aterat | One Fall And One Less Bear

Recovery was a process, even with magic to flush wounds away. And the process for Nida and Ignis had been all about being together. Which had started with Nida coming over to Ignis's place, directing him to pack some things up for several days, and even get Ebony ready to go. After his things were put safely in Nida's apartment and he was certain that the full grown Julia wasn't going to cause drama with Ebony, it was about a few days of supplies and their promised library tour.

And after that the times they left the apartment over their time together was all about getting supplies. Like today, he was supposed to head out and do the shopping for them. Except once he opened the door he found the small wrapped box and gasped. It was here. Nida made a delighted noise as he headed back into the apartment, closing the door.

"Ig, darling, would you come here please?"

Sooner or later someone just has to get out of the apartment and back onto the beat. Which was harder for Nida than he wanted to admit. After the demon bear he just wanted to curl up and ignore the world for a while. But Siren always drove him out and so there was Nice moving through the markets in his guard uniform, naginata slung over his back.

Of course even now he knew that with things calming down, the problems would pick back up without the aura of fear and the concern of being mauled. And that, in this moment, meant shouting and running down a busy street, jumping over a stand that was way too far out in the way so that he didn't lose the large, burly looking woman pelting down the street, someone else's coin purse in her hands.

"Stop dammit!"

Heights are comforting, and that much anyone who has interacted with Nida regularly is quite aware of. This time he is perched on the top of a dorm, in the middle of the thing, sitting cross-legged and with a feline on his shoulders. Or, well, from the front it looks like a cat save for the fact that it is blue in color and has tufts on its ears. But getting a different angle would give a fuller picture of the Peacock Cat.

While Nida sits there, eyes closed and posture speaking of peace, the feline jumped down from his shoulder, striding toward whoever it was that had joined them on the roof. She was delicate on her paws, and kept the train of her tail feathers from dragging over the dirt on the roof.

"Mrewl?" she asked plaintively of the stranger.

"Don't touch anywhere she's green," Nida warns without turning, "not unless you're wearing gloves. The oil on those feathers induce euphoria."

Nida had gotten a lecture from Ignis about being more careful when he'd received the wounds from the fight. But the admonishments were light and Ignis tried to even make them somewhat playful in his attempts. Moreover he'd been worried. He'd even thought leaving his apartment might be a little strange but with someone else to focus on, it didn't bother him overly much.

The book trip had been a lot of fun with both of them chatting about ideas, and prompts to take this or that book back with them. There had even been some books on holidays called Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas so those got brought home too along with a few books with hand written recipes for those holidays inside. Also during this time he'd learned how to make a pretty good pumpkin flavoured coffee.

So now Ignis was cleaning up the apartment when he thought he'd heard Nida calling for him. Had the other somehow decided he wanted them to go together? That was totally fine with him of course so he moved towards the door and glanced down at the package that his lover was holding in his hands.

A puzzled look was in the green eyes as his gaze locked with the other's dark eyes. "Did you decide to have me go with you?"

Nida was going to be annoyed over his.. Over Ignis intending to clean his place up while he was gone. But he supposes he'll allow it in this moment.

"No. I... Talked to Raimon the other day, to get some help finding something for you," he answers, before moving to hold out the small box. "A gift."

"The man at the Curio shop?" Ignis asked, surprise in his voice. He'd been there himself but hadn't given it too much time so he'd left without purchasing anything. But then his eyes widened slightly in surprise at the gift, and he felt bad because he hadn't gotten Nida anything. "For me?" He looked from the gift to the man holding it out and slowly reached to gently take it.

The advisor puzzled, knowing he hadn't done anything to deserve the gift, but he was both confused and curious. "Do you wish me to open it now or wait until we get back from shopping?"

Nida had purchased more than a few things at the shop. But he's given over the box to the man and nods, licking his lips. He's so nervous here.

"You know how I said, that night we started, that I needed time to make a decision? About what I wanted? Well I think this is my answer."

He's nervous.

"If you want to open it while I shop, then okay. That, uh, I think works."

With that answer and how Nida was acting, now Ignis started getting nervous. But he cocked his head slightly to look at the other man, trying to piece the puzzle together. He did indeed of course recall those words and the advisor had accidentally made it look like he was looking for more than he was. Of course he hadn't been sure how to not sound that way so he just stopped talking about it and hadn't brought up anything sense.

He'd done a lot of thinking since then too when he went off hunting and on the way to and from the house. The bear had brought things into focus too, but he kept everything under his hat so to speak and just left the thoughts there.

But now this.

The blonde head shook. "Something tells me we'll need to talk, so I'll just save it for when you get back." His hands were itching to open it, but Nida looked so nervous right now that he didn't have the heart to do such a thing as open it while the man was away.

What in the world could be in the box that was so important enough to make his lover nervous and shake as he was? Not knowing what else to do, Ignis brought the box over to set it down on the kitchen table, planning on leaving it there.

But it's... weighty box. Nida bites his lip and shakes his head.

"I think I'll probably get more anxious about it if you leave it that long, Ig," he admits. It's not that easy to give that to the other man.

He'd just set it down when he heard Nida speak. The advisor felt his shoulders slump and he turned around to face the man with his hands behind him on the edge of the table. The silence was kind of eerie and he could feel the weight of whatever was contained in that box.

Green eyes looked up and gazed into the other's eyes. "Shall we open it together then?" Ignis was really trying here because his lover looked ready to fall over.

"Together?" Nida asks, moving a step closer. "It's a gift for you, not for me. And it's a small box. How do we do it together?"

Now that they don't find good ways to work together already.

"We can unwrap it together." Ignis offered with something of a smile. "It does seem to be rather important since you informed me what it has to do with." And that was really important in the advisor's eyes. "So it doesn't seem quite right to be here by myself to unwrap it or to do it alone."

Turning around briefly to retrieve the box, he met Nida the rest of the way and began to unwrap it, leaving plenty of room for his lover to help. And he wasn't going to admit that his hands were shaking.

At least it's clearly not a ring box. Too big for that. But he reaches out and helps with taking the bow off and the paper and yeah. just a little box. How interesting.

His hands are steady because he forces them to be as he takes the lid off the box to reveal the pendant and the silver chain.

Ignis let Nida take the lead on this and moved his hands back and out of the way as the pendant and chain came into view. The pendant itself was a beautiful green and his eyes curiously looked at it. Carefully he lifted it from the box and held it in the palm of his hand, uncertain as to what this meant.

"It's quite lovely." the advisor announced, smiling as he looked it at. "The design is something I've never seen before." But he still couldn't quite make the connection that was intended because it was a necklace. He could read into what the necklace meant perhaps, that Nida wanted to have the other he wore replaced, but Ignis didn't think that was the case, so he just studied it a bit more, trying to ascertain its meaning.

"Yeah," Nida agrees, not even noticing the card explaining the pendant fall out of the lid as he sets it aside. "I..."

Again he licks his lips, nervous.

"We said no terms on this, no string. I think... I think I want to try strings, if that's something you'd be okay with. You and me, sorta, you know, dating?"

Geez, he's horrible at this. He can seduce guys, but asking for something serious? Difficult.

Green eyes had caught something falling, but he didn't pay it any mind as Nida seemed to grow even more nervous. And then the words coming at him caught him quite off guard. He truly hadn't expected anything like this and didn't know what to do. So he just listened and his eyes opened a bit wider behind his glasses.

Pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose, Ignis finally met the other's gaze and his head cocked to the side a little. "I can tell you're serious by the look in your eyes because they're always quite talkative." A little smile accompanied that statement, because that was how he learned to gauge Nida anymore due to the other's expressive dark eyes. But then the advisor grew serious and his tone softened. "But if you wish to court, I'd like us to be sure. There's no wish to rush this if we need more time."

And yes he said 'us' and 'we' because that was how he looked at it.

Were they? His eyes? Damn, Ignis was one of few how could say things like that about Nida's eyes. But he can't help but smile at the idea of 'courting'.

"My flame, it's not that complicated. I don't mean we have to court. But I wouldn't mind calling you mine, and maybe being yours for as long as moves us. As long as this world allows."

He loved seeing Nida smile, especially at a critical time like this. But then Ignis wasn't sure what the rest meant. Wasn't that what dating was? Or did he have it all wrong somehow? Being each other's, was there another word for it?

Not sure what to say, Ignis looked down and his eyes went over to the table for a moment. And that was when he saw the paper. Thinking it was some sort of note, he reached over with his free hand and read it, realizing it explained the pendant's meaning.

And then he reread it twice to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks. Then he read it a third time, even slower. The advisor's jaw clenched and tears pricked at his eyes. "If you don't mean us to court..do you care to explain this?" The paper was held out to Nida and he didn't try to hide his face.

Dating didn't always mean full on intentions on trying to win someone to some day marrying them. That's definitely way too deep for Nida to not get super nervous at the implication.

He sees Ignis go for the paper and stares at him, confused, especially as tears started to form. What? When the paper is handed over Nida reads it. And starts to blush. Wow, that's...

"Woah, uh... I chose jade because back home it has meaning. Wisdom, and nurturing, and guidance. And it would go with your eyes. Raimon showed me a few things in different styles to help me figure something out, and asked me why I wanted it, who for. And..."

And he told the guy. Who had jumped ahead a lot. But...

"But the meaning fits, doesn't it? We're two people, two cultures, and there are feelings here, at least on my side. So maybe it's a bit hopeful and reaching but I would still like you to accept it. Wear it or don't next to your other necklace, I... Just needed to give you something for all you give me."

Patiently Ignis listened to the explanation behind the necklace. "I have to wonder what it was that you said to make him choose something like this." His eyes went to the necklace and silently agreed it would match his eyes.

But his attention was taken again when Nida started asking his question. And he'd already determined that he wasn't exactly sure what that made them or where they stood with each other. All Ignis could pinpoint was that it was 'something beyond friends'. His lover hadn't outright denied anything that had been written on the paper, but..well it was just confusing and he had to stop overthinking it. He knew that much, because Nida had been through an awful lot.

So the advisor just smiled, tucking his confused thoughts away. "I think it has a beautiful meaning. You've put a lot of effort into acquiring such a prize and I accept it." He looked back down at it briefly, realizing this was why the other had been so shaken then brought his eyes back to Nida's. "Will you help me put it on?"

Perhaps Ignis really didn't understand it, because he worries that the man doesn't get it. That this was meant to be the true start of something more than just a friends with benefits. He moves forward and takes the necklace, unclasping the chain.

"You don't mind then? That I did this? That I want to be with you in places more than just ending up in and around our beds?"

When the necklace left his hand, Ignis suddenly felt like he'd lost his anchor. But then Nida was unclasping it, prepared to put it around his neck, just as he'd requested.

It was hard to figure out how to answer the other because Ignis had zero experience. He could only go with what little he'd read. Relationships never really entered his mind because he didn't 'have' time for them due to his whole life being wrapped up in Noctis per King Regis' request to 'look after my son'. And Noct had been ordered to marry Lady LunaFreya to ensure peace for the kingdom though Ignis had no doubt there were some feelings there due to them keeping up with their book correspondence for years through Umbra.

So it had all been one sided on his part and for some reason that slammed into him right now along with how much Nida must've suffered and been so lonely.

Still, he smiled against the pain and it was hard. "No, I don't mind at all. It was rather thoughtful and kind of you to think of me." He was really touched because everyone just takes his presence for granted though he doesn't mind. That was what he'd signed up for after all.

It crossed his mind to add 'and the battlefield' to his lover's list but he passed on the thought. Instead green eyes looked at the man and there was a small bit of confusion. "Darling, you're always welcome wherever I am."

And Ignis was so sure he was way overthinking this.

It takes a bit to keep his hands from shaking as he puts the necklace around Ignis's neck and clasps it. Once that is done he wraps his arms around Ignis's waist and hides his face in Ignis's shoulder. Don't look at him. He's not ready to show how much his heart was racing. But perhaps Ignis could feel it.

"Since that first weekend, I have found I cannot stop thinking of you. I want to be at your side. I want to be yours. I am fragile and broken, and when I'm around you I don't feel like that. I want to be with you. I feel more alive than I have in so long with you. And even when all we're doing is cleaning my apartment or sitting and having books and coffee."

Ignis immediately lifted a hand to touch the necklace to his chest when he heard the clasp click into place. It made him smile to feel the cool green stone on bare skin but suddenly Nida was holding onto him. He drew a slightly hitched breath and wrapped his arms around the man, knowing something had changed or at least deepened between them.

And before he had a chance to ask what was what wrong, the man in his arms started talking and the advisor listened very closely to every last word. There was a smile that Nida couldn't see and Ignis held on a little tighter. "Then be by my side and stay there for as long as you wish. And if you are mine, than I am yours in return."

Well, that makes Nida happy to hear. He grins against Ignis's chest and then lets his arms slide down to more around Ignis's waist. Because then he can pick up, which he does, and, and he spins the other man around just a bit in all of his joy at that declaration.

One Fall And One Less Bear

Fires of Romance | Closed to Ignis

Stop That Thief! | OTA in the Markets

Rooftop Meditation | OTA on any Dorm Roof

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