Lucian roads at night meant a couple of fire giants and a few bombs thrown in, if you were lucky. Ignis had just pulled the Regalia over to avoid driving into the daemons when Aranea joined them on the ground, ready to lend them a hand - but the ex-mercenary charged a fee, and she collected it in the form of a kiss from Ignis. She hardly said anything before taking off, which everyone else assumed to be a surprising turn of events. But for Aranea (and Ignis), it was merely Tuesday.
@arachnexdragoon
Witchcraft.
That was only only way of explaining it. Nobody had ever managed to make Ignis forget himself the way Aranea did and it had to be down to some kind of witchcraft because Ignis was a man very much in control of himself at all times. Except whenever Aranea put in an appearance.
They’d got used to her sweeping into their battles and fighting alongside them. Each and every time, she was a welcome sight, arriving at precisely the right moment to lend support and deliver some absolutely devastating blows to the enemy. Ignis has his own, private, reasons for being happy to see her. In the midst of combat, he’d catch her and and she’d send him a wink that got his heart pounding. After the last enemy had been dispatched, she rarely around, but when she did, they were both cautious and careful to keep their relationship secret. Stolen looks and silent promises passed between them, but no more.
Occasionally, after they’d been separated for a prolonged period of time, Ignis would invite Aranea and her men to dine with them, but more often than not, she politely declined, and Ignis understood why. They were still enemies, after all, and they had to keep up appearances. It grew ever more difficult, however, given that their opportunities to meet up came so few and far between, and most recently, she’d taken to throwing caution to the wind and accepting his offer of food. Luckily, Biggs and Wedge did a stellar job of distracting Noctis, Prompto and Gladio with tall tales which allowed Ignis and Aranea to sneak off for a few snatched minutes of precious privacy.
If any of the others suspected anything, they didn’t say a word, although Ignis was quite positive that Gladio had shot him a few knowing looks once Aranea and her companions said their goodbyes. It might have been Ignis’ imagination, however. Or, perhaps, a somewhat guilty conscience. They were covert. Of that, he was certain, but equally, he had begun to suspect that his feelings were noticeable in the way he behaved. Maybe not to Noctis, who was notoriously unobservant when it came to others, but that Ignis smiled a little more often, or occasionally wore a wistful expression couldn’t possibly have gone unobserved, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
There were changes to be seen in Aranea, too. For one thing, she was becoming bolder. She flirted openly with Ignis, chuckling with far too much glee when he responded in an appropriately flustered manner, complete with pink-tinged cheeks. Whenever she made a saucy joke - which was surprisingly often - she’d send him a bawdy wink while everyone else laughed. But so far, she’d maintained her decorum. She hadn’t actually made any overt displays of affection towards him that would have the others asking questions.
Until now.
With a blush heating his cheeks, Ignis watched her depart after she’d taken her payment, his gaze fixed firmly on the departing airship. Nobody said a word. They didn’t have to because, when Ignis looked around at Noctis, Gladio and Prompto, he could see the surprise clearly written on their faces. Widened eyes, dropped jaws and - in Gladio’s case a very distinct smirk - spoke of astonishment at what had occurred.
Regaining his composure, Ignis cleared his throat and allowed his shoulders to rise and then fall in a shrug.
“It’s a Tuesday,” he said, then turned away to walk back to the Regalia. “Shall we be on our way?”