Chapter Text
There were many things in life that Ashlyn Banner never imagined she would have to worry about. Near the top of the list were two specific things: being trapped in an alternate dimension every night and having to fight messed up phantom creatures in order to survive, and maintaining relationships with other people. Granted, the former was something she had never exactly thought about, but who would?
Of course, she was finding herself more entangled with both every day.
The phantoms seemed to be getting more persistent every time they went to sleep. It was no surprise just how many close calls they had been having recently, especially after Tyler’s incident. It was rare nowadays for them to wake up without at least one of them being injured to some extent. But as long as none of them were dead, Ashlyn considered themselves lucky. It was a unique situation, and their injuries had never taken long to heal in the real world. She could deal with the phantoms, as unpleasant and scary as they were.
It would be confusing to most people to hear that she was more worried about the new crowd of people she had been roped into interacting with. Ashlyn wondered if it was fair to still refer to them so loosely. She would definitely consider them friends, at this point. But friends were something she never counted on having. The new interactions, having to take five other people into consideration, all with different ideals and needs, got to be a bit much at times. She had always been an expert at blending in, and she made sure this was no exception. She knew when to laugh, cringe, and offer sympathy to her friends. And eventually, she began to actively enjoy and seek out their company. Friends were something she never counted on having, but she wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world now that she had them.
Still, there was an outlier. Ashlyn had her fair share of theories as to what this was, but if she was correct, this was entirely out of her realm of experience. She needed a second opinion. Her parents would be her usual go-to, but the teasing she would have to endure would be relentless. So she turned to the most personable person in her circle.
“Did you want to talk about anything specific? It’s nice to see you, but you don't ask to hang out one-on-one very often.”
Taylor smiled as she led them to a park bench, allowing them to sit and rest for a bit. They had agreed to meet at the park by Taylor’s house, and had been walking on the trail for almost an hour while talking about various non-serious topics. Taylor was always exceptional at picking up social cues, something Ashlyn admired about her. Her tone was cheerful, keeping the atmosphere light. But her words cut straight to the point, as she knew Ashlyn didn’t like to talk around things that bothered her.
“I did. You’re good with people, and figuring out what’s going on in their heads.”
Ashlyn spent the next few minutes recounting her former train of thought to Taylor, who listened intently. She seemed touched that Ashlyn considered them friends, and thought so highly of the group.
“Everything should be going great. And it is! I’m enjoying spending time with everyone, it’s a nice change of pace from my usual isolation. It’s just…”
She trailed off, taking a breath as she considered her next words carefully. God, I have no idea how to explain what’s happening to me.
“Sometimes I feel… different? Around one person in our group, specifically. It’s not even a bad type of different. I don’t know why I’m worried about it. My stomach feels like it gets twisted in knots every time I think about him, and I think about him a lot. And I feel drawn to him, I don’t know why. I don’t like people touching me, but aside from my parents, I think he’s the only exception on the planet. Hell, I’m starting to enjoy hugs because of him. I mean, what is wrong with me? That’s not something I do.”
Taylor hummed, swinging her legs back and forth. A slight smile was fixed on her face, which didn’t do much to reassure Ashlyn.
“Have you tried bringing it up with Aiden?” she asked.
“No, not yet. He’s loud, and reckless, and obnoxious and I almost don’t want to- Wait, when did I mention Aiden?”
“You didn’t,” Taylor laughed. “But I had my suspicions.”
Ashlyn buried her head in her hands. Great, so it’s been obvious to everyone except me. And Aiden, hopefully. Still, she had come for Taylor’s opinion, and she wasn’t about to leave without it, regardless of how embarrassed it made her to continue the conversation. “What do you think?”
“I think you should talk to him. Get everything out in the open. It’s the best way to make sure you’re both on the same page.”
“I don’t want to ruin anything.” Ashlyn lowered her hands and lifted her head, eyes meeting Taylor’s. “I finally have a group of people I’m comfortable around, and I don’t want to jeopardize that for feelings that might end poorly, or might not be reciprocated at all. I could live with things as they are now.”
Taylor began to speak again, but stopped, biting her lip instead. After a moment, she glanced away, staring at the path. “Then keep an eye on him for a few days. See if you can pick up on any different behaviors. Hell, think back and figure out if he’s been acting differently around you recently already.”
“Oh, he definitely has been, for a couple of weeks now. He’s been… nicer? But also more hesitant about some things? He’s fucking confusing.”
“A couple of weeks?” Taylor laughed, again. Ashlyn didn’t understand why. This conversation was getting less and less funny as it went on.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Sorry, sorry. I’d tell you if I could, really. But I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”
What… did that mean?
“You’re acting like I haven’t basically just poured out my strange and complicated feelings for one of our friends, risking the collapse of my friendship with him if he doesn’t feel the same. Could you really not be a bit more serious about this?”
Taylor met Ashlyn’s eyes again, extending a hand towards her. Ashlyn took it, and Taylor gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
“I know. This is completely new for you, and it’s easy to think the risk may not be worth the reward. It’s normal to feel lost or overwhelmed, or to not want to confront it at all. But please, trust me when I suggest you talk to him. I think it’ll be worth it, for both of you.”
Hm. Ashlyn hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but…
“Didn’t Aiden want to talk to you in private a couple of weeks ago, too?”
“Huh? Oh, um, I don’t remember.”
Taylor stood from the bench, pulling Ashlyn with her. Taylor had always been bad at lying. But why does she have to be so cryptic about it? With one final squeeze, Ashlyn removed her hand from Taylor’s, returning it to her side.
“Thank you, Taylor. Should we continue our walk? It’s nice out.”