct hadn't had any doubts, it was still a balm to his nerves to hear the word someday said with such conviction. It made his pulse race like the adrenaline of a free fall after a warp. He wanted to sit down but he didn't want to move away from Ignis. He cracked the box open a little.
"I get it. I…I don't want anyone to feel rushed. Even if I know exactly what I want and I can't picture a future without all of you. Even if…even if Vallo might take the choice away from us at any moment. I want everyone to want it. All in, no doubts." A flustered smile flashed across his face and he dipped forward to press his forehead to Ignis's shoulder for a second just to center himself. Then he pulled back and opened the box.
The two rings inside were dark, thin, and textured. They were beautiful and Noct blinked with the emotion that welled up behind his eyes. "They're perfect. I don't know why I'm surprised."
Ignis watched Noctis with a look that might’ve been unreadable to anyone other than their group. This one was often reserved for the other three, a look of softness with a little glint in his eye as he watched closely, taking in the reactions. He wanted to lean in for a kiss, but kept things distant for now to let the moment settle between them.
“Noctis, whatever Vallo might take or give from us, what we have will never change. Vallo can take people, but it can’t take feelings, or love. It can’t have the most important parts of us, and we’ll make do.” He reached up to join Noct’s hand on the box, his long fingers brushing over the ones he found. “The shop had a variety like this. I had a thought - perhaps a silly one - that if we all wanted to pick out our own, that they could fit together nicely, like we do. That way there’s a part of all of us in this idea.”
"I know. I know." Noct breathed out, a smile flashing bright and then mellowing to his normal smirk. Trust Ignis to say just the right thing to push back the small wave of worry that had crested inside of him. He couldn't live his life waiting for one or all of them to get taken away. Or to get sent back himself. He curled his hand around Ignis's and lifted their combined hands to his lips, keeping a tight grip on the ring box for the moment.
It had to go back into hiding, of course. But…
"Can I try them on? If you're thinking we'll stack them, I should know how they look together, right?" Noct knew he wasn't fooling anyone. His cheeks were hot, but he barrelled on anyway. "I mean, I know they're probably different sizes because gigantor has bigger hands than me but still." He held out his left hand and swallowed. "Just a quick test?"
Both of Ignis’ eyebrows shot up, he hadn’t been expecting that request, to try them on. It felt a little forward, given they knew now wasn’t the time, but also--
Oh, he liked it. It made his heart swell and warm in his chest, and he was certain it was beating twice as fast when he nodded once. “I suppose--” He had to cough for a second, to sound as if he was choking his words with emotion. “I suppose it’s only fair to make sure they fit. Though it’s entirely possible Gladio has his own plan in mind. The two of us were on the same page last we’d talked.”
It was likely a step too far for Ignis to pull the ring out, the one intended for Noctis, and to slip it on the finger himself-- but he did it regardless. His long fingers smoothed the ring down Noct’s, the size perfect thanks to his knowledge of all things The King. “Ah-- see?”
The idea of Ignis and Gladio talking about marriage gave Noctis goosebumps. He wished he’d lucked out on timing and wandered in during that particular conversation. But he could imagine them well enough. So what if the imaginary version of them was in the tub with Ignis resting against Gladio’s chest and their skin dotted with bubbles.
The ring being slid onto his finger snapped Noct back into his body with perfect clarity.
“I want to make a joke about wearing them to the store, but I don’t want you to regret letting me try them.” He smiled and stopped staring at the rings to stare at Ignis instead. He held his gaze with a soft and adoring one for almost a little too long before he pushed up on his toes to crash his mouth against Ignis’s. Most of the time, Noct was a little withdrawn. A little awkward. But the love in his heart and the rings on his finger made him bold. It brought the king to the surface and he wasn’t at all ashamed to make demands of Ignis’s mouth. He also pressed his ring hand against Ignis’s jaw for good measure.
“I know we’re…almost done…,” he mumbled between kisses, “…but we should take a break. Come on.” He pushed Ignis towards the wall. “Let’s take a break, Specs.”
Ignis was easy as far as they were concerned. The men in his life got him to bend (figuratively and literally) in ways he would never bend for others outside their little bubble. If it made them happy, he would do anything. It had always been Noctis to start, the first closest to his heart, but the bubble had expanded to include the others over time.
So being pushed up against the wall, kissed, distracted-- That was easy. He was also hopelessly, ridiculously, unabashedly into the idea of Noct wearing their ring and being forward. His ring, for now, but would just be the start to theirs, down the line. Of that, he was confident.
Ignis could be the responsible one later. For now he was too busy trying to pull Noct’s shirt off without breaking apart-- but it was difficult, and he was forced to pull away for a moment. His hand came up to capture Noct’s, fingers grazing across the ring. “One break. You have to remove them before we leave the room, promise?”
Noct pulled away and yanked off his shirt with his free hand, nodding a little wildly. Love made him punch drunk. Ignis indulging him made him greedy. He didn’t make any move to take off the rings right then, but that wasn’t the deal anyway. He buried a hand in Ignis’s hair and pulled him back in with a grinning vow. “I promise.”