Author's Note: I just really wanted to write angst. I'm still working on the upcoming Across the Universe chapter so, look forward to that but, for now: ANGST.

Warning: Character Death ;-;

Enjoy~

Lightning could've laughed at the horribly perfect timing the rain had as it poured down her face, mixing in with the warm tears streaming down her cold cheeks. Swords and lances clashing, shouts of soldiers, and gunshots echoing seemed background noise to the woman; if a blade had pierced right through her chest, she would not feel a damn thing. The man in her arms, bleeding to death, was already breaking her heart. One gloved hand found itself behind his head and the other trembling to staunch the wound in his side. The ex-Sergeant ignored her own cuts and wounds, more concerned with the life in her arms. Even as the warm blood seeped through her fingers and clothes, she was not convinced he was going to leave her.

Noctis Lucis Caelum was too stubborn to die on her. He was too stubborn to leave her all alone in a world where she didn't belong. He'd promised her...

"C'mon, you stupid Prince...you can't die," Lightning's voice held its firm tone but, even she knew it would break at any moment. His eyes had already closed and there were no final words, no last minute confessions...he was just fading away. He was already so cold, and she could feel the blood flow slowing, his heart slowing.

Her blue eyes searched around the field as she began to rock back and forth. She couldn't lose Noctis like she'd lost Serah. Like she'd lost her parents. Like she'd lost her home. "Noct, please...you're breaking my heart." And then her voice cracked, tears were lost in the rainfall on his serene face, "P-please, you promised!"

She was startled when his hand had found itself resting on her's—the one, futilely pressing on his wound—and he gripped it with as much strength as he must've had left. Lightning shifted, "Noctis, don't leave me alone..." Lightning had felt the pressure on her hand disappear. "You can't die like this, idiot! You can't—you can't..." A sob ripped through her throat and even the battle raging on and the lightning dancing in the sky was not enough to pull her from his side. "You deserve to save your people, you deserve to grow old with Luna, you deserve to see your friends again, you deserve so much more than this, Noctis...I'm sorry..."

The pink haired warrior clutched at the lifeless man in her arms, bringing his body to her chest. She wept into the night sky and cursed every god she knew. Wishes and pleads of bargaining flew from her lips, begging for him to return no matter the cost. One last screaming plea to any God, any deity, any spirit ripped up into the air like a thunderclap and all she saw was darkness.

When Noctis's eyes fluttered open all he could remember was pink hair over him and the defeated look on its bearer's face. He jerked up at the thought before wincing. He clutched at his side, meeting with bandages and sharp pains in his abdomen.

"Noct! You're awake!" He glanced to his side and found the unmistakeable mess of blonde hair atop his best friend's head. Prompto scrambled out of a chair he'd been dozing off in and eagerly jumped onto Noctis's bedside. He was fighting the urge to throw him into a bear hug but, Ignis would rip him a new ass if he had further injured the Prince. So, he settled for gripped his hand and donning the brightest of smiles. "Are you okay? You've been out for a whole week and Iggy was sure you were gonna be out for much longer but—"

"Prompto."

The blonde halted in the middle of his sentence and gave Noctis a questioning look. The dark haired male looked far too serious and unlike himself. "Yeah?"

"Did we...win?" He'd gulped, afraid that his men had to retreat when he'd fallen in the battle. Prompto's face dropped for a millisecond and his hand retreated into his lap to toy with the ends of his gloves. Prompto rarely acted like a somber child and when he did it was usually because he was pouring about something trivial. The sudden change on his friend's face concerned the Prince to no end and he immediately assumed the worst. His fists clenched in frustration.

Prompto heaved another sigh before throwing his hand onto Noctis's shoulder, "I'm afraid...we didn't...the Chocobotrotters just couldn't score past those Leviathans in the final quarter of the game," he finished up with a smirk and Noctis met his blue eyes with a frown. He roughly shoved Prompto's hand off of him. The gunner laughed at his own childish antics. "Oh, c'mon, Noct, I was just lightening the mood up!"

"Can we just be serious for a minute, Prompto?"

Prompto pouted and jumped up to his feet. His hands made there home behind his head as he came around the foot of Noctis's bed, "Ah, you don't need to worry about it anymore, Noct."

Noctis readjusted, painfully so, and winced out, "I can't stop worrying until you give me a reason not to."

Turning on his heel, Prompto looked out the window not too far from the bed, and scrunched his nose in thought. "We managed to get those Imperial bastards on the defense and on the run."

A weight lifted off the Prince's shoulders. It'd been months and months of constant defensive tactics and he was growing restless these days. If they could just push the Imperial forces back so Lucis could regroup and rethink another strategy to decimate the Imperial army then, they could end this stupid war. Hearing that their months of hard work and planning were finally paying off was the best thing he could've heard. "Good," he laid his head back onto the wall behind the bed. "We're closer to ending this war."

"Yup, yup, yup! Really, though, if Lightning hadn't shown up, I don't how much longer Lucis could've lasted on the defense."

"Lightning..." Noctis let the syllables roll off his tongue and die under his breath.

Prompto snapped his head towards the bedridden man, eyes wide with shock. "Oh! Right! She doesn't know your awake—actually no one knows...I should let them know. She's gonna be so happy. Ah, man, Iggy, too! I'll be back, Noct, okay?" Prompto rambled on and on and scurried out the door, leaving Noctis alone in his thoughts.

Rubbing his eyes, Noctis couldn't help but feel tired. A whole week had passed right by and he wasn't there to quell the swirling questions in his people and his men. After he could walk, he would address them publicly—it was the least he could offer after months of battles and war. Lucis could finally have breathing room away from the oppressive forces of the Imperials. Noctis might actually get a full night's rest. (As if a week long coma wasn't enough.)

Prompto barreled in with practically everyone and their mothers, excitably announcing that the Prince Noctis had awoken from his slumber with flourishes and all. "See! Like I said!"

Ignis pushed past the obnoxiously boisterous blonde and settled himself at the side of Noctis's bed. "How are you feeling, Your Highness? Nauseous? Hungry? Fatigued? Overwhelmed?"

"Yeah, a bit of all that."

"I'll see to it that a meal is prepared immediately, Your Highness."

Noctis nodded, "Thanks, Ignis."

Gladiolus had Prompto in a headlock now, telling him to pipe down. All Noctis received from him was a curt head nod and a gruff, "Sleeping Beauty's looking pretty rough."

Noctis's eyes scanned the rest of the room, he passed over Gladio and Prompto, the doctors and nurse were there, and—"Noctis..." His eyes locked back onto cerulean ones accompanied by rose-colored hair. The smallest of smiles tugged at the corners of Lightning's lips. "You're awake."

"Yeah, I am," he spoke, quiet, voice wavering with uncertainty. The room had noticeably hushed itself and it was as if all eyes had been directed onto their exchange, watching tentatively.

Her hands were resting on the end of the footboard and, Lightning thanked herself for placing them there for she would not be able to hold back any longer. It was unlike her character to want to fling herself into the arms of another and bury her face in their chest but, she'd only wanted to do that since she'd walked in the room. When Prompto had came panting around the corner and into the training hall, she'd dropped everything just to see Noctis.

It was unbecoming of her own self-control to want to kiss him senselessly after almost losing him so suddenly but, she could try to resist the urge. Lightning had too much on her own conscious to act on such selfish impulses and she decided to put a barrier between them.

And the way he was looking at her was none too accepting. She felt nervous like a teenager awaiting judgement from their parents—a feeling she had not experienced in years.

"I'm sorry."

Her lips fell and parted, her voice a calm tone, "What're you apologizing for?"

Noctis swallowed thickly. He wasn't trying to be rude and with as best of an effort as he could manage, he admitted, "I-I don't know who you are."

End Note: Yikes. Cliche as hell but, I needed some of this angst. Drop me a review, favorite or just wait patiently for the next installment, anything is good, really.

I hope it's not too bad...

until next time. Happy holidays!

-curry-san

P.S: Totally follow me on tumblr at capitanalpaca I wanna talk to everybody about FFXV tbh and I'll follow y'all back because why the heck wouldn't I?