Runaway blue

Chapter 9

The gloomy room seemed to be perfect for him, no matter how much he hated it.
It matched his soul and heart. As well as his mind.
It was comforting just as much as it was disturbing.
It was calming as much as it was annoying.
The good side of it  all was that it helped him sleep, lulling him into endless darkness.

But it didn't keep people away as knocking on his door made him force his teal eyes open.
“I told you to come back tomorrow, didn't I? Whateve your forgot, you won't need it anymore so just leave!” he yelled with his eyes half open.
However, his voice went unheard, the door opening with a silent creak (as it was made of the best material) and the face of his grandfather came into view.
“Well if that isn't a nice greeting.” He joked, taking the seat next to his bed and messing his hair.
“Ojī-san…”

“It seems your father informed you of tomorrow's suprise eh?” The old man cut him off with a smile on his face, his wrinkled hand still on his head. “And I wanted to make you doubt reality, you're in a good mood already!” The heart warming laugh brought a smile to his tired face as his eyes closed again, head leaning in the warmth of his grandfather's hand. No matter how much he tried, he could never actually act cold towards the one that understood him the most.
“It was about time too…” His grandfather continued. “This state doesn't suit you at all, Tetsuya.”

The hand on his head, kept tangling it's fingers in his teal locks, comforting him as none of them made a sound.
“It was all his fault.” Whispered the bound teen, his voice cracking from the tiredness and madness seeping into his brain, poisoning all thoughts as his teeth gritted against each other. “All his!”
He heard a tired sigh, but unserstanding all the same, and opened his eyes to look at the man's grim look.
“He didn't tell you to shoot yourself, did he now?” His eyes flickered to his bandaged and casted leg before looking away once more.
“He hurt Yin. I'll never forget that.”
“Yes well, he didn't hurt you.” His eyes shot daggers at his grandfather's own eyes.
“Hurting Yin is going far worse than hurting me grandfather! It's going as far as repeating that night!!!” Soft panting filled the room, followed by a couple of sniffles. “It's attacking my weakness, you know that… you know… and yet…”

The young royal let his defenses down, allowing the tears to blur his vision and seep from the corner of his eyes. His body trembled in sync with his heart that had lost it's normal beats and now went two at a time.
“You wanted to get back at him.” The man stated, noticing how fast his grandson nodded his head. “I wanted to... I wanted to so bad…”
“… but would it have been worth it? Tetsuya?” Confused, sad eyes stared back at him as he was prepared to witness the most heartbreaking scene. “Would it have been worth it if you couldn't play basketball anymore? Did you want to avenge Yin that bad?” His grandson's eyes looked away, shutting close in order to lessen the pain he was feeling.

“You may never play… no, you may not even walk the same way again.”

.

A ringing noise disturbed their ears as the boy felt a stinging on his cheek, before both master and pet (?) fell on the ground.
One due to shock. The other due to pain.

The prince couldn't even will himself to move as he heard the cries of his loyal friend.  He couldn't even take his eyes off the grass below him, let alone turn his head and verify if the terrifying event really happened.
With the little courage he mustered up, the strengh in him slowly returned, allowing him to raise his shaking hand up to his face and touch the burning substance on his cheek.
Bringing his hand in front of his face, his teal eyes widdened in shock, disbelief and denial as his whole body trembled from the terrifying red on it.

Turning his trembeling ghostly eyes to the mane on his left, his ears kept ringing and his mouth parted, choked screams came out barely as a whisper.
H-he sh-shot… Y…in…
His mind screamed, willing him to do something, but the poor teen was pinned on the spot, unresponding to the horror in front of his eyes but fighting the horror inside his mind, where that night repeated itself over again.

“  Y..yi…n… ?  ” Whispered a broken voice, pulling the man resposible of the events from his self blaming thoughts.
“  Tetsuya…  ” he sighed. He hadn't meant to go that far. But he had no choice!
“  Y-you  sho…t  Yi…n…  ” The black horse was withering on the ground, crying out for help as his best men rushed to his aid.
He himself went by his son's side. Gun held tightly in one hand, he stood over the young tealnette's head, knowing that he wouldn't be welcomed to help.

However,

He never expected that reaction…

His son screamed bloody murder at him, in a quick move, the gun was out of his hand and in his son's trembling ones.
Tetsuya's eyes would always eat him alive as they were filled with undescriptable pain.

“ TETSUYA !  ” Don't was stuck in his throat as his son accused him of what he did.
“  YOU  BASTARD !!! YOU  SHOT  YIN !!! ” The gun was pointed at his chest one second.

.

The next, all he could do was stand there as Tetsuya shot hid leg once, twice… thrice…
Five times…
More and more.
And more.

And he still continued to pull the trigger even after the bullets were long gone.

Even when his men came to stop him.

Even when he finally felt the pain he caused to his leg.

He continued pulling the trigger uselessly even after he took him in his arms.

He pulled it more even as he passed in his arms.

.

Tetsuya regretted it.

He regretted pulling the trigger.

He regretted forcing his leg to move afterwards.

He regretted pressuring it when playing basketball right after he woke up.

He regretted it.

Everything…

“How's Yin…?” He asked. He was grateful to have his grandfather there with him.
“He's doing fine. He healed after the first week.” came the response as the old man held his hand in his wrinkly one. The young boy hummed in response.
Then. Silence took over as sleep started reclaiming him.

He allowed it.
But not before whispering the words the man deserved.
“Thank you.”
He didn't stay awake to hear what his grandfather whispered back.

All he knew was that the older Kuroko stayed with him in the darkness of his room.
Lighting it up a little.

Reminding him that being a Kuroko wasn't all dark…

The man over his head smiled a little at his grandson's cute sleeping face.
“Well then… I wonder how you'll take the news of your brother coming back.”