"Y/N!" aiden screams with a sob as he holds your spasming body. a few moments after he screamed the parents came running into the living room.

your mom stares at you in horror as she watches you shaking and spasming.

your pupils were fully dilated and the veins in your neck were prominent. you blink and let out a wheeze before attempting to sit up, "i'm peachy!" you cough and try to escape aiden's hold but he had a death grip on you.

"don't-" you cough, "need a hospital." you flop out of aiden's hold and lay on your stomach. his mom looks at you worried, "are you sure?? maybe we should just go in case- what if you have a heart attack?!"

you look at ashlyn who was sitting several feet away from you. "..ash?" you mutter. she looks at you and starts hyperventilating, you're here, are you really okay? how'd you wake up so fast?

she starts brainstorming to when you two first met, on the bus, when you caught her in the sorrel weed house, how you'd defend her, when you nuzzled into her... how scared she was when you were on the roof.

how you two had a heart to heart about your short fuse and the pressure she was feeling.

but then the images of aiden holding your body, your cracked up skull invaded her thoughts. she stands up and slowly makes her way towards you, enveloping you in a warm hug.

"...you died..." she mumbles. your eyes widen and you remember how you two have known each other since childhood, but yet, none of you have ever had the guts to speak to each other. it's amazing how you can become friends in such a short time.

all the while aiden stares at you.

──✧˚.⋆

"why did you do it?!" "because i wanted to protect you!" you and aiden were up in his room arguing while the others waited for you guys downstairs.

it's a tough situation for both of you. he's probably feeling scared, protective, and maybe even guilty because he didn't get hurt, but you did. 

he grabs the front of your shirt with a growl, "are you fucking kidding me?! i just watched you die on top of me y/n and all you have to say for yourself is that you wanted to protect me?? tough shit!"

you huff and grab the front of his shirt as well, "what's so wrong with me wanting to protect the people i care about?! i watched tyler die and i wasn't able to do anything about it and i don't think i'd be able to watch you die too!"

"that's not the point-" "it's exactly the point aiden!" "listen to me y/n!" he tugs you closer to him by the front of your shirt so you'd have to stand on your tippy toes to be face to face with him.

"y/n.. i just watched you sacrafice yourself for me, i was supposed to die but i didn't because you saved me. why won't you realize how fucked up that is for me..?" his voice cracks at the end and he lets go off you to look at the floor.

your eyes widen in shock and you let go off him. you watch him awkwardly as he sobs with his fists clenched while looking at the floor. you sweat drop, "... you need to understand that i didn't want you to die-"

"i didn't want you to die either." he quickly interrupts you so you let out a sigh and walk closer to him before wrapping your arms around him, embracing him. his eyes widen at your out of character gesture.

you pat his head, "i totally understand why you're feeling this way, and honestly, if the tables were turned, i'd probably feel the same. i get that you feel hurt that i put myself in harm's way." 

"but for me, it was a split-second decision, and if anything, it shows how much you mean to me. i don't regret it because i'd rather go through that than see you get hurt. I'm okay, and i promise i didn't do it to scare or hurt you."

"i did it because you're that important to me, and I think we'd both do whatever it takes to protect each other."

that was it.

he wraps his arms around you and lets it all out, the guilt, fear and anger he had felt when you were the one who got hurt instead of him. he was hurt when ashlyn hugged you, he wanted to be the one to comfort you.

yet here he was, being comforted by the girl he loves the most in the whole world.

he stayed in your arms for a few minutes as you stood there with your arms wrapped around him, not saying anything. (in reality you were feeling awkward and unsure of what to say since you didn't trust yourself enough)

he holds you tighter and rests his forehead against yours, "...can i kiss you?"

⋆.˚✧────────✧˚.⋆

the others had left to go to the school and now it was just you left laying down on one of the couches in aiden's home. your cat was nuzzled up against your stomach and lily was petting him.

the parents were in the kitchen discussing about how ashlyn was born? or something... you couldn't hear very well because of the pancakes that were on the table in front of the couch for you.

they smelled amazing and that was the only thing occupying your mind right now. "y/n, someone messaged you." lily says while giving you your phone so you thank her and let her play with your cat.

you take your phone and check who it is. "tyler..?" you mumble and open his chat.

tweedledum

what was that thing in your hair today??

a new clip ben bought me
look
[picture sent]

cute clit

what.

clip**

[today]

hey n/n
hey stupid
loser

im going to cut off your pubes
with school scissors

???
WHAT
CAN A BROTHER AT LEAST GET A WARNING
[seen]

oh now your ignoring me
[sent]

[last message sent at 08.24am]

you look up from your phone when the doorbell rings. "hey, someone's at the door!" you yell for the parents to her and aiden's dad steps out. but before he went to the door, he checked on you.

"are you sure you're fine? you should lay down, you mean a lot to aiden." "i'm fine dude." it was a back and fourth contest of who could get you to sleep until you gave in and laid back down as his dad walks over to the door.

"MMPH?!" you hear aiden's dad let out muffled sounds so you sit back up. it was silent and a few moment later you heard him falling down. "lily, go hide." you tell lily and she runs into the kitchen with your cat.

you cautiously walk over to the door and see his dad nowhere in sight. "daniel..?" you whisper. then suddenly you feel someone pick you up with one hand while using their other hand to cover your mouth.

⋆.˚✧────────✧˚.⋆

"how is he so good at this already, isn't this game new?!" aiden yells in shock. you, tyler, logan aiden and taylor were playing this new game that had recently came out and logan was amazing at it.

you were sitting in the middle of the couch with aiden on your left and logan on your right. you shoot tyler and let out an evil cackle, "you're so bad at this ty!" "what the hell?!"

you sneak up behind taylor in the game with your gun in hand. aiden sees you and gasps, "taylor from behind! n/n's behind you!" he yells. taylor quickly moves to the left when you were about to strike.

"logan, help! HELP!" "y-yeah!" "I TOLD YOU TO FIX THE DOOR AIDEN!" "aiden's dead buddy." "wha-? N/N DID YOU KILL ME WHEN I TOLD TAYLOR TO MOVE AWAY?!?" "fucking loser."

"go to the basement and move the box, there's a hidden crawlspace." "HOW DID YOU FIGURE THAT OUT WE'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR FIVE MINUTES??"

"logster's just that good, kiss me." "what???" "what."

you blink and drop the controller, you snap your eyes towards the window and see that it was dark out. you look around on the couch and see that you were all alone in the living room.

you cautiously stand up and smell the air, they were in the bedroom. you open the door and see them all, aiden and taylor were on the bed while tyler was leaning against it on the floor.

ashlyn, logan and ben were watching absolutely nothing on the computer before them. you look at them confused, "did you guys teleport or what?" "y/n." you look at the closet and see logan sticking his head out.

"that's not us." you turn back to the others and see them all staring at you with eerie smiles on their faces.

and then you woke up.

⋆.˚✧────────✧˚.⋆

a/n: THE dienamic duo (my y/n!!)
super short chapter for today chat... sigh

chapter published. january 4, 2025