the longer the waiting the sweeter the kiss

[blindsider]

[ Honestly, a six-month anniversary isn't something he'd been thinking about celebrating until Noctis had brought it up (in... however a disastrous fashion). It's always seemed a little morbid to count what time they have together. But once the idea is in his head, he can't quite leave it alone.

He thinks first of taking Noctis out somewhere they can watch the stars. A nice callback, if there'd been something particularly interesting happening, but as it stands the idea doesn't weigh against the tradeoff of camping when he's hoping to... celebrate. Then clothing, perhaps, something tailored especially for him. Ignis likes the idea of a symbol of his affection that Noctis can wear in public, but when almost all of Noct's clothing is tailored especially for him and a full third of it chosen by Ignis anyway, it lacks significance.

It's not until he hears about a fellow student looking for assistance that he knows what it needs to be. He'd hoped for pure royal black, but when he'd arrived to have a look none of them had quite matched that description. In the end, the kitten he chooses is almost entirely black – the toes of her front left paw are white, making her look as if she's dipped it delicately into paint, and he thinks she's all the more charming for it. She's been with her mother long enough that she's past the helpless fluffball stage, bright and inquisitive and affectionate with him until she decides she's had enough and trots away haughtily, her little tail held completely upright, and lays down to take a nap.

She's perfect.

He tells Noctis he's going to come by to prepare a special meal, and he has every intention of doing so. He explains away the everyday nature of it by reasoning that this way they have the privacy to be as affectionate as they like, but when he's at the door he sends Noctis a text asking him to wait on the couch, with his eyes closed. He's almost certain any text he receives in response will have some accusation of kinkiness so he doesn't check, just carries in his first load; ingredients for dinner and the cheesecake he'd prepared ahead of time, craning to see if Noctis is following instructions. ]

Won't be long.

Comments

[linkstrike]

It's nowhere near as good as a cat, though.

[ with an affectionate little head rub for her, which is enough to make her butt her head into his hand to demand more. she hasn't even been in the apartment for an hour, and she's already bossing royalty around. ] If they gave out boyfriend awards, I'd nominate you for sure.

[blindsider]

It's perfect.

[ Repeated with a level of emphasis that indicates he'll brook no argument, though certainly in a nicer context than usual. Ignis has no desire for a cat of his own (he rather fancies that having Noctis for a boyfriend gives most of the experience of cat ownership anyway), but the level of validation in Noct's gift to him is precisely what he hadn't dared to hope for.

Not that any of that stops him from being incredibly proud at the way Noctis and the cat are interacting, and he twirls a finger briefly around the end of her fluffy little tail. ]

I'll let you two get better acquainted while I start dinner. There are toys in the box by the door, if you'd like to try them out.

[linkstrike]

[ the cat responds almost immediately to that touch at her tail, wriggling around in noctis' arm and reaching out with one deft little paw to bat at ignis' hand in retaliation. and the sight of that is enough to make noctis laugh a little, tickling her chest and getting a little nip of kitten teeth in return. ]

You sure you don't need help? [ which warrants a pause, and then another laugh, slightly more sheepish. ] I mean, I know you don't need help, but...

It seems a little wrong to make you do all the work on our anniversary.

[blindsider]

[ His first instinct is to say no, but anything he can do to encourage Noctis towards cooking has to be a good thing. And on a purely selfish note... ]

I'd appreciate the company. Perhaps we can even throw something together for the little miss to apologise for my stealing you away from her.

[ They'd probably better, honestly. One of the ingredients he's stowed in the fridge is a sealed foil package of fish, and chances are she'll go bananas when it's opened. He kisses Noct's cheek, considers giving the kitten a little kiss as well and thinks better of it, and heads into the kitchen to wash his hands and start setting ingredients on the bench. ]

[linkstrike]

[ it's hard to make himself put the kitten down, but... it helps, reminding himself that she's his, that she isn't going anywhere. it's not like the scant few times when he's smuggled a little bundle of abandoned strays into the citadel or his apartment, back when he was almost immediately found out and forced to rehome them amid lectures and reminders about his responsibilities. but there's no fear about someone coming to take astra away; if ignis is giving her to him, then he's almost certainly made sure to cross his t's and dot his i's beforehand.

so he leans down to plop the little kitten down on the floor of his apartment, grinning as she almost immediately puts her little tail up and struts after ignis as if she's assured of the treat that's coming. there's nothing timid or shy about her; she hasn't even been in the apartment for an hour, and she already seems confident that it's hers to conquer. ]

I didn't know you were studying cat cookbooks in secret. Planning to start a career as a feline chef once you get tired of bossing me around? [ but there's humor in his voice, and open affection, and the way that he steals closer to press a kiss against the nape of ignis' neck is probably enough to take any potential sting out of his words. ]

[blindsider]

[ He cranes his head forward, allowing more space to accept that little kiss, and gives a pleased hum. ]

It's sweet that you think I'll ever tire of bossing you around.

[ And as if to prove the point, he turns enough to give Noctis a kiss of his own and points to the box by the door. ]

There are dishes for her in there. Would you fetch one for me, please?

[ The dishes were something of a flight of fancy. He'd looked at them, seen some that were plain and glazed in black - smooth enough to be easy to clean and certain to fit in with the rest of Noct's apartment.

Then he'd completely ignored those in favour of of some that he's hoping (almost certainly in vain, he's aware) Noctis won't laugh at him over. There's a larger, flatter one stamped over with little fish and a cat licking its lips, and a smaller one with higher sides in which the same cat is merrily sailing a boat, with a little paper hat on its head. He immediately returns to the bench, setting salted water to boil in the hopes that diligently preparing the meal will somehow protect him from teasing. ]

[linkstrike]

[ it's probably a stupid thing to be happy about, but here he is, grinning like an idiot. and he's even willing to accept the next bit of bossing when it comes, briefly leaving astra to supervise the cooking so that he can pad back out to retrieve her dishes.

... but the sight of the dishes is enough to do him in entirely.

there's just something absolutely endearing about the mental image of ignis carefully picking these out -- ignis, who takes great pains to ensure the fashion and coordination of his wardrobe, and who noctis has seen (on more than one occasion) attempting to decide which one of two (nearly identical) plates would be best suited for showing off his latest culinary creation. these cat dishes aren't at all to ignis' usual refined tastes, but that just means he was thinking about noctis when he picked them out, and.

it's dumb, really dumb, but the whole thing is enough to put a lump in his throat. so he returns to the kitchen, one cat dish in each hand, and promptly wraps both arms around ignis' waist the moment he's close enough, mushing his face into the older man's shoulder. ]

I love you. A lot. [ muffled, but clear enough. ] You know that, right?

[ you giant soft-hearted nerd. ]

[blindsider]

[ Well, that went rather better than he was anticipating. He'd been just a little uncertain about the dishes - he'd chosen them based on the way Noctis has always been with animals on the rare occasions he's seen it, talking to them with a sweet and gentle level of indulgence that he thought the whimsical patterns reflected. But Noctis has always been just a little touchy about displaying that sweetness openly, and certainly about having it pointed out. It's a relief when he's not only not teased for his choice, but on the receiving end of some of that sweetness himself.

He lifts Noct's head from his shoulder, cradling his face in both hands and letting the absolute adoration in his eyes give him away. ]

I do. I know.

Thank you.

[linkstrike]

Gotta wonder what everyone else in the Crownsguard would say about your taste in cat dishes, though.

[ and now he manages to crack a grin, even though it's a little wobbly -- he's still halfway overwhelmed with just how much this whole thing has meant to him, and his heart feels almost achingly full with the adoration he can see mirrored in ignis' eyes.

he doesn't deserve this. he really, really doesn't, but --

before he can give the matter much more thought, he's interrupted by the pressure of two tiny paws coming to rest on his calf, and an insistent little mew. and when he pulls free of ignis' hold long enough to look down and investigate, he snorts a laugh when he spots astra peering up at them intently, her attention piqued by the appearance of the plates. ] You picked a bossy one, huh? Guess it's true what they say about birds of a feather.

[blindsider]

Small, demanding, and too cute for her own good.

[ And he shifts to give Noctis room to pick her up if he wishes, but hooks an arm around his waist, not yet ready to let him go. Although whether he'll be permitted to keep it there is a matter of debate, considering what he says next. ]

I wonder what the appeal could have been.

[linkstrike]

[ ignis is getting a Look for that comment, but noctis refuses to even dignify the comparison with a response! ... other than bending down just long enough to scoop up the kitten, settling her against his chest and then tucking himself up against ignis again. and already, she's purring again -- pleased as punch to be nestled at the center of attention between them. ]

I think you picked a winner. [ already, he couldn't imagine loving another kitten in the entire world as much as he adores her. ] We make a pretty cute family, huh? You, me, and Astra.

[blindsider]

Astra.

[ It's not lost on him, and when he repeats the name his voice is hushed, ridiculously soft. It's perfect. So too the suggestion that they're family, and there's something about the moment that settles over Ignis like a favourite warm blanket. He aches sometimes for the things they'll never be allowed, for the life and the duty that's required of Noctis Lucis Caeleum, but here and now - their bodies tucked in close, Astra curled between them warm and content - it's more than enough to take these moments as they are and treasure them. He cups his hand gently at the back of Noct's head and kisses him, close-mouthed but sweet and lingering, feeling almost as if he's too filled with love. ]

The best.

And now I'm afraid I have to detach, if I'm going to spoil my beautiful family the way I hope to.

[ It would be far more convincing if he actually let go, instead of lingering to brush further kisses over Noct's cheek and rub a gentle finger at the base of Astra's ear. Well. There's time. ]

[linkstrike]

[ the promise of ignis' cooking is always a tempting one -- especially that there aren't an abundance of vegetables about -- but it still pales in comparison to being kissed like that. sweetly, tenderly, and warmly enough to convey his affection without having to say a single word, and enough to tingle all the way down into noctis' fingers and toes.

so he's already turning to catch ignis' mouth in another one of those lingering kisses, shifting the kitten in his hold a bit to keep from squishing her between them. ] What if your family likes the way you're spoiling them now, huh?

[ after all, he's always been a big fan of having his dessert before dinner --

but astra either resents no longer being the center of attention, or is smart enough to sense that her dinner might be delayed, and she's quick to rectify the situation. so she sinks her sharp little claws into noctis' chest and punctuates her demands with another bossy mew, looking up at him smugly as he hisses and jerks back in surprise. ]

... or not.

[blindsider]

[ Ignis makes a very poor effort at stifling a laugh, though he does weather a ferocious little bite as he reaches to delicately shift her paw with a murmured be nice to your father. One final kiss, which requires leaning over the savage beast, and he turns to the fridge with a smile. ]

Perhaps a bribe is in order.

[ So: He extracts the package of fish, trims the thinner ends of the fillets and cuts them into fine slices to place into the dish. ]

You might want to pop her down before you take the dish. She's already displayed a willingness to take a man's hand off, if not quite the ability.

[linkstrike]

[ from the moment that the package of fish is open, astra begins squirming and meowing as if this is the first bit of food she's been offered in at least a hundred years. so noctis is more than willing to take ignis up on his suggestion as he leans down to plop the kitten back on the kitchen floor, snorting as she immediately begins winding her way through ignis' ankles and mewing in what is (very obviously) her nicest attempt at saying pretty please. ]

I'm starting to think you might have a thing for being bossed around. [ if his taste in boyfriends and cats is anything to go by. ]

[blindsider]

Difficult to say. I don't generally let anyone do it.

[ And, because he is a cruel man who hates kittens (or so Astra's increasingly desperate mewing suggests, at least) he delays her dinner by pressing the dish into Noct's hand. It should come from him, he thinks. Partly to help cement their bond, but also slightly because he doesn't want to encourage her to bully him to the fridge every time he comes over in the hopes that he'll produce fish. But what he says is - ]

Perhaps you could try it later, and we'll find out.

[linkstrike]

[ to be honest, noctis hadn't really been considering it as anything other than a joke, but. when ignis cements it into an offer, teasing or not, it's hard not to let his mind consider the possibility. and the thought of ignis on his knees, eager to please and waiting for his orders, is --

but the fantasy is interrupted in its tracks by another impatient meow, long and whiny enough to suggest the sort of suffering that waiting for her dinner is forcing astra to endure. so noctis snorts and steps away a bit to make sure she's not underfoot while they're cooking, putting the dish down once he's a safer distance away. and immediately, she's pouncing gleefully on the food, wolfing it down as if she fully expects someone to come along and snatch it away without warning. ]

She's sure got an appetite. [ and he stays crouched so that he can give her a gentle poke to her tummy, biting the inside of his cheek to stifle a laugh when she sprawls defensively across her dish and mreows at him in protest. ] Bets on how long it takes before the vet is giving you an earful for letting her pack on the pounds?

[blindsider]

They can hardly scold me if we can't fit her in the carrier to get her there.

[ It's all pronounced with a chiding tone, but the look he's giving her is soft enough to betray him utterly. She's perfect, and Noctis is clearly smitten. Ignis is feeling very pleased with himself indeed.

To the food, then; the water is boiling, so he adds new potatoes, tiny things barely bigger than the end of his thumb. The sauce he's making is tomato-based, but full of spices and sweetened just a touch, He's reasonably confident that he can pass it off as practically ketchup, and he sets about finely mincing garlic and shallots with confidence. ]

So, Noct. Are you ready for the responsibilities of fatherhood?

[linkstrike]

[ ... okay, he really did mean to help with the cooking.

but it's way too easy to be utterly enthralled with astra -- she finishes off her dinner and then promptly plops down to wash her face and paws, so prim and fastidious that you never would have known how messily she'd been eating just a moment before.

of course, the question is enough to pull his attention away, blinking and then snorting a laugh. ] As long as you're sticking around, I think I'll be okay. I don't think I'm cut out for the whole single parent thing.

[blindsider]

[ It is only by colossal force of will that Ignis manages to sweep the chopped vegetables into the pan before he moves to lean over Noctis and kiss the top of his head instead of abandoning them altogether. And he certainly doesn't begrudge Astra the attention she's getting in lieu of his help; it'll take a lot more than that to take the sheen off how much he's enjoying seeing them together. ]

My cross to bear. I think I'll manage.