[ How does he even begin to fight this when Noctis is sure it's his fault in the first place? How does he ask her to stay when he cannot give her what she needs? It will be more of the same, despite best intentions. He can't fix this, he knows it now. He can't fix anything. Ignis' answer makes his blood run cold -- of course he's here at her bidding; of course he would be here because she asks. Ignis is not here for him; he's already moved on. Funny how it still hurts the way it did a year ago.
The jam and butter croissant tastes like ash in his mouth, the words unexpectedly piercing -- another reminder that he probably hadn't meant to come back on his own. Not to this. ] You don't have to do that.
[ Resume duties. Whatever. He's not a charity case and they can do without him. They have to. ] She wanted this to be a vacation for you.
[ The words come out unexpectedly bitter, bile in the back of his throat because maybe here lies the answer to all the questions Noctis hasn't summoned up the courage to ask, for fear they might be more of the same. ] I can have someone else handle this issue.
[ An entire team of someone elses because no one can do what Ignis does, but he's too proud to want to be a burden, to hope for what is forever out of reach. ]
no subject
The jam and butter croissant tastes like ash in his mouth, the words unexpectedly piercing -- another reminder that he probably hadn't meant to come back on his own. Not to this. ] You don't have to do that.
[ Resume duties. Whatever. He's not a charity case and they can do without him. They have to. ] She wanted this to be a vacation for you.
[ The words come out unexpectedly bitter, bile in the back of his throat because maybe here lies the answer to all the questions Noctis hasn't summoned up the courage to ask, for fear they might be more of the same. ] I can have someone else handle this issue.
[ An entire team of someone elses because no one can do what Ignis does, but he's too proud to want to be a burden, to hope for what is forever out of reach. ]