When did simple palettes of pink and purple seemingly airbrushed across the evening sky transform Eos into a magical world where unicorns should graze in the fields and fairies sprint through the air spreading mischief along the way? Gladio never realized how he had taken simple pleasures for granted, not until the days were stolen from them - thrust into eternal darkness for a whole decade. He continued to watch the sun descend over the rolling hills though for once his heart did not flutter anxiously at the prospect of being ambushed by daemons in his sleep. That alone should have comforted him yet he was left numb both in his mind and in his soul. The trip back to Hammerhead should not have taken two days (three if they decided to procrastinate any longer) but the return was too soon for them to handle. While it was not fair to their family and friends to speculate whether they had fallen in battle, it was also too soon to report the fate of their beloved king.

Tears slowly filled his eyes as the images of the final battle flashed through his mind. What started with two Iron Giants rapidly escalated into a barrage of daemons. When one was cut down two seemed to fill its place. The three friends were quickly surrounded with no escape in sight until the skies seemed to part and the first rays of dawn penetrated through. The daemons dematerialized into dust like you see in vampire movies. There was a moment of pause as if trying to decipher if they were indeed alive or if they had crossed into the world beyond. Collectively they realized that they still stood on the steps of the Citadel. Then, all three swiftly ran up the stairs and raced through the palace until they reached the throne room. Shock froze Gladio in place as he absorbed the scene of Noctis slumped over the throne, only held up because of his his sword impaling his body. Disbelief took hold of him at the surreal scene; reality only set in once Prompto began describing the vivid details to Ignis. Carrying his body to the gardens, the trio held a private memorial service after burying his body.

Lowering his gaze, Gladio spotted the blood smear that had now dried. However, he refused to take the shirt off even though he had discarded his Kingsglaive jacket. The tight fit was confining and felt as if it was smothering him. Even if he did not shed that layer, there is little the jacket could have done to warm the ice pick stabbing his heart. When was the last time Gladio felt such a void from which he could not find solace?

- Ten Years Prior -

Never before had Gladio ever felt motion sick but the windy pathway through the mountainous terrain tossed his stomach around to the point he actually decided to skip dinner. His head pounded both from not eating properly and stress. Oh the stress! They had left a beautiful, thriving city in ruins. His childhood friend paid a heavy price for their service. One of the most selfless women in the world lost her life. And what does his royal pain in the ass do? Mope like a fucking baby. During the hike to the tomb Noctis tried to reassure him that he had his priorities straight and that he understood what was expected of him, but Gladio wasn't so sure. Noctis still kept a wall up and any attempt at a conversation just ended with curt one or two word answers and a shit ton load of attitude. He gave up for the night and secluded himself to their assigned lodgings for the trip.

The bed was less than accommodating for such a large man but he made do the best he could as he kept his knees bent to prevent his legs from daggling over the edge. Forcing his eyes shut, Gladio just repeated a mantra over and over hoping to eventually bore himself to sleep. Even when the door slid open, Gladio opted to ignore whoever entered, not moving an inch out of position.

"You awake, Gladio?"

Prompto's voice was not the usually happy-go-lucky tone. Even though he couldn't see him, Gladio could feel Prompto lingering over his face. Despite trying to hold his breath, Gladio felt soft, hesitant exhales blow over his face. Perhaps if he kept up his charade a bit longer, Prompto would just give up and leave. However, the lack of footsteps told him otherwise.

"I know you're awake."

This time his voice was coated with resolve. Maybe the twitching around his eyes gave him away. Sighing in defeat, Gladio slowly parted his eyelide and instantly was confronted by a pair of light blues.

"What?" he demanded with his arms firmly crossed across his chest.

Normally his gruffness chased the boy away but for some reason his determination was made of steel that night, and thus Prompto refused to budge. Instead he attempted to squish himself into the tiny space of mattress next to Gladio's legs, effectively blocking the bigger man's path. That is of course if Gladio didn't have half a mind to knock twig of a man out of the way.

"You…uh…been really tense lately."

No shit, Sherlock.

Gladio rolled his eyes. He wished he could turn his back to Prompto, but the lack of room confined him to his back.

"It's just," Prompto continued, not seemingly registering Gladio's annoyance, "you should cut Noct some slack. He's been through hella lot of stuff lately. He's lost so much."

Gladio launched himself to sitting position only to smack his head against the top bunk bed. Grabbing his head, he flopped back against the pillow. A low growl rumbled in his throat. Wide eyed, Prompto was about to inquire his friend's well-being but quickly shut his mouth when the bigger man glared daggers at him.

"We all have been through a lot, Prompto! It's not just him! He's not the only one who lost everything! We all did! We all had families and a home in Insomnia! All of that was stolen from us! However, he was the only one who was allowed to mourn about it!"

Prompto casted a sheepish gaze to his hands, picking nervously at his nails. He bit his lip, reflecting on the aftermath of Insomnia's fall, realizing that they may never be able to go back. Turning his head slightly, Prompto watched as tears glistened in Gladio's eyes. His face softened as he tried to recount whether he ever saw the macho man shed a tear. In fact, he couldn't recall Gladio crying when they first heard the news about the attack and that his father had been murdered. Opening his mouth, Prompto hesitated on whether he should vocalize his thoughts.

"Well…why haven't you?"

"What?" Gladio grumbled as if only half listening.

"Mourn? What haven't you mourn?"

A deep sigh flared his nostrils. His eyes shifted rapidly as if looking for the answer.

"We have a job to do. We all do. There hasn't been enough time to stop and reflect, to dwell on the past. We have to keep our eyes on the future before we lose that as well."

"So bottling up our sorrow was the better course of action? Letting it build up and becoming a ticking time-bomb of emotions?" Prompto challenged. Gladio finally turned his head to meet Prompto's misty-eyed stare. "All of those nights we camped or stayed at a hotel you could have chosen to have a private moment. Seclude yourself somewhere and memorialize your parents. I get that it seems like life has been speeding past us without a moment to spare but it's alright to let us know if you need a little bit of time to yourself. Just like when you chose to leave and complete the trials of Gilgamesh. That was something that you needed to do for yourself."

Gladio lightly shook his head as if Prompto just didn't understand. Prompto's heart dropped as he scrambled to find the right words that would ease his mind. Then as his brain admitted defeat, Prompto did the only thing he knew that always worked for him. Crawling into the smallest gap left on the bed, Prompto wrapped his arms and legs around the thick, muscular body. Squeezing as tight as he could, Prompto felt Gladio's muscles tense at the sudden action as if he wasn't used to being held. Prompto had to admit however that he wasn't sure what his relationship was like with his parents. He knew they were close and loving but perhaps the affection didn't extend to a physical level. Regardless Prompto refused to let the Gladio's rigid body go even if he insisted on keeping his shield up. Prompto nestled his nose into the crook of Gladio's neck. Soft, rhythmic breaths brushed over Gladio's skin.

For several minutes the men stayed in the awkward position. After a while Prompto decided he had done all that he could to comfort Gladio. The man kept his guard up and honestly Prompto couldn't tell if had done any good at soothing his friend. Silently, Prompto began withdrawing his arms but then a strong grip grasped his wrist and pulled his arm back across Gladio's scarred chest. Prompto didn't bother to question him; there was no need to. Instead he studied the tears that silently streamed down his face, wetting his hair as they fell. Gladio's muscles finally relaxed so that he no longer felt like a log but rather a large teddy bear. And thus they remained still on the tiny bed, sleeping serenely through the night in each other's arms.

- Present -

Chugging the last of his drink, Gladio stood up and tossed the can into the trash. He turned one last time to watch the sun disappear along the horizon. Stars rapidly dotted the sky, twinkling peacefully upon the sleepy inhabitants of Eos. Noctis was now amongst those very stars, watching over them all. A morose sigh slowly passed between Gladio's lips as he turned toward the tent. Unzipping the front flap, he pulled the cover away and found Prompto sobbing in Ignis's arms. Neither men moved at Gladio's disturbance. Instead Prompto kept his face buried deep into Ignis's chest. The older man lovingly caressed Prompto's hair, not giving two fucks that his shirt was probably soaked by now. Ignis turned his head slightly toward Gladio's direction, silently acknowledging his presence. Even though Ignis had removed his shades, Gladio saw no tears pooling in his eyes though perhaps his injuries resulted in damaged tear ducts. His deep frown did fully display his grief. Yet true to his nature, Ignis put comforting others before himself.

No longer able to contain the tears, Gladio blinked them free. Salty trails fell over his cheeks, moistening his beard on their path to his jawline. Ducking into the tent, Gladio crawled over the men and wrapped his arms around them, pulling them both into a tight hug. As Ignis rested his cheek on top of Prompto's head, Gladio put his forehead against the back of Ignis's neck. A warmth washed over all of them as they cherished each other's company. And while they were not able to pull Noctis into their group hug they all felt his presence lovingly envelop the trio, consoling their broken hearts.