I do not own any rights to Final Fantasy XV/15 or its characters. This work is not for profit.

Years were hard to keep track of…once the sun had all but disappeared. Everything was getting harder. More people dying, people just going missing…or worse. Supplies were few and far between, and all in all…it was a complete and utter shit show.

Nothing had gotten better in the…what.. four years that Noctis had been gone? He was starting to lose track. Everything seemed just like a long, agonizing blur the more days that past. The gunner had hoped he'd become more reassured the more time that passed. He'd promised himself that he was going to do what he felt was right. What he wanted out of life.

But the loss of his best friend to the crystals' will had all but shattered any sort of hope he could have had.

The first year had been…a struggle, to say the least. The group had tried to stay together, they honestly had. But without Noctis there to keep the three men together, it had all but fallen apart. Gladiolus was still just as irritable, if not more. Ignis…well, he was quiet. Not that he wasn't before hand, but more so. After all, the one person they were in charge of had just up and vanished. With no telling when he'd return.

Or if he'd return.

It had taken Prompto most of that first year to try and get things calmed down. To try and even out the situation as best as he could, but there were priorities to take into consideration.

Gladiolus wanted to be there for his sister. She had started going out and helping in hunts, and the man was damned if he was gonna lose another person. So where she went, he would follow. And they made a good duo, the blonde had to admit. Iris had really come into her own.

Ignis was a different matter. There were things; things that frankly Prompto couldn't begin to understand, that Lestallum needed help with. And the former adviser was best suited for the job. He had no complaints about this, and if he did…he definitely would never voice them. It was what Ignis wanted to do, and honestly Prompto was just glad it would keep the other safe.

Around that time, the blonde had decided that his place was in Hammerhead. There were people who needed help, and he needed something to take away the endless time he had to think. …Because the more he thought about the situation, the more it hurt.

And it'd worked for some time.

Over the next three years, all he did was work. Work to keep his mind off of how much he wished things hadn't gone to shit. Hell, he'd even tried to actually ask Cindy out. Not that it worked out, or anything. But he'd taken the rejection in stride and put his nose to the grindstone helping in the garage.

But the silence had slowly started to creep back in…

There was more time for him to think, once he'd hit the four year mark. Four years of waiting, and Prompto was sold on the idea that he just…wasn't going to see his friend ever again.

Hell, he had only seen Gladiolus and Ignis enough times to count on one hand over the years. And he'd gotten…a hell of a lot lonelier as the clock kept ticking. He knew Cindy could see the change, the way she hung around more to keep an eye on him. Like she knew his light was about to putter out.

And putter out it had…

Today of all days. It had to be some sort of joke, honestly. If he could bring up the energy to even laugh. The day the two had become such fast friends. Of course Prompto would remember it, the very day he'd made his first friend. He used to bring Noctis the dumbest gifts on that day…

…This day, it was his gun keeping him company. He felt cowardly, looking down at the very thing that had been a gift…a birthday gift of all things. It felt wrong to be thinking what he was thinking right now with this on his lap. Weighing him down as he contemplated his next move. He was just so tired of the ache in his chest… Tired of the constant fight, of struggling for supplies. Watching time and time again as daemons would kill people, and no one blinked an eye anymore. Tired of missing his friends so damned much, but the ones that were there were always gone. Tired of the nightmares of torture that plagued him every night. …And the one that wasn't, the blonde didn't know if he'd ever come back.

Letting out a shaky sigh, he ran a hand through his hair as he struggled for the right thing to do.

Prompto knew the answer wasn't what was on his lap…he knew this and yet…here he was. Staring down at it.

Looking to his side, he picked up his phone and looked over the text messages…all old. Nothing new. Most of them sent by himself. Something heavy sank in his heart before he pressed against Noctis' messages on his screen.

[Text: Noct] Hey buddy…

[Text: Noct] I know it's been a long time since I texted…hell, I'm not sure you even get texts wherever you are…

[Text: Noct] But I wanted to let you know that it's that day again. The day I'd finally worked up the courage to talk to you… yeah yeah, I know, stupid sappy Prompto. But that day meant a lot to me…

[Text: Noct] Sorry to say that today I don't have a present for you…much like the last couple of years. In fact…what I'm about to do is probably the worst thing I could do to date.

[Text: Noct] I wanted to talk to someone…anyone, even if I know you won't answer. But hey, at least you have an excuse right? Being stuck in a crystal and all.

[Text: Noct] I'm sorry…

[Text: Noct] I'm sorry that I couldn't hold out until you came back.

[Text: Noct] I'm sorry that I'm the worst best friend you could have asked for.

[Text: Noct] I'm so…so, so sorry that I'm so damned weak that I couldn't handle losing you and not knowing if you'd come back.

[Text: Noct] I'm sorry for doubting if you would. Fuck am I gonna look stupid when you do come back…but I guess I won't be there to realize it.

[Text: Noct] Buddy…when you come back…can you tell them I'm sorry too? I know I'm going to let them down too… I...I didn't stay in Hammerhead either. I didn't want Cindy and Talcott seein' something like that.

[Text: Noct] More importantly…give him hell…

[Text: Noct] I know I couldn't say this much when you were around…probably shouldn't have said it since you and Luna were expected to be a thing.

[Text: Noct] But I love you dude…with all my stupid little heart.

[Text: Noct] And I better not see you on the other side too damn soon…

[Text: Noct] …I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to be by your side always…

[Text: Noct] You're going to be a great king…