FFXV: Growing Pains (Ignis X Reader)

Chapter 38 - Unseen Fears

"So he's trying to impress Gwen?" Ignis asked you as you sitting beside him in the library while you were both eating lunch.

"That's what he told me." You said before you took a bite of your sandwich.

Ignis gave a slight grin before taking a bite himself. You gave him a curious look as you quietly chewed your food. You knew that look. He was coming up with a plan. But what, you had no idea.

"What are you planning?" You asked after you took a drink to clear your mouth.

"What do you mean?" Ignis asked as he tried to look innocent.

"Don't play. You know I can tell when your cooking up something." You said with a smile as you watched him.

"Not planning really. More like impressed." Ignis said back with a smile.

"Why?" You asked as you gave him a curious look.

"Well I've actually never personally known anyone who wants to impress her. Most of us try to stay as far away from her as possible." Her said with a smile.

"You're all cruel. You know that?" You said as you shook her head.

"You should run from her faster than the rest of us." He said then he took a drink. "She was the person who helped them kidnap you after all."

"In her defense, she thought that she was saving her parents. I even saw her pleading with them before they knocked me out again." You said before you took a bite.

"I know. But the fact remains that she was the reason that they got you and took you from us." Ignis said in a disgruntled voice as he clearly looked upset.

You simply dropped your head as you swallowed your food. There was no arguing that fact. In fact, she had been the one who had knocked you out with the chloroformed cloth. Which is how they got you. And he had every reason to be upset by it. Since he was the last one to see you before they kidnapped you.

Suddenly you felt a kiss on your cheek. You blinked your eyes as you came back out of your troubling deep thoughts. You looked up and saw Ignis giving you a sincere smile.

"My apologies. I shouldn't be bringing that up like that." He said in a quiet voice as he reached over and started rubbing your back.

You slightly shook your head as you looked at him. "It's fine. It affected you, just as much as me. Just in a different way."

Ignis smiled back at you. Then he pulled you into his arms. As he pulled you in, you wrapped your arms around him. Then you closed your eyes as you tried not to recall the sight of his back as he had walked away as he headed out on stage. For that was quickly replaced with the towel that Gwen had put over your face before everything went black.

But despite your best effort, the image was back, and very vivid. It was so vivid in fact, that you couldn't help but to feel the hurt all over again. And soon the tears started to form as you once again felt the pull as you were torn away from him like that. You couldn't seem to control your body as it started to shake again from the memories of that night. Ignis closed his eyes and pulled you in tighter as he felt you start to shake in his arms. Then he slightly squeezed you as he kissed your forehead.

"That won't happen during this concert." He quietly said as he started rubbing your back again. "Because I'm not letting you out of my sight this time."

You squeezed back as you smiled broadly as tears rolled down your cheeks. "I know."

That night during swim practice..........

"I don't think he's going to get up there again." You heard Prompto say.

"Just give him a minute." Noctis replied. "He will."