"Ironically, the people you meet by accident are often the ones who become an important part of your life"

Ignis Scientia was justly proud of his role and his title. A duty that had been passed down to the eldest child in his family for generations. A duty that left no time for trivial pursuits of friendship and of the heart. During a quest set on him by his highness, he meets the one thing that could be his downfall. His first thought is to keep everything a secret, to keep his personal life separate from his work life. How far can this secret go before colleagues and family start finding out?

After a particularly frustrating day which ended in a disagreement over vegetables, Ignis Scientia had taken to the streets in a bid to clear his mind. He had been wrong to raise his voice, he knew that now, but at the time, after going to the kitchen to find his carefully prepared meals lying in a heap in the bin, raising his voice had seemed the only rational thing to do. Ignis didn't even like cooking, it was another responsibility and one that gave him great satisfaction when it was appreciated.

It was rare Ignis had any time to himself and it was a shame that a small disagreement was his only way of achieving solace. He walked, lost in thought, lamenting over how silly he had been to ever get his hopes up that the prince could change overnight. The prince had never liked vegetables and no matter what they were he would still leave them to one side, or worse, hide them in his water glass. That habit stopped after he forgot about it one time during dinner with his father. He'd drunk from the very cup he'd been hiding his vegetables in to be met with wet carrots to the face.

Walking whilst thinking and angry were never a good combination and before long Ignis realised he had walked a good distance away from the apartment complex and in the opposite direction of the citadel. There was one lone shop, nestled in between two rather run down buildings, unadorned and unassuming but desperate for some sense of direction Ignis walked in.

He was hit with the overwhelming smell of freshly brewed coffee. Coffee was not new to him, on the contrary, he had become rather dependent on it especially in the last few years as he worked hard on his school work and on his advising duties. Coffee, it could be said, was the only thing that kept him going during those nights where he only managed a few hours of sleep. A fact that was all too common in Ignis day to day routine.

The inside of the shop was the polar opposite to the outside, a hidden gem tucked away in a bustling city. Couches and armchairs cluttered the inside providing adequate places to sit and socialise, or, as Ignis eyed a particular lonely armchair in a corner, to read. There was a small stage to one corner as well, perfect for poetry readings or open mic-nights as the blackboard behind the stage suggested. The lone occupant of the shop was the barista, she didn't hear Ignis' arrival and was too engrossed in her book to notice him until he approached the counter she was sitting on and gave a little cough of acknowledgement.

"Ah sorry," She flustered, placing an old receipt in the book and placing it on the counter. "What can I get y… Ignis?"

Ignis stared in open mouthed shock. The girl, a little younger than him, had brown wavy hair that was tied back with a pencil. Her faded jeans and white t-shirt were hidden behind a green apron. Her eyes blue, wide with recognition as she jumped down from the counter and turned to face the man standing before her. She looked familiar, but Ignis couldn't place where he'd seen her before. She knew him, that much was a given and it annoyed Ignis that he couldn't remember her. He was supposed to be good with faces, how else was the Prince to know the difference between Lady Dovetillum of the Dove Cooperation and Lady Moatilum of the education department? He mentally ran through everything he'd done in the past couple of weeks, which wasn't much if you take into account the fact that he didn't really have friends unless you counted Noctis. There was also Gladiolus Amicitia, the Prince's shield and probably the closest thing Ignis had to call someone else a friend. He also knew Gladiolus had a sister, but Iris was only eleven and not old enough to be working in an unassuming coffee shop in downtown Insomnia. Ignis had been home-schooled, so there was no chance of this girl being an old classmate. There was the university where he had and still took a few classes when he needed to, but again he would have remembered something so recent.

Realising he was staring, and with his mouth open no less, Ignis dropped his gaze and closed his mouth, wracking his brain for any inclination of where he might have met her. His eyes fell on the book she had been reading, a small green book, with a gold inlay and matching gold writing that proudly announced that it was a 'Journey into Tenebrae and it's Healing Properties.' Tenebrae. , however, sparked some memories, he'd never been to Tenebrae but Noctis had and he'd come back babbling about some confectionery that the Lady Lunafreya had given him. This had been Ignis first foray into the culinary world and after years of failing (partly due to the lack of information he had on the cake), he had finally found help in the form of a young girl from the Refugee Quarter. The same young girl who was now standing in front of him attempting to sell him coffee. Ignis could have kicked himself for not remembering sooner.

"Lara," he said finally and the girl grinned.

"I was beginning to think you hadn't recognised me," she said and Ignis cringed. It had been a long day. He looked at her again. It had been two years since he had met her, albeit briefly. She'd been fifteen, and looked a lot younger than she did now. At seventeen she was taller and had a more adult look about her. "To be perfectly honest I wasn't sure it was you," she continued and Ignis watched amused as her cheeks gained a sort of blush to her usually medium complexion. "You've been working out."

It was true, Ignis had been working on his physique for a couple of years now. Even after becoming a member of the Crownsguard as part of his duties to Noctis, he still trained when he got the chance. When Lana had last seen him, he'd only just started out, now after two years, the fruits of his labour were probably showing through.

"How did the cakes turn out?" Lara was talking again and Ignis forced himself to stop beating himself up that he had almost forgotten who she was.

"Not too bad, my charge was pleased to see them, so we got the look right at least. However, I can never seem to get the filling right or the consistency of the pastry. It's either too flaky or too soggy." He grimaced, a slight guilt that he was talking so openly about the Prince of Lucis and his eating habits. "I haven't cooked them in a while though, I think I'm sub consciously withholding them in the hopes it will get him to eat more vegetables. However, I think by doing that he's now getting fewer vitamins than he would with the cakes. At least the cakes had berries and other fruits that he would happily eat."

"Not a vegetable lover then?" Lana said thoughtfully. She left the counter suddenly and bustled away at the back counter, and for a second Ignis thought she was going to come back with a plateful of vegetables. Instead, she just came back with two steaming mugs of coffee. She gestured to one of the couches and gave one of the mugs to Ignis. "Let's catch up, I've been here since I finished school and I've already completed all my homework and, I'm on my second book it's been that quiet. The store has ten minutes left before I close up shop and I'm sure the boss won't mind if I sit down and drink a coffee with the only customer I've seen in the past five hours." She smiled then, her blue eyes dancing hinting at an air of mischief that Ignis found slightly intriguing. He took a sip of the coffee, before heading over to the couch that Lara had now situated herself on. Legs crossed and hands cupping the mug of coffee like it was the only thing warming her up despite the fact that it was June.

"So," she prompted when Ignis sat down. "Vegetables."

"Vegetables," Ignis agreed, taking another sip of coffee. He was surprised to find it was his preferred brand. He hadn't expected a small coffee shop to sell a popular brand name. Then again it was popular and there was probably a demand for it. Filtered and smooth the coffee was just the thing he needed. He situated himself on the couch, back against the armrest, one foot tucked underneath him, it was a very casual posture one that he didn't normally allow himself to take. But the shop, the coffee and Lara made him a little more relaxed than normal. "He just doesn't eat them, carrots, cabbage, even lettuce, he always finds some way to get rid of them. He doesn't even try, it's slightly infuriating and I'm here trying to make sure he has a balanced diet on top of everything else and he doesn't even try."

It actually felt good to air his grievances, he'd spoken to Gladiolus about it a few times, but he was only there to ensure the Prince was adequately trained in combat not necessary making sure he was eating right.

"And does the Prince even acknowledge the effort you take for his meals?"

"Depends on what it is, those cakes he's all over them but the minute I make a stew… wait? I never said he was a prince?" The implications of what had been said ground Ignis' train of thought to a screeching halt. He had been ever so careful when he had met Lara last time not to mention the Prince or anything about the true meaning of his trip. He'd been researching Tenebraen cuisine for a friend. There had been no mention of Prince for the whole time he'd been in the Refugee Quarter.

"It wasn't too hard to figure out," Lara said with a wink. "You almost slipped up a few times calling him 'his highness.' Then there was the fact that your accent is not from Lucis - not that I can that I can comment too much on that without sounding like a hypocrite." She laughed at that, a soft laugh that made Ignis smile. It was true Lara didn't have an accent typical of Lucians. Her Accordonian accent wasn't as strong as it had been two years ago, but it was still there. "Your accent is also not something that should be judged on your position if it weren't for the fact that there is another member of the Lucis Caelum household who bares a sticking resemblance to you and your accent. Your father?"

"Uncle," Ignis corrected still slightly flabbergasted that his well-guarded secret wasn't that secret.

"Don't look so shocked, nobody knows I know you. I saw your uncle on TV, he was doing a press conference of some sort, I wasn't really paying attention too busy enthralled by the fact that he looks just like you." Ignis felt a little better by this comment. Being the advisor for the prince wasn't something you shouted to the rooftops, many people would want to befriend him to get closer to the prince, either to harm or for money. "You okay?" She added, leaning to the side a bit to place her empty coffee cup on the side.

Was he okay? Ignis didn't exactly know what he was feeling. From anger and hurt over something as trivial as vegetables to the shock of walking into a coffee shop to find someone who knew him. His thoughts were all disjointed. The odds of seeing Lara again had been extremely low. Sure they had talked, laughed and shared stories together, all whilst making polite conversation. He had been looking for someone who knew Tenebrean cuisine and she offered to help. It would have been awkward. if they had done it in silence. Lara was friendly and unafraid to talk her mind. She'd done most of the talking, stating that she'd been born and brought up in Altissa before circumstances brought her to Insomnia. She'd led such an interesting life and Ignis hadn't told her a word of his life. Even now after two years apart, Ignis was trying to wrap his head around everything that had happened and there was Lara, chatting and laughing as if the whole thing had happened yesterday.

"Look, I'm sorry if I came on too strong. I've just been really bored here by myself, Wednesday nights are always the quietest. I was running out of things to do, if you hadn't of walked in when you did I probably would have done an inventory of sugar packets!" She laughed before continuing. "Then you walked in and I was like, a customer will at least keep me busy for a little bit. But the customer turned out to be you and I was just hit with memories of that time I found you wandering lost and alone in the Refugee Quarter and the time my bag split and the fact that I did an awful lot of talking… Anyway, it was a blast from the past. Our time together was short and maybe this is the Astral's way of saying that we need to spend more time together." She shrugged and blushed a little and it was then Ignis realised that she was right. Their time had been short and whilst he didn't remember her initially, she'd always been there in the back of his mind. He'd never told anyone about his journey into the Refugee Quarters, he'd certainly never told Noctis how he managed to finally find what the Tenebrean confectionery was, but every time he cooked up a new batch, read the untidy scrawl that was her recipe he was instantly reminded. He'd just hadn't cooked a batch in a while.

"I just can't get over the luck of walking into a random coffee shop to ask for directions only to find you," Ignis finally said with a smile.

"Well you know what they say, 'There are no coincidences.'" The door to the shop opened at that point as if disproving Lara's quote. A middle-aged woman walked in, blond hair hanging down past her shoulders, wearing a dressing gown and slippers. She looked at Lara when she walked in and shook her head with a soft smile.

"What?" Lara asked with a grin. She grabbed her coffee mug and gestured to Ignis for his. "I'm chatting with a customer." Ignis drained the last of his coffee and handed her the mug so she could place it on the counter.

"I never said anything," the woman said with a grin that matched Lara's. "I'm here to close, off you pop."

"Are you sure?" Lara asked. "I can help."

"Nonsense, what you can do for me is work the same tomorrow?"

"Done!" Lara exclaimed. Grabbing her book from the counter she walked to the front door. "I'm sorry sir, it's closing time. We'll be open tomorrow morning at 6 am for all your coffee needs." She winked at Ignis before opening another door beside the entrance. There she removed her apron, grabbed her school bag and school blazer before she opened the front door for Ignis. "Thank you for choosing Hidden Gem Coffee to fuel your coffee addiction."

Ignis grinned, rather uncharacteristically, there was just something about her cheery disposition that was infectious. Giving the older woman a polite bow, he left the shop, hearing Lara say one last goodbye before the door closed leaving them both standing outside. There was a cold chill in the air and Lara donned her school blazer in an effort to keep warm. Without saying anything Lara started walking and Ignis just fell into step beside her. He was still non-the wiser of whereabouts he had walked to and he sort of hoped Lara could help him get to somewhere more familiar.

As they walked, Ignis felt like he was forgetting something. He'd been so uncharacteristically out of sorts today that it bothered him that he couldn't put his finger on it. It wasn't long though when Ignis suddenly stopped remembering what it was. "We haven't paid." He said finally causing Lara to stop and turn around.

She didn't answer, not a first, only cocked her head to one side with a puzzled look on her face. It was true, Ignis had never stolen anything in his life, yet here he was blatantly walking away from a coffee shop where he had enjoyed a hot cup that he hadn't paid for.

"It's fine," Lara said waving her hand when she finally understood what Ignis had said. "Do you remember when we were at the restaurant I brought you to and Soba, the elderly lady, was showing you the photo album with pictures of the cakes?" Ignis nodded slowly confused as to why the sudden trip down memory lane. "And then Soba's grandson served us Sewer Coffee, you said it tasted like…"

"Brown water," Ignis finished, the memory fresh in his mind as if it were yesterday.

"That's right and we all laughed because you didn't like our coffee."

"That wasn't coffee," Ignis protested and Lara smiled and continued walking. "We still haven't paid," he added following her all the same.

"You said, that what Kai served you wasn't coffee and that you'd take me out for real coffee one day. Well, consider that payment in full." Lara looked over her shoulder and Ignis frowned. He remembered the memory and he remembered how stupid he'd felt afterwards. To him, it had sounded like he'd just asked her out on a date. He'd known her for a couple of hours, but it had just sort of slipped out. It hadn't meant to sound like that at all. He'd meant for it be as friends as a way to show her what actual coffee was. In fact, the coffee and the friendship they had just experienced was exactly what a sixteen-year Ignis had meant when he asked the fifteen-year-old Lara out for coffee. There was still one thing missing.

"I didn't pay."

Lara stopped again and looked at him thoughtfully. "Then we'll just have to do this again won't we?"

"Indeed, we shall," Ignis replied without thinking.

It was a comfortable silence as the two started walking again and when Ignis yawned he didn't try and hide it like he would have done around Noctis or any of the Citadel staff. He thought about Lara's invitation, to have coffee again. It was an interesting concept having a friend and one that Ignis wouldn't mind pursuing, there was, however, the tiny voice in the back of his mind warned him that this sort of friendship would be frowned upon. A friendship could be a huge security risk, she already had him spilling the beans about Noctis' eating habits. What else could she extract from him? He tried to shake the thoughts from his head, he was just being silly, Lara wasn't a spy sent from Niflheim to try and dissect him for information about the royal family. Of course, the Citadel might not see it that way.

"Celery," Lara said suddenly, pulling Ignis out of his thoughts. He looked at her questionably. "Celery," she repeated then sighed. "You said your friend won't eat vegetables right? I overheard one of the teachers at school said that she was having the same problem with her kid, and another teacher suggested celery."

"Noct probably wouldn't even try," said Ignis resignedly.

"What if it didn't look like celery? And I'm not saying to chop it up and put it in a stew. Just get some cream cheese, lay it on thick in the groove and then wrap the whole thing in bacon. Just don't tell him until after he's eaten it, a lot of the time people won't eat something because of the thought of it."

"I suppose I could try it. It doesn't even sound that hard to make."

"And it doesn't have to be bacon! Gighee ham, fish, steak, anything that's cut thinly and can be wrapped around." She beamed at him and Ignis pushed his glasses up onto his nose. Reaching into his back pocket he produced the notebook and pen he usually carried around and jotted Lara's suggestion down.

They hadn't stopped walking during this revelation and when they rounded a corner Ignis could pinpoint exactly where they were in the city. He placed his notebook and pen back into his pocket and looked around, taking note of street names and landmarks that could point him back home.

"Well, thanks for walking me home, even if you used it as an excuse to follow me to a more noticeable part of town." Lara grinned and started heading over to the staircase that would take her down to the Refugee Quarters. "Citadel's that way," she pointed over to where Ignis could see the twin towers that lit up the skyline. "Taxi rank is over there," another point, "and Hidden Gem is back that way," a final point back the way they'd come. "I work there most nights. Friday is open mic night, Saturday is poetry readings and Sunday we're closed. If I'm not there I'm probably in the East District library or still at school." She gave a small wave before starting down the stairs.

Ignis raised a hand in return and watched her descend the staircase into the cluttered labyrinth that the locals called the sewers.

Ignis debated whether or not to head back to Noctis' apartment, but decided against it when he realised how late it was. Instead, he headed towards the citadel. His room in the family quarters was still open to him whenever he had to work late, so he'd stay the night there and get up earlier than usual in the morning to journey over to the apartment. His bag and car were still there from when he left in his stubborn state however, he at least had his Citadel ID and key card in his pocket to grant him access. What he didn't have was money for a taxi so he made the journey on foot, quickening his pace in order to get home quicker. As he walked his mind began to wander again. There was still a small part of him that warned him that striking up a friendship with Lara was a bad idea. That the Citadel and his uncle might see it as a way for Lara to climb the social ladder. It was one of the main reason he hadn't told anyone about the last time they'd met.

Insomnia was built upon a hidden social hierarchy and although people were quick to dismiss it there were lots of prejudice towards the refugees and anyone who came from outside of the city walls. Ignis, however, found that he enjoyed Lara's company. He enjoyed listening to her talk it made him feel normal. He'd been brought up near the top of the social ladder, he knew every etiquette rule, every social faux pas and at times it was incredibly stuffy. Noctis had found a friend out of the social hierarchy and had actually flourished from it. Coming out of his shell and even smiling more. Gladiolus didn't really care what other people thought. He'd been brought up in the same social circles as Noctis and Ignis and had a private school upbringing. He even still kept in touch with old school friends. Both of them seemed to relish on their times spent outside of the citadel. However, there was one difference. Lara was a refugee. Noctis' friend Prompto had gained social status due to his adoptive parents. A somewhat unknown child, Prompto's life was a mystery even to those who got paid to do background checks on people. Noctis had put his foot down, if he trusted the boy then so should everyone else. Thus Prompto stayed. Gladiolus' friends all had notable family names as well, after all, one had to in order to go to the private school Gladiolus went to. Ignis didn't even know Lara's last name and that was the beauty of it. So much judging came from one's family name if no-one had family names then everyone would be equal and perhaps the world would be a happier place.

A/N: I'll try not to make this A/N too long... Any way. Welcome! I have literally fallen in love with this fandom and these boys. I'm obsessed. The other day I spent 5 hours crawling through Pitioss Ruins just because I wanted to. I'm 3 trophies away from getting the platinum on this thing and I literally cannot wait for Episode Ignis. I haven't been these enamoured with a game since FFX and FFX-2. Which brings us to this fic. I'm trying something a little different here. Actually writing it in the POV of a canon character instead of my OC. I'm up for the challenge though so please pardon me if things seem a little OOC. So please sit back, enjoy and let me know what you think.

Definitely, can be classed as Canon (for now at least Episode Ignis could change everything). And of course spoilers for everything in the universe. Brotherhood, Kingsglaive (I honestly do not know what I would do if Netflix gets rid of Kingsglaive, I literally watch scenes from it every day just to check a detail or a fact), the game all 14 (15) Chapters and the DLC Episodes. We're following Ignis here to fasten your seatbelt because we're in for a bumpy ride!