Ache

awritingpen:

Written for @hurt-noct-week day 7

Prompts

• FREE/CATCH-UP DAY
• Prompt: Noct survives but deals with things like phantom pains and residual effects from using the ring.

The pain woke him early in the morning. Noctis realized that his
days of sleeping in were long over as his arm throbbed. His other injuries
still hurt, but the lasting damage from the ring reached deep into his bones.

The morning light crept through the broken windows of the
abandoned inn the four of them decided to spend the night in. Noct reminded himself
to be grateful there was morning light.

Sitting up on the dusty bed he felt his joints crack. His father
had developed arthritis early in life. The signs started before his hair turned
grey. If he never had to use the ring or the power of the crystal again, he
wondered how long before his symptoms became worse.

Gladio and Prompto were still asleep. The darkness destroyed
most people’s sense of day and night, which was why he was surprised to see
Ignis awake.

“I almost thought you were going to start making breakfast,”
Noct said.

“I could, though there’s only stale bread and some leeks until
we resupply.”

He drank from the hot tea he had made himself, since Ebony was
rarer to find. Noct leaned against the wall and looked out the window.

“I probably wouldn’t eat it anyways.”

“Still picky.”

Noct’s right hand hurt again. He gripped it closely, with his
left.

“Does it still hurt?” Ignis said.

“A bit,” Noct had grown used to Ignis’s perception. “It’s been
two weeks since I last used the ring.”

Ignis felt for the counter and put down the tea.

“It’s too soon to assume anything.”

Noctis kept looking at the sunrise. Even the falling dust seemed
to sparkle in the light.

“Did it ever stop hurting?” Noct said.

“No, not really.” He picked up his tea again.