THE last few days had been some of the best days since you started attending middle school.  You were finally getting into the swing of things with your classes.  You hadn't missed your bus, your homework was almost completed (and you had been getting all perfect scores on them by the way), even Gwen seemed to of decided to leave you alone.  Life couldn't be better in your eyes.  One might even say that you were flying on cloud 9.  The main reason though, could be the fact that your afternoons were filled with spending time with Ignis.

You couldn't wait for choir to start as you sat there trying to pay attention in math.  (Not the easiest task to begin with.)  You would stare at the clock and drum your pencil on the desk as the last few minutes would tick away.  Then as soon as the bell would ring, you were the first one out of the room so that you could quickly go to your locker and then head off to choir.  You had learned that it was easier to carry everything with you that needed to get done that night, rather than trying to get back to your locker before the bus arrived.  Besides, you and Ignis would talk for a bit after choir so that you could work out a time for him to come over.  You didn't want that time cut short for anything.

Most of the time he would stop by within about a hour after school  let out and would stay for about two hours before heading home himself.  But tonight you knew would be a bit different. You only had a few things left to do, so he didn't think that would even take the full two hours and you would have everything done. The thought of not having him stop by the house anymore had you feeling a bit down. You had really enjoyed having him over. He was starting to be like one of the family now. Your dad wasn't as paranoid and even your mom had started to make sure that there was enough snacks for the two of you to eat while you were studying.

You didn't really feel like singing during choir class today, instead you just watched as Ignis played the piano.  You loved to watch how his fingers seemed to dance across the keys as the piano seemed to sing out the tones as if it was wanting to please him.  You had watched people play the piano before, but none with as much passion as he did.  Occasional he would close his eyes while playing as he carefully listen to the tones to ensure that the pitch was just right.

You often wondered where he had learned to play, but a part of you was a bit afraid to ask.  Whenever you would bring up his past or even just his family, he would tend to steer away from the subject.  It was obvious that it was something that he didn't want to talk about.  Which, of course, made you wonder about it more.  Had his past been that bad?  Or was he ashamed of where he came from?  Your heart ached when you thought about it.

When class was over, you were lost in your own thoughts.  You hadn't notice that Ignis had been looking over at you.  He watched you for a minute and wondered what had you so out of it.  So he got up and started to head towards you when the dismissal bell rang.  The bell broke your concentration enough for you to realize that it was time to head out.  You reached down and grabbed your backpack and absently started towards the door.  You were unaware that Ignis was just within ear shot as you walked out. But he ended up getting caught up in the crowd and couldn't seem to get through.

"(Y/N)."  He called after you.  But you didn't hear him due to the people talking around you.

"(Y/N)!" He called again.  "Excuse, I need to get through."  He told the people that were just in front of him. 

"Hey man.  Wait your turn like everyone else."  Said one of the male students who was right in front of him.

Ignis stopped in his tracks and gave the other student a reluctant look as he stood fast while he waited for his turn. When he finally got free of the crowd, it was to late.  You had already walked out the door with the rest of the crowd and was nowhere to be seen.  He stopped and stood in the hallway for a minute as he tried to figure out what had just happened.  

He had noticed that you hadn't really sang as you usually did.  In fact he hadn't heard your voice at all.  He could usually hear your voice, even when singing with the rest of the group.  He looked down as he started walking down the hallway as he tried to figure it out.

"What's the matter Iggy?"  Came a familiar sassy voice from behind him.

Ignis closed his eyes before looked back up as he continued down the hallway.

"It's none of your concern Gwen." He answered shortly as he continued walking.

"Oh, but I think that it is."  She said as she fell in step with him.  "You know that I only want you to be happy.  And right now you don't look happy."

"I appreciate your concern.  But this has nothing to do with you."  He said as he kept his eyes forward and kept walking.  

"Now if you'll pardon me.  I have a few things that I have to tend to."  He said as he headed out the door by the turn around.  

He wanted to find you so that he could figure out what was bother you.

Gwen stopped just inside the door and watched as he walked out and started looking for you.  She slyly smiled to herself.  Her friends caught up with her and stood beside her.

"It looks like there might be trouble in paradise."  Gwen said with a smirk.  

"Perhaps I still might be able to separate those two after all."  She said as she watched Ignis stand in one spot and glanced around as he was trying to locate you.  

"Come on.  I hate to see a man get his heart broken."  Gwen said with a slight smirk.

Then she turned away from the door as she headed back down the hallway towards the front door.

Ignis looked around but he couldn't see you.  

Damn it.  Did I miss her?  He thought as he desperately looked around the area as he tried to catch a glimpse of you.  

Then just as he was about to head back inside to see if you had gone to your locker, he heard your phone go off.  He quickly turned towards the direction that the ringtone came from and saw what looked like the side of your backpack leaning up against a tree on the other side of the turn around.  He sighed with relief and walked over to you.  He saw that you were sitting down as you leaned up against the back of the tree as you stared at your phone.

"There you are."  He said as he approach you.  

"I thought that I had missed you."  He said as he sat down beside you.

"Hey."  You replied but didn't look up.

"Are you alright?"  He asked as he bent his head down as he tried to get a better look at your face.

"Yeah, I'm fine."  You said mainly to yourself.  "I was just thinking."

"About what, if you don't mind me asking?"  He asked as he brought up one knee and rested his arm on it as he turned towards you.

"After tonight, there won't be any reason for you to come over anymore.  All of my homework will be done."  You said as you looked down. 

Ignis dropped his gaze for a minute.  He had been worried that that might be the issue. He didn't want it to end either. But what else was there for him to do that would help you.

"But I don't want it to end." You said as you looked up at him.  "I don't want it to stop with just the books. I want to learn what you're learning.  I want to be able to help you out instead of you helping me out all of the time.  I'm tired of being a burden.  I want to go through the same training as you.  I want to have the same lessons as you.  This way I will be able to help not only you, but Noctis as well."  You said as you looked him straight in the eyes with fierce determination.

He hadn't expected a response like that and he was taken back as he looked at you.  But he knew that look.  He had given his uncle the same look when he had decided to embrace his role to Noctis.  He didn't back down then and he didn't think that you wanted to either.  He could see the fire in yours eyes and he could feel the tension in the air as your breathing was as tense as your muscles as you clenched your hands.

"But this isn't something that you just learn. I've been doing this for years now." He quietly said as he looked at you. "It would take some serious cramming to get you caught up."

"I don't care what I have to go through in order to catch up to you."  You said as you turned towards him and put your knees on the ground so that you were sitting on your feet.  "You already said yourself that I'm a fast learner."

He glanced away from you as he looked around as if looking for an answer to come out of nowhere.  "It's not that easy (y/n)."

"I don't care."  You said with more conviction.  "I want to learn.  I want to be trained like you."

"(y/n)..."  He started to say as he tried not to look at you.

"I'll do whatever it takes."  You said as you tried to look him in the eyes.

"You just don't get it."  He said as he looked down.

"I want to learn."  You almost shouted.

"This isn't some game (Y/N)!"  He shouted back.  '"We're not playing tag at the park.  This is for life!"

"You think that I don't already know that!"  You shouted back.  

Then you placed your hand on his chin and lifted up his head so that he had to look at you. 

"Please."  You quietly pleaded.

"I can't lose you again.  I can't go back to not having you, or Noctis, or even Gladio around.  I can't."  You said as you were fighting back tears.

Ignis paused with his mouth open.  

Do we really mean that much to her?  Do I really mean that much to her?  He thought to himself as his heart raced as fast as his thoughts that were flying through his head.  

He reached up and placed his hand on your chin.  Then he used his thumb to wipe away the tears that were threatening to stream down your check.  You dropped your hand in response as you closed your eyes and relaxed under his touch.

"Does it really mean that much to you?"  He quietly asked as if he was unsure himself.

"More than you could possibly imagine."  You said with a smile as a single tear rolled down you cheek.

Ignis smiled back at you as he wiped the tear away then dropped his hand.  

Perhaps she could.  He thought to himself as he looked at you. 

He had never seen anyone with that much drive, want to learn how to serve the royal family.  Except perhaps, himself.

"Then let me see what I can do."  He said as he put his arm back on his leg.

The excitement that you felt from hearing those words flew through your body and raced to your head as you flew forward and grabbed him around the neck and pull him into a tight embrace.  The motion caught him off guard and he lost his balance and fell on his back with you on top of him.  His fall was protected by your arms as you had had them wrapped completely around his neck.  But his heart almost stopped as he realized that there was something soft on his lips.  His eyes flew open as he realized that his lips were touching yours.

You quickly opened your eyes as well as you felt the warmth of his lips pressed against yours.  The touch was enough to send a chill down your spine.  You hadn't meant to kiss him.  But the feeling was amazing.  The softness of his lips was making you lips tingle as your heart raced and threatened to beat out of your chest.  Then realizing that you had knocked him down in the process, you quickly got off of him and sat back up.

"I'm sorry."  You said as you got back up.  

"I didn't mean to knock you down."  You apologized as he pushed himself back up into a sitting position.  

You looked down at your hands as you sat back on your feet and put your hands on your lap.  

Ignis sat there and looked at you for a minute.

She's more upset about knocking me down then kissing me.  He thought as he looked at you clutching your hands.

Then he reached out and grabbed your closest hand. 

"No harm done."  He said as if in a daze.   

He couldn't get his heart to slow down.  It was beating so hard that he could practically hear it beating in his chest.  He intently looked at you as you slowly opened your eyes and looked back at him.

Beep Beep  went a bus horn.  Both of you were jarred out of your dazy.  Then you looked around to see what it was about and saw that your bus was impatiently waiting on you.

"Shit!"  You said as you quickly got up and grabbed your bag. 

"I gotta go." You shouted as you got up and started towards the bus.

"Same time tonight then?" Ignis asked as you raced off towards the bus.

You turned as you ran and smiled back at him. 

"Yeah." You said with a smile as you kept moving.

Ignis watched you run off as if it was in a slow motion movie.  

She kissed me.  I don't really know how or why.  But she kissed me. ME!  He thought as his heart raced.

He watched you until you disappeared behind the bus.  Then within a few seconds the bus was put in gear and started to turn out towards the road.   He stood up and brushed himself off as he watched the bus.  Then he spotted you as you waved to him from a window towards the back of the bus.  He smiled and waved back to you as the bus pulled out of the school parking lot and headed out to drop off it's passengers.

~~~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~~

You don't really remember the bus ride home since you were still in a daze.  In fact the bus driver had to get your attention in order for you to get off.  You slowly exited the bus with a few other students and walked towards your house which was a few doors down from the bus stop.  You walked up to the house and stood in front on the door for a few minutes as you thought about what had just happened.

Had that really happened? It was by pure accident.  But did it just really happen? Did I really just kiss Ignis?  You thought as you slowly placed you hand on your lips as you could still feel the tingling and softness of his lips on yours.

You were in between being shocked and overjoyed at having kissed Ignis.  You hadn't meant to.  But you loved it anyway.  As you stood there lost in your thoughts, you felt something soft rub up against your leg.

Meow....purrrrr........meow

You dropped your hand and looked down at your beautiful long haired white tabby cat who was rubbing her head on your leg to get your attention.

"Well hello to you too, Snowball.  I see that your back from exploring.  Did you have any adventures?"  You asked as you reached down and started petting  her.  

She responded with a loud purr as she sat down. 

"I did to.  I just kissed Ignis.  I can't believe it, but I just kissed Ignis."  You said as you looked down at the cat and smiled.  

"Ignis. " You said in a slightly dreamy daze.  

"Ignis."  You said again but this time realizing what you had just said.  

"Oh shit.  Ignis is coming over."  You said as you started to slightly panic.  

"I have to get ready.  Come on Snowball."  You said as you finally opened up the front door and walked inside, as you were followed by a white fluffy tail.

~~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile.........

Ignis sat in the car thinking as he rode to the Citadel to meet up with his uncle before heading over to your house.  He had been trying to think of a way to talk to his uncle about you possible learning how to be a retainer and adviser like him.  But every time he thought about you, he kept returning to the kiss that you had both just shared only moments ago.  Even though it had been brief, he could still feel the softness of your lips as they were pressed against his.

"Are you alright Ignis?"  Noctis asked as he looked at Ignis.

"Of course."  He answered with a bit of irritation.

"Alright. I was just checking.  I just haven't seen you this quiet in forever."  Noctis teased to try and get Ignis to snap out of whatever trance that he was in.

Ignis didn't want to mention anything to Noctis just yet. And perhaps never about the kiss. He wasn't sure how Noctis would react to it, and he wasn't about to find out right now.  

 But first things first.  And that was to try and come up with a way to approach his uncle and the king about you joining in on the training sessions.  Ignis already knew that his uncle would be the hardest one to convince. The King was already familiar with you and your relationship to Noctis. So that wouldn't be totally out of nowhere.  It would be difficult, but not impossible.

His uncle, on the other hand, was a different story.   His uncle took a lot of pride in family and maintaining the honor of being the King's royal retainers, chancellors, advisors, and all around hand to the King. Convincing his uncle that you could handle the training was going to prove difficult. But he had to show his uncle somehow that you could do it. But first, He wanted to test you, to see if you were truly serious about taking on this role.

"One must think before they jump right into things.  Don't you think Noctis?"  Ignis said as he was trying to turn his attention back to your training.

"Well yeah, I suppose so.  Why do you ask?"  Noctis asked ignis as he gave his a curious look.

"I was just needing a second opinion is all."  Ignis stated as he turned his attention to the window again.

Noctis gave Ignis a curious look before looking out the window himself.  

Huh.  I wonder what he's planning now?  Noctis thought with a slight smile.

~~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~

Back at your house............

You had just put out a plate of freshly cut up fruit on the breakfast bar for you and Ignis to snack on, when you heard the doorbell ring.  Your heart started to race as you tried to calmly walk to the door and opened it up.  But instead of seeing a handsome young man with glasses, you came face to face with a curly blonde haired, blue eyed girl with a sneer on her face.

"So I was right."  She said as if she had caught someone comiting a crime.  "I guess your neighbors do know you well enough."

"What do you want Gwen?"  You asked as you started to get nervous.

"Oh nothing."  She said as she pushed her way into the house.  "I just wanted to see what you have, that I don't, that would make ignis want you more than me."

"Well I think that manners would be at the top of the list."  You said as she stopped in you entrance way.  "You can't just walk into someone's house like that."

"Having good manners would of meant that you would have invited me in anyway."  She said as she scanned the around the room.  "So why not just enter.  Besides, I don't have much time."

"You know that I could get you on trespassing."  You tried to argue with her.

"Please. I hardly think that that would fly in court."  She said as she moved further into the house as she looked around and walked into the dining room.  

"Besides, my daddy's lawyer would get you for half of what your worth.  Or in your case, all of it.  It's not like there's that much here to begin with."  She said as she scanned around at all of the family keepsakes. 

Then she saw the flowers on the table and sneered at them.  "You call those flowers?  I call them weeds."

"Hey."  You said as went over to the flowers to protect them as your temper was starting to rise.

She just rolled her eyes.  "And what do we have here?"  She said as she walked into the kitchen.  

"Are these for me? Oh you shouldn't have."  She said as she took a piece of fruit and processed to eat it.

You stood there in shock as you watched her.  

Just who the hell does she think she is??  You thought as your blood was starting to boil.

She glanced around the room as she finished off the bite. 

"I don't see what the big deal is." She said as she looked around the room before focusing back on you. "I don't see what he sees in a dump like this. Its way to small and the food is horrid."

"That didn't seem to stop you from eating it, now did it." You said through gritted teeth as you could feel your temper starting to rise up to your face. 

"And if you don't like it. Then leave. In fact, I insist that you leave."  You said in a harsh tone.

"Fine by me."  She said as she started for the door.  

"I did what I came to do anyway." She said as she walked out the door.  "It just shows that you are exactly what I thought you were. A useless no one."

"Well this 'no one' doesn't want you here again."  You said as you followed her to the door and grabbed it firmly so that she couldn't get back in.

"Fine by me.  I wouldn't want to step foot in there again anyway."  She said as she getered you with her hand like she was waving off something that was disgusting.

"Fine by me! And don't let the door hit you on the way out!"  You shouted at her as she walked down the driveway.

Right as you said that, you saw a black car with silver trim come pulling up behind Gwen's black stretch limo, that was parked right in front of your house.  The car came to a stop and Ignis climbed out and stared at Gwen as she approached her ride.

"Gwen?"  He asked as he gave her a questioning look.  "What are you doing here?"

"Who me?"  She said sweetly as she waited for her driver to open the door for her.  "Oh I was just visiting a friend.  After all, she had gotten hurt the other day.  I just wanted to stop by and see if she was ok."

Ignis glanced at you and saw you glaring at her.  There was no doubt in his mind that she had had another objective, and you weren't to happy about it.  He glanced back at her as she started to get into the car.

"See you later Iggy."  She said winked back at him as she slid into the back seat.  

He stood there watching as the driver closed the door.  Then the driver went back around and got back into the car and drive off.

Ignis glanced back at you as you slammed the door shut.  Something definitely went down before he got here.  And he didn't like that.  The last thing he needed was for Gwen to start back up with her stunts.

"Did you get the license plate number?"  Ignis heard Tredd asked from the front window as Tredd rolled it down.

"Indeed I did."  Ignis said as he watched the car pull out of sight.  

Damn her.  Why can't she just let it go?  Ignis thought as he stood there.

"Here."  Tredd said as he handed a note pad towards Ignis along with a pen.  "I'll put a tracker on it so that we can see what she's up to."

"Right."  Ignis said as he took the pad from Tredd and wrote down the tag numbers.  

"Thank you Tredd."  He said as he handed back the notepad.  "I'll call when we're done."

"Well do."  Tredd said as he rolled up the window and drove off.

Ignis stood there for a few minutes as he watched Tredd drive off. Perhaps this turn of events might work to his advantage. Ignis contemplated as he considered the outcome of having you around more. At the very least, through the training he could teach you the right way of defending yourself against people like her.

He shook his head out of frustration as he walked up to the door.  He stopped in front of the door and rang the doorbell.  Then he stood there with his head down for a few minutes as he heard you opening back up the door.  You only slightly cracked it open so that you could look at him.

"Hi."  He said quietly as he saw you looking down.

"Hey."  You said with a shaky voice.  "I didn't expect her to stop by."

"Nor did I."  He said as he looked back towards where the limo had sat a few minutes ago.  

"Are you alright?"  He asked as he looked back at you.

"I'll be fine in a few."  You said still looking at the ground.

"May I come in then?"  He asked with a weak smile.

"Yeah.  I'm sorry.  Come on in."  You stuttered as you shook your head while opening the door wide for him to enter, then it closed behind him.

"You didn't have to let her in you know?"  Ignis said as he walked in and hung up his coat and took off his shoes.

"She didn't give me much of a choice."  You said as you walked towards the kitchen.

"What did she do?"  He asked as he followed you into the kitchen where you were looking at the plate of fruit like someone had thrown up on it.

"You sure you want to know?"  You asked as you picked up the plate and threw it away.

Ignis walked up and grabbed both your shoulders then gentle turned you towards him so that he could look at you.  "Yes."

You sighed as you looked down.  "Fine.  But let's sit down first."

"Sounds like a good idea."  He said as he released your shoulders and then directed you over to the dining room table.  

You each pulled out a chair and sat down looking at each other. 

"So tell me what happened."  Ignis said.

******Author Note******

I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.  I had to spice it up again since the last few were a bit dry.  But don't worry, the next few will make up for them.

See you in the next chapter.

Thanks for Reading.

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