𝑯𝑨𝑳𝑪𝒀𝑶𝑵 𝑶𝑩𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑰𝑶𝑵 •𝒃𝒙𝒃•

I Hold You ~ Age 14

AN: Watch me speedrun this story. Expect a chapter every day until the end.

The Fall.

That was all he could remember.

The weight in his hand, and then the sudden lack of it. The sight before his eyes, and the water's depths that pulled him in. The brief realisation, and the anguish that came along.

Silently, he was dragged away, but he could not look away.

He was alone.

_

He saw the flowers when he passed through the gate.

Perhaps, if he was by himself, he would have drew near. Just to see them up-close. Just to see their colour and imagine was was looking at something else.

At someone else.

"It's their wilting period," Someone spoke, "They lost their vibrant colour and are almost indistinguishable from dry weeds, aren't they?"

He didn't answer.

There was a chilling breeze.

The lavender snapped.

_

Everything picked up pace.

Meeting the Hokage. Relaying the mission's failure. Reporting the casualties.

Finding the reason.

Blaming a person.

_

"Agata Asao is nowhere to be found. He disappeared right about the time we were ambushed."

Somehow, he couldn't find it in himself to care.

Agata Asao was a traitor.

Sooner or later, the consequences will catch up with him.

_

There were only two survivors.

Him and a shinobi he didn't know.

Would it have been better if he was left behind?

_

He couldn't think.

His body was too heavy and he couldn't walk. The floorboards of his apartment were rough, unpolished, and he laid across them without an ounce of strength left.

The ceiling was white, and so high up.

And everything was turning and shaking around him.

Nausea swirled at the pit of his stomach.

His hand was on fire.
.
.
.
"It's...going to be fine."

Nothing was fine.

"Just...run and don't look back okay?"

As if he would do that.

"Listen to me."

Blood trickled down his pale, pale cheek.

Aizen didn't have it in him to look at where it came from.

"Idiot..."

Perhaps he was, but he was not one to abandon his comrades—friends.

"I love you, but you're an idiot."

There they were, those words again. It was as if their fight didn't happen, as if Aizen didn't hurt him by throwing those words right back at him.