Kingsmen

Stolen Kisses

Ignis Scientia Appreciation Society Weekly Prompt - Week 3
"Ignis loses something very important to him but finds it in an unexpected place."

* * *

"Ignis, come on!" Noctis shouted back to the campsite before turning back to Gladiolus and Prompto, muttering "First he brings a damn tonberry into camp, now this. What's got into him lately?" Gladio shook his head, too shocked and confused by this unusual behaviour to even answer as he closed the trunk and took up his usual seat in the back of the car.

Prompto shrugged from the front passenger seat, not looking up from his phone and said "I got nothing."

Normally, Ignis was the first one packed up after camp, leaning on the Regalia and sipping on a can of Ebony while he gave the rest of them a silent look of disappointment. Today, he was the only one left on the campground. Noct shook his head and sat in the driver's seat, the journey ahead making him too anxious to sleep much, he had been up since first light. They were due to set out from Cape Caem this afternoon by boat and arrive in Altissia by evening, where he would finally get to see Luna again after all these years. His heart swelled at the thought of seeing her beautiful face again in person. Even just looking at the few photos of her she had sent left him unusually relaxed, at peace with the world like nothing else. Letting his irritation show, he hit the car horn a couple of times, sending a flock of small birds flying from a nearby tree.

Atop the rock, hidden from the road, Ignis was hunched over the remnants of their campfire, poking at the ashes with a stick. He had checked everywhere, he was sure of it, every bag and every pocket had been meticulously searched but his beloved necklace was nowhere to be found. His new friend, the tonberry, stood by his feet, staring up with curious eyes.

"Drat," he said, stroking his neck where it should lie, he felt a cold sense of loss, grief even. That necklace was the only thing he had brought with him from his homeland. It was given to him by his father on the day he had been chosen to undergo training to become a royal advisor, the right hand of the Prince. Being just a child at the time, he had thought it scary at first, a fanged skull staring with hollow eyes, but with time he had come to treasure it. Ignis had been wearing it every day since he was a teenager, only taking it off to train or bathe lest it be damaged.

"Shit!" he let fly an uncustomary curse as the sound of the Regalia's horn shocked him out of this reverie and made the tonberry jump behind him. There was no more time. They had to leave now if they were going to make it to the lighthouse before dark. Feeling like he was leaving a piece of himself behind, Ignis dragged his unwilling feet to move him towards the car. The Prince's journey was more important, he could mourn the loss of a small material possession on his own time, at least that is what he told himself. Ignis held out his arms and the tonberry leaped into them with ease. It had been surprisingly easy to get used to having the little daemon around, once his travelling companions had overcome their shock and realised that it was on the blessed ground, they had begrudgingly accepted the new addition to their number. With a gloomy expression, he carried the small creature to the car and wordlessly sat in the back seat. Gladio gave the tonberry a sideways glance accompanied by a frown, but said nothing.

"Finally, we can go." Noctis said, rolling his eyes and starting the car.

"Anxious to finally see your bride-to-be?" Prompto asked, full of his usual zeal.

"Yeah, I really am." the prince let out a happy sigh and smiled. Everything felt just that little bit better when he thought of Lunafreya.

Having been quiet for the majority of the journey, Ignis remained sullen as they pulled up in the parking spot at Cape Caem, carefully lifting the sleeping tonberry from his knee as he alighted from the Regalia. He stopped to stretch the stiffness out of his long legs as the other three men rushed to greet Cindy, who had evidently been waiting for them.