Author : Ariani Lee
Disclaimer : It all belongs to Square Enix (also works for any Kingdom Hearts character that would end up here making a cameo as a locksmith or something). I make no money out of this, I do it for the reviews. And because it's kind of a compulsion. You know, when you see these adorable characters and you want them to be happy together but also hurt them badly in the process.
Pairing : Promptis
Beta-reading : Much thanks to Nessotherly and Ophelia for reading and reviewing the first chapters before I started published, also to Star5kar for helping me because writing in English is great but also not natural to me.
Note : Hello, FFXV fandom, nice to meet you ! I've been there for a while but I'm publishing only now for reasons. First, it took me years to finish the game ( mainly because I can't resist the urge to pick up all this shiny shit on the ground). Also, the pairing came to me very late in the game and it took me some time to proceed all the FEELS. Finally, I'm Belgian (Belgium is the little country North of France where you can find good chocolate, beer and french fries.) so my mother tongue is French. I've made some attempts at writing in English in the past but I'd never been really satisfied with it until now. Of course there's room for improvement but I feel ready to make my debut in the anglophone world of fanfiction.
Note 2 : I started this story in late 2017. It's my first FFXV work and it probably will remain the only one (as it often is when I don't write Kingdom Hearts stuff) but I've rarely felt so compelled to write something. When I first finished the game, I hated the ending. When the alternate ending came out with Ignis's DLC, I was elated and that new situation left me dizzy with questioning. What would Eos be like after spending ten years in the dark ? How would Noctis feel in this body older than his mind ? How would he connect with his friends and people with this gap between him and the rest of the world ? I just had to write it. But as it was, I didn't really know where this story would go so it was hard to write past a certain point. I know now what will happen so I decided to start publishing. This story is also available on Ao3.
Well then, I'll leave you to it. Hope you enjoy.
Stand by me
1-The Gap
And the crown it weighs heavy
'Till it's banging on my eyelids
Retreating in covers and closing the curtains
One thing's for certain, oh
A year like this passes so strangely
Somewhere between sorrow and bliss
Florence & the Machine
Ten years.
If there was a ceiling to weirdness, Noctis had long crushed into it.
Try to imagine. Ten years. One day you're a regular nineteen-year-old, being your royal teenager self, what with the growing up into adulthood and hormonal frenzy stuff. Then you close your eyes - admitting that yeah, that was not your regular kind of eye closing, but still - and when you open them? Bam! Ten years in your face. Literally. You see your reflection in the mirror and you look like you're on the doorstep of your thirties, complete with the scrubby chin, hair three times longer and a scowl that no longer makes you look like a pouting kid but more like your father back in the days when you had skipped an etiquette lesson. Your dead father.
And fuck that because you know what? Everyone is dead anyways. Like, absolutely everyone. Try to imagine that. You come back in order to bring back daylight, to save the world only to find it empty. Daemons everywhere, an everlasting night, not a soul around and when you finally get to someone, it's to learn that it's the same everywhere. Only a handful have survived this decade. It might be lost to you but for the rest of the world, everything has been ripped away.
Try to imagine a child you used to give toys to, now looking at you at eye-level because he's not a child anymore, not at all. This little kid is a man and he's scarred by life in a way you were supposed – fated even – to prevent.
And in the midst of all this, the boy you loved welcoming home with joy etched on his face. At last, for two minutes something is okay, then it's not. Because ten years have passed on Prompto and as soon as those first minutes of reunion are over, you see him as he is now.
Try to imagine this too - it's the worst part of it all. The carefree boy is gone and with him the smile that used to light your days more than the sun ever could. He's so much quieter. Before, it was like he was physically unable to shut up. He's turned into a man while you weren't looking and it's a tired, disenchanted kind of man. His fragility seems to have faded like the sunlight, like his smile and with it, maybe - probably - the need he used to have of you. Ten years is a very long time. He's had to learn to survive. You never made promises to each other anyway. You never even really talked about your feelings. Not openly, not clearly. There was this one time when you almost did, you'd started and it was going well but you'd been interrupted before everything was said and soon after that, everything was over.
And now you're thinking - maybe he doesn't love you anymore. Maybe he didn't back then and you've only been seeing what you wanted to - how would you know?
That's one easy answer at least. You don't.
Now they'd taken back Insomnia. Noctis had seized his power, taken back his throne. He had fulfilled his duty as the Chosen King, brought back the dying world from the pit of darkness it was drowning in and thanks to Ignis, he had done that without having to die for it like he was supposed to. Now that the prophecy was completed, he had other duties.
With Lestallum being packed to the throat with refugees, the top priority was to take some of them in. Lots of daemons had died with the first sunrise and most of the remaining monsters had gone back into hiding from the light. Roads could be travelled again if you had a car and you could handle a couple of Taoties. So the first thing Noctis did the day after his victory on Ardyn was to see to that.
Unlike the rest of Insomnia - of the world, really - the castle was pristine. It wasn't a big surprise since this was likely the place where Ardyn had been staying while waiting for the Chosen King to come to him. Nevertheless, everything was in its place, including a room full of communication tools. Two hours had been enough for Prompto to get his hands on most of the equipment and make contact, first with Hammerhead and then with Lestallum.
Everyone sounded crazy, enthralled by the daylight. So far it had all been abstract for Noctis but it hit him right this moment. It might have felt like days to him but ten years of night. A moonless, starless night. There were kids out there who were seeing natural light for the first time in their life. He felt a bit dizzy at the thought.
Ten years.
Arrangements were made for a few groups of capable people to start moving to Insomnia. It would be slow. They would clean the roads when needed and set havens along the way in preparation for bigger groups travelling to the capital.
"We have a country to rebuild, starting with Insomnia. We're going to need all the help we can get in order to make this city liveable again," he said to the team after Prompto had ended the communication. "In the meantime, the refugees will stay in the lower levels of the castle. It'll be safer and it'll make everything easier."
" Spoken like a true king," Gladio said.
And while Ignis smiled proudly, the swordsman punched Noctis in the shoulder so hard he almost fell over the complicated keyboards sprawled in front of them.
" At least that's something that hasn't changed," Noctis said with a half-smile. "Though I do wish you'd stop acting all surprised every time I do something right."
There were a few laughs and a snort from the chair Prompto was still sitting in. For a split second it felt almost right, then Ignis pushed his glasses back on his nose and cleared his throat.
" Maybe the lack of a proper coronation made us all forget that you are no longer a prince. Perhaps it is time for us to stop acting that way and start acting a bit more...ceremonially."
" That's not what I meant at all! " Noctis tried to protest, now panicking a bit.
It was just a joke. What had he just brought to himself?
" No kidding,'' Gladio grumbled. "We know you aren't fond of protocol, but you couldn't avoid it forever. You had to be aware of that."
The king reluctantly nodded. Of course he knew. He had been raised knowing it. But their long journey, the months of being a nobody to almost every person they'd met... He'd never been anonymous before and now that it was over, he was already missing it.
But it was ten years ago, he kept reminding himself.
" You might as well start to get used to it with us," Gladio carried on. "When my sister heard the news that you were back, all she could talk about was how she had to start working on her curtsy. "
Noctis wanted to curl under one of the desks and never get out. It was unfair, really, this talk of etiquette when the castle - no, the whole city, by the Gods - was empty except for the four of them. Wouldn't it come soon enough?
" Right," Ignis pressed on when Noctis didn't answer. "You will have to."
Prompto spun the chair around to face them and Noctis felt a surge of hope.
" That's the way it is, my king," he said.
And despite the half-smile curling his lips, he was not joking. Said king felt his heart drop and splash on the ground where it remained, gushing blood everywhere amongst general indifference.
" Shouldn't we be using Your Majesty?" Gladio asked with a frown.
" But I like this one," Prompto pouted.
" Both are correct so you may as well use whichever you want," lgnis told the other two.
Yeah, sure. Because no one is going to ask me what I want.
And what he wanted was to not hear Prompto call him that ever again. Never before had he used Noctis's title other than to tease him. Now he sounded like he meant it. Noctis hated it.
But he had to pull himself together because no matter what, he was the Godsdamned king of Lucis and he had work ahead of him. Lots of it. He could start right now by establishing a provisional government with what he had on hand. Four people wasn't much but it'd have to be enough for a start.
Of course he himself had to be the king, so it was up to him to decide what everyone else would do. While the others were discussing which itinerary would be best for the travellers to go all the way from Lestallum to Insomnia, he tried to make a list of everything his father had to cover while ruling the country. Then, he mentally stroke off almost all of it. There was a lot less things to worry about when there wasn't enough people in the whole world to fill three cities. For the years to come, it would mainly be a matter of sheltering and feeding his people. Cleaning places and roads, collecting resources, fixing what could be fixed and rebuilding the rest.
They would need hands to do that, and years of repopulating the country in order to get enough of those hands. Though he wasn't well aware of all the details yet, it seemed logical to assume that ten years without a ray of sunlight had reduced the crops to naught. He would need info about what kind of food the refugees had been relying on so far.
So. Safety and food were the top priorities for now, along with bringing together what was left of the people of Lucis. Lestallum was full of refugees, that was one sure thing, but there had to be people that couldn't get there. Smaller groups or lonely people scattered all over the continent. The sun would probably bring them out and their king had to reach out to them.
He didn't even have to say a word. He just opened his mouth to talk and the others instantly fell silent and turned to him, ready to listen. Taken aback, Noctis was left grabbing for words and every second of it felt like ages, because they weren't saying anything. There should have been a joke, something about his trying to catch a fly with his mouth or Prompto swiftly taking a picture "so he could show everyone the depth of his character''. Instead of what they were all standing there, quietly waiting for him to start talking. Which he finally did, after ten or fifteen excruciating seconds that had to have lasted at least one hour each. He started with a quick summary of his thoughts before giving everyone their new attributions. He was trying not to use the ''tasks" word here because this was a government, they were to be like, generals or counsellors or ministers one day. And if he had to live with everyone talking to him as if he was going to start having people beheaded for tripping on a tapestry, there was no way he was going to go easy on them.
Spoken like a true nineteen years old kid.
" Gladio, you will handle all the safety and daemons related matters. There will be hunting teams to manage and dispatch, places to secure even after Insomnia is thoroughly cleaned. I suggest starting from the castle and proceeding one sector after another. Ignis will be responsible for all the resources related questions and will explore the secured sectors. You will have to collect, store and inventory everything you can salvage. I would also like you to keep a record of anything that strikes you as needing repairs. Some facilities and buildings won't be necessary before months, years even, but I'd rather know as much as I can about the city's state. You will both have teams under your orders. They will report to you, and you will report to Prompto."
This came as a surprise to the three companions. Prompto started to squirm in his chair.
" I know you won't like it,'' Noctis told him. "But you do seem at ease with that electronic stuff and all those people moving around will need coordination. You'll be our head of communication, including contacts with everyone outside Insomnia. I want people to know they can come here. There has to be people out there who haven't found shelter in Lestallum and we need to try and reach them. Using the waves looks like a better way to do it than to try and find them individually. You will get reports and report to me in turn, and that way, one of you will remain in the castle, by my side. "
He knew this was solid as stone. Even if there was no risk at all - a statement no one would have agreed with - no one in this room would have had him left on his own. Never mind the fact that he was perfectly able to protect himself, that he constantly had thirteen lethal weapons concealed within his body and five - FIVE - freaking gods ready to kill anything on his behalf if asked politely. Of course no one wanted to see one of those in the citadel, knowing they had a tendency to leave nothing behind but a trail of ruins, but still.
And they weren't all so stressed about my safety when we were on the road killing things thirty times Gladio's size. Sure Noct, throw yourself at the angry Zhu we just stole eggs from to make noodles, but don't you dare stay alone in the castle!
Even Gladio didn't protest against the fact that as Shield of the King, he should have been the one staying by Noctis' s side. Easy to guess he'd always prefer being outside fighting daemons than prowling the empty throne room to protect the king from shadows and spiders. He would have been totally useless as a coordinator too. Techno was Prompto's thing.
" It's all provisional of course, but I only have the three of you at the moment and there's only so much we can do."
lgnis had a look of approval on his face that made the king's heart swell with pride.
" It is all very well-thought, your Majesty," he said with a bow that ruined everything.
" We will apply that when the first groups from Lestallum will arrive and we can actually make teams, since it's only us for now. I was thinking we could start working a bit, the four of us. Making sure the groups of refugees don't get eaten by monsters between the gates and the castle. Clearing a path."
He forced himself to shut up. He was talking too much and it was useless anyway. It was already obvious. They did have some real nasties here in the capital, beasts that could kill so fast you wouldn't see what was coming. His idea was good, they had fought them on their way to the castle and they had all the adequate stuff. But Noctis could read it on the three suddenly awkward faces he had in front of him.
They're not letting me out of the citadel. I'm gonna be cloistered here forever. Fuck my kingly authority, why did I even try?
" Maybe Iggy and I should go out and you two could stay here," Gladio suggested, and he almost managed not to trip on the last word.
" Indeed," lgnis joined him. "We will require an inventory of the kitchen's remaining supplies. There might be things we could still use. Sacks of grains, dried and canned goods, the kind of food that doesn't go bad. There was no one here these past years and I highly doubt Ardyn needed to eat."
Noctis was totally sure Ardyn had never set as much as a foot in the kitchen, and the damn freak certainly didn't feed on anything else than tears and fears. So yes, it would be a useful thing to do. And if he tried and looked on the bright side of things, he would be alone with Prompto. Maybe they would get to talk about it.
" That's settled then. I suggest we rest for today and get to it tomorrow."
They all nodded, and the king turned to the door.
" If you'll excuse me, then."
" Where are you going all of a sudden?" Prompto asked, sounding a bit worried. Then he added: "My king."
Noctis hated it as much as the first time.
" My face itches like hell. I need a shave."
