𝑯𝑨𝑳𝑪𝒀𝑶𝑵 𝑶𝑩𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑰𝑶𝑵 •𝒃𝒙𝒃•

Colourless ~ Age 11

The rubble around him rolled away as he stumbled to his feet, trying to step away from his brother. It proved useless as his legs buckled under his weight and he grit his teeth at the pure... disability of his body.

Instead of falling down, arms wrapped around him and he was picked up. The pressure on the side of his thigh clouded his vision, the pain was too much for him to even be able to think properly, "Don't worry..." those words were whispered in his ear, "You're fine..." Minato whispered sweet nothings in his ear as he held him.

"Aniki, I don't want to fight in the next match." The words left his lips with no reluctance.

Aizen could do nothing but hold onto the blond man as if his life depended on it.

And for the time being, it felt like it did.

"Asao, tell my team that I'll return shortly... Aizen needs to be taken to the hospital."

Honestly... He felt as if he were a child. His legs were wrapped around Minato's middle, arms tightly clenching around his neck as he hid his face in his shoulder.

A total child.

Yet, he couldn't stop himself from feeling that way. All the physical pain mixed in with the pain in his chest drowned him in the static that never seemed to grow silent.

Unrestrained nausea swirled in his empty stomach. His head swam along the currents of regret. The drums against his ribs had slowed down, as if his blood turned to tar and his heart struggled to keep a steady beat.

He drowned in the loudness of his own mind. The screams and echoes of the boiling blood in his veins had long since passed, but the silent screams — screams no one could hear — raged on for eternity, chained to the nerves in his brain, sending shocks each time they resounded through his mind.

"Don't think about it. Push it to the corners of your mind, bind it with a heavy lock," his brother's words made him tense up, "We'll talk about it once all this settles down."

That was what he said, and Aizen will take his word for it.

_

Minato didn't let him go until they reached the hospital.

Aizen said nothing as he was lowered onto one of the pale beds, and nurses surrounded him, "Please leave him to us." One of them said, smiling softly at Minato.

Smiling...

There was no way Aizen could do something like that.

And so, with a reluctant step back, Minato left the room, closing the door. Aizen watched as his brother's cerulean eyes disappeared behind the pale door.

"Young boy, how did you get hurt like this?" A rather young-looking nurse asked, pulling off the cloth covering his thigh.

He tensed up, feeling the cloth separate from the dried crimson staining his skin. No words left his lips as he looked away, not wanting to meet eyes with the woman, "Chuunin Exams, Naomi," another voice spoke up from across the room, "Haven't you figured it out already?"

It was an older woman who said that.

"Ah, yes... Those exams are rough for kids your age," a warm and damp cloth was pressed over his stained skin, slowly cleaning the blood away, "Turn around, the other nurse will clean your shoulder."

Aizen did as asked, turning his back towards the older nurse. Hands took hold of his shirt and he raised his hands so it could be removed. He felt exposed as a breeze washed over his skin. The window was open, light curtains fluttering in the midsummer wind.