aterat | One Fall And One Less Bear

As if space was something Nida even wanted. He pulled the dessert out and put it carefully on the stove, and looked back at Ignis with glee plainly written on his face.

“It isn’t completely burnt. I think it might be edible. Don’t think I’ve ever managed that without it just being a salad or sandwich before. If this is good, you’ve managed something my brother never did. I think he might laugh.”

Of course he might also warn Nida that he gives his heart too readily, was putting himself in position to be hurt once again.

He was just finishing buttoning his shirt when Nida gave him that smile. "Well it shouldn't be burnt, we did set a timer." And Ignis was pretty damn sure that it should be good since they both could read so they could follow a recipe.

Finishing putting his clothes in place, the advisor got some smaller plates out and pulled out the ice cream along with some spoons. And he smiled when he saw the dessert.

"It looks quite delicious and I'm sure it will taste wonderful."

“You really underestimate my ability to burn things,” Nida counters with a smile as he seeks out an appropriate serving spoon. “For someone who had the worst time trying to even cast fire spells when I was younger, I sure burned a lot of food.“

Magic had been something he had to grow into, and he’d never been great at it back then.

"Mayhaps. But I'm sure that you didn't burn this and that your cooking skills have vastly improved since then."

He got the ice cream out on the table and waited for Nida to sit so that he could. Dessert should go over well and that would give him more than enough time to reset his internal clock so that he could please his lover.

And at some point after, he would broach the other topic.

Nida smiles as he loads some apples and ice cream on his plate, and he sits opposite Ignis, smiling before trying the food.

Creamy and cool from the ice cream. Spiced and hot from the apples. So wonderful.

“Not as good as your fish, but it’s still nice. Thanks for letting me try.”

"You're welcome to continue to try out new things." The apples were good and it did go very well with the ice cream. "So just let me know when you're wanting to try out something and we'll do it together, unless you wish to do so on your own."

Anyone could cook in his opinion including Noctis. But it took patience and time to do it right of course. And if his assistance was required, Ignis didn't mind helping out at all.

“I think... cooking together would be more fun,” Nida decides after a long moment. “Cooking for myself is a means to survive. Cooking with you is like dancing with you. It’s something for us both. If that’s okay?”

He doesn’t want to cash in too heavily on Ignis’s time. They were definitely too new to this whole thing and each other for him to be willing to ask so much of him. But even the thought of them together has his eyes going to the necklace Ignis wore.

And he smiled.

“I’d like to learn a bit better.”

Green eyes crinkled with mirth and affection. "I think that's a lovely description. And it's completely fine with me of course." It was a nice way to remember why or how he'd..gotten attached to Nida in the first place. The man certainly had dance moves down and hadn't been afraid at all to show them off.

Nida might not know it, but Ignis was more than willing to spend as much time together as was okay with the two of them. The advisor was used to spending every day with people with some time away so it wouldn't be an issue.

However, he kept the same in mind with his lover. Maybe the man needed time away from him other than when they were both working or whatnot.

The love and adoration Nida returned for that mirth could not be easily quantified.

"Do you... perhaps wish to dance a bit after dessert?"

He'd just finished some of the apple dessert and looked over at Nida. After a moment or two he then cast his gaze away, knowing that he'd been staring.

Trust Nida to throw something unexpected into plans, but he could work with that. So he looked at his ice cream and blushed, recalling that's what started this whole thing. "That..would be rather lovely."

Wow his ice cream was so damn interesting right now.

Plans were things to be made by royal advisors and mercenary spies. And here? Here they are neither of those things. They are Ignis and Nida, and that should suffice for now. He smiles and nods, digging into his food a bit more.

“We’ll have to hope the felines don’t try and get between our feet. But I think we’ll manage”

"I believe they'll see the need to stay out from under us." Ignis smiled, after having some more ice cream. Cats were smart and they would realize they might get stomped on.

Still, he had to ask after finishing some apples topped with ice cream. "What made you think to suggest that?"

It would literally be a good warm up to other things..now that he was really thinking about it. But the suggestion had originally taken him by pleasant surprise.

“Comparing cooking to dancing made me think of what it was like to dance with you. And then I wanted to dance with you when it wasn’t meant half as proving myself, half to seduce you. I want to dance with you slow and sweet and just move together.”

Slow dancing, not unlike making love in a way. The trust and gentle touches, the lingering gazes, the wanting to melt into your partner.

The blonde head went down slightly and he coughed lightly to try and dismiss the blush on his face. "Yes well as I recall you succeeded in both far better than you could've imagined or hoped." And Ignis hadn't been looking for anybody which really made him sit back and shake his head at himself at times.

But the inside of him melted at the thought of Nida and he holding each other so close as if no one and nothing else mattered in this entire world but the two of them.

Nida? He’d been looking for a distraction. And perhaps to get laid, something he hadn’t had a chance at in a long time. Except... Except his heart betrayed him, and he fell fast and hard and loved it for the fact that it had happened.

“You should see me tango. That’s impressive,” Nida teases with a chuckle as he finishes his own plate of dessert. Damn, but he was proud for the fact that he’d managed to make this thing.

"You're definitely going to have to show me that at some point." For now he was happy just with the thought of them being close together and moving together.

And of course he was disappointed to see that his dessert was just about gone. Well there was more of that, but at the same time he couldn't weight himself down since he had a dance to perform.

“You would want to dance, yes?”

Please tell him that it was desirable.

"Of course I would love to dance with you."

That ranked up there with not being able to say no if Nida wanted to make love. There was something about the intimacy of being that close and feeling so desired and needed that Ignis couldn't and wouldn't want to deny.

That's why that earlier comment rankled as it had.

And Nida had just been teasing. Again and again they fail at this communication game. For now Nida rose and went to wash his hands.

“Well when you’re ready.”

Ignis put his head down thoughtfully after Nida had gotten up to wash his hands. And the invitation had been extended though he remembered with fondness about the last time he was asked.

Then wasn't now but he could turn the tables.

So he stood and went to go clean up and picked up the jade pendant that he wore around his neck as soon as he was done. Then he wordlessly and slowly walked over to Nida.

Slightly bowing his head, Ignis held out a hand. "Might I have a dance with you?"

Nida smiled and moved the table to give them a bit more room. Only then did he lay his hand in Ignis’s.

“It would be a privilege. Will you lead this time?”

There was a smile. "Yes I will lead." Ignis replied with a smile. He loved being able to lead since he was used to it, but of course he was more than happy to follow if Nida had wanted to lead.

“Well then, I beg your patience with me. I haven’t been led in a good long time.”

And with that he put a hand on Ignis’s shoulder. A clear invitation to start.

"I can most certainly be patient." Ignis smiled and clasped Nida's hand. So once the hand came up on his shoulder, the advisor began moving. And as they danced, he couldn't help but feel proud that he was wearing the jade pendant for some odd reason.

The pendant was a claim. One Nida’s eyes moved to whenever they weren’t held by Ignis’s gaze. No matter which he looked at he smiled, until he leaned forward enough to rest his head against Ignis’s shoulder.

“You ever hear of kintsugi?”

Chances were the word meant nothing to Ignis. But Nida couldn’t be certain.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject