The last bit of orange hue on the horizon indicted that night was coming, Slaine who saw the approaching sunset decided it was was a good time to call it quits.
"Okay, that is it for today's lesson."
Kurao quickly got up from the spot he has been agonizingly sat at for the past few hours.
"That took forever!" Stretching his limbs as he exclaimed.
Just as he was getting ready to head out a arm gripped his shoulder.
"Not so fast."
Turning around Kurao wore a confused look on his face as he questioned,
"What is it Mr. Ester?"
Slaine stood silently for a moment, but then went to his desk and pulled out a game board.
He then looked back at Kurao and asked,
"Are you up for a game, kid?"
Slaine said as he picked up a piece from the board he just pulled out, as he gave him a grin.
Kurao was standing there contemplating whether he should or not since he was more excited to get more progression on the book, but he was also recently hooked on the game of chess since he was introduced to it by the very man that was inviting him to play.
"I can play a game!"
Making up his mind, he sat himself across from Slaine, as he decided to taunt him.
"Last time we played I put you in check quite a few times."
Slaine scratched his beard as he setup the board while responding to the boy's taunt.
"I let you get get those, simply because it seemed you needed a win. I would've won if I wasn't feeling pity for you, though to give you praise, you are getting better."
"Sounds like excuses old man-"
*BANG*
"Ow that hurts!"
"Don't let those win fuel your ego, brat!"
Slaine put his cane that he just lightly smacked Kurao with to the side as they started their game.
After a few minutes of conversing, Kurao suddenly asked in a serious tone. To which at, Slaine paused as he was about to move his piece on the board.
"So why were you coming out of mother's room?"
Slaine looked lost as he stared at Kurao and didn't even know what to say before Kurao tried to clear the air for his question to be answered while also suprising him.
"Look I know you are mother's father, so if its related to that you don't have to worry as I already found out."
Kurao acted nonchalant about his question, but Slaine on the other hand just had his chest tighten over the question.
After Kurao made his move he looked up at him expectantly, before Slaine released a sigh and shook his head.
"Look kid, I am not gonna speak of what happened between me and your mother, but I wasn't trying to hide the fact that I am your grandfather. At least not intentionally."
He made another move, but then Kurao asked another question with the same curiosity driven delivery of the other question. But Slaine could feel the spite in the question though it wasn't present in his speech.
"Then why didn't you? Or at least attempt to make a visit."
Kurao then made another move, trapping the king with his bishop as well as his grandfather with his questions.
"And that's check."
Kurao was feeling slighty angry and tried to calm his expression to not let it show, deciding it was easier to keep his emotions in check if not looking at Slaine directly and at the board instead.
'I don't know why I am feeling this way. I just started feeling a bit hurt after his response of hiding the fact he was my grandfather.'
As Kurao was sitting staring at the board, while Slaine got up and walked into a different room. Kurao seeing him walked away got up as well, but just as he was about to reach the door he heard a ruffled voice softly speaking,
"Kid, sit back down please."
Turning around saw a box in his hands, the curiosity got the better of him as he sat back down. Slaine seeing this crack a mournful smile as he opened the box.
Kurao eyes sparkled at the sight. Inside the box was a pair of white gloves with gold accents, Slaine seeing his interest piqued started to explain what the gloves were.
"These gloves were meant for your mother over a decade ago. They were to congratulate her breaking through to the first step of being a Advanced Stage Elementalist. But she and I got into a fight and after that we didn't really interact anymore."
He then looked down at the box and pushed it towards Kurao.
"I was going to give this to you on your birthday, but I don't mind showing them off a bit early. These gloves speed cast time of ice elements, and with how gifted you are with the element it would make a perfect compliment to your powers when they return."
Kurao was still staring at the beautifully accented gold marks that were on the white gloves, but turned his attention to Slaine as he got up and bent down onto his knees while getting on eye level with him.
"Look kid, I never meant to make it feel like I didn't want to see you or want you to know that I am your grandfather-"
"Then why does it seem like everyone else knows who you are, except for me?"
Kurao had his emotions work back up as he cut him off. Slaine just saw Kurao calmly stare into his eyes as if peering into his very being.
Slaine shook his head and sighed as he responded to the eerily calm responses Kurao was giving.
"As I was trying to say before I wasn't trying to intentionally hide it and I understand that I wasn't there before, but I am trying to be here for you now. Can you let me try to be your grandfather?"
Kurao looked into the sincere eyes of the grumpy old mentor that has been teaching him and playing games with him for the past month and a half, and though it's been short it was more interaction then anyone else in his family excluding the couple of relatives close to him.
"Keep teaching me."
Kurao said as he nudged Slaine up, and while Slaine was happy he was accepted, he still felt a pang of pain at the brushed off comment of the fact he wanted to be there for as his grandfather.
But as he sat back down, a smile graced Kurao's face as pulled up a chess piece while looking at him,
"Want to play another game, Grandfather?"
He felt the pain in his chest wash away at that one comment, as genuine smile landed on his face as he joyfully replied.
"Thanks kid."