I never thought I would return to thank you...

Chapter 24

Akashi's P.O.V

I dropped the cups of shake when I heard the news. Shintaro's father had come to us, claiming Tetsuya was gone.
“Look everywhere, find him!” I ordered my friends, who just arrived, and we went in different directions, they looking at every room, in and outside of the building, while I quickly informed my father then checked Tetsuya's room once again for possible clues.
There weren't much, if at all, but they helped more than what I could've thought.;
His clothes were gone, which meant that he wouldn't be here in the hospital, then a note on his bed cought my attention, it read:

I'm sorry…
But I have to end this.

Thank you, for taking care of me.

With that, I bolted out of the room, running into numerous people but I didn't care. Shintaro saw me, with just a look, understanding that we had to look outside.
“Do you know anything Akashi?” I handed him the note, forcing myself to go faster.

We kept our eyes and ears open for Tetsuya, checking every street further and further away from the hospital. By the time I finally remembered that Tetsuya's phone was with him, it was late at night and the streets were empty.
“Shit.” I cursed, bringing all the attention on me, as I hurridly pulled out my phone, calling Tetsuya while my legs moved on their own.
They knew what to do, father had sent us a chauffer to help fasten the search.
On the damn tenth ring someone answered.

“Akashi-kun.” It was Tetsuya.
“Tetsuya!” I yelled in relief, spotting our car, not too far away, heading in our direction. The others after me, I signaled the driver to stop and we all got in, me in the passanger's seat, the others in the back. “Where are you?” I asked slamming the door shut. “You're going home right?”
All stopped breathing, waiting in anticipation for his reply as I put the call on speaker.
“Hai,” he said. “I'm coming home.”
I sighed, with a weight lifted off my shoulders I told the adress to my driver, seeing the others holding back tears and screams of joy, Shintaro excluded for he only smiled, from the mirror.
“I'm going there right now. Where are you?”
The pounding of my heart clearly didn't match the mood his words had created. Something was wrong.
So wrong...

“I'm going down the bridge.” Ba-Dum!!!
“What the…” My chest hurt, what's up with that?
Remembering that I still had to answer Tetsuya, I quickly said. “You're not that far away from your house then. I'll wait there. And Tetsuya?”
“Hai.” I couldn't help myself. I had to say it.
“…Forgive me…” He went quiet. It seemed that the others in the back lost their breath as well before he answered.
“Whatever for?” What do you mean ‘whatever for’? For hurting you, for ruining your dream, for not protecting you. For everything!

There were so many things I had to apologize for, I didn't know where start.
“Well I-” I interrupted.
“...I'll tell you in person. I'll tell you once we meet.” I said, hoping I'd be ready to tell him then.
Silence greeted us before a ‘beep’ signaled the end of the call.
I sighed in both relief and frustration, something kept eating me in the back of my mind, warning me that something was wrong, something very obvious. So obvious I couldn't put my finger on it.

“Damn it! Go faster!” I ordered, the vehicle gaining speed and soon enough we arrived at Tetsuya's house.
“It seems deserted. Shouldn't he have been here already? The bridge isn't that far.” Aomine commented, raising my worries to an  extent I couldn't hide them anymore. I started pacing around, hands occasionally pulling my hair and eyes darting around in every direction.
What wasn't adding up?!

“Why is this happening? Why?” I mumbled, just barely processing the fact that Midorima was practically yelling my ear off by now.
Then it suddenly clicked. I froze in place, everything crashing down at once.
“He'll jump…” I muttered, just enough for Midorima to hear, before bolting down the street in the direction the bridge was, my phone already in hand, redialling my brother's number. It rang a few times, the pit in my stomach growing bigger with each ring, as anxiety clawed at my insides.
“Oi Akashi!” Shintaro's and Daiki's voices were the only thing ensuring me that they were with me. “Wait up.” Suddenly Aomine was at my side, keeping up just fine, managing to even get a few steps ahead.
I turned to look, seeing that Kise and Momoi were behind Midorima, Murasakibara gaining speed with each step he took and my childhood friend just a step behind me.
I didn't know what to do anymore, my chest hurt from the reality of it all, but it also swelled with pride and hapiness from the fact that my friends were there as well. I felt like crying and thanking them at the same time. I wanted to rip open my chest, I wanted to get to my brother.
“Damn it, we won't make it!” I yelled, the phone in my hand almost getting crushed from my desperation and frustration.
When I finally noticed; he'd answered. Tetsuya had answered the phone call.

“Tetsuya!!!” I yelled, desperation filling my voice. “Tetsuya, stop! Just wait for us, we're on our way!!”
“Tetsu!” Daiki started yelling as well. “Damn it! Take one more step and I'll be sure to drag you to back here and then I'll make you regret every fucking step you took from the hospital there! Understood?!”
“Oi!” Midorima joined in. “Kuroko, think about this! It's not the right thing to do!”
“Kuroko-chi!!!”
“Tetsu-kun!!”
Soon we were all shouting pleas, begging him to stop.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The line went dead.
“It- it went dead. Hurry!!!” We ran as fast as we could, hoping we wouldn't be too late. My heart ached like never before while my mind blew with thoughts of...
Him getting…

Damn it!

“We're almost there!” Shintaro yelled, as if noticing my panic, which, judging by the coldness that dripped from my forehead, my warm, but at the same time cold, hands and how my eyes felt warm enough to cause my vision to blurry, it must've been pretty damn obvious. I nodded, not trusting my voice at this point and forcing my limbs to move faster, the sensation that of a thousand needles striking at once.
We turned left, I could finally hear the sound of flowing water, a sound which I'd hate for the rest of my life from that moment on.
Another corner, then another and my brother filled my line of vision.

Immidiate relief washed upon me, my chest lighter than ever for he had not given up. Not yet at least.
As I was about to call out to him, he slowly turned, a blank eye, a blind like eye was enough to show me; it wasn't over. He held so much misery in his eyes, it seemed to affect the atmosphere around him as well, a cold mist seemed to adore his skin. A smile that could scar one for life plastered on his face.
Too cought up in the sight that greeted me, I didn't notice where I was going, tripped and fell. My phone falling somewhere a few feet in front of me, just like my brother…
He didn't even let us protest. Just turned around, gave his last smile and let his body fall limp. I watched it all in slow motion, my eyes widening so much they were about to fall out of their sockets, he didn't spare us a glance, or better said, he watched right threw us, as if we weren't there.

“Tetsu!!!”

The shock of what happened was chased away by that shout, just in time to see Daiki jump after Tetsuya.

Within a blink of an eye, I did the same.