Eyes on the Bright Side (Omegaverse)

10. No Other Way.

"Aldrin, not now, please. It's something that you should hear from him." He raked his fingers on his hair and looked down in frustration. "I did something awful to him, Aldrin. Telling you might put him in a vulnerable situation."

"Did it happen when he was in high school?" His voice turned stern.

Aldrin understood it. What else could make Inoue react that way when he didn't even blink at times that he was being harassed or insulted? It wasn't just fear he saw in the young man's eyes. It was a whirlpool of anger, worry, fear and the worst emotion that he saw was pain.

Shuhei looked up to meet the other's eyes. "Yes."

"How were you there?"

"I visited one of my favorite teachers when I had a training in that city. That was when... when his estrus---"

Before he finished what he wanted to say, a hard punch landed on his cheek. Shuhei staggered back and another upper cut hit his jaw so hard that he felt his whole head numbed for a while.

He raised his hands in surrender after he fell on the floor. "Aldrin... Aldrin, stop---"

His body felt like paper being flung in different directions as Aldrin's powerful kicks hit him. A strong cracking sound was heard when his leg was violently stomped on. He didn't even had the chance to scream nor groan when another kick hit his stomach.

Shuhei struggled to look up as his consciousness started to drift away and a warm fluid was already trickling down the side of his broken lips.

"A-Aldrin..."

The other's eyes were bloodshot and his jaw was clenched. "I will not kill you now. Not until Inoue finally decides on what to do with you. Even if he forgives you, I will not."

The door was banged close as Aldrin left the room.

Not minding how his clinic now looked like a tornado just passed and how his body ached all over, Shuhei laid flat on the floor and stared at the ceiling. "Yeah... I can't forgive myself, too, Aldrin..."

Outside the hospital, Inoue was shaking while hugging Iya on a bench.

"Dada?" She cupped her father's face. She was sitting on his lap and the other's arms were tightly embracing her. She could feel her father's trembling. "Are you cold, Dada?"

Inoue shook his head and forced a smile. "No, baby. Dada is just a little sick."

"Let's go back inside, Dada. Let's go to the doctor."

"It's okay, let's just wait for Daddy here." He brushed the hair dangling on Iya's face and sat her properly beside him.

"Okay." She smiled and held Inoue's hand. "We'll wait for Daddy here."

Aldrin immediately found them the moment he walked out of the hospital. He had to stop for a while to gather enough self-control and not scare Iya with how he was right now.

"Daddy!" Iya waved her hand when she felt Aldrin coming. She was always keen with sounds, especially footsteps.

"Hi, baby." He bent down to pick Iya in his arm and carried the little girl again. "Let's go home."

"Dada is sick, Daddy."

He looked at Inoue, who was avoiding his eyes, then gently spoke with the latter's daughter again. "Dada will feel better at home."

Iya tilted her head towards Inoue then to Aldrin. Sensitive as she was, she already felt something was wrong. She just nodded and stretched her arm so that the former would hold her hand while the latter was carrying her.