11 The Stronger Gender

"Hey that was a little too rude, don't you think?", Declan turned to Elian as soon as Kian left. "Yeah, I didn't even get to interrogate him!!", Tristan complained.

"Shut up Tristan, I meant him, Kian or whatever", Declan said pointing his thumb to the door.

"Well, Pardon me for feeling a little insulted because I came all the way here for doing nothing", Tristan argued.

Declan sighed at his comment and turned back to Elian, "Look, I know you're angry about all of this but he looked like he was genuinely hurt!". Elian didn't respond. His eyes were fixed at the open door through which Kian had ran out.

He turned around and stormed away, to his bedroom.

"Hey! He forgot his bag, should we check it? I'm checking it", Tristan leaned to pick up the backpack off the floor and began opening it.

He found a notebook, some receipts and documents and a folder with the name of the hospital on it. He flipped through them one by one and then opened the folder and pulled out the report from inside.

"Yo Deck! Looks like he got tested for his second gender today", Tristan said reading the report in his hand. "Why would he do that, did he not know he is...?", Declan paused, the thought of whether Kian was aware about himself being an omega hit him.

"Yup, could be that he didn't know, which would explain why there were no suppressants in his stuff", Tristan began putting Kian's things back into the bag. "Or, if Elian is right then this guy is very smart because he could use these to suggest that he was not aware of his true second gender. I'm impressed, I mean", Tristan added.

"Are you seriously suggesting he got tested as a part of his plan to mess up with Elian?", Declan scolded. "I'm just saying it's a possibility!", Tristan replied.

"Did it look like that to you? He looked like he was crying. Maybe he really didn't know", Declan tried to justify.

"A lot of guilty people cry in court you know, just because they look innocent doesn't mean they are", he replied. "Well now, I'm gonna take off, I have a client to see", Tristan took his leave.

Declan wondered whether Kian actually lied. Nevertheless he felt bad for him, for being insulted like that.

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The sun was about to set and the sky was colored with bright shades of red and orange. A warm breeze blew across the shore.

Kian was sitting on a bench near the promenade, listening to the sound of sea waves hitting the shore, where a bunch of kids were running around and playing.

"Here you go", a voice came from behind, making him turn his head.

"I got you your favorite!", Uncle Levi handed him a cup of hot chocolate and came to sit next to him. Kian smiled a little to show his gratitude and took the cup from his hand. "You like the view?", Uncle Levi asked, pointing to the sea in front of them. "Yeah, I've always liked this place, it's very peaceful", Kian agreed.

"I thought I should bring you here you know, considering you came back here after such a long time", Uncle Lee tried to initiate a conversation.

"I miss this place too, I miss coming here everyday after attending school with Will and Liam, we used to fling pebbles into the water to see who can throw the farthest", Kian smiled remembering the old days.

"That is why I chose this place to build the orphanage, well that and because I met my wife here for the first time", Uncle Lee smiled back.

"I know you are trying to get me to open up so I'll just tell you what happened", Kian's words made him laugh, "Kian, I've been trying to get you to open up ever since you were 9 years old, never seen a child as stiff as you".

"I could tell back the too, you were very obvious", Kian smiled, "Anyway, you'll be shocked to learn that apparently I'm not a beta", Kian's voice lowered by the end of his sentence.

Uncle Levi didn't say anything in response. "I'm just like Will and Liam and Allis", Kian added.

"Is that why you cried on your way here?", Uncle Lee asked. "What? No. I didn't, I don't... I never...", Kian felt a little embarrassed.

"I can see your puffy eyes, don't lie to me!", Uncle Lee scolded. "I didn't cry because of that, I just...", Kian sighed and turned his gaze back to look at the sea.

"I thought I raised all of you to see every gender in the same light, without any bias or-", "It's not that Uncle Lee, I'm not biased against them", Kian interrupted his sentence angrily.

"Kian, you can't even say that you're an omega. You said you were like Will and others'', Kian remained quiet.

" Do you think Will is weak because he's an omega? Or any of those kids in our orphanage were weak?".

Kian broke his silence, "Maybe a little, you saw how people treated them, at stores, in the high-school, everywhere", Kian said looking at the cup in his hand.

"I know you don't mean that Kian, if anything they are stronger than most people. You need to see yourself as an equal before expecting everyone else to do so", Uncle Lee said. Kian leaned his head on Uncle Lee's shoulder.

"Is there anything else I need to know?", Uncle Lee asked.

"You were right, about the thing you said in the bakery, about strangers'', Kian lifted his head off his shoulder, "He..., I got into heat, he was next door I think and he....I forgot to lock my door so...", Kian tried to explain. "And then today he called me a...basically a gold digging tramp".

"I warned you didn't I?", Uncle Lee looked at Kian with concern. "Don't bother, it's over now. I'll send someone to get my stuff so I'll never have see him again", Kian replied, getting up off the bench.

"I'll go, I want to have a talk with this man", Uncle Lee replied smiling.

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Elian was sitting in his office blankly staring at the computer screen. The image of Kian's teary hazel eyes and his angry red face kept haunting his brain ever since morning.

He repeatedly tried to engage himself with work but his mind kept thinking of Kian. Even though a part of his brain blamed Kian for the events of last night, a tiny part of him also felt slightly guilty for uttering those words to him.

"Mr. Falk, we have to attend a dinner with other department heads in the Courtesy Hotels this evening, should we...uh...leave together? What do you think?", Natalie's voice brought Elian back to reality.

He sighed, " Sorry, Ms. Clarke I don't think I can attend, I have other plans. Feel free to leave without me", he replied dismissively.

The smile on Natalie's face disappeared listening to his answer. "That's alright, I understand", she replied and went back to her desk.

Elian thought about how he can get rid of all his thoughts about Kian. Why was he thinking so much about him? He had one night stands with a lot of people even before Kian. Maybe that's the answer, he thought, "I just need to hookup with someone else".