Anybody ask for angst? No?? Well, too bad.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Lunar took deep, shaky breaths as the storm grew louder outside. His vision was blurry and it was getting harder for him to breathe to the point where he even tried swallowing as much air as he could. Pale, trembling fingers gripped at the white sheets of his bed, and his dull eyes stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

Was this really what it was like to die?

Then, suddenly, he heard it: the sound of a door slamming open and feet stumbling in. He jerked up and nearly gasped afterwards; his eyes widening at a pain that suddenly shot throughout his entire body and made him lay back down.

"Mom . . ." The boy's grip on the sheets tightened and he coughed, unaware of the red liquid leaving his lips as he did so.

"Mommy . . .!" He whimpered in agony and bit his lip to keep the screams building up in the back of his throat from leaving.

Deep breaths, the boy told himself, swallowing as much air as he could as his chest rose and fell.

Deep breaths . . . A sigh left Lunar's lips and he slumped in his place, a sudden tiredness enveloping him.

Just like how mom taught you.

.

.

.

Bump bump. . . Bump bump. . .

* * * * *

"Where is he?!" Steven desperately grasped at the doctor's shirt, his eyes full of horror and fear.

"Where is my son?!"

"Mr. Universe, please calm down!" The doctor placed their hands on Steven's shoulders, attempting to calm him down.

"Please, allow me to explain, they brought your son in half an hour ago, and—" the doctor hesitated "—he lost a lot of blood on the way—"

"Is he alive?!" Steven questioned, tears threatening to leave his eyes as he ran his hands through his already messy and unruly hair worriedly.

The doctor took a sharp breath. "Yes," they answered, a guilty frown tugging on their lips when they saw Steven's eyes almost light up with hope.

"But Mr. Universe . . ." the said man's shoulders slumped, "You have to understand, the bullet entered just above his hip and dodged his right—"

"Please." Steven's hands trembled as he grabbed the doctor's arm, tears trailing down his face as he looked up at them in desperation.

"Can I see him, please?"

The doctor took a shaky breath and nodded, beginning to lead Steven up to the room they had Lunar resting in.

"I am doing everything I can, Mr. Universe," they told after a moment of tense silence, the same guilty frown from before returning to them as the door was opened.

"But I'm afraid the wound was already infected when he arrived."

With the door now fully opened, Steven turned to see a sight he had been dreading: Lunar, laying painfully in bed as he gripped his wound. Tears left his child's eyes, and he could tell he was holding back screams of pain.

This was it.

This is what Steven had done.

Steven hurriedly stumbled over to his son's bedside and quickly took his hand and gave it a tight squeezing, hoping to offer Lunar at least some sort of comfort.

"Lunar . . .!" Steven whispered his son's name desperately, almost as if he were trying to see if he was still away; still alive.

Slowly, Lunar's eyes opened, and he gave his dad a pained smile, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"Pa . . .!"

Taking Steven's hands in his, Lunar leaned against his dad's stomach and smiled pridefully as he began to subconsciously play with Steven's fingers — something that he had always done as a kid.

"I did exactly as you said, pop!" Tears built up in Lunar's eyes and he bit his lip to fight back a sob.

"I held my head up high . . .!"

"I know, I know."

"I—"

"Shh . . ." Steven began to run his fingers through his son's hair, taking deep breaths to keep himself from breaking down is Lunar's arms.

"I know, I know," a sad smile appeared on Steven's face, "You did everything just right!"

Lunar, for a moment, smiled, happy that his dad was at least somewhat proud of him. "Even before we got to ten . . ." Lunar let out a low laugh, "I was aiming for the sky!"

"I know, I know. Shh—"

"I was aiming for the sky—" Lunar coughed and nearly doubled over in Steven's arms, his hands gripping at his father's shirt desperately.

Steven choked back a sob and wrapped his arms around his son tightly, fat tears rolling down his face as he began to softly cry.

"I know, I know, please just save your strength and stay alive—"

"Oooooh!"

Steven's eyes widened and he turned to look over his shoulder, only to see (Y/n)'s grief-stricken face staring back at him as fat tears fell from her eyes. She gripped at the skirt of her black dress and quickly made her way over to Lunar's bedside, light sobs already leaving her lips.

"Is he breathing, is he going to survive this?!" (Y/n) turned her head to look Steven in the eyes and her brows momentarily furrowed.

"Who did this, Steven, did you know?!"

Steven shrunk back under her gaze and looked down, unable to meet her eyes as she frowned at him. However, before she could even open her mouth to start yelling, a hand suddenly grabbed ahold of hers desperately and she looked down.

"Mom!" Lunar forced himself to sit up and grabbed his mother's dress and began to lean against her, his body trembling.

"M-mama!"

(Y/n)'s heart broke at his words and she sat down next to him and immediately pulled her son into a hug, her body beginning to tremble as sniffles escaped her.

"Mom . . ." Lunar sniffled and gripped at his mother's dress.

"I . . . I'm so sorry for forgetting what you taught me . . .!"

(Y/n) pulled away from Lunar and wiped her tears away, even if more were to replace them as she went to caress her child's cheek.

"My son . . ."

At those familiar words alone, Lunar seemed to smile with glee and he placed his own hand atop of his mother's; his eyes shining with the same child-like wonder he had all those years ago.

"We played piano . . ."

(Y/n) chuckled lightly and a small smile graced her lips at the memories. "I taught you piano . . ."

Lunar's smile grew and he took his mother's hands in his.

"You would put your hands on mine . . ."

At Lunar's recollection, (Y/n) allowed a small chuckle to leave her once again and she shook her head lightly.

"You changed the melody everytime . . ." she recalled, to which Lunar painfully laughed at.

"I would always change the line . . ."

"Shh, I know, I know—"

"I would always change the line!"

"I know, I know, I know . . .!"

Taking a shaky breath, (Y/n) shut her eyes for a moment before opening them again and offering her child a comforting smile.

"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, sept, huit, neuf . . .?"

Lunar almost beamed as he opened his mouth, trying to repeat his mother's words.

"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, sept, huit, neuf . . .!"

(Y/n) chuckled, "Good."

"Un,"

Bump bump. . .

"Un,"

"Duex,"

Bump bump. . .

"Duex,"

"Trois,"

Bump. . . Bump. . .

". . . Trois . . ."

"Quatre, cinq, sept, huit, neuf."

(Y/n) waited in silence for a moment, expecting her son to respond.

But he didn't.

(Y/n) blinked a few times, returning to reality as her smile faltered. Soon, though, a quiet gasp left her lips, and her eyes widened as she desperately slipped her hand under Lunar's head and lifted him up, hoping — praying for him to open his eyes.

"Sept, huit, neuf."

No response.

She tried again.

"Sept, huit . . .!"

"Mrs. Universe . . ." The doctor placed their hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder, stopping her from continuing.

"I'm afraid he's . . . gone . . ."

(Y/n) remained silent, and Steven and the doctor both shared a worried look.

"Sweetness . . .?" Steven stood up and lifted his hand to place on his wife's shoulder.

"Sweetness, please . . ." he hesitated, "Talk to me . . .?"

". . ."

Steven gulped and he took a shaky breath.

"(Y/n)," he began, his voice beginning to crack.

"I'm so sorry—"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

(Y/n)'s scream that night, would forever be implanted in Steven's memories.

This really was his fault, huh?