Once he's finished, Noctis sighs quietly. This sort of thing isn't the most tiring use of his magic there is, but it does take its toll like everything else, so he takes just that one brief moment to rest before he opens his eyes again. And when he does...
...he's met with Ignis looking at him like that. It mirrors the feeling that's settled deep in Noct's heart, an instinctive sense for whose hands hold pieces of his power and how they almost feel like they could be a part of him, if he concentrates on it enough. Or, perhaps, that he is a part of them, giving pieces of himself over to the stewardship of their souls. Maybe that's why this feels so perfectly right with Ignis of all people.
That look, that smile, the tone in Iggy's voice, it all makes Noct's breath catch. How did he manage to go so long without Ignis? He honestly has no idea.
His hand still rests there above his retainer's heart as awe creeps into his gaze. "It's...by far the least I can do," he says softly. "I want to give you so much more. I want to make you as happy as you make me. I want..."
He shouldn't. He really shouldn't. Even with Gladio it was slightly shaky ground before they reached an understanding about their love coexisting with their duties. With Ignis...how could any kind of confession be anything but compromising? Unlike Gladio, Ignis has always seemed to seamlessly blend his duties with his feelings and often capitulates to what Noctis wants, in spirit if not to the letter. Would Ignis tell him if he didn't feel the same way? Or would he take up that role with a smile, too, simply because Noctis wanted it? He was nervous and worried about confessing to Gladio, but if Ignis takes this poorly, if they step back to keeping each other at arm's length again, Noctis doesn't think he could handle it.
But he may not get a better chance than this. He doesn't want to let this moment drift away from them only to lose it forever. If Noctis says nothing now, he may never say anything. And that seems unfair to Ignis, doesn't it? Keeping something like this a secret from the man who otherwise knows his heart inside and out?
...and what if Ignis vanishes from Amani just like Nyx did? Didn't Noctis tell the whole network he would work harder to be open with people he cared about and invite them to do the same, lest they lose the opportunity? If anyone deserves that effort from Noctis, it's Iggy.
Taking a deep breath and drawing himself up, he takes Ignis' hand with his own free one, just to hold it. "Listen...I'm going to say something, and I know how complicated it could make things. Trust me, I get it. That's why I need to make sure you understand that no matter what your answer is, I'll be fine. I don't want you to feel any kind of pressure. Forget for a minute what we are to each other, okay? Right now, I'm just Noct and you're just Ignis, and that's it. Got it?"
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...he's met with Ignis looking at him like that. It mirrors the feeling that's settled deep in Noct's heart, an instinctive sense for whose hands hold pieces of his power and how they almost feel like they could be a part of him, if he concentrates on it enough. Or, perhaps, that he is a part of them, giving pieces of himself over to the stewardship of their souls. Maybe that's why this feels so perfectly right with Ignis of all people.
That look, that smile, the tone in Iggy's voice, it all makes Noct's breath catch. How did he manage to go so long without Ignis? He honestly has no idea.
His hand still rests there above his retainer's heart as awe creeps into his gaze. "It's...by far the least I can do," he says softly. "I want to give you so much more. I want to make you as happy as you make me. I want..."
He shouldn't. He really shouldn't. Even with Gladio it was slightly shaky ground before they reached an understanding about their love coexisting with their duties. With Ignis...how could any kind of confession be anything but compromising? Unlike Gladio, Ignis has always seemed to seamlessly blend his duties with his feelings and often capitulates to what Noctis wants, in spirit if not to the letter. Would Ignis tell him if he didn't feel the same way? Or would he take up that role with a smile, too, simply because Noctis wanted it? He was nervous and worried about confessing to Gladio, but if Ignis takes this poorly, if they step back to keeping each other at arm's length again, Noctis doesn't think he could handle it.
But he may not get a better chance than this. He doesn't want to let this moment drift away from them only to lose it forever. If Noctis says nothing now, he may never say anything. And that seems unfair to Ignis, doesn't it? Keeping something like this a secret from the man who otherwise knows his heart inside and out?
...and what if Ignis vanishes from Amani just like Nyx did? Didn't Noctis tell the whole network he would work harder to be open with people he cared about and invite them to do the same, lest they lose the opportunity? If anyone deserves that effort from Noctis, it's Iggy.
Taking a deep breath and drawing himself up, he takes Ignis' hand with his own free one, just to hold it. "Listen...I'm going to say something, and I know how complicated it could make things. Trust me, I get it. That's why I need to make sure you understand that no matter what your answer is, I'll be fine. I don't want you to feel any kind of pressure. Forget for a minute what we are to each other, okay? Right now, I'm just Noct and you're just Ignis, and that's it. Got it?"