Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse {Book Three: Pestilence}(Ignis x Reader)

|| Thirteen ||

The next morning, the three boys woke up. (Y/n) was busying herself with packing up the campsite so they could depart for Lestallum. While her body was doing one thing, her mind was on cloud nine. Her mind kept racing to the intimate kiss she shared with Ignis the night prior. She mentally confessed to herself it was distracting her, but she refused to show it in her actions.

When Noctis and Prompto were departing for the Regalia, her eyes locked with Ignis'. Neither of them looked away, but (Y/n) was the first to shatter the silence. "You must tell me what happened in the nightmare, Ignis. That kiss...it was prompted by the nightmare, yes?"

Ignis turned his gaze away from hers for a split second before reconnecting it. He didn't want to lie to her and nodded. "Yes," he simply replied. Although he admitted the truth, he wasn't ready to tell her what all transpired in his nightmare. He went to turn on his heels and head to the car, but he stopped in his tracks when a hand curled into the fabric of his leopard print dress shirt. He rotated his head, his body unmoving as he gazed down at the shorter girl.

(Y/n) arched a brow, pulling slightly on his shirt. When she managed to get his entire body to face her, she maneuvered her hands up to his cheeks and cupped them gently. She pulled his face down a little ways so she could stare deeper into his eyes without having to stand on her tippy toes. "Please, Ignis, I beg you. What changed?"

Unable to break away from her cool, gentle touch, the advisor spilled the details of his nightmare. As he reached the part where he was able to physically touch her and save her from plummeting to her death, her eyes gradually widened. They darted between the ground and his face as she slowly released him and took a few steps back. "How is this even possible? Could your close proximity with the orb created a bond and allowed you to manipulate the events of the nightmare? It sounds inane, but the orb contains an immense amount of power. After all, it is the catalyst of the nightmare."

Before (Y/n) could try and debunk the situation further, Ignis stepped toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Such trifling matters must be deciphered at a later date. For now, we head for Lestallum."

The Horseman nodded. "Yes, you're right. Let's go."

<——————<<<<<<

Arriving in Lestallum, the group learned of the trouble the power plant was experiencing. They rendezvoused with Cindy's friend, Holly, and learned what the issue was. Seeing as the engineer was in need of a helping hand, the four offered her what she desperately needed.

A few hours later, it was nearly noon by the time Noctis had suited up in a safety suit, courtesy of Holly. Prompto snickered as he stared at his best friend from behind the bridge gate. "Lovin' that outfit, Noct!"

"Why don't you wear one?" Noctis grumbled, glaring at his best friend from under the head piece.

"Well, that's the only one. And if anyone stands a fighting chance in there, it's you. Forget about fashion and go," Ignis commanded the younger boy.

While Holly was distracted with Noctis, (Y/n) stood next to Ignis and leaned closer to him. "Should I join him for cautionary reasons?"

"With a hunter already assisting in this endeavor, your help will not be required," he responded.

Prompto glances between the two when he could only hear their incoherent whispering. He stood a few feet from them and analyzed them. The first thing he noticed was how close they were standing to each other, which they had never done so casually before. Second, he saw how Ignis would brush his hand against hers every few seconds. He wasn't sure if it was voluntary or a complete accident due to their close proximity. Lastly, the aura radiating from both of them was completely different. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it. He cleared his throat, which grabbed Ignis' and (Y/n)'s attention. "So...What's happening, you guys? Did I miss something?"