aterat | One Fall And One Less Bear

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.

Ignis moved carefully as he led them around the living room, with a far slower pace than had been set by Nida the first time. And he thought it was so very sweet when the other man put his head against his shoulder.

Green eyes blinked as he tried to figure out the word spoken but nothing came to mind and he wondered after it. Finally after a moment's thought he shook his head lightly.

"No darling, I can't recall ever hearing that word." Ignis smiled and refrained from kissing the top of the dark head. "Care to enlighten me?"

Darling. Nida’s heart always skips a beat at that affection. This time was no different. And it made his reply slow in coming as he caught his breath.

“It is this old Esthari art form. Even to this day, with all their technology, there are still artisans who perform it, and their works are highly prized. It is a process by which one takes broken pottery and repairs it. The pieces are put back together and all the cracks and joins filled with gold. Where once there was broken pieces, the original art destroyed, there is new beauty. The piece is reborn, and what was the weakest points become the strongest.”

Ignis listened to what Nida was saying and smiled. "That sounds like a lovely tradition." And it seemed pretty symbolic because of the last parts that were said.

So he smiled.

"That is an art form where you're from I take it?" And of course the advisor couldn't help but wonder why they were talking about this particular thing. Not that he minded because he would talk to Nida about anything and everything.

Test him on the anything’s and everything, Ignis. Would he still be loved if Ignis heard how much Nida would rant about chocobos and their hate of him?

“Not where I am from. Another nation. But yes. And the masters of it are lauded. I never expected to find someone so skilled at it here.”

"Really.." Ignis voice trailed off in wonder. "Then I suppose if you manage to set anything on fire or break anything, we might be able to get it repaired in this same way."

It had him thinking.

"Is that one of the reasons you didn't wish for me to accompany you when you went back to the Curio shop?" He still would love to find out more about the jewel he wore around his neck.

The man didn’t understand at all. Nida chuckles, his hand brushing Ignis’s cheek briefly.

“I’m the pottery, my flame. Your kindness and affection is the gold. If the metaphor sucks, don’t blame me. I didn’t get highest marks in literature. The class was an elective.”

Ignis blushed and stopped moving once Nida touched his cheek. His own hand lifted to keep the other where it was and he smiled. "The metaphor is quite alright.

Slowly he placed his other hand on Nida's cheek and leaned forward to kiss the man, unwilling to say the words in his heart.

Oh to have his touch held in place by Ignis. The allowance of the touch and the compliment was wonderful. And the lips pressing forward against his own, soft and in a strange way more fortifying than the dinner they had shared, they let warmth spread through Nida.

Sometimes words weren’t what mattered so much as actions.

For the advisor time seemed to stand still. This was everything that he wanted, right here in his arms and with him right now. His body moved against Nida's and his fingers curled around the hand on his cheek, still keeping it in place.

Originally Ignis had thought to make love to the man, but he couldn't do that because he had promised to lead. And there was still that other matter though he didn't want to ruin the peace that had seemed to descend upon them both.

So he slowly pulled back from their kiss and just tried to smile.

One event didn't preclude the other, Ignis. Not at all. Especially with how Nida was looking at him now, adoringly. The kiss might have ended, but Nida wasn't content to leave it at that. He moves up to meet Ignis's lips again, offering a few lingering, slow kisses on those lips as his free hand moves to stroke over Ignis's chest, and thus the necklace.

That look he was getting was setting fire to him and here he was trying to douse the flames as it was. But then he received more of the slow kisses that absolutely drove him wild and he whimpered as that warm hand moved to touch his necklace.

Just something about that simple gesture was absolute magic.

Ignis gently moved Nida's hand on his face to place over his heart as they kissed, trying to show with actions what it was he was trying to convey. And he held it there now though obviously the hold was light enough that it could easily be removed if desired.

The gentle hand he had on Nida's face remained, as the advisor was rather unwilling to move it.

A hand on Ignis's heart. He can feel it beating. And there is a comfort in that. Comfort and a message that he was more than skilled enough to understand.

When the latest kiss broke he closed his eyes and leaned into that hand, his own pressing more firmly against Ignis's chest, but not in an effort to move the man away. He wanted to speak, wanted to say it, but he was scared that the words would be too soon. That everything they had and every step they took was coming too fast.

"There's nowhere I would rather be than with you, here and now."

The advisor clenched his jaw when Nida rested his head on the hand over his heart. The words spoken made him want to cry, but he had to clear this up and spoke softly though the emotion was very plain in his soft tone. "I just want you to be sure that I am who you want."

Ignis would wear the pendant into the worst danger and back. But he needed to know where he stood because those earlier words rattled. He didn't let go of Nida's hand and he wasn't going to unless the other pulled away.

This was important but he still he tried to lighten his tone a little.

"You did..mention my ruining you for others a bit earlier." And of course Ignis didn't want any others. But he couldn't be selfish because Nida had been through just so very much.

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talk about invitation for a specific icon

Ugh that icon..