( She fits into his life and he fits into hers, as though there was never any question about the fact that they were meant to work together. It's so easy that it should almost be alarming, but it's a comfort more than anything, to know she has someone who works with her new life, rather than against it.

There's an exhale of breath that's almost a laugh at his response, and Kate has to wonder if there's really a time where this isn't vastly preferable to fighting monsters. Because if you asked her, this feels much more pleasant. But that soft noise dissolves into an actual laugh, soft as it is, when the tide begins to curl around their feet, cool and steady as it rises up across the beach. )

Think the tide's coming in.

( Though, one might wonder why the shift of the tide is reason enough for Kate to pull Ignis into a kiss. The truth? It has nothing to do with the tide and everything to do with the very last dredges of light illuminating the lines of his face - old scars and pale eyes, the curve of full lips - in a way that makes it hard to think of doing anything else. )

[No doubt of the match, and yet it would have been so easy to miss. Had circumstances been that little bit different, it would have passed them both by and Ignis - absorbed back into his duties - would have never realised what he'd lost out on.

There's no need now for those kinds of thoughts, though, with this woman who has given him more than she could ever realise held in his arms and against the beat of his heart. He doesn't resist her when she draws him down, but cups the side of her face as he kisses her, eyes dipping closed and a small smile curving his lips against hers.]

There's something I want to tell you. [He murmurs softly when they part, only by a few inches as he's unwilling to let her move further from him just yet. What he's about to tell her hasn't even been mentioned to Noctis yet. He doesn't want to give the king hope for something that might never come to pass, knowing how Noctis still blames himself for his friend's current state.]

I think... my eyesight is beginning to return. In the smallest increments-- I'm not sure as of yet if I might be imagining it.

( No need for those thoughts at all, not when they're so comfortable stood together like this, with the familiar brush of his fingers against her cheek, against the corner of her mouth. Certainly not when her mind is drifting to how nice it would be to have this for more than a couple of days at a time.

She does all sorts of things, and she loves what she does when she helps rebuild places, but it's a tiring life and she feels blessedly normal in these moments of freedom from it. And the world is slowly beginning to be pulled back together, to something that's been lost for all too long...

Kate doesn't know. He draws her in like a magnet draws in metals, but what would she even do if she settled down? She's been on the move since before the darkness swallowed their world whole. How do you settle into a life you left behind almost as soon as you were classified as an "adult"?

Not that those thoughts get much of a chance to stay at the forefront of her mind, because- )

What?

( She almost thinks she's misheard him, drifted off and made up sentences that fill in the words she wasn't paying attention to. )

... Is that even possible?

( It would be a miracle. )

The way in which I went blind in the first place wasn't what you'd call 'conventional'.

[He hasn't told her all of it, but enough for her to get the idea. He told her the facts, but spared her the knowledge of how agonising the process had been. How he'd felt the fire burning over his skin long after the battle against Ardyn. How sometimes, even now, he still feels a twinge of pain along the edge of a scar, or around his middle finger.]

Noctis lived, despite all odds. He forged an agreement with the kings of Lucis that no one ever had before. It... would not surprise me if he had included something about me, as well. [Because Noctis, despite how occasionally thoughtless and childish he could be, truly cared for his friends. Ignis knows that he would not have forgotten him, not if he had the opportunity to repair some of the damage that had been done for the sake of saving him.]

I've been seeing things. Nothing solid, but... light and shadow. I couldn't see even that much before.

( ... Fair point. She stays quiet while he talks, teeth catching her lip in idle movement, turning over the idea in her head. He'd be able to see once more, if his theory's correct, to have back the full independence that was denied him by a split second decision to protect someone he cared about.

Kate's always admired that. Always thought it was brave. And you don't have to be around Ignis for very long to know how fiercely his pride burns. How much he hates to be coddled, or even simply helped at times.

She doesn't say she's glad or she hopes so, because Ignis isn't even sure yet and because it doesn't matter to her. He's sunk into the foundations of herself, of her life, now, and all that really matters is how it affects him. So, instead of words, she relies on her favourite method of communication with him, and presses a kiss to his lips, one which burns bright with happiness, hope. With everything that means she wants this miracle for him, and she'll stay by his side regardless. )

[Ignis has adapted, over the years, to the point that sometimes it's difficult to believe he's really blind at all. He can go toe to toe with the best of the Glaive, or the Crownsguard, and beat them all without seeming to even try. It's almost become a rite of passage to attempt to beat him before being sworn into service and no one has managed it yet.

But there are some things he misses. Being able to drive, for one. Being able to see the faces of the people he cares about, when what they look like fades bit by bit from his memories with every passing day.

She kisses him again and he puts both arms around her to draw her up against him. Ignis knows she doesn't care if he can see or not. She never cared about it, not from the first moment they met. He rests his forehead against hers as they part, eyes closed and a soft breath taken in before he speaks again.]

I love you, Kate.

( Ignis catching her off guard seems to be a running theme. From the first joke he cracked to every well thought out surprise and meeting he's planned for them since. The words aren't exactly sudden - not after all these months, still going strong despite all the time apart and busy - but they feel plucked from her own tongue and mind, held back only by the comfort of silence.

Strange. She never thought it would feel so certain. Then again, she never really thought about ending up like this with anyone at all. )

Took the words out of my mouth.

( You don't need to see to know there's a smile on her face, not with the amusement dancing in her tone. )

[He doesn't need to see her to know she's smiling, and he can't keep the smile from his own face as he pulls her close to him, then picks her up and spins her around. A warm laugh leaves him and as he sets her down again, he kisses her soundly, then exhales a soft, happy sigh.

It's a different kind of vulnerability - a softer one - and one he's more than willing to let her see.]

I love you. Gods-- [Just for a moment, he feels like his strength of feeling might burst clean through his chest. When he kisses her again, it's gentle and warm.]

I'm so fortunate-- so lucky to have met you. I truly am.

( A noise leaves her, equal parts startled and joyful and entirely unrestrained, as her feet leave the wet sand and her hands cling to his shoulders for some sort of balance. She... wasn't expecting that, but he's everything she never expected in so many ways. If he wasn't, this night wouldn't be happening.

The fresh cool of the beginning of night, the sudden movement, the words, they're all enough to flush her cheeks pink, warmth blossoming to the tips of her ears and down her throat. Despite the ever busy seaside resort, this part of the beach is theirs and theirs alone right now and she doesn't mind the fact that she can't keep her physical reactions in check; that her cheeks flush and her mouth curls in that kind of giddy, girlish smile she so rarely lets out.

It only took three people to prod him over. )

Good job you came over, then.

( Kate this is not the time to bring that up. )

[This time, he laughs. It's going to be something that they talk about for the rest of their time together, however long that is (and though he won't say forever, he'd be happy if it was), and he might as well start being good-natured about it now.]

I've already given my friends all the thanks they need for their part in it.

[As in, just the once, and that was all they needed to hear. That he thanked them at all would have spoken volumes about his appreciation for their involvement.]

Now-- [He pauses to press a soft, warm kiss to her forehead.] --shall we get something to eat?

( It is, but let's let the topic drop for now and move on from bad jokes. Instead, Kate hums an affirmation, slowly pulling herself away from his arms. )

Sure.

( She never has tried the restaurant here, despite all the rave reviews it gets. So, their ways are made over, steps slow and hands clasped together as they stroll the beach back to where shoes were left.

The restaurant itself is as busy as ever, but the din of talking and music is pleasant in the warm light and the staff are still prompt in taking orders and moving to the kitchen. Kate's eyes follow plates as they're brought out, eyeing starters casually. Maybe another time.

She sets down her glass before speaking, finally bringing up something she's mulled over in the background of this night and many before it- )

Think it might be time to stop running 'round Eos.

( Just like that.

Maybe it is. Maybe there are things she wants more than to simply continue being productive. )

[There are precious few places in Eos that Ignis rates so highly as this one. Of course, that's why he wanted to bring her here. That, and the exceedingly comfortable hotel rooms, naturally - he wasn't going to ask the man who drove him here to stay here all night.

Of course, she can have whatever she wants, and Ignis is keen to recommend a few personal favourites. As with most things, he handles the meal as if he can see everything perfectly, the only giveaway to his blindness being the way he has to carefully locate his knife and fork, and politely ask the waiter to tell him where everything is on the plate when he brings it out.]

Do you think so? [He can't deny how he felt his heart skip a beat when she said it.] What makes you say that?

( Well. There's a lot of reasons to say it's time, if she thinks about it. So, out of habit more than anything else, Kate shrugs as she chews, leans back in her chair when she swallows, and inhales before speaking. )

Gettin' sick of living out of a backpack.

( It's the first reason. The constant roulette of where she's going to sleep tonight, whether it'll be at all comfortable, weeks of lumpy beds that leave her aching when she wakes up to work. )

Think most places are getting back on their feet. ( Which means she'll have to begin thinking of what to do next anyway. Her lips purse together, gaze never leaving his face as she goes through the reasons in her head. The truth is, more than anything, she hasn't had much in the way of reasons to settle down until there were celebratory introductions and the presence of a man who was never supposed to become this prominent a part of her life. )

S'pose it's just time, y'know?

( To think of what she wants out of her time, rather than simply how it cam be most useful. )

[He nods slightly, acknowledging each of her reasons. Ignis agrees, but in the end, settling down has got to be Kate's decision and Kate's decision alone. He won't have her resent him for drawing her out of that life before she was ready to give it up. From the beginning, he's never voiced a complaint about how her travelling can take her so far away for so long, out of contact with few ways to find out should anything happen to her.

It would be hypocritical to complain, given his own habits.]

Are you certain?

[It would be a bit change, and not a thing to be taken on lightly. And besides... having her in one place would make it all that more difficult if she decided that it wasn't really what she wanted.

Ignis could be selfish, sometimes, and he finds that he's often selfish when it comes to her.]

I wouldn't want you to make a decision like this for my sake.

I'm not.

( Said simply, with no room for argument. She's followed others for their sakes and lived a life she never really wanted to in the first place. She's used to it, and she's found her own kind of joy in what she does then and now but- )

I'm tired of travelling. ( Of not really having a place to call home, just a backpack and occasional breaks. The beauty of the world can quickly be lost after the seventh breakdown in the middle of nowhere and being stuck sleeping in a car.

She goes quiet after that, sipping her drink and shifting her weight in the chair. Despite the thoughts lingering in the back of her mind for months, she's never actually said it out loud, never thought of it in more than vague terms of living in one place again, trying to salvage some sort of normal life. It feels right, but all the same, it's still so far off being done. )

Haven't planned much.

[There's a comfort when she speaks - any time she speaks - of knowing what she's thinking and what's lingering in her mind. She's rarely one to hold back, and he doesn't say often enough just how much he appreciates that about her.]

There's room in my apartment for two. [He suggests, without any guile or pressure. He and Kate are well matched, it's true, but he'd take no offence should she want to live separately. Spending her time with him when she happens to be in Insomnia is a far cry from a permanent state of living.]

I'd be happy to have you there.

( Most of her thoughts in this direction have involved her own place, and the offer catches her off guard, the silence during her blinks practically audible. It would turn the difficulty settings down a lot, but all they've ever known is brief snaps of each other's presence when they catch moments to themselves, and moving from that to being together every single night, sharing the same space--

Kate inhales, and takes a drink before she speaks. No need to ask if he's sure, because she knows that he wouldn't offer if he wasn't. )

I think it's better if I find somewhere. ( For now, at least. Her heart fills with warmth whenever she looks at him, and it's that feeling which she doesn't want to lose by moving too quickly.

One step at a time. )

[He nods in quiet understanding. While he'd not object in the slightest to having more of her company, it would be a large step for two people still gingerly feeling their way through the connection that they've forged with each other. Ignis will do nothing to jeopardise that, so he lets it go without argument.]

It'll still be good to know you're nearby. [Ignis gets about quite well these days. The city isn't quite like the wild lands outside of it, there's a great deal more to be aware of, but most still don't realise he's almost entirely blind.]

And having a place to come back to doesn't rule out the travel.

( Her nod is accompanied by a small, affirmative hum to his words, and by now, they've picked their way through the food while discussing all of this. It feels better, having this direction, starting a new chapter of life instead of simply sticking with the old one because it's comfortable.

A waiter comes by with the dessert menu, and disappears quietly as Kate scans it, listing off each item to Ignis before placing it on the table in front of her. )

... Or we could see about that room.

( A different kind of dessert maybe? )

[Ignis does consider the offer. The desserts here are quite good, but Kate is a temptation all to herself and it does not take him long to arrive at a decision.

He tells the next waiter to pass by to put the meal on the tab for the room, and reaches across to take Kate's hand as if he could see her as clearly as she can see him.]

I do believe I'd rather see about the room.

( After a while, you stop being too surprised by Ignis' capabilities even without his sight. She watches him, the changes in his expression and her own flickers with a smile at the conclusion he arrives to.

That's definitely the one she would have chosen.

The meal is quickly paid for and the hotel rooms are - thankfully - only a few short steps from the restaurant itself. A few quickly exchanged words and details get a key card deposited in her hand and a room number near the very top of the building.

It's needlessly expensive, but after months in cheap motel rooms and caravans, Kate can't say she minds. The bed is probably fantastic.

As is the decor, she quickly decides upon opening the door, fingers intertwined with Ignis' the whole way from the reception to the room. Steps click as she passes a couch and coffee table, a flatscreen TV towards double doors that lead to a balcony and-- )

... Hot tub.

( That... wasn't exactly what she expected, but the room itself sprawls across two floors and from what she can see of the bed, it's bigger than any she's slept in for... well, years. Never mind months. )

[It is needlessly expensive, but Ignis is paying for it and he won't take a single gil of Kate's money for the pleasure of having her share the experience with him.

He squeezes her hand lightly while they walk, his free one trailing lightly along the wall on the way to their room, mentally counting the steps taken, the doors passed, the time it takes to get there. That information is carefully filed away, all but forgotten until he needs it again as he follows Kate into their room and quietly orients himself while she explores.]

Ah, I'd forgotten about those. [There's a small smile on his face as he says that.] Show me around the room, first? I have no idea if they've changed the layout since I was here last.

( She'll make up for that later. Somehow. But for now, Kate closes the balcony doors again and steps over to where Ignis is standing, her hand once again finding his as the other slips up to his shoulder, using it as leverage when she stretches up to kiss him.

There'll be time to look around the room later, after she's finished sinking into those soft lips, hands gripping tightly at him. The kiss says thank you, it says I love you, it says all sorts of things but mostly - mostly - it says that she's been waiting to do that for all of dinner and she couldn't wait any longer. )

[The sensation of standing in the middle of an enclosed space with no idea of the layout melts into the background as soon as she kisses him. He'll work it out later, just as he manages to get around everywhere else without bumping into a single thing.

He pulls her gently against him, leaning down into the kiss and returning it with all the warmth that she pours into the gesture.

Ignis loves her too, so much, and would be more than happy to continue doing so for the rest of his life.]

( It's tempting to stay like this longer, with her hands running through his hair, the warmth that rushes through her heart flooding the rest of her body down to the very tips of her fingers. Tempting indeed, in the same way it was the very first time they kissed and she felt that little skip of her heart that no one else had ever managed to draw out of her.

But Kate pulls back, her fingers tracing down the sides of his face as she does, slowly dropping the stretch of her body. )

Love you.

( Her hand finds his, squeezing again just briefly. )

C'mon.

( It won't take long for her to show him around the room, spacious though it is. )