This work has quality art related to it. Please do have a look at my avatar and story cover and look over my beta reader Tsu Yume to see the full versions of those, they're, gorgeous! Link is in my profile.

Stand by me

A photograph of you


These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much the time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me


As Noctis came to discover, life on the other side of his birthday was actually nice.

Summer was more or less gone with August. As if for her first run at it after ten years of cold slumber, Mother Nature couldn't hold it for more than two months. A week after Noctis's birthday, early dead leaves were raining on the streets.

It wasn't bad at all to have a mild month of September. The general feeling was relief to get a break from the blinding sunlight and the burns resulting from it. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

The main reason for that was the perspective for the people to very soon be able to move into actual homes. Noctis was really glad about it too, even if it wasn't done yet.

The days following his meeting of the Islanders, Ignis had taken them, a truck borrowed from Cindy and a couple strong pairs of arms to two workshops he had pinpointed months earlier. Those were located in the far end of the city and Noctis had requested that the newfound locksmiths worked in the open, as close to the palace as possible. The men had nothing but pillaged the places and brought back a bounty of supplies and equipment. In a few hours, the Islanders had set shop on the porch of the Palace and started working.

One reason why Noctis had asked them to settle down there was that this way, people could see them. It would take time before they started sending groups to move in their new homes because they didn't just have to make the keys, they had to move through the city to make molds of every lock. He hoped that being able to witness the progress made, simply by looking that way, would have a soothing effect. Despite the general atmosphere, some civilians were becoming alarmingly nervous. Fights were exploding here and there and this couldn't be allowed to go on.

The place was ideal for that purpose anyway. Like everyone else, the Islanders lived in the Palace so it spared them the drive, and they had all the space they required. With five people working and the heat from the smelters and foundries - two of each - a regular workroom would have been untenable. It was better for them to be there, and if it rained, the porch roof would provide shelter.

Another reason Noctis had wanted them to work so close, was actually his own fancy. He was curious to see what they did, then found out he liked to watch. When he was done working, he often went downstairs and looked through the window.

It wasn't like forging swords. He had seen that as a kid when he had stayed in Tenebrae. The royal armory there has its own forge and sometimes, Noctis had gone there to watch the men work. He had been very impressed by then by all the heavy noise and the display of strength while the smiths worked the red-hot metal. The men there had enormous, bulky arms, with muscles that glistened with sweat and wielded hammers that looked so heavy, he didn't think he could have picked one up, let alone swing it around like that. Having been around Gladio so much since then made his memories a lot less awe-inspiring.

The process here was similar as far as the first steps went. Ores were put to melting in the smelters where they turned to molten metal, red hot, almost to the point of being white. The air around it was troubled with heat and those were three feet away from the other installations for the other workers comfort, but Axel manned them without even breaking a sweat.

Riku and Sora took care of the foundries, coming near the smelters only in order to fill them with metal, then putting them aside on a large table where dozens of those waited at various stages of cooling off. When they had hardened enough, they removed them from their molds and threw them in the barrel of cold water that stood between their workstation and the last one. The barrel was located under a faucet that was constantly opened in order to keep the temperature low enough. Every time a key touched the water, it hissed and gave off a cloud of white steam.

At the end of the chain came Roxas and Kairi who did the fine cutting and drilling that made each key unique, wearing big protection glasses to keep their eyes from the metallic dust they had to blow off every minute or so. To think that they were going to make new keys for virtually every lock in Insomnia was a little dizzying. Their working together sure made it easier and accelerated the production but the task in itself remained enormous.

They didn't look fazed by it in the slightest. They came here every morning and worked all day like everyone else, not showing any sign of discouragement. Noctis found it humbling. He felt the same when he thought about the cooking teams, working all day long to keep everyone fed or the laundresses who cleaned tons of clothes and linen and who knew how many other things, going at it all day in a seemingly never-ending kind of way. But he liked to watch the smiths working because they were making something. Out of their hands were coming actual, useful items that would remain for a very long time. They were creating those and for him, who had never actually created anything, it was fascinating. Noctis knew how to hunt, how to fish, he could fight, administer and rule, but he didn't know a single thing about making stuff.

He was looking at them right now, wondering if he could try and learn. There were so many different crafts and he did have some free time so he could as well give it a try. He remembered a man from the Kingsglaive by his father's reign who used to pick up bits of tender wood and sculpt small toys out of those with his knife. Noctis had received his fair share of those, as the man gave his little pieces to any kids that he crossed paths with, and he had marveled at his ability. If he could learn to make things that he could then give to the childrenJust imagining how happy they would be to get something from him, it made him really want to try.

But not right now. Not today. Because Noctis had a plan.

He had hatched it the morning after his birthday when he had seen the Regalia parked in front of the stairs where he had left her and realized he hadn't dreamed its coming back to life. He had been biding his time ever since, waiting for an occasion that seemed to have come just now.

It was the middle of a nice day, with a clear sky and not much for him to do, it was Friday and most of the week's work was behind him. He had come down only a while earlier and Ignis had just received a message from the kitchens. He was needed there for something, Noctis didn't know just what, and he had to leave early. Since his shift wasn't over, he had tried to call Gladio or Prompto but neither of them answered. He was looking more and more nervous and after a few minutes of that, he did exactly what Noctis was hoping he would do : he excused himself and left anyway, leaving the king alone.

It didn't happen often, and he couldn't do what he intended to do in the morning because most of his obligations and interviews were scheduled before lunchtime. He would get a scolding from Ignis and Gladio for it and it would be worth it, but he didn't want to lose people's time or scare them by letting them know that he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

He waited for two minutes in case Ignis had managed to reach someone right after he left. He didn't want to run into his next bodyguard on his way out.

Bodyguard, he snickered mentally. He did so every time he heard the term or whenever it came to his mind. The guys were just keeping tabs on his whereabouts, that was obvious. As if he needed protection. He snickered again, out loud this time, as he left the room he was in and headed up for the great hall.

He didn't need protection, no. What from, in this place? Assassins? The very idea was preposterous. The only real threat in the Citadel was the risk of slipping on those damned tiled floors and hurting himself in the fall. Everyone was exposed to that danger and no one had broken their neck yet.

He reached the hall and made for the door. He didn't go stealthy or anything. He was king in his castle, no one was going to dare try to stop him. If anything, he rather be seen. That way no one would assume he'd been abducted, he thought while rolling his eyes.

And indeed no one tried. He crossed paths with two maids and two guards who were stationed at the door. The women curtsied and the men saluted him respectfully. They watched him go out and down the stairs without a word. What would they say to him anyway?

But once again, he preferred to be seen leaving and as he climbed into the Regalia, he felt increasingly excited. The key was warm from his own body heat and when he turned it, switching on the ignition, the thrill made his head spin.

He didn't move at once. He hadn't driven in such a long time, it would have been risky and he was, after all, a reasonable man. An adult one. For the first time, this idea didn't leave him indignant at the thought of the years he'd been robbed of. For the first time, he was actually at peace with it.

He waited, taking his time to feel the wheel in his hands, the car seat he was sitting on, breathing in the warm smell of leather and listening to the familiar humming of the engine running.

And then, he left.

He could have spent hours there, merely enjoying this, but he didn't want someone to come and stop him.

Insomnia was a big city but the utter absence of traffic made the trip to the doors a short one. He saw heads turn on his passage and smiled. Kids waved at him and he slowed down to answer, but the other people he came across watched him pass with a puzzled look on their face.

At the city entrance, he gave his brightest smile at the nonplussed guards before engaging on the outside road. As soon as he hit it, he sped up.

He hadn't thought about it beforehand, his foot seemingly pressing the pedal down on its own volition. The acceleration plastered him against the back of the seat, exhilaration coursing through his veins and making his heart pound. He clenched his fingers on the wheel and pressed harder. Faster.

The car ate the road at dizzying speed and Noctis felt like he was flying. Before he even realized it, the four or five miles that separated Insomnia from Hammerhead were behind him and he forgot to stop. He passed it by and kept on driving, slowing down just enough to be able to open the roof.

He'd had no idea how much he was going to love this before he'd started the car and found himself on the road. How much he'd needed this, how liberating it was. The wind on his face, in his hair, all the sounds that filled his ears… it was incredible how everything was exactly the same as before, knowing how completely destroyed the car had been. Achieving such a result wasn't fixing, it was revival. The Regalia had been literally resurrected, and he'd never be able to thank Cindy enough for it.

Speaking of which… he should head back to Hammerhead before someone got the idea to come search for him there.

He drove at a normal speed on his way back, taking in the view, the animals on the fields, that one place where they had set up camp and eaten and slept all these years ago. He longed to stop the car and go kill something, preferably a big, vicious thing, but there was nothing like that around and he had decided not to lose more time anyway so he didn't linger.

When the shark sign came into view, he looked at the familiar place below. Last time he'd seen it, he'd been distracted and it had been very, very dark but now that he could see it, he found out that it hadn't really changed.

What had changed, though, was Cindy.

She was waiting for him, fists on her hips, a huge smile on her face. She must have seen him pass earlier and had been waiting for him to come back.

Noctis was suddenly reminded of how she looked and dressed ten years ago and wondered why he was surprised. Maybe it was because goddesses aren't supposed to age, but he had unconsciously expected her to be just the same.

She wasn't.

She was wearing a dirty blue overall that was a far cry from her former outfits. Noctis knew some guys that must have cried over that new style of hers but he, for one, liked it better.

He remembered her outrageous décolletages and how he'd always felt (feared, even) that her breasts were on the verge of screaming "FREEDOM!" and jumping out of it. As if they could have been more in his face than they already were. He'd never felt any interest for boobs; if anything, the almost aggressive display Cindy used to make of hers used to make him feel slightly uneasy. He realized now that it probably was his own disinterest in her, when even Ignis called her a "thing of beauty"; it had made him feel awkward.

He'd known how beautiful she was though, how funny, how great no matter how you looked at her. Even if he'd never been attracted to her - as he was now beginning to believe that he could never be attracted to a woman, he just didn't like them that way - he'd seen her as one of the most extraordinary people he knew.

Besides the difference in her clothing, that made her look a lot more like a mechanic and less like a model from a truck driver magazine, she was wearing her now much longer hair in a loose braid that hung over her shoulder and she had gained some weight too. She wore her sleeves rolled up and he could see the muscles in her arms as she crossed them over her ever so impressive chest, for nothing in the world could ever hide that. She still wore a cap but it wasn't the same. Noctis remembered it though. It was Cid's.

"There you are", she said when he parked the Regalia in the driveway in front of the workshop, like he used to. "Took you long enough, your Majesty."

It sounded just like when she'd called him "your royal Highness", back in the day. Respectful but friendly, with just the right amount of familiarity laced in her tone to tell him that she considered him a person.

A person she knew, appreciated, missed even if the sparkle in her eyes was to be trusted. He smiled at her as he got out of the car. Even the asphalt under his soles felt good. He closed the door and looked around, breathing the dry air of Leide. It was warm, just like he recalled it, sunny and dusty. The paint on the signs didn't seem to have faded, probably because of the lack of sunlight.

As he turned back to Cindy, he realized that she was also checking him out. She hadn't seen him in years either.

"How do I look?" He asked as if in jest, but hoping for a genuine answer nonetheless.

"Gorgeous", she said without flinching. "You wear that well."

He touched his cheek reflexively. He hadn't been so keen on shaving lately, with his progressively coming to terms with his actual age. He didn't mind the scratchy touch of his chin when he rested it in his hand anymore. He even kind of liked the look it gave him. Shaven, he still saw his old face, as if a boy was looking at him from inside the mirror and someone had drawn lines on his face, trying to age him without really achieving it. With the light beard, he looked like the man he was now.

"Thanks", he said, holding out his hand.

She shook it, her grip firmer than that of many men he'd shaken hands with.

"You're welcome. What do you think?" She asked in turn, taking a step back as if he hadn't looked at her yet. He almost asked her to spin around to see if she would do it, since she seemed to be in such a laughing mood, then decided not to.

"You look fabulous", he answered truthfully. "And you don't look surprised to see me."

She shrugged.

"I knew they wouldn't be able to keep you cooped up in there forever. I've seen how happy you were on the road. You've learned a great deal when you were traveling."

"I lived", he said. "In a way, I hadn't really lived before that. Not in the sense everyone gives to it. It's been hard, letting go of that."

"I know. That's why I've been expecting you to come here and say hi one day or another. We're close. And now that you got her back, I knew it was a matter of days before you rolled in here."

She was looking at the Regalia with those eyes that only mechanics have for cars.

"I still can't believe it", Noctis said, stepping away from the car to look at it himself. "It was utterly wrecked. And you know what ? I had no idea how much I missed it. Not just the car itself, but driving it. I had forgotten how it felt and I… well, thank you so much", he finished, faltering a bit. It was slightly awkward but he didn't want to get emotional about all the memories that his little ride brought back.

"Huh", Cindy said. "Don't thank me, it was nothing."

He turned to her, pointing the Regalia with a brandished finger, an incredulous look on his face.

"Nothing?" He repeated. "Don't try to act like this was any kind of work, I know the state it was in, I'm to one who crashed it. Repeatedly. It was as dead as any vehicle could be, I have no idea how you did it but it certainly wasn't nothing."

"Yeah, you're right. It was a hassle and it… Huh, no."

Noctis watched her with raised eyebrows while she rubbed her neck, clearly exasperated.

" What's wrong?"

" Nothing, it's just that… Shit, I'm not doing this", she said decidedly.

" What are you talking about? What don't you want to do?"

Cindy let out the heaviest sigh, not taking her eyes away from the Regalia as if she didn't want to look at Noctis. Which she obviously didn't.

" I told him it was ridiculous but did he listen ? No, of course he didn't. Men. I swear to the Gods - "

" Cindy ? "

She turned to him, hesitated a moment more and sighed again.

" I'm not gonna lie ", she finally said. " I'm not taking credit for someone else's work. I didn't fix that car. He did."

" Who did?" The king asked, getting more and more lost by the second.

" Prompto did. Who else? "

She had answered in a tone that suggested that he was dumb for not knowing it already, and yet it made no sense. What the flying fuck ?

" No, he didn't ", he said without thinking.

Cindy's eyes narrowed, as he'd more or less just called her a liar. This was no joking business, he could see it.

" I don't mean… it's just… impossible. I mean, why would he do that?"

She shrugged.

" Do I look like I know ? I told him to tell you. What was his deal, putting all those efforts and hard work into a gift and then acting like he had nothing to do with it ? He was adamant about not telling you it was his idea. I'm not his mother, I couldn't make him."

" That's not what I meant."

She looked at him quizzically.

" What then? "

He ran a hand through his hair, wondering if he should tell her. Prompto had spent quite some time here and maybe she knew what was going on with him. On the other hand… it would feel like prying if he tried to learn something from her.

...What are my chances to learn anything from him?

"I meant that I don't see him doing something like that for me. Or anything, really. He's done nothing but push me away since I came back. He doesn't talk to me and he didn't just hide the fact that he repaired the car, he didn't show up at all for my birthday."

He hated how petty those last words sounded, like the whining of a kid who hadn't received the attention he expected. But Cindy didn't seem to find it petty. She looked really unsettled by what he'd just said.

"Seriously?" She said slowly.

Noctus repressed the urge to raise his eyes to the sky.

"I wouldn't joke about that. He's been… Honestly, he's driving me mad. I'm sure there's something going on, I know something has to be wrong, but he just won't talk to me. And like you said… I can't make him. That's why it makes no sense when you tell me that the car was his gift. He can't suffer me. "

No need to get into the part where he was pining like mad and rejection broke his heart a little more every time he saw Prompto.

Cindy bit her bottom lip, hesitation etched on her face, and remained silent for a good while. Noctis waited for her to say something and in the end, she let out another heavy breath.

" Would you mind coming with me for a little while? There's something I think you should see."

" I have nothing but time", he answered.

And the leisure to do whatever I please, for once.

He tried to act and look more relaxed than he was, for he just felt terribly on edge. After all this time, weeks and months on end, hours of trying to read through Prompto's incomprehensible behaviour, maybe he was going to get some answers.

She brought him inside the main building, in the living part of it where he had never set foot before. Everything was small, neat and functional. She led him through narrow corridors, a kitchen and a place that served as a living room as well as a dining room. Then they reached a door and Cindy stopped, her hand on the handle.

"I don't know if I should…", she started. " He was living here during the Long Night and this was his room. I haven't touched anything because it all feels so personal." She paused. " I know it's wrong to do this but… I've been worried about him for a while now. He's tired and on edge and snaps easily and I haven't seen a smile on his face in a long time. And now, hearing how he behaves with you, it just confirms that I was right to be concerned. "

Even though he wanted nothing more than to find a reason for Prompto's behaviour, he didn't quite dare to hope for it.

"Maybe he's just tired, you know", he said. "Maybe he's just acting with me the way he feels."

She eyes him suspiciously, as if she could tell how he was just trying to pull away out of fear for another disappointment.

"That wouldn't explain the car, and that certainly wouldn't explain that", she said with a nod to the door. "Just don't tell him that I showed you."

And she opened the door.

Noctis entered the room and she followed. At first, he didn't notice anything. The room was small, with a single bed and a small window in the wall in front of him. On the right were a closet, a chest and a door, and that was pretty much everything. But then Cindy closed the door behind her, turned on the light and he really saw the wall on his left. From the corner of his eye, he'd thought that there was nothing there but a darker wallpaper and no furniture so he hadn't looked.

He had no words to describe what he was feeling at this moment.

He was vaguely aware of Cindy walking by him and sitting on the bed, silent. She let him see, watch, realize what was spreading out under his eyes.

The whole wall was covered in pictures.

There weren't only pictures of him. He recognized the one Cindy had taken of the four of them in front of the car right after their departure, as well as a lot more. Group pictures, pictures of two or three of them, he could see some of those, but Noctis couldn't ignore the fact that he was on every single shot, and that most were of him alone.

They weren't all good. He saw snaps and quick shots, some of them where you could only see the back of his head, others where he was in the middle of a movement in battle, daggers or sword out or throwing a spell. He found a close-up of his face that had probably been cut out of a larger picture, since even he could tell the definition was lower, that made him shudder. Prompto had caught him while he was summoning, the air was crackling with bolts of purple light and his eyes were shining with it too. The soft color didn't make the effect less unsettling. He'd never seen what he looked like when communing with the gods and now found it put him off. Slightly.

But as he looked, he came across real portraits, shots that showed off the extent of Prompto's skill. Noctis knew for a fact that he had never posed for any of those clichés, that Prompto had taken them while he wasn't looking or at the most, had called him to make him look his way. Noctis didn't like to be photographed and if he really had to, he tended to look like he had a broom up his ass. Prompto knew that and always surprised him or literally stole snaps. Noctis remembered how surprised he was, in those moments near the campfire when Prompto was sharing the pictures he had taken, to see that he'd been photographed. He was surprised now, realising that Prompto must have kept every shot of him he had managed to take back then instead of only saving the good stuff. He wondered if he'd done it on purpose or if he just hadn't had the time to do the sorting.

Some of the shots were simply gorgeous, though it was a weird thought to have when the subject was himself. The light played in his hair, the shadows underlined his features, the backgrounds showed blue skies, thick canopies, the glittering sea or white sand, every kind of scenery they'd visited. For almost each picture there, the king had a matching memory.

...well, except for the ones on which he was asleep.

He found a few of those. There he was, slumped in the backseat of the car, or in his camping chair, either in the early morning or late evening. Then he noticed one picture that sent his heart racing. Stepping closer to the wall, he reached out and took it down with numbed fingers.

He was also asleep on this one, but not napping in the Regalia or dozing off because it took him hours to emerge. He was sleeping. There was barely enough light there to make out the pillow and sleeping bag he used back then when they camped, but he recognised it. It was unmistakable. The light was obviously coming from a smartphone but even with such a poor lighting, Prompto had managed to take a decent cliché.

What the hell?

He should have found this creepy, but instead his heart was dancing and jumping in happiness ("He was watching me sleep ! He actually stayed awake and looked at me and he even stole this picture because he really, really cared, I didn't dream it all !") while his brain was trying to bring it back to reality ("That was years ago, that doesn't mean anything anymore ! If those had mattered to him, he wouldn't have left them here, he would have taken them back with him to Insomnia.").

He was feeling dizzy, and he turned to Cindy as to a beacon in that storm.

"This is all making less and less sense", he said, trying not to let his voice break.

She shook her head and touched the wall at the head of the bed.

" The walls are paper thin", she said. "We never really lived here, the garage is our family's real home. This is just a place to sleep."

For the first time, Noctis realized that Cid didn't seem to be around anymore. He didn't speak though, too eager to listen to stop her, just nodding in understanding.

" My bed is right on the other side", she carried on slowly, as if she was still hesitating to share this, "The first year, I had to listen to him crying himself to sleep every night."

Noctis's heart wrenched at that. She wasn't the first to tell him how the Long Night had been harder on Prompto than for most people. It was also hard to hear about it this way, years too late to do anything. He wished he'd been there to comfort him but also knew that no comfort would have been needed if he hadn't been gone. It was his fault.

"It's been difficult for everyone", he said tentatively.

Cindy raised her eyebrows.

"The crying eventually stopped, but do you know what didn't?"

He shook his head, unsure if he wanted to know.

"His calling your name in his sleep. He was still doing it by the time you came back. I understand that you don't like the idea of causing him pain but it was about you. Gladio and Ignis, they were sad too, and angry at themselves because they felt like they had failed you."

Noctis nodded again, tongue tied. Gladio had told him that already.

"That's not what it was about, for Prompto. I think… "

She hesitated again and he saw it. He saw that she was going to stop there and it made him jump.

"What?" he asked, and she made a face.

"I don't know if I should. I just don't want you to give up on him, he's such a good friend and a good man too."

"But I know that, and I don't want to. He just won't let me come near him in any way, believe me, I've tried. I won't let go of him, I promise you, no matter what happens, so if there's anything you think you know that could help me understand… well, I wish I didn't have to hear it from you, but he's certainly not going to tell me."

She looked at him. Her eyes went from his face to the picture he was still holding then back up. Her gaze was intense and fixed, as if she was trying to see into his very soul. He held it easily, knowing that if she'd managed to do so, she would have found nothing but his desire to make things right. She finally yielded.

"This is a garage", she said, carefully picking her words. "And there's a good diner just there, and I've spent my whole life in that place. You can't imagine how many people have stopped here with a sad story to tell, and they always told me. I must have one of those faces or something, I have no idea but the fact is that I saw lots of miserable people and listened to countless miserable stories. I still believe that I didn't really know the true meaning of the word longing before you went away and Prompto crashed here.

He flinched and she saw it.

"You didn't have a choice", she said softly, as to comfort him. "I know that and he knew it too. I don't think he ever blamed you for it and I never felt that he was angry or anything, but it was killing him. I think… please, never tell him that I told you that, and don't go acting on it, but I think he was in love with you. I think he might still be."

Noctis looked at her with eyes like saucers. A good minute passed before he could speak.

"You think… he might still be", he repeated.

"Yes. And yet you tell me that he's shunning you, pushing you away to the point that you think he just doesn't want to be near you."

"In short, yes, that's exactly how it feels."

"And I can assure you that he'd rather die than leave your side ever again. I'm surprised he lets you out of his sight at all."

In spite of his best efforts to not stupidly start hoping again, Noctis found himself thinking about all the time Prompto was still spending with him, silent and watchful and never trying to get away from this obligation when he could have found ways to. Thinking about the car, because that was the most ludicrous thing ever. Cindy wasn't lying. Prompto hadn't been there for his birthday, had seemingly ignored it, but he actually had put tremendous effort in the most thoughtful gift Noctis had ever received in his life. And about the picture in his hand, proof that he wasn't the only one with a crush, back then.

"Why would he leave all of this behind? Why would he abandon it like that if it held meaning ?"

"I had plenty of time to think about it and that at least is easily explained. First, he made this because he was missing you so much so once you came back, he didn't need it anymore. Then there's the fact that when you did, everything happened very quickly and you all left soon after. He didn't have time to pack. I think he forgot it when he followed you and after you all survived, when he remembered it, he realized that I must have seen it. He's never mentioned it so I'm guessing that he's embarrassed and hopes I'll just throw it away without asking. I'm sure he has it all stored on a hard drive or something, so he doesn't care much about the prints."

Noctis nodded slowly. The excitement and thrill of his runaway and Cindy's revelations were fading away, leaving him more tired than he'd felt in a very long time.

It was comforting to hear that because it made sense, which made for a welcome change, and because it really gave him hope. But it was also baffling and frustrating as even if Cindy was right, Prompto was still acting as if he couldn't stand him and Noctis wasn't closer to understanding why.

"I don't know what he's playing at but he's hurting you both in process", she carried on." I mean, you're clearly unhappy about this whole situation. I hope you can do something to fix it - without telling him I talked to you !"

"I won't", he answered, eyes on the picture in his hand. "Thank you for telling me, I promise I'll find a way to get to him. I don't know how yet, but I will."

"I hope so. Whatever is happening to him has lasted for more than long enough. I don't know if he's doing this to himself or if he's going through something terrible on his own but it has to stop. I don't think anyone can get to him but you."

Noctis sighed and shook his head. It suddenly felt very heavy, as if too much had been stuffed inside it.

"I should get back", he said.

It sounded abrupt even to him but Cindy didn't seem to notice. Or maybe she just understood. Either way, she just walked him back outside and to the car.

"Such a jewel", she said with a smile. "I wish I could simply admire his work instead of worrying about him. He really did wonders."

"It's true. I didn't know he had the skills to do that."

"I taught him everything I know. It kept him occupied and he's good with cars, though he'll always prefer a chocobo ride. I could use the distraction too, to be honest."

He didn't feel like starting another conversation but Noctis had to ask. First, he really wanted to know, even if now wasn't the best time for him, and Cindy had looked after Prompto for years and she was still doing it. She had done so much, he couldn't take his leave without asking.

"How have you been ? I couldn't help but notice that Cid's not around anymore."

She smiled sadly.

"Well… the worst part of it is that he actually lived through most of the Long Night. He really wanted to see the sun rising again and he held on for nine years before he died. He passed away in his sleep. He'd taken quite a liking to Prompto over the years. Enough to ask me if I'd… well, you know. Grand-grand-children, posterity and all that. He'd have liked to know where the garage would be going even after me. And as far as men went, for him, Prompto looked like a good choice since he really got to know him."

"Did you ever consider it ? " Noctis asked, genuinely curious.

"Hell no. I've heard him calling for you in his sleep for years, remember ? He was such a lost cause, that's as dissuasive as it gets. "

Noctis felt his heart swell again. Not so long ago he'd been wondering if his coming back hadn't forced Prompto to leave Cindy behind and if that was what he was blaming Noctis for… and now, she was telling him that he'd always been thinking about him and only him. He was overwhelmed again by a mix of elation and anxiety.

"You should go", she said. "Someone's gonna be worried."

He said goodbye, vaguely wondering if she was talking about Prompto or if she had guessed that he had run away. He didn't ask. He really, really wanted to stop talking now. He needed to be alone to sort things through in his head. He wanted silence.

Cindy sent him away, telling him to drive carefully, and he did just that.

It was like moving in slow motion. He was feeling very aware of his environment, of every move he made, of everything he touched. While he was driving back to Insomnia, he only focused on two things.

First, the actual drive, because he was feeling a little confused and he didn't want to risk having an accident. And second, the fact that back where he was going, maybe, just maybe, Prompto was waiting for him and that he actually, really cared.


I said I'd write a letter

But I never got the time

And I'm looking to the day

I mesmerise the light

The years I spend just thinking

Of a moment we both knew

A second passed like an empty room

It seems it can't be true

I take pictures, photographic pictures

Bright light, dark room


Credits : My immortal - Evanescence

Photographic - Depeche Mode