stonecoldmemeā:
He managed to be silent for a while.Ā Trembling, but just a little.Ā Just⦠breathing, counting out breaths, listening to Ignisā voice.
It hurt.Ā It hurt, and he knew Ignis was above lying just to make him feel betterā
He knew that Ignis was hurting too.Ā Gladiolus.Ā EveryoneĀ whoād really and truly known Noct were still trying to figure out how to bandage up the gaping wound his death had left.
Prompto knewĀ thereād be anger.Ā More of it, and brighter; bright enough to burn to light his way to Hell.Ā But until then⦠there was sorrow.Ā And weariness.Ā All the things said too late or not at all, all the things maybe they should have done or tried to do one more time, orā¦
Placing a hand on Ignisā own, he was sure his crying was obvious.Ā Silent as he tried to make it, the shaking wracked his body until they were merely silent sobs.Ā He wanted to apologize for being the exact oppositeĀ of what Ignis thought he was, butā
āS-sorryā¦āĀ Heād try.Ā Heād try again.Ā Heād try tomorrow.Ā When the sunlight hit him like a physical blow.Ā Over and over again.Ā For the rest of his life.
Ignis found Promptoās face, stroking tears away.Ā
āListen...ā Still trying not to crowd him, he settled down, āYouāve nothing to apologise for... Some might say to grieve is the strongest thing of all...āĀ
Confessing to Prompto would be a first. He took a steady breath, thumbs tracing his cheekbones. He hadnāt said a thing to Gladio, though no doubt he knew enough on his own. To voice it would just be giving him permission to push the issue beyond his limits.
āThis grief, itās far larger than myself... I canāt- I canāt. I oweĀ it to him, but I canāt.āĀ
He swallowed the rising anger, shaking his head to disperse thought after guilty thought, Promptoās face cradled in his hands.Ā
āDo you understand? You donāt need to apologise, silly thing... You are doing splendidly. Perhaps someday Iāll be as brave as you... Just as you lead me through my darkest days, you continue to do so, purely by example. You donāt have to force happiness, Prompto. We will alwaysĀ be here for you, all of us, Noctis too...āĀ Ā











