Chapter 9

Ignis muttered half an expletive when his right sole slid on something wet on the patchy grass and his knee jerked to the side.

Scanning a vast terrain of wildlife, hills and lakebeds for a single person was becoming a challenge when so many bumps kept drawing his attention. He also wasn't quite in peak condition yet after that unfortunate dose of poison.

He slowed in front of a grove, catching his breath. As his eyes roamed over the large tree trunks, a flicker of movement behind one of them darted his gaze immediately to it.

Ignis's hand gripped the hilt of a materialized dagger. One could never be too cautious.

His feet crept lightly as he edged closer to the source of the movement. Best not take the creature by surprise.

The critter took Ignis by surprise, though, when it erratically jumped in front of him as he rounded the trunk.

A breath of relief escaped him. The stray wildlife was a harmless Rabirl. A cross between a hare and a squirrel, these animals were certainly one of the nicer varieties out here in the plains.

Scuffling leaves rustled from above. Ignis instinctively raised his daggers and his vision. He relaxed when he spotted Oriana sitting on a long branch, looking both happy to see him and then terrified when she saw the ground.

"What's the matter?" With the way Oriana clung to the branch she sat on, Ignis just had to hear her reply.

"I can't get down!" Face reddening, Oriana had trouble peering down. "I wanted to get that apple and the tree didn't seem so high from where you are."

A well-formed, large crimson apple hung on a high branch from where he stood, definitely requiring a climb to get. Ignis smiled up, dismissing his daggers. "If you come down from there, I'll fetch it for you."

"Too high, too high!"

Ignis studied the tree, running a palm over the sturdy trunk. He moved right below her and held out his arms.

Oriana hesitated and shook her head. When Ignis didn't relinquish, she let out a huff. "Ok, ok, but no complaints if I break something of yours."

Ignis's grin only widened further, bracing himself. "I'll take my chances."

With a swift swing of her legs, Oriana pushed herself off the branch. She landed directly into his arms and her sudden weight made him stumble. Ignis felt himself falling backwards and a grab at his arms pulling him the other way righted him.

"Thank-you-thank-you!" The small hands that had tugged on him a moment ago now were flung around his waist. The heartbeat pattering against his shirt was vibrant and Ignis let himself enjoy it, resting his chin on top of her head.

Birds chirped. Indigenous beasts far out in the meadows called out.

"Are you doing better?" Oriana eventually asked, her question muffled by his chest.

Ignis made an affirmative noise. "Tomorrow I'll be even better."

She drew away and watched Ignis's sedate expression. She smiled, or attempted to, and tears misted her eyes. Concerned, Ignis touched her cheek.

Oriana swiped away her tears. "If the antidote hadn't worked, you would've…"

Ignis couldn't hide it any longer. He was so foolish, not telling her before how much he appreciated her care during that tough battle. Even if her actions were reckless, Oriana came for him when she didn't need to. What did he do to thank her? Yell. Besides the prince and his other companions at camp, Ignis's circle of friends was not large, let alone intimate.

He gathered her body tighter against his, tilting her chin up.

"Shh..." Ignis's soft command didn't match his bruising kiss.

Oriana sucked in a sharp breath. She deepened the kiss by sinking into him. A quiet moan slipped from Ignis's throat despite his insistence on muteness.

Her arms wrapped around his neck as he murmured his apologies for putting her through such stress.

"It was a mission. Things always come up when you don't plan them." Lingering tears dampened her eyes, but they had become brighter again. Inquisitive. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Really?"

Ignis paused. She sounded as if she were about to ask something whimsical, yet her serious eyes told him she had a deeper topic. "Yes."

Oriana fiddled with one of the buttons on Ignis's shirt, not speaking right away. She stopped moving. "That Noctis is the prince of Lucis, isn't he? He's alive?"

Oriana's question threw him off guard and for a few seconds, Ignis couldn't speak. Wildly, he considered lying. The prince's identity was to remain a secret until his group reached Altissia to reunite with Lunafreya whom Noctis was to be wedded to.

Ignis thought of going through with his fibbing, but with clear eyes, knowing eyes mere inches away staring at him, he knew he would be caught. Knew that lying was not what she deserved from him, nor was lying something he could be complacent doing.

He slowly exhaled. "Yes, he is. We... want to keep a low profile."

Nodding slowly, Oriana tapped her fingers on the button she had been playing with. "You guys are all together? I mean, you do things for Noctis?"

"I'm his advisor. We're travelling to meet someone in Altissia."

"Wow, so far."

Thinking of his close call with the Adamantoise, Ignis truly understood that taking on the fight, while optional to his group's main goal, could've been a bigger disaster. What if the whole gang had been disabled by the giant creature, not merely him?

Ignis pulled himself out of extra deep musing. "As much as Prompto wants to, we'll likely have to pass fighting the Adamantoise until we finish what we originally came to do. I'm sorry to disappoint you."

Oriana began grinning. "You haven't! I got to see a real Adamantoise up close. I never thought I would in all the time I've been sitting behind that stand in the market."

Ignis's face turned warm when he felt a teasing squeeze on his derriere. "Aaaand, if it hadn't been for Prompto's wacky idea, I wouldn't have met you."

"When we're done with our travels, I'd like to return to you."

"I'd like that." Oriana's smile widened.

Ignis's mouth curved up. "Did you get it? The Adamantoise photos?"

Oriana leaned close to his face and nodded. "Pictures I thought I'd never take. They'll make a great article. Even if nobody reads it, even if my Adamantoise sales go down the drain, thanks so much for trying for me."

Ignis reached behind her neck to draw her closer. "You're welcome. I can't wait to see those pictures developed." He locked lips with hers. Maybe it was an odd effect of the antidote or just being caught up in this moment, but she felt so good against him.

This kissing fiend wasn't going to recuperate until she reluctantly had to stop him. Oriana seemed to understand this fact and began to reluctantly pull away. Ignis felt this and merely tightened his arms around her. Every time she let go of his mouth, Ignis just captured it again and again.

She learned quickly, however, and began peppering puckers on an infernally sensitive spot of skin right just below his ear.

"Mercy!" Ignis couldn't handle the waves of shivers from those lips of her.

"Hmm, only if you fulfill your promise." Oriana giggled and indicated to the swaying apple high in the leaves.

"Don't let it bruise," Ignis teased when he held out an arm, a dagger forming in his hand.

Oriana had just enough time to hop over under the fruit before the blade whipped through the air. The bright red delight fell cleanly into her awaiting grasp.

Ignis approved. "Nice reflexes. Would you like me to cut it for you as well?" He pointed to her fruit with his dagger.

She strolled past him with a cheeky smile, heading towards the campsite. "When we get back. This one is a gift." Oriana broke out into a light jog. Over her shoulder, she called out, "Last one there doesn't get a slice!"

Even as the blue light of his disappearing dagger faded, Ignis was chuckling to himself as he hurried to catch up.

- The End -