Archive of Our Own ^beta

The clan members knew that Eiden was good with kids. It was a fact that was backed up immensely by his actions in Solaria. He would stop everything if a child was hurt or needed help. It was just another thing that made Eiden Eiden. However, there were times when they thought it was more than that. There was one time where Eiden had helped a child find their parents. Eiden was almost in tears as he waved goodbye. He rarely left his room that day, and had a distant look. Another time, he brought an injured girl home. He had been borderline hysterical, begging Olivine to help her.

And though it had been close, she recovered. Later that month, her family came to pick her up. Eiden hadn’t left her bedside for one moment. The second she left them, Eiden went to his room and cried quietly. Kuya found him looking at a crumpled picture of someone. Eiden had thrown a fit so bad, Kuya almost thought to apologize. Then one day, it happened. Eiden was quiet as a mouse, rarely ate at meals, and had this face of sorrow. The worst part was seeing him put on a fragile mask. “I’m ok…” or “I’m fine…” he would say. Soon, before the day ended, he left to his room with a broken smile.

They never expected the conversation they would overhear in a million years…

Eiden closed the door, and finally walked to the bed with shaking legs. He curled up in bed and hugged a pillow. In his mind, he could only imagine it being one person. The one person he loved more than anything. The one person who he wanted to hug and tell them it was ok. The only person he had failed by coming here. Eiden didn’t like talking with them due to it bringing up questions. But he wanted that part of him to be a part he never lost. A part that he would carry with him for the rest of his life. But ever since coming to Klein, that part felt like it was drifting farther away.

Eiden let the tears come as he could feel his heart breaking. Then, he heard it, felt it. His phone ringing, and then he realized that he had had it the whole time. He sat up and pulled the phone out of his pocket. The screen was cracked, and the battery was only at 15%. But right now Eiden could care less about all that. Because when he saw who was calling, everything vanished. He only saw that picture on his phone screen. The picture of his 8 year old son. A son that he had had back when he was so young and careless. A son that he tried everyday to make the happiest person on Earth.

And now, they were literally a world away from each other. Eiden answered the phone. “Asahi?” He croaked out, the words feeling like sand in his mouth. “Daddy?!” came the cry of a child that he knew he could never see. The feeling was like rocks in his stomach. But he couldn’t let this moment pass, he needed to comfort his son. “Hey buddy… It’s me… I-I’m ok alright?” He tried to swallow his sobs. “Daddy! Where are you?! Police-san said you disappeared! I kept asking where you were! Please Daddy! I’m so scared! Can you come get me so they can let me go?” Hearing the little voice on the other end of the line sound so scared broke Eiden.

“Asahi… I… I need you to listen to me very carefully, ok? Can you be a big boy for me right now?” He asked the sobbing boy on the other end. He heard the sniffled, ‘uhu’ for the other end. Now came the hard part for Eiden. “Asa-Asahi… Daddy’s not gonna be home for your birthday…” He couldn’t keep his sobs in anymore. “And… he’s not gonna… Hes not gonna be able to come get you…” Eiden felt the tears siding down his cheeks. “Daddy?... Why not? Are you gonna go away like mommy?”,“No my little love bug, not like mommy…never like mommy ok? It's just…” Eiden couldn't get the words out.

They stuck in his throat on the way out. And he lost it, hearing the door to his room open. Turning around he saw the clan members with shocked faces. “Oh god buddy, I’m so sorry… I’m so… so sorry…”. Unable to look at then, he turns back to the cracked screen. At the smiling sunshine he was leaving behind. Brown hair just like his, yellow eyes that made him like sunlight. And a smile that could stop wars. But he knew that right now, there was no smile or sunshine on that face. And he was putting that sad face on his son. He was breaking a promise he never wanted to break.

He wasn’t sure he would ever forgive himself for this…

“Daddy… Please don’t leave me…”

“Asahi… I’m not gonna leave you ok? I’m gonna stay right in your heart ok? Because no matter what happens, I want you to know that I’ll be thinking of you everyday ok? And… And I want you to promise that you’ll think of me everyday too. I want you to remember all the great times we had, little buddy. The times we had when I protected you. The times when we smiled, laughed, and joked. And the birthdays I used to have with you ok? And especially the times when I told you to be a big boy. Because I know that you will be a big boy someday, and you're going to do things that will make me so proud of you.”

“I won’t be there.. But I’ll be cheering you on ok? And If I find a way back, I’ll give you the biggest hug ever ok? But… But right now, I want you to understand that I love you so much. I love you so much that it hurts me. And I want you to live the best life ever ok? I want you… I want you to be the happiest kid on Earth ok? Can you promise me that?... I-I never met for this to happen… None of it should have happened ok? And it isn't your fault you hear me? None of this is your fault.” Eiden curled around himself as he could feel the world he built for the two of them cracking and about to shatter.

“Daddy please… I love… I love you…”

“I love you too little buddy…” Eiden knew that he was running out of time. But there was still one thing he wanted to leave Asahi with. “Hey buddy… I’m gonna sing you one last lullaby ok? And I want you to keep it in your heart forever, ok?”

“Ok Daddy…”

Eiden pulled himself together and started to sing as best he could with his sobs.

The wailing of his son was too much to handle. “Please… Be good… I love you, and I’ll miss you my little buddy…” He whispered with a voice full of regret

“I love you too daddy! I love you so much! I don’t want you to go! I love you daddy! Please come back daddy! I love you d-”

The phone cut off, and Eiden screamed as he was embraced by the clan members.