Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun beat down on the small desert town. Maris stood out back of the small diner she worked at, smoking a cigarette on her break. She scrolled through her phone looking at the latest news. It seemed like the whole world was talking about the upcoming wedding between Lady Lunafreya and Prince Noctis. She couldn’t put her thumb on it, but something about the pictures and articles about the crown prince put a lump in throat. As always, she ignored the odd feeling and put out the butt of her cigarette into the ash tray Takka provided for her. She tied the apron back around her waist and went to the front of the diner. Four boys were out front talking to Takka about the area. One specific male of the group caught her attention, Noctis, the prince of Insomnia. The same feeling washed over her, somehow even stronger than before seeing him in person. She took in a deep breath and approached the group with a smile.

“Maris, would you mind escorting these boys to the locations of these varmint areas?” he asked her.

“Sure can! So, you guys are hunters then?” she asked.

“Not quite, just short on money for the repairs to our car,” said the tall guy full of muscles.

“Paw-paw charging you out the nose for repairs? I mean, I would too if the prince and his caravan were asking me for repairs,” she said with a grin, handing her apron over to Takka and exiting from behind the counter.

“Wait, so you are related to Cindy and Cid?” asked the shorter blond.

“Cindy and I are cousins. And Cid is our grandfather. I’m actually originally from Insomnia like you guys. I moved out here when I was ten years old,” she said, feeling this weird compulsion to tell her truth to them.

“I’m Noctis. This is Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto,” he said, introducing them.

“It’s nice to meet you guys. Now, if you will give me just a moment, I’m going to change clothes and then we can head out,” she said as she headed to the bathroom. She closed the door a stripped off her waitress dress. She slid her mid-thigh cut off shorts up and buttoned them. Her black crop top hung to the top of her bully button. Lastly, she put on her thigh holsters where she kept her daggers at when she wasn’t wielding them. She changed her hair from a low pony to a high pony and exited the bathroom. Without a word, the boys followed her out the door and to a road leading out of the town.

“I’m sorry, I must have misunderstood. I did not realize you would also be fighting the creatures alongside us,” said the boy she identified as Ignis. His accent came off almost as if he did not want her with them.

“Well I am a hunter around these parts. Who else do you think protects the people around here? I’m no expert and I certainly haven’t had formal training, but I can manage just fine, in case that is what you are worried about. And if it is the gil reward, I promise you guys can have it all,” she said, trying to squash any tension.

“Fair enough,” he said, still giving a vibe her did not want her with them. It was a short distance from the edge of town where the creatures were they were going to take on. Maris got them as close as possible without alerting the monsters. They attacked the scorpion creatures, each taking shots at them. She was impressed at the skills each of them possessed, showing them had been through real training back in Insomnia. They finished off the last creature and gathered back together.

“Damn it, one of them got me pretty good,” Gladio said.

“Here,” Maris said walking to him. She waved her hand over the scratch on his hand and enacted curative magic on it, making the scratch disappear within moments.

“Whoa, now that is impressive,” Prompto said, much more expressive than the other three. Gladio looked at his arm and moved it around, testing how it felt.

“Seriously, it’s like it wasn’t even hit,” he said with a smile.

“Curative magic is quite a rare thing to come across,” Ignis said, seeming less like she was a burden to them. Noctis was looking at her, but almost as if his mind was preoccupied somewhere else at the moment. It was as if he was looking through her.

“Noc, you ok,” Prompto asked. He blinked a few times as if he was coming back into reality.

“Oh yea, sorry about that. Yea, that would definitely reduce the amount of healing items you would have to buy and carry into the field. How did you figure out you had that skill?” he asked.

“Back in Insomnia, my best friend and I were receiving training to harness of magic skills. She was amazing at all the offensive styles of magic, and I was mediocre at best. One day, I burnt myself pretty good practicing with fire. Something just came over me and I healed the burn. I focused more and honed the skill from there,” she explained to them. “Well, the sun is starting to set. We better head back into town before the daemons come out. There is a caravan you guys can stay at for the night. Takka can also get you something to eat. We can head out and get more bounties in the morning.”

The group headed back into town just as the sun was setting. She brough them back into the diner and Takka gave them their reward. Maris brought them out plates of fries and sat at the counter with them.

“Food is on me since you are our guests tonight,” she said with a smile. Ignis looked at the dish and started writing something in his notebook.

“I think I will be able to make this back at camp,” he said, finally taking a fry and eating it.

“Oh, so you can cook? That is really cool. I must admit, I can only cook the stuff Takka has trained me to cook. Paw-paw didn’t have much room for raising little ladies. Cindy was his right hand gal in the shop and I was his little ass kicker when we were out scraping for the shop,” she said to them.

“So, Cid raised both of you?” Noctis asked.

“Cindy lost her parents much younger than me and was moved out here to Hammerhead. My parents were killed in a political dispute and I moved out here when I was ten. We always felt more like sisters growing up since all we really had was each other. Even now that I am twenty two and she is twenty six, she still keeps an eagle eye on me like a big sister,” Maris explained, not looking for sympathy, but willing to open up to these strangers.

“I’m so sorry to hear about both of your parents. That must have been difficult,” Noctis said.

“It wasn’t easy. Leaving behind the life I knew and my best friend was rough. I’m sure I could go back now, but I don’t know if I am there yet emotionally,” she admitted. “Ok, onto happier things. So, I have to ask, tell me about the wedding!”

Noctis looked down and blushed. The other three guys laughed at him and his reaction.

“Lover boy here is still processing the fact he is getting married at all,” Gladio said.

“Just a little bit,” Noctis laughed in response. Maris smiled and laughed in response. She had read too many romance novels in her life to not see what was going on. She could tell this was not a marriage based on love, but a marriage based off trying to make the peace between their people. Given how her parents died twelve years ago, she wasn’t going to say a word about the situation, only pray the union could save others from tragedy. All the guys except for Ignis left for the caravan. Ignis ordered a coffee and Maris got it for him.

“You don’t have to join us tomorrow if you are busy,” he said before he took a sip.

“You know, I’m still trying to figure out if you are more offended that I’m not royalty like you or if it is that I am a girl who can hold her own,” she said, looking for the answer.

“Neither actually, I think you are a distraction to the others,” he said bluntly.

“Is this because I’m a girl or because you think I need protecting?” she asked again.

“Both,” he replied curtly.

“Oh wow, ok. Now I am going to make more of a point to join you guys tomorrow. Simply for the fact I know it is going to get under your skin,” she said back. He stood from the chair and looked her in the eyes. Maris didn’t want to admit how physically attracted she was to him, given how rude he just was to her.

“And that’s what makes you a distraction,” he said.

“And that’s what makes you an ass,” she said back. It wasn’t until that moment when they were staring intensely at each other did she realize just how much taller he was than her. She was staring significantly upwards at him. Maris couldn’t help but notice all of his striking features from his soft looking lips to his strong hands planted on the counter.

“Well, I guess by no choice I’ll be seeing you in the morning,” he said, turning to walk out the door.

“Goodnight then. And by the way, if you are going to be honest, you might as well lead with exactly who is going to be distracted,” she said, realizing he indirectly admitted that he was going to be the distracted one. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. She winked and blew him a kiss to piss him off further. He shook his head and walked over with the rest of his friends. She laughed, cleaning up the dishes on the counter and washing them before leaving for the night. Maris went to her room she shared with Cindy and took a shower and got ready for bed. Cindy was sitting in bed, reading about mechanic stuff as Maris was brushing out her three feet of cherry red hair.

“Seemed like you had a good time out hunting with those boys today,” she said with a grin.

“I mean I really did, except for the one with the glasses. He thinks I am a distraction” she said with air quotes.

“A distraction? Then again, I reckon I’d be distracted with a girl like you out there if I was a guy like him,” she said back.

“A guy like him?” Maris asked back, genuinely confused as to what she meant.

“The tall one with the glasses doesn’t quite seem like the kind of Casanova the prince and the tattooed one are. I just get this weird feeling when he was looking at you,” she said.

“When was he looking at me,” she asked, not remembering when she was around them with Cindy.

“They were talking to me about their car and you were out back smoking. He couldn’t quit staring at you. I thought I was going to have to slap him to quit giving you googly eyes!” she said with a giggle. Maris blushed and laid down in bed.

“And I think you have inhaled one too many fumes today. Goodnight,” she said. Cindy turned off the lamp and they both lay in bed. From their cracked window, Maris could hear them talking and laughing. Every time Ignis’s distinct accent traveled into their room, she wanted to look out and watch him talk. The sound of his voice lulled her to sleep that night.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2
It was five in the morning and the dry heat was already seeping in through the open window beside Maris. She got out of bed and got dressed into her black leggings and bright pink tank top. Her hair was thrown into a bun with decorative chopsticks and she left her room, heading straight for the boys. They were already up and talking to Cindy outside the shop.

“Good morning boys, ready to head out?” Maris said as she walked up.

“Yup, gotta make this gil,” Gladio said. They waved goodbye to Cindy and went after the different rewards on the list she gave them. After defeating several groups of monsters, Noctis got a call from Cindy asking to find Dave who they hadn’t seen for a while.

“There’s a shack up there we should take a look at,” Maris said pointing not far where they were from. They investigated the first shack and there was nothing. The smaller shack next to that had a door open and a man was inside. “Dave, are you ok?”

“I am now. Thank you so much,” he said back. The guys got him lifted up and carefully walked back into town with him. They got him settled in at the shop to get his leg taken care of.

“You boys have been a real big help around here. Mari-Belle is only one girl and can only do so much. Well, your debt for the old girl is paid off. Don’t be afraid to come on back to get her serviced and upgraded now,” she said to them.

“Mari-Belle?” Ignis asked Maris, sidelined from the other conversation. Maris sighed, not wanting to explain that.

“Belle is my middle name. Cindy has always called me Mari-Belle, she thinks it fits in better out here,” she explained, expecting some kind of comment from him. He smiled and pushed his glasses up his nose.

“It is actually sweet,” he said. She was shocked, realizing he really did mean it. Noctis walked past the other guys and stood in front of her.

“Maris, I was wanting to ask if you would like to join us. We could use another strong fighter and your ability to heal with magic is valuable,” he said to her.

“Noct, there are only four seats in the Regalia. Not to mention limited trunk space,” Ignis said to him.

“If you don’t want me to come along, you can just say it,” Maris said with her arms crossed.

“I didn’t say that. Someone has to bring up the logistics of choices around here since Noctis doesn’t always seem to think these things through,” Ignis said back defensively.

“It will be a tight squeeze, I know that. You do most of the driving anyway so it’s me and Gladio who will deal with that. Something is telling me Maris belongs traveling with us,” Noctis said in return. Ignis looked back at Maris and then back to Noctis.

“If you believe that is the correct choice, then I support it. Prompto? Gladio?” he asked.

“Squeezing one more person into the car doesn’t bother me,” Gladio said.

“Welcome to the group Maris!” Prompto said with a huge smile. Maris smiled in return, excited that at least three of the four of them were very welcoming to her traveling with them. She was excited to get to leave Hammerhead and explore the world outside the desert she had felt trapped in for the last twelve years.

“I just need to go pack a bag real quick,” she said heading towards the back steps of the shop that led to the small apartment part she lived in.

“Noct, Gladio and Prompto, make sure everything is ready for us to leave. I’ll go with Maris and make sure she gets everything she needs to travel,” he said following behind her. They got up the stairs and she closed the door behind them.

“I need to know now, does it bother you I am joining you?” she asked him straight up. Ignis sighed and looked away from her and around her room.

“No, you proved over the last two days you aren’t a distraction and can handle yourself. I was honest as to why I brought that stuff up to Noctis. I have also learned to not question when Noct believes something he cannot explain. Due to his connection with the oracle, that kind of stuff happens quite often,” he said to her.

“I can accept that,” she said and got a duffle bag out and started packing everything she needed. They carried down her two bags and sleeping bag, getting them into the trunk of the car. Maris gave Cindy and Cid hugs goodbye and could feel tears trying to break the brim of her eyes.

“Oh Mari-Belle, I can’t believe you are going out and protecting the Prince! Don’t forget to call every once in a while. And you guys better keep an eye on her too. I know she’s strong and stubborn. Now, safe travels,” she said giving her cousin one last hug. They piled into the car and left Hammerhead behind them, headed to the Longwythe rest area. Cindy left them a package to deliver there on their way to Galdin Quay.

“We should probably stay the night at the rest area, the roads are perilous at night,” Ignis said to the group.

“I agree, I don’t feel like taking on daemons tonight if we don’t have to. There is a motel there anyway. We should have enough gil leftover to pay for a room,” Maris said to them. Everyone agreed and they pulled into the rest area. Noctis delivered the package as everyone else looked around. Ignis stood next to her against the car as they waited for Noctis.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“About leaving Hammerhead or about this journey?” she asked in return.

“Both,” he said back.

“I haven’t left Hammerhead in twelve years so that is a bit unnerving. I never thought when I did leave it would be with such a large undertaking. I also never thought I would be traveling with four guys who just kind of randomly showed up one day. I’m just happy that it seems as though I just might have found a kind of purpose in life,” she said, staring at the sun dropping below the horizon.

“I have a feeling you will fit in just fine. As for your purpose, I don’t think that is something anyone can really determine, for others or themselves. But, leaving what you know and pushing your boundaries is one step towards trying to figure that out,” he said in response to her. She turned her eyes towards him. The remaining sun rays gleamed off his blond hair and glasses. It was easier for her to accept her physical attraction to him now that he wasn’t being rude to her. She could feel herself blush, thankful it was hidden by the darkness of the night taking over.

“Thank you Ignis,” was all she said back.

“Your welcome Mari-Belle,” he said, giving her a sly smirk. She pointed her finger at him in playful anger and he laughed at her, giving her a genuine smile. Maris felt her heart flutter inside her chest, unable to ignore her growing crush on the tall blond.

“Ok, so I was able to get us two rooms with four beds, so two people are going to have to share,” Noctis said.

“I got it. We will put stones from a hat. Two of the stones will be the same color. Whoever gets those stones have to share,” Prompto suggested.

“Maris shouldn’t have to share,” Gladio said.

“It is only fair I get put into the pool too. I don’t want special treatment,” she said. Everyone agreed and pulled stones. They opened their hands and the two colored stones were in Maris and Ignis’s hands. On the outside, Maris was holding it together. One the inside, she was having a heart attack at the thought of sharing a bed with Ignis. She knew before they ever even got into the room her first night was going to be one for the books.

Chapter Text

Ignis set he and Maris’s bags down in their small motel room. Gladio took residence on the other bed since he and Maris had the fortune of getting to share the same bed. He crawled under the sheets of the bed, waiting for Maris to finish in the bathroom so he could also get a shower. The shower hadn’t even turned on yet and the door opened. Maris walked out wrapped in nothing but a white towel over to her bags. The sight of her so vulnerable and knowing she had nothing on underneath the towel brought a heat to Ignis’s body. A tingle crept through him and to fight it, he got on the defensive.

“Maris, we are still here!” he said in a shock. She turned and looked at him with her head cocked to the side.

“I’m aware of your presence. I just forgot to grab my hairbrush is all,” she said, still rummaging in her bag.

“You are only wearing a towel! Don’t you find this a bit inappropriate?” he asked, not wanting to admit he actually was enjoying the sight. He was supposed to be the mature one of the group. He wasn’t supposed to get distracted by stuff like this.

“Oh come on, if we were at the beach and I came out wearing a bikini, you wouldn’t say a word. I would also like to mention that if you hadn’t said anything, I would have been in and out in less than a minute,” she said, pointing out her elongated stay in the room was completely his fault.

“I’d just like to say I am not bothered at all,” Gladio said with a smirk, trying to ease the tension in the room.

“And this is exactly what I was talking about last night about you being a distraction,” Ignis said, not confident is his argument stance at this point. Maris walked in front of him, getting on her knees beside the side of the bed he was sitting on. She looked up slightly at him, drawing out his raw attraction for her even more.

“And I still think you need to really admit who is distracted in this scenario. Last I checked, Gladio wasn’t the one yelling at me for being in a towel,” she said in a hushed tone. Her hair was out of its usual style and framing around her face. She slowly blinked at him and her lips were in a pout. Ignis just stared into her blue eyes, unable to come up with words when all he could think about was wanting to see what was under her towel. It took a few moments, but he was able to ground himself once more.

“Just get your shower, I’d like mine before I fall asleep,” he said, trying not to picture her naked under the hot water.

“Your wish is my command,” she said back sensually. Ignis was pretty sure she knew what she was doing. Gladio whistled and laid back in his bed with his arms behind his head.

“Damn Iggy, there is so much sexual tension between you two it isn’t funny! I seriously thought I was going to have to give you guys a moment,” he said. A blush appeared across his cheeks at the comment.

“You know I don’t think like that. My sole purpose for this trip is to get the prince to Altissa and then serve him from there. There is no room for any of that stuff,” he said, trying to convince himself of his words.

“Ok Mr. Moral Fiber, if you don’t want to give that a shot maybe I will. I like her fiery attitude. She’s the only person I have seen put you in your place and get the last word in an argument,” he said back. A weird pang of jealousy came through Ignis.

“Do whatever you want. The moment it interferes with our mission in anyway, I am stepping in,” Ignis threatened.

“Whatever you say,” he said back. Minutes after, Maris walked out of the bathroom in tiny black shorts and a white spaghetti string tank top. The towel was wrapped around her head encasing her hair. She sat on the bed next to Ignis and slid under the covers.

“Shower is all yours Iggy,” she said with a grin. He didn’t say anything back and left the bed for the bathroom. A breath escaped him that he didn’t realize he was holding. He turned on the water to the maximum heat and undressed while it warmed up. Steam filled the room and he got into the small stall. As the hot water soothed his aching muscles, all he could see was how Maris’s tank top outlining ever curve of her breasts. Before he could stop it, he could feel himself getting aroused. Ignis turned the water to as cold as it could get to distract himself.

"Oh great, now I am literally giving myself a cold shower," he thought to himself.

He turned off the water and stepped back out of the shower. As he was drying himself off, he could overhear the conversation happening in the main room.

“So, I’m assuming if you dropped everything and came along with us, there is no boyfriend back at home?” Gladio asked her. Ignis rolled his eyes, realizing Gladio was not kidding about feeling things out with Maris.

“No, definitely not. To be honest, I have only ever actually had one boyfriend when I was nineteen. He wasn’t exactly the greatest guy. Paw-paw and Dave ran him out of town after they figured out how he was treating me,” she said, sounding small with her admission.

“He didn’t lay a hand on you, did he?” Gladio asked.

“More times than I want to admit,” she said. Anger washed over Ignis listening to this conversation. He knew there was nothing between he and Maris, but something in him felt protective over her. It was as if he felt guilty for not stopping this, even though it had happened well before they had ever met. He could here Gladio get out of his bed and walk over to her. He was sure Gladio was pulling some sympathetic, yet flirtatious move like holding her hand.

“I swear I would never let something like that happen to you again,” he said.

“Thank you, that means a lot,” she answered. Ignis stepped out the bathroom now and back into the room. Sometimes being calculated could hurt. Gladio was kneeling next to her as she sat on the bed with her legs crossed. He had both of his huge hands wrapped around hers. Gladio was the last to shower and headed in to do so. Ignis looked sideways at her, looking past her physicality.

“Not that I was trying to eavesdrop, but what you told Gladio, is that true?” he asked with pure concern in his voice.

“Yea, completely true. It is probably why I get so defensive so easily. Back then, I had convinced myself I was being treated that way, then I had it coming. It took a lot of long days out hunting and being in my own head to build myself into who I am now. I feel like I should apologize to you. It seems as though you have been the butt of my own issues,” she said sheepishly.

“You do not need to apologize. I think I should be the one apologizing to you,” he said, feeling immense guilt for his attitude towards her.

“How about we let bygones be bygones?” she suggested. She stuck her hand out and they shook hands with a laugh at their ridiculous actions. Neither of them let go right away, looking into each other’s eyes. The bathroom door opened and drew them back into remembering they weren’t alone.

“I am officially exhausted,” Gladio said, falling into his bed. Within minutes, he was snoring before the lamps had been turned off. Ignis shut the lamps off and they each said goodnight to each other. They faced away from each other, trying to fall asleep. Beside him, he could feel Maris shivering. He left this go on a few minutes before he turned over her way.

“Are you ok?” he whispered to her.

“I am freezing! I get it Gladio is huge and likes the air conditioning cranked. I however am always super cold. I didn’t pack anything warmer to sleep in, you know, desert living and all,” she whispered back. Ignis bit his lip and wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him.

“When we get to Galdin Quay, we are buying you warmer clothes to sleep in,” he said into her ear.

“You know, usually I make a guy buy me dinner before spooning with me,” she joked, cuddling more into him and her shivering fading away.

“And if I let you get hypothermia, your cousin and grandfather will kill me,” he said back. She laughed and relaxed into him. Her breathing fell even and Ignis knew she had fallen asleep. He breathed in the scent of her washed hair, lavender and mint. She rolled gently and held onto his arm in her sleep. Ignis drifted off to sleep, thinking about the different desserts he could make inspired by the lavender and mint scent.

A few hours later, Ignis was jolted awake by thrashing beside him. He grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and put them on quickly. Maris was crying in her sleep and throwing her arms and legs.

“Maris, wake up Maris,” he was shout-whispering, trying not to wake Gladio. She came out of her nightmare and was looking at Ignis in the darkness. The light outside the window was reflecting off the tears on her face.

“I am so sorry. I haven’t had a horrible nightmare like that for a few months,” she said, wiping her eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, turning on the lamp. Seeing her in this much distress made him care less if he woke his friend up.

“Not particularly,” she said, pulling her knees up to her chest.

“I understand. Do you want to try and sleep again? Or we could go outside and get some fresh air,” he suggested, trying to be supportive. He knew sympathy for others wasn’t his strong suit.

“We should try and sleep. We have a long drive ahead of us in the morning,” she said. He nodded and turned the lamp back off. Ignis settled back under the covers and Maris put her hand on his arm. “Um, I know this is going to sound weird, but can I sleep with you?” she asked. He knew she didn’t mean what he was thinking, but the thought still made his heart skip a beat.

“Isn’t that what we were doing?” he asked. Without words, she laid her head on his chest and draped her arm over him. He wrapped his arm around her, keeping her close to him. She fell back to sleep with Ignis holding Maris tight to him. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to keep her relaxed this time as she slept. Ignis had never seen someone suffer from such extreme night terrors in his life. Eventually he nodded off against his own will.

Chapter Text

The sound of a clearing throat woke Ignis from his sleep. He opened his eyes to Gladio standing at the foot of his bed, arms crossed, and an eyebrow raised at him. Maris still had her head on his chest and his arms holding her.

“I swear this isn’t what this looks like, you have to let me explain,” he whispered, trying not to wake her up.

“Oh please, I am dying to hear this one,” Gladio said back. Maris shifted, not leaving Ignis or opening her eyes.

“What this would be is my attempt to stay warm since someone has to keep the room freezing!” she said with a groan. Since she didn’t mention anything about her nightmare, Ignis decided that must have been something she wanted to keep between the two of them.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” was all he said as he left the room. Maris waited until the door closed before finally getting up.

“Be ready for the onslaught of questions from the other two about this. I am sure Gladio will be talking all about it,” Ignis said to her.

“I am guessing you will be the one getting all the questions from Noctis and Prompto. I’ll be getting the questions from Gladio,” she said.

“I think you might be right,” he said back, getting his clothes around for the day.

“Thank you for not mentioning what happened last night, even if it was at the expense of playing twenty questions later,” she said with a smile.

“You might slightly owe me,” he said. She laughed and they each took turns getting ready and packing their bags for checkout. They were the last to join the other guys at the Regalia. Prompto was making it all too obvious he was dying to get Ignis alone. Without giving any of them a chance, Ignis gathered them all into the car and got them on the road to Galdin Quay. As they got onto the open road, Gladio leaned down to speak to Maris and keep it as private as possible.

“So, I know specs isn’t going to tell me the truth. Did something happen between you guys last night?” he asked.

“If it eases your mind, no we did not have sex mere feet away from you. I simply was freezing cold, and it just so happened Ignis was warm. Come on, after that fight we had before bed, do you really think anything would happen?” she asked, completely serious.

“You know, arguing like that turns some people on,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. Maris rolled her eyes and went back into her thoughts. There was no way she was going to admit that is exactly how she felt about Ignis. The more they argued, the more she wanted to turn around and flirt with him. She knew it made his cold exterior crumble and gets under his skin. With his incessant need to find something to disagree about, she would have almost felt like he was thinking the same thing.
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“So, you and Maris?” Prompto asked Ignis. He let out an audible sigh, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Contrary to what Gladio believes, nothing happened. She didn’t have the right pajamas to handle just how cold Gladio keeps a room. She was cold, so I did the gentlemanly thing and kept her warm, end of story,” he said. Prompto got this devious look in his eyes.

“So let me get this straight, you were cuddling with a hot chick, who you admit was wearing barely any clothes, and nothing happened?” Prompto asked.

“Correct,” Ignis answered, not giving Prompto the glory of looking at him.

“Sounds like you really are leaving the door wide open for Gladio. And you know Gladio, no girl can resist him,” he said, ending the conversation. Ignis hated hearing the truth from Prompto. Without a second thought, Ignis pulled over near where he knew a campsite was marked on their map.

“We have already been driving half of the day. I need to get out and stretch,” Ignis said, being the first out of the car. Gladio was quick behind him, exploring the surrounding area. Ignis and Maris met at the trunk as everyone else went separate ways.

“I think in my efforts to make Prompto realize nothing happened, he started picturing you in minimal clothing,” Ignis said.

“I still think Gladio might be convinced we had sex last night,” Maris said straight up. At the word sex, Ignis turned an obvious shade of red. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to be so forward.”

“No, you are fine. You were honest with me, now I will be honest with you. I have never had a girlfriend. So, this whole gossiping about my nonexistent sex life isn’t something I am used to,” he admitted.
“Um, just for clarification, by nonexistent you mean?” she asked, wanting to know exactly what he meant.

“Meaning I have never. From a young age, I knew what my role would be. I focused more on that than my social life. So, in return, here we are,” he said. Something about Ignis admitting his virginity to hear made him even more attractive. His innocence wasn’t just a show. He turned his head away from her almost in shame. She rested her hand on his that lay on the Regalia.

“I respect that. It is actually refreshing to hear. And as far as the gossiping, they will find something more fascinating to talk about before the night is over. Trust me,” she said. He smiled, liking that she didn’t shame him.

“The sun is starting to go down quickly, there should be a haven just up that hill. Let’s start getting the camping equipment out,” he said. Together they carried a majority of the equipment up to the haven. Maris dropped the tent and as she was headed away, Gladio grabbed her arm and stopped her.

“Help me pitch the tent,” he said to her. She played ignorant to the sexual innuendo and agreed to help him get the tent set up. It was just them on the haven. “So, one hundred percent honest, nothing happened between you and Ignis?”

“I promise, nothing happened,” she reassured him.

“I’m just going to throw this out there then, do you want to meet me back out here after everyone else turns in? Kind of like a late-night date under the stars?” he asked very seducing. She swallowed hard and her hands started shaking.

“I am so sorry Gladio. You really are amazing, but I do not feel that way about you,” she admitted. She feared he would get mad at her and cause tensions in the group.

“I’m not going to lie, that is not something I usually hear,” he said with a laugh.

“I kind of have feelings for another person. I would like to see if it might go anywhere,” she said, having officially led all trails off of Ignis. Of course, she realized that she also admitted it wasn’t Gladio, and Noctis is engaged. That means either they are going to guess Prompto or believe there is some mystery man hiding in the shadows.

“Well, whoever the lucky guy is, I have to admit there might be a hint of jealousy,” he said. Ignis came up behind them from nowhere and scared them both.

“Damn Iggy, quit being such a ninja. You are going to give a girl a heart attack,” she said to him. They finished the tent as Ignis was starting their food. They sat around the fire answering Prompto’s silly questions and drinking when Ignis handed them each a plate of food. It was an exact replica of the same dish Ignis said he could make the first day she had met them.

“In case you are homesick,” he said handing her the plate. She smiled and took a bite, amazed at how it was even more delicious than Takka’s recipe.

“Oh my God, this is amazing!” she responded. She finished eating and was immediately exhausted. “Guy’s, I am going to turn in early. And please wait a few minutes before entering the tent since I need to change,”
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With Maris in the tent and possibly asleep, at the fireside, the guy talk started.

“Can we just talk about how epically Gladio got turned down?” Prompto said with a laugh.

“Oh yea, laugh it up. She is adamant nothing happened between you and her last night. And she seems pretty truthful, so I really don’t a reason to doubt her. She then admitted she doesn’t feel that way about me. But there is someone she does like. I am going to go on a limb here and say it isn’t Noctis, she doesn’t seem like the type to go after a guy who already has a fiancé. So, that either leaves ol’ Prompto here, or some guy we don’t know,” Gladio deduced. Prompto’s eyes went wide.

“Holy shit, do you really think I have a chance?” he asked with enthusiasm. Ignis shook his head laughing at them.

“Maybe we should focus on her being a part of the team as opposed to part of a very miniscule dating pool,” Ignis said, sipping on coffee.

“Says you, you got to sleep with her half naked last night,” Prompto said back. Ignis sighed at his companion who ignored everything he had just said. He bid them goodnight and entered the tent. Maris was laying on her side and scrolling through her phone.

“Hear every word?” he asked while changing behind her.

“Prompto is a sweetie, but I do not think I can handle that much positivity in one person. And the fact he is still picturing me pretty much naked,” she giggled.

“He’s probably going to rig the stone pick next time in hopes you will walk around in a towel for him too,” Ignis laughed, giving her the ok to turn back over. Her heart raced as Ignis walked around the tent in only lounge pants and no shirt on. She oogled over every muscle on his upper body. He placed his sleeping bag next to her and she continued staring into his beautiful green eyes.

“Sure you want to sleep beside me?” she asked jokingly.

“If you a have a nightmare, I don’t think the other three should be the ones sleeping next to you,” he said. He took his glasses off and placed them above their heads. They fell asleep talking to each other and were mere inches from each other when the other three walked in.

“You can’t convince me neither like each other,” Noctis said. He grabbed Prompto’s camera and took a picture of them sleeping.

“Hey now, don’t use my powers for evil!” Prompto said to Noctis.

Chapter Text

“Rise and shine!” Prompto said, shaking Maris awake lightly. She opened one eye and looked up at him. He smiled at her, and she sat up. Maris reached up and felt her hair, grossed out at how greasy it was.

“We better get access to a shower in Gladin Quay. I feel super gross,” she said, wrapping her hair up on her head.

“Aww, but you look pretty as ever!” Prompto said super cheerful.

“Well thank you,” she said in return. Prompto left the tent so she could get changed. She slipped on a pair of skinny jeans and a plain black t shirt. They had the campsite tore down within fifteen minutes and were back on the road. It wasn’t long and they were looking at the ocean. All of them were excited at the beautiful sight. Ignis pulled them into the ocean side town. The group of five headed towards where the ferry was located. Maris didn’t notice any boats in the port, making her wonder how long they would be here. As they entered the building, they were met with a man wearing exotic clothing compared to the obvious locals.

“No boats are going to arrive until later,” he said to them.

“And by later you mean?” Noctis asked.

“You will know when you know?” he said with a laugh. He tossed a coin to Noctis before walking off. All of them looked at each in confusion over what had just happened.

“Ok, I have to be honest. Something about him did not feel right,” Maris said, hoping she wasn’t alone in that thought.

“Agreed,” Noctis said back to her as they stared at the man walking down the pier. They made their way down to the ferry schedule to find out the man was telling the truth.

“Well, Prince Noctis and company. You aren’t doing a very good job disguising yourselves by going around being grade A hunters you know,” said a guy sitting on a bench. He looked up at them, clearly impressed with himself.

“Maybe not,” Noctis answered back, clearly annoyed.

“You see, I’m a reporter, Dino’s the name. I’ll keep your location on the down low if you guys do me a favor. Here is the location of a gem I am looking for; I am quite the collector. However, it is dangerous out there for someone like me. In return, I can also get a ferry here for you,” he offered. Noctis gave a sigh and reluctantly agreed to his terms. About one mile from the town was the location they were given. The group goes up the mountain side and are met with a gigantic sleeping bird. The group of five decide the only safe way about this is to go together in case it wakes up and attacks. They make their way around to the gem with ease. On their way back, the bird woke up. It started screeching and flapping its large wings. Gladio dove in front of Noctis and Prompto. Ignis shielded Maris from the flying dirt. The bird flew away and left them alone on the mountain side. Ignis helped Maris back on her feet and made sure she was ok.

“Besides my new totally rational fear of birds, I am fine. Thank you,” she said to him. Before anything else had a chance to come and attack them, they made their way back to Dino the reporter with his gem. They got back down to the pier and Noctis handed it over.

“Perfect! And don’t worry, I am good on my word. The ferry will be here in the morning for you’s guys. Go ahead and find somewhere to stay for the night,” he suggested. They got a room at the plush hotel within the port and restaurant. They entered the room and were all impressed and the size and luxury of the room.

“Maris, there was a clothing store near the beach. Maybe we should go see if they have some warmer clothes there,” Ignis said under his breath to her. They left the room without saying anything to the other three and headed down to the beach. Maris found a few sweaters and lounge pants in the store she could afford. They walked past a man selling arms and she couldn’t help but stop and look. She was enticed by a set of daggers that put hers to shame.

“I’d like to purchase these please,” she said to the man.

“Excellent choice,” he said, exchanging her gil for the weapons.

“I must say, I am quite jealous,” Ignis said to her as they were walking back up to their room.

“Don’t worry Iggy, I’ll let you try them out!” she said with a huge smile.

“How kind of you Mari-Belle,” he answered back. She liked that they could pick on each other without the other guys around. They got back into their room where the other three were playing cards.

“You guys going to join?” Gladio asked.

“Actually, I am going to get dressed up and head out to the bar. I need a drink after almost dying to a damn bird,” she laughed. Maris grabbed her bag and drug it into the bathroom. She took and quick shower and pulled the slinky black dress on. It was strapless and only came down a few inches onto her thighs. It was encrusted in rhinestones and she wore strappy high heels to match. She did a simple smoky eye and put on purple matte lipstick. Lastly, her hair was down and super shiny. She exited the bathroom and smoothed out her dress. All four of the guys stopped what they were doing and stared at her. Gladio whistled as she spun around for them.

“Damn little lady, someone sure can clean up nice!” he said to her. Ignis got out of his seat and was standing in front of her with crossed arms, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Maris could feel another argument coming on between them.

“Are you sure you should be going out dressed like that?” Ignis said to her, trying to not involve the other three.

“We are seriously not going to have this fight, are we?” she asked, getting the small clutch from her bag.

“You don’t know the people around here,” he said to her, following her across the room. Maris got bold and looked at him.

“Then come join me if you are so worried about my wellbeing,” she suggested.

“That shouldn’t be your solution, it means you know you aren’t being safe,” he said back.

“Listen, I am a grown woman. You are not going to tell me what I can and can’t do. I am going to go have a few drinks and relax. Join if you would like,” she said, walking out the door. Ignis huffed back to his place at the table and continued playing cards. It was almost an hour later and he got up from the table mid game. Ignis started changing into his fancier clothes, not caring about the other guys in the room.

“Where are you going?” Prompto asked him.

“I have a very bad gut instinct about her being out there alone,” he said, finishing getting dressed and walked out the door. He approached the bar and noticed Maris’s unmistakable cherry red hair. From behind her, he also noticed a flowery tribal tattoo peeking just above the top of her dress. He hadn’t noticed that before. Catching his eye from that was the man she was sitting with pouring something in her drink as he pointed her attention in the opposite direction. She turned back to him and grabbed her drink, ready to take a sip.

“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” he said. Maris turned completely around to Ignis’s voice. There he was in tight black dress pants, a silk button down shirt, suspenders, and a jacket. She was taking in the sight of Ignis dressed to the nines before remembering she was angry at him.

“And why would that be?” she asked.

“Your date drugged your drink. He did it when he got your attention away from your glass just now,” he said, not wanting to continue fighting with her. She looked closer at her drink and noticed the color was slightly off now. Maris threw the rest of the drink on the guy.

“What the hell bitch?” he said, shaking the alcohol off of him. Maris now had her hands on the daggers she had in her thigh holsters.

“You know, I just got these today. Maybe you are the perfect person to test them out on,” she said, pulling them out slightly. Ignis walked up and placed his hand on hers, getting her to rebolster her weapons.

“If I were you, I would suggest leaving this town immediately,” Ignis said to the man, giving him a warning.

“You are seriously going to tell me to face those daemons all because of a misunderstanding?” he said back.

“Drugging someone’s drink has some pretty clear intentions. Also, you would fare better against angry daemons than her. Trust me,” he said. The guy looked back and forth at them and headed out of the bar to the parking lot. Ignis made sure he left town before relaxing. Maris dashed out of the bar and headed towards the beach. He chased after her, wanting to make sure she was ok. He finally caught her near the fishing pier.

“Go ahead, make fun of me. Tell me you were right. Tell me how I don’t know what I am doing,” Maris said through tears. Ignis just pulled her to him and hugged her.

“I was wrong about all that. I’m just happy you are safe,” he said to her. She rested her head against his chest as even in her heels, she was still very much shorter than him. He released her and wiped the tears from her face. They sat down in the sand and stared out across the water.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. I don’t even want to think about what would be going on. I owe my life to you,” she said to him. She pulled her knees to her chest, chilly from the air coming off the ocean. Ignis removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

“Maris, I have to tell you the truth. It isn’t that I don’t trust you or trust your judgement. I just feel like I have to protect you. And not because your family would kill me and not because I think you can’t handle yourself, it’s because I like you. And when I say I like you, I mean, I have feelings for you. I know we barely know each other, and it makes no sense. And yes, all along I was meaning you were a distraction to me. I have been distracted by you since I saw you in Hammerhead in your diner girl outfit. And I understand you not liking me back, especially with how I have treated you,” he said, stringing his words into one long continuous sentence. Maris simply leaned over to him and placed a kiss on his lips to get him to stop talking. His eyes went wide and then he kissed her back.

“I like you too, even when we were fighting,” she said back to him.

“But you told Gladio…” he started to say.

“I said nothing happened between you and me. And I told him liked someone and wanted to see if it went anywhere. I never once said I didn’t want something to happen or that I didn’t like you,” she said in a low voice. He pushed a strand of hair from her face and kissed her first this time. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Ignis pulled her body close to his, closing any gap between them. The hungrily made out for quite a while when Ignis gently laid her back on the sand on top of his jacket. They made out on the beach with him on top of her. Maris felt like she was the main character in one of her romance novels. She felt Ignis’s erection against her thigh, turning her on completely. She didn’t say anything, knowing this is already unchartered territory for Ignis. Slowly, he ran his hand up her thigh and around to her ass, pulling her into him and grinding on her.

“I want you, tonight,” he said with a primal growl as he kissed her neck.

“We can’t exactly go back to the room, and I don’t think we want to have sex for the first time on the beach,” she said through small moans. Ignis stopped for a moment and pulled her to her feet and pointed in the distance.

“Regalia,” he said. They raced towards the car without a second thought. As if they were horny teenagers, they got into the backseat and continued where they left off. Ignis had her straddled on his lap, causing the skirt of her dress to ride up. As the continued kissing, he had his hands on her hips under her dress, wrapping his fingers around the thin strings of her lacy thong, slowly pulling it off of her. She worked on unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it to the front. Next, she got his pants off and he got her dress off in record time. She continued straddling him completely naked, him just in his boxers at this point. Her hand snaked between her legs and onto his hard cock. Gently, she stroked it, eliciting low moans from Ignis. Hearing him make those noises under her command made her wetter than she had ever been. Maris took one of his hands from her waist and guided one of his fingers inside of her. She moaned against the finger in her and had his thumb playing with her clit. On his own accord, he added another finger into her, causing her to buck against him. Liking her reaction, he kept doing this until she was crying out from an orgasm into his shoulder. She removed his boxers completely and positioned herself to have his throbbing member enter her.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked again.

“I have never been surer about something in my life,” he said, kissing her softly. She slowly lowered herself onto him. Ignis moaned at a sensation he had never felt before. Maris gasped, not realizing just how big Ignis was until he was inside her. More for her own sake, she started moving slowly, up and down on his cock. The more she got used to it, she quickened her pace. Ignis started kneading her breasts and making her nipples hard under his touch. Her mouth on his allowed for his moans to resonate within her. He stopped kissing her and started biting down her neck and collar bone. He hit the spot at the base of her neck and she gasped. She felt him smirk and focus on that spot. With all the erogenous zones on her body being hit at once, she hit her climax with him inside of her. The feeling of her walls tightening around him in pure ecstasy brought him to his climax. He held himself fully sheathed in her as he came. Ignis gave no thought to the possible consequences of their unprotected sex. All that mattered to him was feeling so close to someone. He trusted this girl enough to let her be closer to him than anyone else had ever been. Their foreheads touched and both of them were left panting after their orgasms. Sweat dripped off both of them and the windows of the Regalia were completely fogged over. Maris got off Ignis’s lap, only to realize the incredible mess in the backseat. Between both of their cum and sweat, the car would need a thorough cleaning before the morning. He leaned against the door and pulled her between his legs and onto his chest. She traced the lines of the muscles on his arms, and he stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head.

They sat in blissful silence until the sun started to first come up over the horizon. Neither of them had slept, enjoying the presence of each other too much. Maris sat up and grabbed paper towels from the front seat. They cleaned up the backseat pretty well and started to get dressed again. They exited the car, putting themselves together the rest of the way. Maris’s hair was filled with sand from their romantic time on the beach. Ignis dusted sand off his clothes to no avail. He laced his fingers with hers as they intended to head back to the room, not hiding they were together from their friends. As they headed past the news stand, there was a huge commotion. Curious, they got a newspaper. “Insomnia Falls” was the headline. In shock, the read the front-page article. Nilfheim attacked during peace talks, killing most of the Insomnia royals, including King Regis, Noctis’s father. Prince Noctis and Lady Lunafreya were also being presumed dead.

“Head down and back to the room. We can’t draw attention to ourselves, but we need to get this news to the rest, especially Noctis,” Ignis said, going back to his hand of the king role. They got back into the room without arousing suspension.

“We have news,” Maris said as the door closed.

“You and Iggy finally together because neither of you came back last night,” Prompto said. They both looked down, more concerned about what was happening in the world.

“We have bad news,” Ignis said sternly, handing over the newspaper. They read over it and they could feel each other’s hearts breaking. Noctis just stood there, denying that the newspaper could be correct. Gladio and Prompto looked like they were about to cry. Maris could only hold Ignis’s hand, not knowing what else to do.

Chapter Text

“We have to go back,” Noctis said adamantly.

“Even if it means missing our opportunity to board this ferry?” Ignis asked him, always being the voice of reason.

“I have to know, I have to see it for myself,” Noctis said back.

“I agree with Noctis, we have to go back,” Maris said. She had lived this life before. Maris knew what it was like to lose your parent so tragically, a casualty of political warfare. Without a word, they all got into the car and traveled back to the border to Insomnia. No one spoke the entire ride there. It was hard for Maris to conceptualize how their how world could come crashing down so quickly. The long drive led them to a barricade surrounded by Magitek soldiers. They got out of the car and went up the side of the hill. Along the way, they took out the Magitek soldiers, trying to get to the main vantage point. Once they got there, all five of them looked out in horror. The city they all once used to call home was burning. Imperial ships continued to cause destruction. Maris looked away from the scene, unable to take in the horrific sight any longer. Ignis saw how affected she was and pulled her into a hug, not caring about his friends thought on the matter. Maris could hear Noctis on the phone with someone. Just from one side of the conversation, it was confirmed King Regis really was dead. He hung up and declared their next destination was Hammerhead to meet this mysterious Cor he was speaking to. They got back to the car and Prompto took her spot in the back seat, leaving the front next to Ignis for her. She didn’t question it and simply got in. The ride was once again silent. Ignis had reached over at some point, holding Maris’s hand. They pulled into the familiar parking lot of the garage and were met by Cindy and Cid.

“Mari-Belle, we heard the news and were worried sick. It is so nice to see you are all ok,” she said, giving each of them a hug of relief. Her grandfather spoke to them about King Regis, a man he was once very close to. There was a pain in his eyes she hadn’t seen for so long. Even though she knew she should have been paying attention, her mind was elsewhere. All she could picture was the sight of her parents dead in her living room that day she arrived home from school. Ignis touched her arm and she jumped back.

“Maris, are you ok,” he asked extremely concerned.

“No,” she answered, casually stepping away from the group and around back of the diner. Ignis followed her back there. She reached under a pot sitting on the ground and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lighter. She lit up the end and took and long inhale. “I’m sorry, I know this is a disgusting habit”

“Not exactly disgusting, harmful would be a more appropriate word. I am just confused, did you even bring cigarettes with you when you left?” he asked, never seeing her step away to smoke.

“I made the decision then and there to stop smoking. I had comfort in knowing I could get a pack anytime if I really needed it. I was completely fine. I lost it looking out across Insomnia. All those memories of my parents came rushing back. My nightmare the other night, it was about them. I was the one who found them dead in our own house. It’s one of those traumatic pasts you don’t quite ever get over,” she said, taking another drag.

“You were ten years old. I don’t think that is something anyone could get past, especially that young. Just tell me what I can do to help you,” he asked her almost desperately.

“Just accept me for my baggage,” she said, putting out the butt. Ignis hugged her tight against him.

“It’s not baggage. It is your past, we all have a past. I don’t care how many nightmares I have to hold you through or how many cigarettes you smoke, I will be here for you,” he said to her. Tears of joy streaked down her cheeks. They made their way back over to where their friends were standing.

“Cor is waiting for us at the Prairie Outpost,” Noctis said.

“We have been traveling all day. It has been stressful on everyone. Maybe we should get some sleep and start fresh in the daylight,” Ignis suggested. Noctis looked as though he wanted to argue back. He looked at his friends, seeing the exhaustion weighing on each of them.

“As always, you are right Iggy,” he said, loosening up. Cindy stopped Maris as she started to walk away.

“I didn’t mention it at first because I wanted to let things settle down. A refugee from Insomnia showed up here shortly before you did. She was asking for you by name. I sent her to the diner and told her I would get ahold of you,” she said. More confused than ever, Maris headed to the diner. At this time of night, there was only one person seated in the corner. She had blond hair tied back in short pigtails. Realization hit her and she rushed over to the booth.

“Petra, is that you?” she asked before anything else. The girl’s head turned and they locked eyes. Though they were red and puffy from crying, the chocolate brown eyes were unmistakable.

“Maris, I found you,” she said, getting out of the booth and hugging her.

“I can’t believe you are here in Hammerhead. I can’t believe you made it out safe,” she said, clutching her friend she hadn’t seen in twelve years.

“I was at the Citadel when everything started to happen. My parents were killed right in front of me, protecting me. It took everything to get out of the city. Once I was out, I had no idea where to go. All I could remember was hearing you had been sent to Hammerhead. I traveled all through the night and day on foot to make it here,” she recounted leading up to her arrival.

“The blond girl at the auto shop you spoke to is my cousin, Cindy. When she told me someone had asked for me, I never would have imagined it was my best friend,” Maris said with a slight cry.
“I was scared I wouldn’t find you. So, do you run the shop with your cousin?” she asked, trying to change the tragic subject.

“Well, I was working in this diner and became a hunter to protect the town. Just a few days ago, I actually joined up with a group of hunters to travel to Altissa. We are guiding Prince Noctis there for his wedding, or at least, that is what we were doing until today,” she explained.

“So the prince, he is alive?” Petra asked.

“Actually, he is right over there with the other three guys I am traveling with,” she said back.

“Maris, I know this is going to sound forward, but I don’t want to leave you again. As long as they let me join, I go where you go,” Petra declared.

“Do you still practice magic?” she asked, knowing she would be a benefit to their group if she did.

“Oh you know, I dabble,” she said, showing off with a very controlled element off each fingertip. Maris smirked back, knowing there was no way they would tell her no. Maris and Petra walked over to where the boys were sitting outside the caravan. All four of them looked at her with curiosity.

“Guys, this is my best friend Petra from my childhood. She escaped and made her way here. Petra, this is Noctis, Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis,” she said introducing them to each other. Petra took a seat next to Prompto and Maris took the seat next to her and Ignis.

“It is very nice to meet you Petra. It’s funny, Maris was talking about you guys growing up,” Prompto said.

“Oh really now? Like all the tales about her convincing me to go along with her crazy plans? Like harassing the crowns guard to let us in the Citadel? Or how about when we tried to steal a Chocobo during the Grand Prix?” she said, outing Maris for being wild as a child. Ignis looked at her and started laughing out loud.

“Stop airing my dirty laundry!” she said getting red in the face. All four guys were laughing to the point they were almost in tears.

“Ok, now I have a question I think we are all dying to know the answer to. What happened last night when neither of you came back to the hotel room until morning?” Prompto asked, not giving up on getting gossip. Petra looked sideways at her. Gladio and even Noctis were now looking at them both. Maris and Ignis hadn’t been hiding anything since they got back, but until then, no other time was appropriate to tell everyone. Ignis put his hand in her lap and squeezed her hand.

“Ignis saved me from drinking a spiked drink. We sat on the beach for a long time just talking. Eventually, we concluded that we were always bickering and fighting because we like each other,” Maris said with a huge smile.

“So you spent the whole night, just talking? Nothing else?” Petra asked. Neither of them were going to admit what they did in the Regalia.

“Correct,” Maris said back.

“I didn’t realize talking got sand in your hair,” Petra said back, winking at her. Prompto quickly got out of his seat and was looking at her hair like a monkey.

“Whoa, there is white sand in her hair,” he said, high fiving Petra.

“Ok, admittedly, there may have been some making out in the sand,” Ignis said to them. Maris laughed at the entire situation, feeling like she was young and free of worries again. All three of the boys took turns patting Ignis on the back and congratulating him. Petra looked around as though she was missing something. Prompto pulled out his camera and scrolled through pictures. Unbeknownst to them, Prompto had taken pictures of them quite frequently. They always showed them smiling and laughing with each other. The last one showed them asleep in the tent close together. They both blushed a deep shade of red.

“There was also a pretty intense fight because she walked into the hotel room in only a towel. It all makes sense now, Iggy did like what he saw!” Gladio said with a laugh. Maris was now bright red and Ignis was shrugging in admission, never letting go of her hand.

“Aww, this makes me so happy for you guys. Mari-Belle and Iggy,” Petra said, making a heart with her hands. They continued joking around into the night, not wanting to think about the reality they faced in the morning. The guys had Petra join them for the night, sharing a bed with Prompto. Ignis crawled into the small bed next to Maris. He put gentle kisses on her neck before they wished each other goodnight.

The same horrible dream started to form. She went to open the door and expected to see her parents’ dead bodies lying there in a pool of blood. As she turned the knob, and hand reached out and stopped. She turned around and was facing Ignis. He took her hand without a word and led her back to the sidewalk. There waiting was Gladio, Noctis, Prompto and Petra. Petra took her other hand and they all walked off, not making her relive the nightmare she had been living the last twelve years.

Chapter Text

Sun rays peeked through the caravan windows. Maris opened her eyes, not sure if Ignis was awake yet. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. She rolled over so she was facing them.

“Good morning,” he whispered to her. They kissed for a few minutes and silently got out of bed. Noctis and Gladio were draped in their beds, dead to the world. Prompto had his arm wrapped around Petra, making her the little spoon. Maris took out her phone and snapped a quick picture for revenge. Ignis got the couple coffee from the diner and they sat outdoors, enjoying the early morning still in their pajamas.

“Petra is determined to not lose me again,” Maris said, trying to find a way to ask Ignis about Petra joining him.

“Did any of her family make it out of Insomnia?” he asked.

“Her and her parents were at the Citadel when things went wrong. Her parents sacrificed themselves to save her. She had to watch them die. She has no siblings or family, inside Insomnia or anywhere else,” she said. Ignis took a sip of his coffee.

“Well, it sounds like we just need to get Noct on board with her joining us then. I don’t think Gladio and Prompto will be any issue convincing,” he said back with a smile. She smiled back at them as everyone else piled out of the caravan. Ignis and Maris got ready for the day and they all made their way back over to their car. Petra stood awkwardly beside Maris as the guy started getting into the car. Noctis and Gladio took their usual spots with Prompto getting in between them. Maris and Petra looked at each other and back to the car.

“We assumed we would let you guys have the front seat,” Prompto said to them. Noctis smiled and looked up at them.

“We’re excited to see your magic skill in the field,” Noctis said, speaking directly to Petra. A smile spread across both girls faces as they piled into the front of the Regalia. Maris sat awkwardly on the center console and they took off towards the Prairie Outpost. Once they arrived, the group of six got out of the car and found a woman named Monica that knew the location of the man they were meeting. Noctis thanked her and they made their way up the path to the tomb. Flying monsters were along the way. Petra used this as her time to shine and set them on fire from a safe distance. Maris got hyped up seeing her best friend fighting alongside her. After a few more encounters, they were at the entrance of the tomb and what Maris guessed to be Cor. He led them inside to see the old King laid to rest. Cor explained how King Regis died, trying to protect his people. He also explained Noctis will accept his role as king, whether he wants to or not. Now, the next part of their journey was to find all thirteen of the tombs so Noctis could accept the Royal Arms of the old kings.

“What did I get myself into?” Petra whispered to Maris.

“I’m thinking more than either of us bargained for,” she whispered back. Cor gives the group instructions on going to the next tomb nearby, agreeing to join their party. After exiting the dark tomb, they head North, facing off against more monsters. Petra stayed back this time, avoiding the land bearing monsters. Magitek and Imperials approached them from ahead. Petra set to work on using lightening on the snipers and rifleman. The rest of them faced the axe wielding soldiers head on. Behind this set are two mechs. Maris takes this time to step back, casting her curing magic across her friends and Cor. With the boys preoccupied with the Magitek mechs, Maris and Petra take on the few soldiers who dropped down on them. Eventually, the only ones left in the path are Maris, Petra, Cor and the boys. The girls make their way back to the guys, Maris healing everyone along the way.

“You ladies are quite the formidable duo. I haven’t seen someone wield elemental magic with such control and precision in a long time. And I have never seen someone with healing magic,” Cor said to them.
“I guess it is pretty convenient they come as a dual package then,” Gladio said, obviously very proud of their showing.

“Maris joined us our first time in Hammerhead, Petra joined us just before coming up here. They are best friends,” Noctis explained without explaining. Cor nodded, looking at the girls once more before leading them into the tomb. They got to entrance and Cor stopped.

“This is where I leave you. Here is the Tombkeeper’s key. Remember, you must find all the tombs and collect all the Royal Arms. After seeing you guys fight, it doesn’t look like there is anything to worry about.” He said. Cor started to walk away and stopped, turning back to them. “By chance, are your last names Rothliem and Shoreshim?”

Both girls were shocked as he guessed their names, Maris Rothliem and Petra Shoreshim.

“Um, yes actually,” Maris answered. Petra was completely surprised and could utter a word.

“I knew both of your parents. My deepest condolences to the both of you,” he said, exiting the tomb. While the girls got their answer, it felt as though more questions had been created. Knowing there were more important matters at stake, they pushed this new knowledge aside and continued into the dungeon. It was incredibly dark, only being illuminated by their flashlights. Prompto found an out of place cable that trailed to a generator, powering dim lights along the passageway. They encountered locked doors and dead ends constantly. It felt like they had been in this dungeon for hours. As they entered a larger room, goblins ambushed them. In the small and enclosed quarters, Petra wasn’t able to use her magic. She stood behind Maris and Ignis, warding off goblins as fast as they came. They were all defeated, allowing each of them to catch their breath. The goblins were vicious, requiring Maris to heal them.

“I am once again asking, what they hell did I agree to?” Petra asked Maris.

“Well, you said you didn’t want to leave my side. And I agreed to help guide the prince, now king, to Altissa. There are just twelve extra roadblocks in the way,” she said, reassuring Petra everything was fine.

“I wasn’t built for this,” she sighed, continuing on with their dungeon exploration. The deeper they got, they ran into more locked doors, dead ends, and pathways circling back around. Occasionally, small groups of goblins would attack. After the first bout, they were taking them down easier and easier every time. Time continued on in the darkness, weighing on the exhaustion of each of them. After being turned around by cave ins from falling rocks, a previously locked door was now open. Inside was a large storage room and once they reached the center, a daemon looking like a large spider hung from the ceiling. Prompto screamed, announcing his hatred for bugs. Petra screamed in return, encasing the daemon in fire before any physical attacks could take place. The daemon screeched in pain. Maris managed to get behind it with Noctis and they launched a synchronized attack, making the daemon extremely vulnerable. Prompto shot it multiple times in a row and Gladio hit it with a super strong attack. Ignis and Noctis laid into the daemon together this time, defeating it for good.

“Spiders, why did it have to be spiders?” Prompto said.

“Because a butterfly daemon just doesn’t have the same feel,” Petra said back.

“How about we hurry before another one of those damn things decides it wants to be friends,” Maris said in response.

“Yes, that was a rather unpleasant fight,” Ignis agreed. They squeezed through one more tiny passageway and encountered the door they had been looking for. They entered the tomb, standing in front of the deceased king. Noctis accepted the Royal Arms, meaning they were free to head back out. It was quicker heading out than finding their way through the maze in the first place. Nighttime was in full swing by the time they got back to the entrance. Noctis’s phone rang and he answered. After a short conversation, he hung up and looked at everyone else.

“We will be joining Cor on another mission, this time we are taking on and destroying an Imperial base,” he said, trying to sound as casual as possible. Petra’s eyes went wide open, looking terrified at their next task.

“First let’s focus on getting back to the outpost. Any daemons along the way and we just make a run for it,” Maris said to the group. Everyone agreed and they took off towards the outpost. Petra started to fall behind slightly, the group waiting up for her.

“I am so sorry, I am not used to this kind of stuff,” she apologized, trying to hurry. Gladio ran back to her, allowing her to hop on his back and he carried her piggyback style.

“This is probably the last thing you imagined you would be doing when you got to Hammerhead. Don’t worry, we are here for you,” Gladio said to her. A few daemons tried to attack along the way, but they were easily avoided. They were back at the outpost, meeting up with Monica to get the remaining details.

“There is a nearby roadblock you must destroy to be able to head further West from here. Attacking the roadblock head on would not be wise, so you will head to an opening just south the blockade. For now, it would be wise to get some rest. You will meet up with Cor and I in the morning,” she said. A short distance from the outpost was a haven for them to set up camp on. Maris helped Gladio set up the tent while everyone else got the rest of the items from the car.

“We might need to go somewhere where we can some supplies for Petra,” ignis said, sitting down bags.

“Yea, we kind of forgot she came here without stuff, due to the rush and all,” Prompto said.

“I’ll be fine until tomorrow, I promise,” she said, not wanting to be a worry. She removed her shoes, showing multiple blisters and raw spots on her feet. Maris healed the spots for her, bringing he much relief. She also handed her best friend her back up pair of shoes and socks from her bag.

“It’s a good thing we still have the same sized feet,” Maris said with a laugh. They had the camp fully put together at this point. Ignis was showing Maris how to prepare the meat skewers he was making for everyone. Petra was playing Euchre, Prompto being her partner against Noctis and Gladio.

“It’s a good thing you are teaching her to cook now, that girl can burn water!” Petra shouted from their card game. Maris simply replied with a laugh and flipping her off.

“Has your friendship always been so, abrasive?” Ignis asked.

“Always. I think it is our love language,” she laughed.

“I don’t believe in destiny, fate, or any of that kind of stuff. It is something other worldly that somehow you two managed to meet again under such odd circumstances,” he said back. They looked over at their friends, talking and laughing like they weren’t about to put their lives on the line once again in the morning.

“I’m just hoping once this is all done, the group of us can still have nights like this. I know once Noctis claims his place as King, you as his hand, and Gladio as his shield, things are going to become different,” she said, not even honestly knowing where she fit into the story.

“There will be an adjustment period, but I do believe you will feel at home in Altissa soon enough,” he said to her.

“You mean that?” she said, looking for reassurance she didn’t realize she needed to hear.

“Being hand of the King is serious, but so is making sure my girlfriend is happy,” he said. An even bigger smile spread across her face at him calling himself her boyfriend.

“You will just have to instruct your girlfriend on how to be a proper lady,” she replied back with a smile.

Chapter Text

It had gotten late enough that the fire was put out and everyone turned in for the night. Light snores could be heard throughout the tent. Maris had her head on Ignis’s chest and looked up at him. His eyes were still open and he looked down at her in return.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked her.

“How I wish we weren’t jammed in a tent with other people right now,” she whispered back in a flirty manner.

“Remember when you told me I’d have to teach you to be a proper lady? What if, I don’t always want you to be proper?” he asked back. Maris looked at him funny.

“Are you saying what I think you are saying?” she asked, not jumping to conclusions.

“Well, it seems to me our friends are dead asleep,” he said back. Maris quietly scooted up to him and they started kissing. Ignis positioned himself over Maris, sticking his hand up her sweater. Her hands pulled him in closer to him, her biting his earlobe. A deep moan came from Ignis when she did this. A thought came into her head at that moment.

“I think you should get on your back,” she whispered in his ear. He did as she said, her sneaking down under the blanket over them. She pulled his lounge pants down his hips, exposing his hard cock to her. Maris put small kisses down his pelvic V. “Are you ok with this?”

“Yes, very much,” was all he managed to say back. Maris brought his erection into her mouth slowly. She experimented with how far in she could get him before she started gagging. Once she gauged this, she started quickening her pace. Small, controlled moans started coming from Ignis. Every few times she bobbed up and down, she would stop and lick the underside of his shaft, causing a shiver to go throughout his entire body.

“Fuck” she heard him moan out less controlled. A thrill went through her, knowing she was pleasuring her boyfriend. An even bigger adrenaline rush came through her when she remembered Gladio was only two feet away from her. “What do you want me to do if I’m going to, release?” he asked, still obviously not comfortable with the dirtier sexual terms. She looked up at him, still keeping her hand pumping on his throbbing and twitching member.

“Grab my hair so I’m ready,” she said, going back down on him. A few minutes after she told him that, his right hand grabbed a fistful of her hair. Seconds after, he came in her mouth, grunting every time he released more into her. She waited until he was completely done, making sure there was no mess left.

“As much as I enjoyed that, don’t you want me to do anything back?” he asked, seeming confused in pure bliss.

“I think paying me back next time will suffice,” she answered. He kissed her, not caring what she had just been doing. They went back to cuddling and fell asleep soundly until morning. As planned, they woke up before the sunrise to get to the blockade as soon as possible. Maris and Petra were attempting to wash their hair with water bottles and shampoo. Gladio walked up to them and sat down.

“So, Maris, did you sleep well last night?” he asked casually.

“For the most part,” she said in response, finding the question odd.

“Did going down on Specs two feet from me help or hinder that?” he asked loud enough for everyone to hear. Maris went bright red, as did Ignis who was standing with Prompto and Noctis. Petra was slapping Gladio on the arm, trying to get him to stop. Noctis and Prompto’s jaws hung open, silent to the whole situation.

“Well, I know it helped me,” Ignis spoke up.

“I’m glad the first sexual experience you get wakes me up in the middle of the night! Awkward as hell dude,” he said with a laugh. Petra was still slapping him, telling him to stop. Maris started laughing, thinking about the night at Galdin Quay.

“In case you would like to know, you are wrong. We might have mislead you. That night we didn’t return to the hotel room, something might have happened,” he said, almost sounding like he was showing off.
“So you did have sex on the beach!” Petra exclaimed, now slapping Maris on the arm.

“Well, no. We didn’t want our first time to be that, public. And we knew there was no way we could go back to the room. So, we might have defiled the backseat of the Regalia,” Maris admitted. Hearing herself say it out loud made her much more red faced.

“Whoa, dude,” Prompto said with a hint of amazement.

“I know I should be grossed out right now, since I have been sitting back there, but I think I am just impressed,” Gladio said at her answer. Petra gave Maris a fist bump. The guys walked off, leaving Maris and Petra to finish with their hair before taking off.

“Don’t say anything, but that night at the caravan, I totally made out with Prompto,” Petra admitted.

“Aw, he is so your type!” Maris said with excitement. Petra bit her lip, looking down.

“And last night in the tent, I totally made out with Gladio,” she admitted next. Maris was now the one with her jaw to the ground.

“And somehow, he is your type too. So, what are you going to do?” Maris asked.

“Sit them down and talk it out. God, why is it you drag me into centrifugal drama? I swear, ever since we were kids,” Petra said with a laugh.

“If I had the answer, then giving my boyfriend a blow job wouldn’t have been brought up at camp,” she answered back.

“Iggy, how did your love life go from zero to one hundred like this? Before we left Insomnia, you had never even kissed a girl. Now suddenly, a girlfriend and a sex life you aren’t hiding,” Noctis said slightly shocked.

“He just needed to get himself a girl with a feisty little attitude to match his,” Gladio said back. “Speaking of, a little something happened between me and Petra last night. Nothing like Specs and Maris, but some solid making out action”

“That’s odd, because the first night we met, I made out with her in Hammerhead,” Prompto also said.

“Prompto and Gladio pulling the same girl, I guess anything is possible,” Noctis said laughing.

“So, what exactly do we do?” Prompto asked, never having been in this situation before.

“First, we go kick some Imperial ass. Next, we approach it head on and talk to her together I guess. I don’t know, I’m stumped. Iggy was onto something with the word ‘distraction’. These girls,” Gladio said
“And those ‘distractions’ have saved us more times than I want to admit,” Noctis said, acknowledging their contributions on the battlefield.

“I think I like being involved in a love triangle,” Prompto said, staring into space and daydreaming.

“Is there any way I can take back my distractions comment now?” Ignis said, laughing about the entire situation. Maris and Petra came running towards the car at this point. They both hopped in their respective spots in the front. Realization set in, remembering what they were headed off to try and accomplish. Silence filled the space, letting them succumb to mentally preparing for battle.

Chapter Text

The group of six approached the spot they agreed to meet Cor and Monica at to begin their plan of overthrowing the Imperial barricade. They all exited the car, seeing Cor and Monica waiting for them in the nearby ruins.

“Glad you made it. So here is what will happen. Monica is going to take Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto to create a diversion. Nocits, Maris, and Petra will accompany me in taking this thing apart from the inside,” Cor explained to them. Given Cor’s expertise in war strategy, no one argued with his plan. Ignis gave Maris a quick peck on the cheek before joining Monica. Gladio and Prompto both gave sincere looks towards Petra, making her smile at them both before everyone went their separate ways.

“What exactly are we supposed to be expecting in here?” Petra asked sounding terrified.

“Those unsettling Magitek soldiers will be crawling around the place. Noctis and I are going to be focusing on taking them out from a distance. Petra, I want you to focus on any rifleman or snipers we might have trouble getting to. Maris, you need to stay back with Petra. Focus on possible flanks from the back and keeping everyone healed,” Cor explained.

“Starting to sound like a typical day for us,” Maris said with a laugh.

“Who would have thought?” Noctis said back. The four of them entered the small fortress and began taking on soldiers as they approached. Swiftly, they moved from one area to the next without much issue. They got into what appeared to be the center of the center of the blockade. There is a path of defeated Magitek soldiers with Ignis, Gladio, Prompto, and Monica at the front.

“There you guys are,” Prompto said, excited to get their group back together. Just as they were reuniting, a huge robot came around the corner to greet them. The human pilot on the inside introduced himself as Loqi.

“Oh this bastard,” was all Cor said as they sprung back into battle mode. As if it were second nature for all of them at this point, they took their points on the battlefield. Cor, Gladio, Noctis, and Ignis were focusing on taking out the legs of the robot. Petra and Prompto were working on the long distance snipers. Maris took on the ground soldiers, making sure no one was taking on too much damage in the all out brawl. Cor swung a final strike into the body of the Magitek engine, making flames appear from it. Everyone backed away as it exploded, clearing the way through the blockade. As the machine continued burning, they gathered themselves and caught their breath.

“I have said it once and I will say it again, I was not built for this fighting stuff,” Petra said.

“I don’t know, I think we make quite the team,” Prompto said to her.

“Your parents raised the both of you knowing that something like this could have been your future whether you wanted it or not. They knew their position in Insomnia could have led to dire outcomes. I don’t think they were imagining something on a scale this grand, but they knew you were both destined for great things. Neither of you should ever doubt how strong you are or how important you are in making this journey a success,” Cor said to them.

“To be fair, we probably wouldn’t be in such good shape if it weren’t for you two,” Noctis said to them.

“All of us are shit with magic,” Gladio said to them.

“And we definitely don’t have the ability to heal each other without using some kind of item,” Prompto said.

“Cor is right, you two are very core members of this group,” Ignis said, agreeing with Cor. Both girls could feel themselves blush as Cor said goodbye to them all. They got back into the car, taking another moment to allow themselves to catch up with what had all just happened. Ignis started the car and drove them through the once standing blockade. A few minutes onto the road and Prompto spoke up from the back seat.

“Guys! I know what we should do! We should go to the chocobo outpost and ride some chocobos!” Prompto said with a cheer.

“I could be down for some chocobo adventures,” Maris said in agreement.

“As long as you don’t try and steal one when we leave,” Ignis said, remembering Petra’s story on the first night she was with them. Petra started cracking up, enjoying the fact she was surrounded by such amazing people after going through something so horrible. Night was falling quickly as they were making their way to the outpost.

“Oh man, we should probably find a place to stay for the night,” Prompto said, taking a picture of the falling horizon.

“He’s right, the roads are no place to be at night. There should be a hotel at a smaller outpost not far from here,” Ignis said with Maris holding their map. He was right and not far from that point was a small area with a hotel, a crow’s nest, and some fuel pumps. Ignis got to filling the car with gas with Maris as Noctis secured hotel rooms for them. Petra was stretching when Gladio and Prompto approached her.

“Hey, can you come talk to us?” Gladio asked her. She shook her head yes and followed to the two guys to a small table and chairs set outside the hotel.

“So, what’s up?” she asked, knowing exactly what was going on.

“Well, it has come to our attention that we have both been, involved with you,” Prompto said shyly. Petra looked down, not necessarily embarrassed at being called out, but not sure exactly of her feelings.

“Yes,” was all she said in return.

“We aren’t mad or anything. More like, kind of confused,” Gladio said. Petra bit her lip, looking up at them.

“Yea, me too. I really like you both. If we were living normal lives, I’d go on dates with both of you and figure out my feelings that way. Traveling like this makes normality not quite obtainable. I also don’t want to hurt either of you and then have us traveling around like, we don’t need to be some drama filled band of misfits,” she said back to them. Prompto looked at them both and shrugged.

“What if you didn’t have to choose?” he suggested. They both looked at him with a weird glance “Ok, I know it sounds weird, but what if we both were dating you, at the same time. Kind of like sharing?”

“You want me, to date the both of you?” Petra asked, wanting to make sure she understood correctly.

“I mean, I guess I’m ok with it,” Gladio said in response.

“The only rule is we don’t discuss what either couple does together, that way any kind of jealousy or anything doesn’t happen,” Prompto said.

“Once again, you are both completely ok with the idea of me dating you both at the same time?” Petra asked, still mind blown at what was happening.

“Since we can’t date like normal, how about we have this arrangement until our journey with Noctis getting the royal arms and getting to Altissa is finished? That gives plenty of time for each of us to work through things,” Gladio said.

“I think we have a deal then,” she said with a smile. “And how exactly do we explain this to Maris, Ignis and Noctis?”

“I guess with the truth, since we all do have to live together,” Prompto said. Gladio shook his head, agreeing with Prompto. Petra took and breath and they all got up from the table. Prompto made a point of giving her a kiss on the cheek, having Gladio follow him in suit. Petra saw Maris watching them from the gas pump and raise her eyebrow at her. The boys walked off to the restaurant and Petra waved Maris over quickly. Maris left Ignis to inspect the car for damage and went over to Petra.

“Ok, so from here I am seeing Prompto and Gladio being all cute and kissing you on the cheek. Not exactly the outcome I was expecting,” she admitted to the blond.

“I also wasn’t expecting to blow up an Imperial blockade or somehow end up with two boyfriends but a lot can happen in twenty four hours,” she said with a smirk. Maris looked at her wide eyed and mouth hanging open slightly.

“And you call me the wild one!” Maris said, giggling like an absolute school girl.

“You still are the wild one! I’m not the one having sex in the back of a car at the beach!” she laughed with Maris.

“Ok, how about we both lay claim to the wild title?” she suggested. Both girls were laughing to the point they were almost crying. They joined the guys inside the restaurant, Petra sitting between Gladio and Prompto, Maris sitting between Ignis and Noctis. While waiting for their food, the guys showed Maris and Petra how to play Kings Knight on their phones. It was one of those moments any person would hold onto as such a treasured memory with friends. For this group of six, it was what seemed to be a fleeting moment of normalcy in their young adult lives.

Chapter Text

“Ok, let me get this clear, so you guys are dating?” Noctis asked Prompto and Petra who were cuddling in their bed as they were all headed to sleep for the night.

“Yes,” Petra said.

“But Petra, you are also dating Gladio?” Noctis asked again.

“Yes,” Petra answered again.

“And just to be clearer, Prompto and Gladio are not dating, right?” he asked, looking a little more confused. Prompto looked at him and rolled his eyes.

“No you weirdo! Think of it as like, we are sharing a girlfriend,” Prompto said as his explanation.

“I’m not judging by any means. I am still trying to wrap my head around you and Gladio having the same girlfriend, just because you guys are total opposites,” Noctis said back.

“What can I say, I am a girl with varied interests,” Petra said, laying her head on Prompto’s chest. Noctis laughed at her and turned off the lamp on his bedside. Prompto turned off their lamp and pulled Petra in closer to him. Minutes later, Noctis was snoring. Petra leaned up and kissed Prompto. As she tried to pull away, he brought his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her in roughly, kissing her just as rough. They sloppily made out, staying quiet as to not wake up Noctis. Prompto pulled her in closer leaving no gap between them. Petra could feel Prompto becoming extremely aroused just from their making out. He pulled away and quietly cursed himself.

“I’m sorry. I’m not as experienced with this kind of stuff as Gladio is,” he whispered to her, looking away from her. She put her hand on his cheek and lightly kissed him on the lips in comfort.

“I’m not expecting you to be some kind of sex expert,” she said back to him.

“I’m not a virgin, in case you were wondering. But I have only had sex maybe five times ever, so I have very little idea of what I am doing. And apparently don’t have very good control,” he said, adjusting himself.

“I have a little more experience than that, but I am no expert either. I’ll teach you as we go, and what neither of us know, we learn together,” she said with a sweet smile.

“Have I ever told you how amazing you are?” he whispered in her ear.

“Well you are the one who said we make a great team,” she said to him. They continued making out in the dark room. Petra started kissing Prompto’s neck, making small moans come from him. He pushed into her, starting to grind his hips against hers. Prompto’s hands shakily roamed over her breasts. He moved the thin strap of her tank top to the side, exposing her breast to him. Much to his surprise, he was met with a nipple piercing.

“Whoa,” he said looking at it. He rubbed his thumb across it, intrigued by the sight. He moved her other strap down, curious to see the other side. With both her breasts exposed to him, Petra laughed.

“I didn’t think to warn you about that,” she said.

“I like surprises,” he said with a grin. He lay her on her back and hovered over her. Prompto gently sucked on her right nipple, using his tongue to play with the piercing.

“Holy shit,” she said, louder than expected. They both paused, making sure Noctis was still asleep. Once they were sure, they turned their attention back to each other.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked worried.

“Quite the opposite. I haven’t done this since I got these done. And they are hypersensitive,” she said with a smile. They made out like this for a while, Petra feeling the hickeys forming on her breasts. Petra could feel just how wet she was and wanted to have Prompto inside of her that very moment. He wanted nothing more than to have sex with her right then.

“Do you think if we are quiet enough, we could have sex tonight?” Prompto asked her.

“I think we should give it a try; do you have a condom?” she asked, knowing she wasn’t prepared for this. Prompto got up excitedly and got a condom from his wallet. They each took their clothes off, Prompto rolling the condom onto his twitching cock. He pulled the covers around them and got between her legs to position himself to enter her. She looked at the covers and back at him.

“If he wakes up and we get caught, at least he won’t have to actually see his friends naked,” he said. She giggled at his quick thinking. Prompto guided himself into her slowly. He was bigger than she was picturing, gasping when he filled her up. Once he was fully inside of her, he began thrusting in and out slowly, gauging how much he could move as opposed to how noise they would make. Gradually he got faster, watching her breasts bounce up and down every time he hit fully inside of her. She made restricted little gasps and moans with every thrust he made. Prompto got ahold of one of her nipples and sucked on it while pounding into her. She put her own hands over her mouth to muffle the sounds she was making. It took everything for Prompto to not let his grunting and breathing get to out of control. He replaced her hand with his own, feeling the vibrations of her moans. With this and the feeling of her walls tightening around him in her climax, he was immediately sent over the edge. He could feel himself cum in her. They stopped where they were, looking each other in the eyes and breathing heavily. He pulled out of her, both of them covered in sweat and her cum. Prompto went into the bathroom and pulled the condom off, wrapping it in toilet paper. He came out of the bathroom and put his pants back on, putting a hoodie on and heading towards the door.

“Where are you going?” she asked him, putting her clothes back on.

“Well we can’t get rid of this stuff in here. Noc will for sure notice this in the trash. I’ll casually get rid of it in a trash can outside,” he said.

“Wait, I’ll come with you,” she said, getting dressed and stealing a hoodie from his stuff.

“Didn’t you already?” he said with a huge grin on his face. She playfully slapped his arm, and they left the room. They got to a trashcan and Prompto casually dropped the used condom and wrapper in it. They made their way onto the roof of the Crow’s Nest, sitting with their legs over the edge. He reached over and held her hand as they looked up into the sky.

“It is so peaceful out here,” Petra said out loud.

“I like being out here on nights like this. I’ve been seriously thinking about leaving the big city after we complete our journey. There’s something about these rural areas I have really grown to appreciate. Plus, I can get some amazing shots out here,” he said, referencing his photography.

“Let’s take a picture together!” Petra said with excitement. Prompto got his camera ready on the tripod and set the timer. Petra wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek for the picture. The flash went off and snapped the picture. Prompto showed it to Petra, and she approved of it. In the moonlight, she caught a glimpse of a light hickey on his neck. “Oh crap,” she said, pointing at his neck.

“How bad is it?” he asked her. She borrowed the camera and snapped a picture of it for him. He looked back at it and sighed. “Knowing our friends, we might get some flak for that,”.

“What’s a hickey between adults?” she said with a not very convincing laugh. They made their way quietly back into the room and laid back down. They quickly nodded off to sleep once cuddled together, their roommate for the night none the wiser.

The alarm on Gladio’s phone went off just as the sun was rising. Maris cuddled further into Ignis, ignoring the ringing noise and trying not fully wake up. She could hear Gladio walking around the room and gathering his belongings.

“I’d tell you guys to get a room, but unfortunately we have the same room,” he said, finishing gathering his things. “I’m going to head out and explore the area before we leave. I’ll give you love birds some alone time,” he said, closing the door behind him.

“I really thought he would never leave,” Ignis said, leaning down and kissing Maris. They made out for a few minutes and Ignis lay her on her back. He kissed and bit her neck, leaving a hickey after he was done. Ignis lifted her sweater over her head, leaving her breasts exposed to the cold room, making her nipples instantly hard. He trailed kisses and small bites down her collar bone, over both of her breasts, and down her stomach. In the light of the room, he could see the many tattoos on her ribcage, hips, and down her arms. He took in the many-colored flowers, various quotes, and other tribal designs across her skin. She gasped against the kissing and biting, not expecting such forward foreplay from Ignis. With an expression of primal instincts taking over, he pulled her shorts from her waist and threw them to the side. She was completely exposed beneath him, and he went back up to kiss her on the lips.

“As I’m sure you have guessed by now, I have not done this before, but I would like to repay you for the other night,” he said in-between kisses. She simply nodded, still in shock he was doing this and making the first moves. He went back down to where his head was between her thighs. It was as though he knew exactly what he was doing. He circled his tongue around her entrance and lightly sucked on her clit, going back and forth. Maris was moaning fairly loud, hoping the walls of the hotel were relatively thick. He continued doing this until she was a completely soaked. Knowing she still hadn’t hit her orgasm, Ignis focused his mouth on her clit and inserted two fingers inside of her. Maris was borderline screaming from pleasure at this point. Every time he hit her G-spot she edged closer and closer to her climax. She gripped her right hand in his hair and clutched the side of the bed with her left. In seconds she could feel herself squirting around his fingers. Her moaning screams reached their peak and her back was arched off the bed. Her orgasm came in a few waves as she came down from her high. Ignis was on his knees between her legs, casual wiping his face off.

“Due to your involuntary reactions, I am safe to assume I did, ok?” he said with a smirk.

“Did ok? First thing, I have never squirted before, so that was a first. Second, I am pretty sure the front desk heard all of that. Safe to say we can’t do that in the tent,” she said with a giggle. She crawled over to him, straddling him and kissing him. “I just have to know, there is always the big joke guys have no idea what they are doing their first time going down on a girl. You completely knew what to do, how?” she asked.

“Well I did have to study human anatomy in school. I know where everything is. And just because I didn’t have an active sex life doesn’t mean I didn’t know about sex and sexual acts. The longer you go without actually doing it, the more time you have to think about how it will work in theory and then apply it in practice later,” he said, turning Maris on again with his elevated and intelligent vocabulary.

“I am more than willing to let you practice that theory again,” she said with a seductive grin.

“Unfortunately, I think if we take any longer, our friends might become even more suspicious of our activities in here. However, we do need to shower,” he said with a laugh, innocently looking at the huge mess left on the bed.

Chapter Text

Maris and Ignis were the last ones out of their room and to the car in the morning. Maris had her hair pulled up into a wet bun on top of her head. Ignis’s hair was still wet from his shower, out of the normal for the both of them. Petra walked up to Maris and handed her a soda from the Crow’s Nest.

“Since when do you shower in the morning?” she asked her friend.

“Gladio was caring enough to leave Ignis and I alone this morning for a few hours,” she said sipping from her bottle.

“After sex clean up?” Petra said with a laugh.

“More like, after my boyfriend going down on me like a freaking expert clean up. For a guy who has never been in any kind of relationship before, he really knows what he is doing,” Maris said, mentally reliving the events of the morning.

“I’d like to say I’m jealous, but I totally hooked up with Prompto last night. Of course, we had to be super quiet, so we didn’t wake Noctis up. I’m not used to being with someone so,” she trailed off thinking for a word.

“Inexperienced?” Maris guessed.

“Shockingly, he has had a girlfriend and not a virgin. So, more experienced than he wants to let on. But, he’s just so innocent and doesn’t act like he is some God in bed. My theory also holds true that skinny are totally packing,” she said back with a quiet laugh.

The guys stood by the car and watched the girls gossip with each other from a distance. They stood around drinking coffee, getting ready to head to the chocobo outpost.

“Do you ever wonder what they can stand there and talk about every day?” Prompto asked.

“Well, they aren’t your average girls, you know they aren’t talking about shoes and shopping,” Gladio said.

“I mean, they are probably talking about us, mainly you three I should say,” Noctis said with a shrug.

“How much could there be to talk about? We are together all the time,” Ignis said.

“Well, I can’t believe we aren’t talking about that hickey on Prompto’s neck, or the one on Maris’s neck,” Noctis said.

“Boundaries Noct, Gladio and I don’t discuss what we do individually with Petra,” Prompto said, shutting down part of the conversation.

“And do we want the dirty details on what happened after I left you guys alone?” Gladio asked, directing his question towards Ignis.

“Well, everyone here is spoken for now, so I can hope you are not picturing my girlfriend naked. Anyway, there was some repayment after what happened between us in the tent,” he said casually, still not comfortable going into details.

“Whoa, Iggy, are you telling me you went down on Maris?” Gladio said in amazement.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I am telling you. And to be honest, I am surprised you did not hear her from out here. Not to brag, but I am apparently quite skilled in the art,” he said with a smirk.

“I don’t think anyone calls giving your girlfriend oral sex an art,” Noctis said with a laugh.

“I think Maris would beg to differ,” Ignis said to the rest of them. Gladio walked off laughing at Ignis and joined Maris and Petra in their conversation. Prompto immediately was ushering Noctis and Ignis closer to him.

“Ok, I can tell you guys what happened last night. We totally did it,” Prompto said. Noctis looked slightly horrified and then confused.

“Oh come on, I was in that room last night. I didn’t hear anything. And I didn’t see anything in the trash either,” Noctis said.

“Maris and I failed to use protection the only time we have had sex, so you cannot judge anything on that. And Noct, you could sleep through an earthquake. As a matter of fact, I believe you have slept through an earthquake,” Ignis said thinking further.

“I had a condom in my wallet thank you very much, and yes, we did use it. I knew that’s something you would notice so I threw it away in that trashcan over there. As far as noise, we made a conscious effort to not wake you up and get caught in the act. And you wanna know a secret? Petra has her nipples pierced!” Prompto said with extreme excitement. Noctis’s eyes went wide and Ignis choked on his coffee.

“I could have gone my whole life without that image in my brain,” Noctis said.

“Yours has the piercings, mine is covered in tattoos. For us being men of the Crownsguard, we sure have gotten ourselves some girls who do not quite fit the bill,” Ignis said, looking over at his girlfriend dressed in ripped skinny jeans and a plain black T-shirt tied into a crop top.

“I have to admit, there is a part of me that is a little jealous. Luna is wonderful and I know peace needs to be brought to our lands, but these wild girls really are something else. Tattoos, piercings, hunters, and apparently somehow are tied to an upbringing in Insomnia preparing them for this kind of life? And come on, a guy can only hear about his friends getting laid so much,” he said, looking over at both girls.

“And we thought the girls were gossips,” Ignis said back. Everyone gathered in the car to travel the rest of the way to the outpost. This time, Petra was in the backseat between Prompto and Gladio. Noctis took over driving to give Ignis a break with Maris sitting in the middle of them. Maris had her legs draped over Ignis’s, cuddling with him obnoxiously and not caring. His constant smile reassured her he also didn’t care. Prompto was holding Petra’s left hand. She scrolled through her phone with her free hand when she felt a hand from her right settling on her inner mid-thigh. Gladio was reading with his book in his right hand and had his left hand on her leg. She blushed down at her phone, still not accustomed to so much attention being put on her. It was just after noon when they pulled into the outpost. Prompto jumped from the car and raced over to the chocobo stables, petting the giant birds as they nuzzled against him.

“Howdy boys and girls, what can I do for you today?” asked the man who appeared to be the caretaker of the outpost.

“We would like to ride the chocobos!” Prompto said with excitement.

“I’m very sorry, but the chocobos aren’t allowed to leave the property right now. There is a vicious monster who has been attacking the birds. Until it is killed, we had to end chocobo rentals,” he said to them with sadness.

“Well, we’re hunters. We would be happy to take a look at it for you,” Noctis said, obviously wanting to ride the chocobos as well. He handed over the informational wanted poster on some creature they referred to as dead eye. After looking it over, they were back in the car and headed towards the location of the monster. They parked the car and headed into the woods. The further they travelled into the woods, the more they saw signs of a large creature like trees snapped in half and parts of the ground torn up. Finally, they hear large movements up ahead. Gladio has them silently go single file down this path where they had to duck. From nowhere, this huge creature missing its right eye peered in at them from the opening above. Maris could feel its hot breath on her. They all stopped and were frozen in place, fearing it would sense them. It walked away, letting them get out of the pathway and gave time for them to follow the creature. They stayed to its right side, the side which earned this creature the name of dead eye. Finally, they got into what looked like the creature’s den. It came at them, charging at a slow speed because of its size. Ignis took time analyzing the creature to see what it was weak to.

“Petra, I need you to light this thing on fire to weaken it,” Ignis said to her. She kept a constant flame going on the monster, stunning it and draining its health from a constant burn. Each of them took turns attacking the creature, slowly taking it down. Maris timed her hit wrong, getting knocked to the side by its large arm. She slid across the ground, earning multiple cuts and scrapes down her right side. Gladio distracted the monster while Ignis and Noctis ran to Maris. She was already healing her own wounds when they got over there.

“Are you ok?” Noctis asked as Ignis was inspecting her wounds.

“Bruised and possibly broken rib, nothing I can’t fix with a little magic,” she said, struggling to sit up until Ignis assisted her. Petra circled her way over to Maris while keeping the monster on fire for everyone else. Noctis joined back in the fight. The boys had the monster down and defeated. Maris was just finishing up healing herself when they got back over to her.

“Are you going to be ok to travel to the haven? It is too late to get back to the outpost,” Ignis asked her.

“I’m just experiencing general soreness. I haven’t taken a hit like that in a long time. And I’m tired from using magic to mend a bone that quickly,” she said, standing up at this point. Noctis led them out of the lair and to the nearby haven. Gladio and Petra got the tent set up. Ignis got Maris into the tent and laid down. He created a nest of pillows to support her where she was most sore.

“You do not have to worry about coming out to eat, I will bring your food in here to you,” he said kissing her head.

“I promise I am ok,” she said, smiling at how much she liked him caring for her.

“Getting proper rest and food will make you feel good as new in the morning,” he said as he exited the tent and prepared to cook their dinner. In twenty minutes, he was back in there with a plate of meat skewers for her and him.

“Aww, one of my favorites!” she said, sitting up and excited to eat. They ate together in the tent, feeling like they were on some date together. Maris and Ignis compared stories from their childhoods, figuring out what was the same and what was different.

“So, high school in Hammerhead?” he asked her.

“Pretty basic. Lots of hands-on and useful skills were taught instead of formal education subjects. If it couldn’t be used to help the small community, there was no sense in teaching it,” she told him.

“I studied every possible subject I could when I was in school. Even after I was out of school, I was still studying at the university. As hand of the King, I had to be educated in every possible subject to give my King an advantage, whether during war strategies or economic trades. I was never sure what would be useful or not,” he explained to her. He moved their plates to the side, and he lay with her after changing clothes for the night.

“I don’t know if I have ever told you this, but I find your intelligence super sexy,” she said, tracing the outlines of muscles on his arms.

“I do not believe you have. When we get to Altissa, I will make sure to keep studying new things for you then,” he said with a smile. “I have not told you this, but I am fascinated by all of your tattoos. I just want to trace over all of them and figure out what they all mean,”

“Some of them have deep meaning. This date on my forearm is when I lost my parents. There are others I got just because I was bored. This koi fish on my rib cage has no meaning, I just find koi fish cool. I think tattoos are beautiful,” she said to him.

“They cannot compare to you,” he said, running his fingers through her hair. A blush spread across her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around him. She fell asleep in his lap, comfortable and at peace. Ignis took his glasses off and was asleep shortly after her, ready to continue on and finish this trip so he could focus on starting his real life with Maris.