Chapter Text
God he had always hated how sweet Ben was,
scratch that he absolutely loved it. But Tyler had always avoided letting his feelings show due to his original fear of Taylor liking Ben, that was until she had fallen head over heels for the ginger they knew as Ashlyn.
So here he sat in his room, Taylor had gone to get a snack leaving him with his thoughts. (Or so he thought.) suddenly an excited noise came from the kitchen and Taylor ran back into the room the fastest he’d ever seen her go, one would think Ashlyn proposed to her. “Tyler! Tyler! Guess what!” She said practically jumping in place. “I- what-“ he barely had a chance to finish. “Aiden said we could come to his place!” And just like that all the interest he had in all the excitement disappeared until he remembered Ben lived there too. “Oh, what time?” He said getting up suddenly a hand grabbed his arm. “Right now!” She was practically dragging him out the door he stumbled barely gathering his bearings as he followed after she was holding a bathing suit while all he had was his shorts.. great.
When they got there Logan watched as Tyler was dragged through the door and was finally let go when Taylor reached Ashlyn. He landed with a thump on the floor as she hugged the shorter ginger. Ben looked over with a look of concern. ‘Are you ok?’ He signed, Logan had been teaching him sign language and damn he was good, Tyler gave him a thumbs up getting off the floor. “Did you have to drag me?” He said looking over at his twin who suddenly looked apologetic. “Oh, sorry Tyler.” He gave a ‘it’s fine’ look before walking to the couch next to Ben sitting down. Of course the blonde upstairs made no attempt to hide his presence as he ran down the stairs. “Everyone’s here? Great we can swim now!” Tyler rolled his eyes at Aiden’s loud entrance. “If we’re lucky none of us will drown.” He grumbled causing everyone else to snicker while Aiden shrugged. “Can’t make any promises. Anywho!” He ran outside throwing his shirt to the side with no cares since it wasn’t his smiley face shirt as he leaped in. “We still have to change, dumbass!” Ashlyn yelled after him in annoyance and fondness used to his antics by now. Ben gently pointed to the bathrooms down the hall while walking outside as well, with nothing better to do Tyler followed him like a lost puppy.
Logan was sitting on one of the chairs out there while Aiden was already causing a ruckus by throwing blowup things into the pool and water guns, not wanting to join any of the chaos yet he sat by the pool edge having already neatly placed his shirt to the side on a chair. He jumped with surprise as Ben sat down silently beside him. ‘Sorry.’ Ben signed. “Nah, it’s fine.” Tyler said shrugging, silently cursing himself for being so jumpy. Ashlyn and Taylor had gotten back now and Taylor made her presence known by jumping in and grabbing one of the water guns spraying the originally clueless Aiden. “Hey! No fair you’re supposed to warn people before you start a round!” Aiden said light-heartedly as he was suddenly sprayed in the face attempting to swim away. “What’s the fun in that!?” Taylor said snickering. Tyler had originally beyond questioned her and Ashlyn’s choice of the blonde maniac but she was happy so he didn’t interfere. Logan jumped in grabbing one of the water guns, oh dear this was where the round really started. Meanwhile Ben was watching with a smile gently kicking his legs back and forth in the water, Tyler zoned out staring at a bug he was originally going to smack for approaching him. He snapped out of it shaking his head. ‘Ah shit I forgot to take my medicine. Crap do we even have enough for any more when it’s finished?’ And he’d zoned out again. When suddenly a spray of water hit his face, he looked over in offense as soon as he realized it was Aiden he grabbed a pool noodle. “Woah- hey! Hey! It’s just a spray of water!” Aiden screamed hopping in the water to try and get away but Tyler jumped in reaching him pretty quickly beating him with it.
Ben had a hand to his mouth to try and not laugh at the sight of his cousin being repeatedly hit with the noodle by the brunette. “Ben help!” Ben simply looked away whistling, Aiden gasped. “Traitor-“ the noodle smacked his face. Tyler was surprisingly enjoying this until a pool noodle whacked him in the back of the head, the culprit? His sister. Suddenly he was ganged up on being sprayed and hit with a pool noodle. “Hey no teaming!” He attempted to say as he was whacked and sprayed. Shockingly there was a savior, Ben had finally decided to join the chaos he had a pool noodle of his own and he whacked Aiden with it, you may be wondering where’s Ashlyn and Logan? They’re watching the chaos unfold on the side chilling on a huge blowup duck. Tyler and Taylor hit at each other with their pool noodles like a sword fight of some sort while Aiden would spray Ben with the water gun just to get whacked by the pool noodle.
Eventually the four got tired and Tyler gave up Taylor gave one more slap just to make sure before dropping the pool noodle Aiden and Ben had dropped the noodle and water gun. “You four done?” Ashlyn said smiling as she had been relaxing the entire time Logan was next to her facing the opposite direction. Tyler had already crawled out of the pool while Taylor just nodded.
They swam for a bit more and then they all got changed back into whatever they were wearing Aiden and Ben’s house had enough bathrooms for them all so it was easy.
Aiden and Ben’s room was surprisingly clean Tyler sat on the floor not wanting to just flop on the bed unlike his lovely sister who just flopped on. She of course didn’t stay down for long and perked up. “You know what we should do Ashlyn?” Ashlyn looked up curiously. Taylor gestured her over whispering to her and then to Ben which kind of confused him and should’ve been a red flag but you know. One moment he was relaxing on the floor the next he’s being scooped up, what the hell it was like school all over again as he was harassed by his teammates for comically enough being the shortest. “Hey- put me down-!” He wriggled as who he most definitely thought was Ben picked him up, eventually giving up and going slack realizing he wasn't escaping Ben carried him to the bathroom as he saw Ashlyn and Taylor. Ben gently put him down and he realized what they had. “Seriously.. makeup-?” He said dead still Aiden and Logan were watching curiously. “Yeah a makeover, you’re all getting one. Well more like we’re all getting one.” Taylor said smiling and of course who was he to deny his sister such happiness. So off they went putting makeup on him and all he could do was pout on the chair, he felt his face flush as Ben snickered in the corner. Taylor looked at him then Ben her eyebrow raising at the appearing flush. She then grinned connecting the dots.
When he was done Aiden was already wheezing and he felt like all he could do was crawl into a hole. And die. When they got a few more laughs suddenly Aiden was snagged he looked panicked before accepting his fate as Tyler had.
Like Taylor had said everyone was done while Tyler poured in the corner Aiden admired himself even going as far as saying he was a ‘material girl’, I mean come on it’s an easy one shot to guess the blonde was bi. Ashlyn playfully slapped his arm. “Shut up you fruit basket!” Aiden fake gasped but then grinned. “Look who’s talking. Skittle packet.” Taylor smiled softly watching the two go back and forth. Meanwhile Tyler was trying to wash the makeup off a hand touched his shoulder and he looked up. ‘Let me help.’ Ben signed grabbing a face towel wetting it then putting makeup remover on. Tyler felt his face flushing like a damn tomato as Ben gently pressed the towel on his face with one hand holding it with the other. If Ben didn’t notice someone else would I mean come on how embarrassing he was worse than a middle school girl crushing on the popular kid right now. When ben pulled the small towel away he frowned then signing. ‘Are you alright?’ Referencing to his flushed face. He immediately gave a thumbs up. “Oh yeah- I’m fine- totally.” Taylor was looking right at him another knowing grin making its way onto her face. “I know what you are.” She whispered before watching her partners bickering again he felt his face redden even more and somehow oh to his worst of luck Ben hadn’t heard and looked concerned. ‘Are you sure? It seems to be getting worse come one I’ll get you something.’ He was about to protest but Ben was already gently leading him to the kitchen so he accepted it until they reached the kitchen. The hand on his arm wasn’t helping his red face as Ben stopped in front of a cupboard.
“Ben I’m alright seriously.” He mumbled insisting. “It’s just really hot in here..” worst excuse ever but it worked. Ben frowned going to the the air conditioning turning it down before walking back to the brunette brushing his hand against his forehead just to double check. The contact to his forehead made him feel even more flushed but somehow he passed Bens little check up and yet he still felt a bit of longing at the loss of the contact, he silently followed Ben back to the room. By now everyone was cleaned up free of makeup as they chatted in the room Aiden and Ashlyn still making fun of each other while Taylor attempted to beat Logan at Mario cart. “Damn it, how do you win every time..?” Taylor grumbled losing yet another match. Tyler sat on one of the beds, the biggest one so he assumed it was Bens. Logan joined him after Taylor had finally given up and had joined Aiden and Ashlyn on Aiden’s bed. “We should connect the beds.” Aiden said with his usual smile they all nodded before pushing the beds together and jumping back on chatting about until 10:30.
“We should try to get some sleep before you know..” Logan mumbled. Despite the peaceful and happiness of the room the phantom world always lingered behind them. “Yeah.” He said laying down on his side Ashlyn went and flicked off the light the little star like lights plastered around the room by Aiden giving off a dim light.
Tyler closed his eyes he felt an arm wrap around him he cracked open an eye seeing it was Ben as Aiden, Ashlyn and Taylor had their own pile while logan happily laid with his little space to himself between Taylor and Ben. Despite the little bit of heat crawling up to his face he closed his eyes enjoying how warm Ben was. It didn’t take long for him to drift to sleep.