Edited
MISMATCH SQUAD
Ian: Bunny, how is Edwin?
Aiden: Better. He was in so much pain last night.
Finn: Anything on the one who did this?
Aiden: Luis checked the CCTV. They're searching for him. I'm gonna kill the guy.
Brad: Chill!
Max: I'll help you.
Finn: Max!
Aiden: The CCTV footage was insane. The fucker just shoved him to the wall. Ed was lucky he didn't hit his head, cos if he did, with the force that maniac used...
Joe: Yo man where the fuck are you! The CEO is going nuts. You are supposed to be here for the company show.
Aiden: Seriously Joe?!
Joe: Yes seriously! Get your ass here. And where is Luis?!
Aiden: He is at the police station. And I won't leave Ed. So the CEO can go fuck himself.
Brad: I'm here as well and the man is really pissed. He will scold you 'bad' later if you really don't show up.
Aiden: He could fire me for all I care. Do you guys really not see what the situation is right now?!
Finn: We see Den.
Max are you free rn?
Max: No, I'm actually texting in class.
Ian: Den, I'll head to the hospital now. You get ready to leave for that schedule you have. I'll be with Edwin while you're out.
Aiden: You have your whole company to manage. It's fine. I'll deal with the consequences later. I don't wanna leave him.
***
"I'm scared."
The three words kept ringing in his ears as he held Edwin in his arms and let him shed as many tears as he wanted. After a couple of minutes, he felt the sobs getting weaker, and they eventually turned into only heavy breaths.
Aiden stroked over the blue silky hair as he started talking in a soft, quiet voice. "What are you scared of, Eddie? Would you tell me what happened?" He wanted to lean back to look at Edwin, but the other tightened his grip. He decided Edwin wanted the closeness, so he stayed still.
"Promise me you won't do anything out of anger."
Aiden was hesitant and confused, but he nodded anyway. "Promise." He whispered and placed a kiss on top of Edwin's hair.
"Yesterday when I came to the company, and we went to the cafeteria, we were holding hands, remember?"
Aiden hummed, continuing his caressing over the younger's hair and back.
"When I left you to go back to the school, this guy ran after me in the alley next to the company building. At first, I thought he wanted to mug me or something, but then he pushed me against the wall roughly. And you know how I have little to no body strength... So I got hit to the wall and then when I was hitting the ground, there was this abandoned table I landed on, and that's why I have this bruise now."
Aiden was both angry and confused. He wanted to kill the guy, whoever he was, for doing this. "But why did he do that if he didn't want your money?"
Edwin's hands tightened more around him as he clutched onto his shirt.
"He was one of your fans. After I hit the ground, he grabbed me by the collar and told me to stay away from you. Apparently, he had seen us holding hands and threatened me. He said if I didn't get away from you, he'd kill me cos you are his and not anybody else's."
Aiden froze. Edwin was hit by a man. Edwin was hurt by a man that claimed to be his fan. Which meant his lover was hurt because of him.
He felt how his blood started boiling and anger rose more and more with each passing second. He was beyond frustrated. He wanted to punch to death, both the guy and himself. Here he was, loving yet another fragile person, Edwin being even more fragile than Ian, and he was the cause of pain to his lover. Again. He wanted to cry, but he figured he didn't even have the right to. He wanted to hold Edwin closer and say how sorry he was, but he felt like he didn't have the right to. At that moment, all he could feel was that it was his fault for ever making the boy fall for him.
"But that's not what I'm scared of." Edwin's voice brought him back to his senses, saving him from the darkness that was drowning him. A few more seconds and he would've left the boy he loved alone and he would disappear to some unknown land so that he could be safe without being dragged into his dramatic, problematic life.
"I'm scared for you, baby. This person was insane. He said- he said if I don't let go, and if he can't have you, no one can. I'm scared he'll do something to you." Edwin's slim body was visibly shivering. Be it in fear or pain or lack of energy.
Aiden bit on his bottom lip hard enough to break the skin and taste the blood in his mouth. He couldn't say anything. He just sat there silently, with Edwin still in his arms, only his hands weren't moving in soothing patterns anymore.
He watched as his boyfriend drifted off to sleep. Walking out of the room, he called Luis and told him about everything.
"I think the management has access to the CCTVs around the building. I'm gonna go check them. Please don't do anything stupid."
Sitting on the benches outside of the hospital in the yard, he leaned his head back on the wall behind and stared at the sky. A few people eyed him, but he didn't pay any attention. He was just thinking about what he should do. He was thinking how stupid and heartless of him it was to even consider leaving the sweet dancer just because he didn't want to feel guilt. It had been for a mere 30 seconds or even less, but the thought should have never even crossed his mind.
'Always feeling pity for yourself, just like your mother.'
The voice in his head began again, full force after such a long time of being silent.
'You know he doesn't deserve someone like you, right?'
He shut his eyes tightly.
'You will ruin his life, just like you did with Ian.'
But Ian was okay now with Joe. He tried to convince the voice.
'He will leave you, eventually. How long do you think he'll put up with your stupid lifestyle?'
He bit harder on his lower lip.
'You're nothing, a no one that constantly causes pain and discomfort to people close to you.'
He buried his nails in his thighs roughly.
'You don't deserve any of this.'
He groaned and put his hands on his ears, bending down and rocking his body back and forth in order to shut the voice up. It had been such a long time since the last time he had heard it. It had been silent ever since he moved out of Mr. Evans's house. But it wasn't working. It kept repeating itself. Aiden knew only one way to make it go away; pain.
He stood up and ran to some corner no one else was at and began punching the wall. He punched and punched countless times until there was no strength left in him. As his body was about to give out, he put his palms flat against the wall while panting. He turned around and just slid down the wall with blood running down his fingers.
'Great, now you'll make Edwin panic over your childish act. How do you think he'll respond to your torn knuckles?'
It should've worked. The pain should've shut down the damn voice, but it didn't. Aiden yelled out in both pain and desperation as he held onto his ears again.
'Please leave me alone. Go away. I don't want you back.' He kept repeating it, begging it in his head, and eventually, it did. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he had finally managed to shut down the war in his head. Taking a few deep breaths, he opened his eyes and looked up. There was a kid who was looking at him from a few meters away with her ice cream melting in her tiny hand. She was obviously scared as she was frozen on her spot. Soon a woman came his way and looked at what the little girl was pointing at. Upon seeing Aiden in that condition, the woman's eyes widened, and she ran to him.
She knelt down in front of him as he was still trying to catch his breath, looking at his feet that were now stretched out on the ground. His clothes were dirty now.
"A-are you okay, Mr. Evans?"
Aiden looked up at her, but he really hadn't heard or understood what she had said. He couldn't gather anything about his surroundings.
The woman took her scarf off of her neck and wiped the tears he didn't know he had shed with it gently before trying to clean some of the blood from his hands. Aiden just sat there and looked at her blankly. He was looking, but he didn't know what was really going on.
"My name is Mia. I'm a nurse here. We're gonna take you inside and clean these wounds, okay?" She said while wrapping the scarf around his right hand that was in a worse condition.
"Mr. Evans? Do you hear me?" She slapped his cheeks a few times until he finally came back to reality. Blinking a few times and wincing at the sudden and harsh pain that he felt in his entire body and especially his hands, he looked down. When he saw all the blood, his eyes widened.
"Wha-" His mouth was open in shock. He looked around and he didn't even know where he was. All he knew was that he was in some dark, small place with bloody hands that ached so much, it felt like his soul was being sucked out of the wounds, and a lady sitting in front of him, holding his right hand in hers, looking at him worriedly.
"What happened?"
"You don't remember anything?"
Aiden shook his head.
The lady exhaled. "I found you like this. What's the last thing you remember?"
"I was sitting on the bench by the tree in the hospital's yard." He shifted a bit with the little energy he had left. "Where am I?"
"You're still in the hospital yard and if you're not remembering anything, I'm guessing you had some sort of panic attack. Did something happen? Something that could be the trigger?"
Upon this question, he felt a shock running through his head as he jumped up. "Edwin. I left Edwin alone." He started to walk but realized it was not a good plan as his legs gave out and he almost crashed if it wasn't for Mia's grip.
"Is Edwin at the hospital?"
Aiden nodded since he couldn't make any words out with the way his head was spinning. He must have used all his energy in punching the poor wall. He looked back and saw the big red spot that decorated the gray blocks. There was so much blood on the surface that it had even run down in thin lines. He felt apologetic for making such a mess.
"We'll get your wounds cleaned up and then you can go to Edwin again, okay?"
Trying to stand straight, he shook his head and swallowed. "No, let's check on Edwin first."
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The younger was still asleep peacefully. He stayed and looked at him for a couple more seconds from behind the small window of the door before he let Mia guide him to another room. She made him sit on a chair as she started cleaning up.
"Has something like this ever happened before?"
"What? The episode?"
"Mhm." She replied and added something on the wounds.
Aiden hissed at the pain and tried to pull his hand away on instinct. Mia held it in place.
"Yeah. A few times."
"Have you talked to a doctor about it?"
"What should I tell them? That I hear a vivid voice in my head? They'll think I'm insane and try to lock me up in those stupid hospitals of theirs." He sighed. "Anyway, it hasn't happened for so long that I'm honestly shocked right now. I thought it had gone away."
"It never goes away, Mr. Evans. It'll always stay unless you do something about it."
"I can't. I'll only make people around me worried more than they already are." There was something intimate and calming about the nurse. He found himself telling her things he had told no one before. He had not told one soul about the voice, no one.
"You're right, but do you think they won't worry when they see these?" She gestured toward his hands that were now covered by bandages. "We're done here. You can go to Edwin now."
Aiden stood up and thanked her. As he was about to leave the room, she called him.
"Mr. Evans? Even if you don't wanna go to a doctor for it, talk to someone. Talking always helps."
Aiden smiled. "So I've been told. By the way, call me Aiden. I hate my surname."
Mia chuckled and nodded.
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Peeking through the small window, he saw Edwin was awake with his phone in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he looked around and saw Mia, who gestured 'good luck' and smiled widely at him. He smiled back and gestured the same thing with his fists and opened the door. He hid his hands behind his back as he walked closer to the bed.
Edwin looked up at him and smiled lazily. "I was about to call you. I thought you left. Why are you standing like that?!"
"Don't panic, okay? It's nothing serious."
"What are you talking about? Are you hiding something behind you?"
Aiden moved his hands to his sides, and Edwin yelped in shock.
"What the fuck have you done?" He screamed and tried to reach out the older's hand, which resulted in him wincing in pain due to the sudden movement.
"Hey hey hey, stay still. What are you doing? I told you, it's nothing." He helped Edwin sit back in his previous position and looked at him while the pain went away from his facial expression.
"How can this be nothing? Your hands are covered in bandages!" He looked dead serious in his eyes. "What did you do, Aiden?" A serious, deep-voiced Edwin that called his name meant he was not joking and was ready to fight to get answers.
"I might have punched a wall." He paused. "I'm sorry..." He looked down at their linked hands.
Edwin gritted his teeth and frowned. "What are you sorry for?" His voice was a bit less serious than before, but still, it was the one that demanded answers.
"For making you worry and causing you even more pain." He murmured.
"None of this is your fault, baby." The younger rubbed his fingertips on his boyfriend's skin. "You're really cold and pale. Sit down." He picked an energy bar from the table next to the bed and opened it while Aiden was dragging a chair by the bed.
"Here, eat this." He looked at him while he was chewing lazily. Edwin reached out a hand and locked it in the strands of the black hair. "It's not your fault that some people are maniacs. It's not your fault that I'm hurt. Do you hear me? It's not your fault, Aiden."
The singer stopped chewing and looked into his eyes. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Aiden smiled at him and started chewing again.
"I forgot to call Brad to fill him in like he asked to. I should probably give him a call."
Edwin kept looking at his lover while he obviously escaped from their conversation. His doctor instinct told him something was off.
The next day, the door opened, and a nurse came inside while they were talking.
"How are you feeling today, Edwin?"
They both looked in the direction.
"Mia?"
"Oh hi, Aiden! How are your hands?"
Aiden smiled one of his wide gummy smiles. Edwin hadn't seen that on his face for the past two days. "They're good. Thanks to you."
"I only did my job. So this is the Edwin you were so worried about, huh?"
Aiden held Edwin's hand in his and hummed.
Mia made her way to the bed after checking the information the nurse before her had written. "I'm gonna check on your bruise, okay?"
Edwin nodded shortly and looked at Aiden, who had stepped back a bit to give her some space. "You two know each other?"
"Oh yeah! Sorry! This is Mia. She helped me with this mess yesterday." He held his hands up. "And Mia, this is my boyfriend, Edwin."
She looked over her shoulder at him with big eyes and an 'O'-shaped mouth before turning to look at Edwin.
"Handsome boyfriends! Wow! Nice to meet you, Edwin."
Edwin laughed and relaxed. "Nice to meet you too, Mia. And thanks for taking care of my boyfriend's wounds."
"You're welcome." She looked at him again and smiled. She was really sweet. He looked back at Aiden, who was looking at them both, mainly Mia's hands that were observing the younger's bruise.
"We'll take another MRI today and if everything's fine, you'll be able to go home." She put her hand on his forehead and then measured his temperature. "You're having a slight fever. I'll be right back with some pills." Smiling at them both, she left the room.
Aiden was quick to close the distance and kiss his forehead as his hands were no good right now due to the bandages. He felt the hotness on the skin of his lips.
"You're hot, Ed. Are you in pain?"
"Just a bit."
"From 1 to 10, how much in pain are you?"
"1's the lowest?"
Aiden nodded, and Edwin chuckled. "Hmmm... 6?"
"What the fuck? That much?!" The older semi-shouted. "I'm gonna tell her to bring some painkillers, too." And he left the room.
Edwin watched him leave and remembered the genuine smile on his face. It was one of those he did around people who he was most comfortable with. Like himself. And they said they had just met yesterday. Aiden was not someone to open up that fast. He himself hadn't been able to make him open up about so many things yet.
The door opened again and the two of them came in, laughing at something she said. Aiden looked at her with excited eyes as he whispered something to her. The room was quite big as it was a VIP — Aiden made him transfer to — so he couldn't catch anything from their conversation.
"Here. It'll help with the pain and lower your fever." She gave him two pills and Aiden gave him a glass of water.
He felt like a 5-year-old kid and he frowned while drinking. Aiden noticed this, and he was about to ask what was wrong when his phone started ringing. He excused himself and walked out of the room.
"You know..." Mia started talking in a sweet, friendly tone. "He told me you used to be a psychiatrist."
Edwin nodded.
"Have you noticed anything... off about him sometimes?"
"What do you mean? He's perfectly fine." He had his guard up. He didn't know this Mia girl. For all they knew, she could easily give away information about Aiden.
"I know he doesn't want you to know and I wouldn't tell you if you weren't a doctor, but he had a psychotic episode yesterday. I told him it was a panic attack not to scare him with the word more than he already was."
Edwin froze, remembering the one time he had seen the older lose it at the hospital. Still, that was no psychosis. That was just a breakdown. Why would Aiden show such symptoms?
"I found him with blood pouring out of his wounds and he was completely out of it. I had to slap him several times for him to come back to his senses."
Edwin was holding his breath, he was processing what he had just heard. The more he thought, the less sense it all made to him.
"Try and talk to him, okay? He was a real mess. He said he doesn't wanna make people around him worry by talking. I really hate myself right now for snitching, but he really needs help with this and you're a professional, so..." Mia played with her sleeves. "I'm really ashamed for betraying his trust like this. Could you maybe... like, not tell him I told you this and try to get him to talk about it yourself?"
Edwin smiled at her. "I promise you I won't tell him. Thank you, Mia. Thanks for telling me."
She nodded and at that moment Aiden came back inside.
"They've found the maniac."