(no subject)

Ten years.

It'd been ten long years. Ten years in the dark, fighting back to keep their world safe. Countries had long since ceased to matter in the Long Night. They'd all changed in those years, but none as much as the man that had finally returned. The King that had finally returned.

When Ignis heard the news, he couldn't believe it. Oh, there was never any doubt that his liege would return, but it'd been so long. So long since he'd seen that precious face. The determination in his voice as he called on the Crystal and the kings of old was something that Ignis could still recall with perfect clarity even if he couldn't quite remember what he looked like in that moment. Right then, he'd been ready to die, all to keep Noctis from the fate that he'd been shown. He could still remember the raw pain in Gladio's voice and the tears in Prompto's. That was when he knew that he couldn't leave his brothers.

He couldn't leave him.

Seeing Noctis again had been a bit of a shock. He was a man grown now and the first thing Ignis found himself thinking was just how stunning his eyes were, closely followed by the simple fact that Noctis needed a shave. Instead of letting his mind linger on either of those, he simply welcomed him back, a small smile gracing his still scarred lips.

Things happened quickly then. A plan was made now that they knew their target and had the means to fight him. It was like old times, that night. A roaring fire and a carefully prepared meal. Conversation around the fire, met with small smiles and vaguely hollow eyes to catch the flickering light and each word out of Noctis' mouth made Ignis' chest ache. He knew what the next day would bring. He'd seen it in his nightmares for years now, but he'd never shared that vision with anyone. He couldn't bear to do so. Not when it would break their hearts just like it'd broken his.

When dinner was a pleasant memory, Gladio caught Ignis' gaze, shooting him a half-smile as he canted his head toward their oldest friend before he stood up and excused himself with a half-hearted claim that he was tired, only to end up dragging Prompto along with him. Ignis watched them duck into the tent with a soft chuckle and a shake of his head.

"Well, it seems like it's just the two of us now."

To have and to hold, in case you get cold-

Insomnia was white under the newly fallen snow. The soft blanket of white covered the still ruined parts of the city, lending it a peaceful air, but around the Citadel, life was teeming once again. The Citadel proper had been repaired and the buildings around it were well on their way as well. Once the people had heard the the Chosen King had won and returned to them, they started to flock back to the city, bringing life and joy with them, as well as calloused hands and the willingness to help rebuild.

For Ignis, it'd been difficult. For the first month, he'd hold his breath each night, watching until the sun rose again as if he expected it to just vanish. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in his beloved King. It was simply too many years spent in the dark. Too many memories better left in that same dark. Too much pain.

Now that there was life in the city again and he knew it was good and permanent and safe, he settled into a routine as was his nature. Up before dawn and while he'd claim it was still to do things for his liege, anyone that really knew him knew that he would be looking for the dawn, even a year later. Now was no different. He'd risen before the sun and once it was up, he'd gone about his day. Meetings with the council that he now headed in Noct's absence, or working on helping the rebuilding efforts with Cor and the like. Each night, he returned to his new rooms in the Citadel, looking to curl up in Gladio's arms and sleep, praying there would be no nightmares to plague them in their sleep.

Tonight, while the snow fell silent around the city, Ignis found himself getting back home earlier than expected. Everyone was in fine spirits thanks to the weather and once he realized that there would be no real work for any of them, he called off the late council meeting and made his way back home, sure that Gladio wouldn't be there for a while since he knew his love liked to train in the evening. That left him plenty of time to cook something nice for both of them instead of the quick meals he'd grown used to whipping up for the last few months.