Chapter Text
Aiden felt like shit.
His nose was runny, and his normal energy was gone. Of course that didn’t mean his thoughts didn’t go at one hundred miles a minute, it just meant his body couldn’t keep up when a new thought struck Aiden.
He lay in his bed curled in a ball. Aiden wished Ben was in the house. But it was Christmas time and he had gone back to his family for the break. If Ben were here he probably would’ve let him have some cuddles, even if they were unwilling. Ben was always nicer to Aiden when he was sick.
His parents weren’t home either. On another book tour. But they probably wouldn’t snuggle with him anyway. They would give him some meds and make him go to bed, so as not to disturb them as they worked. Which was fine, Aiden didn’t need people to show him affection, of course not. But it would be nice if he could have some.
Buzz, Aiden rolled over in his bed and saw his phone ringing with new notifications.
Taylor was asking how everyone’s winter breaks were currently. They hadn’t seen each other much other than their nightly visits to another realm.
Ben sent a picture of him with his sister. Aiden looked at it, he was happy his cousin was having fun, even if it meant Aiden was alone in the house.
Ashlyn was at ballet practice, and Logan was working. No surprise there.
Tay
What about you Aiden?
Aiden sighed, he didn’t have anything interesting to say. Normally he would’ve sent a picture of whatever stunt about to pull next, but there wasn’t really anything he could do while laying in bed dying.
Me
I’m in bed cus I sicky :’(
Tay
Oh is anyone at home with you?
Me
Nah but it fine nuthin i havent done be4
Aiden scowled at his text. It looked so whiny, but he didn’t have anything else to say. He was tired and didn’t really care what he sounded like.
He rolled away from his phone. Aiden was fairly certain he wasn’t going to be able to sleep, but he might as well try, or if he couldn’t he could distract himself with some puzzles. Aiden had just gotten in the mail the supposed world’s hardest slide puzzle so he could try to beat it.
Aiden closed his eyes before hearing his phone buzzing again. He turned to see Ben private messaging him.
Ben Ben the best cus
Do you want me to come home early?
Me
Nah it fine. Trust me.
Ben started typing something but the message spot went away soon after. Aiden sighed, even though he wanted someone to take care of him, he didn’t want to be a burden to his friends.
They all had their own lives and Aiden didn’t need to be interrupting them.
He rolled over again and fell asleep.
Someone was knocking at the door. Aiden groaned, pulling the pillow over his head.
What if it’s your mom? A small voice inside his head asked. Suddenly convinced it was someone in his family, had come back to take care of him, Aiden got out of bed. He still had his blanket wrapped around him but Aiden didn’t care.
But how had they found out he was sick? Aiden hadn’t told anyone but Ben? Maybe he texted Aiden’s parents and they had come back.
Aiden hoped so badly that it was that. He walked up to the door and opened hoping to see a familiar face.
It was a familiar face, just the one of an asshole.
Tyler stood there holding a container of soup. He was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, but he still looked good, at least to Aiden.
“What are you doing here?” Aiden asked, arms crossed.
“Taylor wanted to come, but she’s at robotics, so I’m bringing you some soup,” Tyler said, nonchalantly.
“Thanks,” Aiden said, slightly grumpy. He had really been wanting his parents. He took the soup from his hands. “Taylor didn’t have to make me soup. I didn’t ask for anything.”
“Well she wanted to,” Tyler said, coming inside. “And you don’t need to be such a dick, to someone who just trudged through the cold to bring you food.”
“Who invited you in?” Aiden said, walking into the kitchen.
“It’s fucking dumbass, I don’t want to let more cold air into the house, and get you sicker.”
“Maybe I want to get sicker,” Aiden said, placing it in the microwave.
“Wait, don't put the plastic in the microwave,” Tyler said, rushing up to him and taking a bowl out of a cabinet. He poured the soup in the glass bowl then placed the heat on for three minutes.
“It’s fine Tyler,” Aiden said, crossing his arms. “If it broke I would just replace it.”
“It would get plastic in your soup dumbass,” Tyler said, knocking him over the head.
“I’ve eaten worse,” Aiden said, rolling his eyes.
“Go lay down on the couch or something,” Tyler said, looking back at the microwave.
Aiden obliged for some reason. Maybe it was just having someone in the house who cared about his health, or just having the smell of hot food cooking, either way it made Aiden sit on the couch tangled up in a fluffy blanket.
A few minutes later Tyler came back with his soup and sat next to him on the couch.
“You need to wait a few minutes for it to cool,” Tyler said, placing it on the coffee table. “How long have you been feeling sick?”
Aiden huffed, “since yesterday.”
Tyler looked at him with angry eyes. “Why didn’t you tell anyone last night?”
Aiden rolled his eyes, “I wasn’t feeling as bad last night. It was only when I woke up this morning with practically no sleep from having to run from phantoms that I felt shitty.”
“Tonight you’re going to rest,” Tyler said, looking at him sharply.
“Fine whatever,” Aiden said, crossing his arms. “I want to watch tv.” He reached over and grabbed the remote, beginning to search through channels.
“I think your soup is fine for you to eat now,” Tyler said, standing up.
“Wait, are you going to leave?” Aiden asked, with wide eyes. “You just got here.”
Aiden wasn’t entirely sure why he was asking this. It wasn’t like he particularly enjoyed being in Tyler’s company. He found him annoyingly attractive, and found he couldn’t focus around him. But Aiden couldn’t anyway so it wasn't unusual.
But Aiden also knew he wouldn’t do well alone in the house. He would go into a depressive mood, and the only way to counter that was to have people around. Even if it was an asshole with a pretty face, who cared about other people more than himself.
“Okay I’ll stay,” Tyler said, sitting back down on the couch. “I already got everything ready around the house, and if you really can’t be alone you can just come over to my house, Taylor and my mom will fuss over you.”
Aiden felt tears well in his eyes, before Tyler could see them, he wrapped his arms around Tyler’s waist, hiding his eyes in his big sweatshirt.
“Hey you okay?” Tyler asked, placing a hand on his back.
“Yeah, just thank you,” Aiden said. God his voice sounded so weak, like he was about to cry. Which he was but he didn’t want Tyler to know that.
“Put your head up,” Tyler said, gently placing one hand underneath Aiden’s chin and lifting it up to face him. Aiden felt shivers go down his back. What was Tyler about to do? Aiden dared not hope anything.
He placed the back of his other hand on Aiden’s forehead and frowned. “You have a fever.”
“What?” Aiden asked, scooting away. “Not true. Maybe you’re just warm.”
“It’s light right now, but it’ll probably get worse if you don’t rest.” Tyler reached down to grab the soup. “Don’t do anything stupid, or yell. That’ll just tire you out. Now eat.”
Aiden sighed, taking the spoon and eating a few bites of soup. After four bites he pushed the bowl away. “I can’t eat anymore.”
Tyler raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question him. He placed the bowl on a counter in the kitchen.
“Are you tired?” Tyler said, leaning down eye to eye with Aiden who was practically laying down on the couch.
“Yee,” Aiden said, trying to keep his eyes open.
“Do you want to sleep on the couch or your bed?”
“Bed!” Aiden said, slowly getting off the couch. He stumbled slightly walking up the stairs, but he figured out how to walk and Tyler followed him to his bedroom.
Aiden got in the bed and Tyler tucked him in. “Sleep well, psycho.”
“Sure thing asshole,” Aiden said, closing his eyes.
(AN this is about to get gory, if you don't like decay or rotting skip.)
Aiden always read these things on Tumblr and Reddit saying their best dreams are when they are sick, because it was always so fun and weird.
Apparently Aiden was the exception to that.
He was lying on the floor of his bedroom. He tried turning his head, but it hurt too much to move.
Somehow Aiden knew he was dead. The carpet of his floor was covered in blood. And he knew that it was his. It was from when he had died in the phantom realm.
But this time no one was there to see him die. He was all alone. Aiden watched his body decay, and grow stiff. No one cared that he was dead, no one bothered to look for him.
He watched his friends ask about him once or twice, but none of them decided to check his room. People in town assumed he had done some dumb stunt and gotten his ass killed. Not thinking he was still in his room.
Maggots ate at his flesh, first his legs and arms. They would lay their eggs there and those eggs would hatch and eat more of him.
Somehow mushrooms began to sprout on his stomach and chest. Digging their roots into where his blood used to run.
His body continued to decompose until he was a skeleton. That was when they found him.
The whole gang was there. Ashlyn and Taylor in the front. Ben and Tyler in the back. Logan was already puking in the corner. When they caught sight of his body they gasped.
Aiden couldn’t get their faces out of his head. They looked disappointed in him. Like it was somehow his negligence that had gotten him killed. It was his fault no one had found him yet.
And it was his fault. Aiden knew it. He was unloveable. He didn’t matter because no one in his life would ever find time for all his dumb schemes. And why should they? All they would do would be to hurt them or himself.
Aiden was better off alone. Decaying the corner.
(AN it's over now, fluff time!)
“Hey, hey calm down,” A voice said, bringing Aiden back to the real world.
He opened his eyes, shaking his head. It was just a nightmare. Aiden was alive. And he wasn’t alone.
Aiden looked into Tyler’s eyes. Tyler had his hands on Aiden’s shoulders.
“Are you okay?”
“You didn’t leave,” Aiden said, crushing his arms around Tyler.
Tyler rubbed his back. “Of course I didn’t dipshit. I’m here to take care of you.”
“So you won’t forget about me?” Aiden whispered into his chest.
“No,” Tyler said, quietly.
After a few moments of relishing in Tyler’s warmth, he pulled away and looked up at him. Aiden wasn’t entirely ready to give up all physical touch just yet.
Tyler felt his forehead. “Yeah the fever got worse. You should go back to sleep if you want to get better.”
Aiden whined, turning his head into Tyler’s waist. “Don’t wanna.”
“What if I slept with you?” Tyler asked, a hand in Aiden’s hair.
Aiden considered it for a moment. He would most likely get Tyler sick. Not that he cared if he got sick or not. But it might take the nightmares away.
“Okay, but you better not snore.”
Tyler laid down on the bed. Picking a pillow. It was a fairly large bed so they could have space between them, although he was fairly certain Aiden wasn’t going to let that fly.
Aiden wrapped himself around Tyler. Placing his head on his chest. Tyler wrapped an arm around him. He didn’t feel that tired, but he was willing to do anything not to hear those sobs again.
When Aiden had been asleep he had been sobbing his heart out. The same animalistic sobs his mother had made when his dad had died. Tyler couldn’t take it, so he tried to wake Aiden up.
He rubbed Aiden’s back. He looked so peaceful now. Aiden’s hair was a messy bedhead, and his chest rose up and down gently.
When he was sure Aiden was asleep, he whispered gently; “it was me who made the soup this morning. I did it because I care about you. I care about you so fucking much.”
Tyler sighed, laying his head back on the pillow. Why couldn’t he have just told Aiden that when he was awake? He was such a wimp. He was never going to profess his feelings at this rate if Aiden still thought he hated him.
He closed his eyes, turning his face to be above Aiden’s hair. He breathed in the sweet scent of Aiden’s shampoo before falling asleep.
Aiden stared at Tyler’s chest as he slept. Still awake, having heard every single word Tyler had said.