"Since you disappeared into the crystal?" Or when you died? The second question went unspoken, yet hung in the air between them. He disliked it very much.

"Fifteen years, just about."

Ignis' shoulders pinched. Had it truly been that long? It took a lot, really, for him to keep his feelings in check right now. Especially as he felt his King sit beside him. He pulled his glasses from his face to clean them with a cloth. Whether or not he could see them, the smudges bothered him. What could be sloppier or more stereotypical, he thought.

"Look at me, Noct. While you were away I've become an old man."