Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Taylor & Ashlyn private chat

Taylor: Okay love, what do you think of my brother x our lovely psycho 😆

Ashlyn: Oh my gosh

Taylor: RIGHT???? Honestly I can kinda see it..

Ashlyn: Tyler’s fake ass annoyed behavior and Aiden’s fake ass silly happy behavior? Yeah they are so bad for each other.

Taylor: sooo… do you like it??.🙃🙃🙃/gen

Ashlyn: We aren’t doing anything in the dimension tonight. We can try to see if they work.

Taylor: Alrighty captain! Whats the plan?

Ashlyn: *typing*

Taylor: I can make the plan if you want! Ashlyn: yeah. Thanks

Taylor: Love you <3

Ashlyn: Love you too

—

While Taylor and Tyler biked to the graveyard Tyler noticed that Taylor was acting…. Weird. But whenever he tried to ask why she was giggling so much, the recently cut short brown haired girl would just puff out her cheeks the same way she always does when shes nervous.

What is she up to? Tyler decided to let it go, for now.

He almost reached his last straw when they neared the busses. Taylor suddenly bursts into hysterical and crazy laughter that faded into aggressive hacking. She tries to hold onto Tyler but with the way she was shaking Tyler was afraid they would tip over. After they reach the graveyard, although, farther away than they usually park. Tyler says “Okay what is UP with you!?! Is this a prank?”

Taylor, trying to catch her breath, manages to get out two words “n-no nothing haha..”

When they knock on the door of Ashlyns house, Tyler sees his sister grin like a maniac. He pretends he doesn’t see it.

‘Shes obviously just excited to see Carrot Top… Whatever was happening before wasn’t important’ With that conclusion, Tyler goes into the cozy house and immediately makes accidental eye contact with a certain somebody.

Chapter Text

The chips, sandwiches and fries? All for Aiden, because he shoves all of it into his mouth before anyone else even arrived, with a smug grin too. Ashlyn frowns in disgust but lets it go, instead she moves to the door. Knowing his friends, it was probably Logan who had arrived.

Actually he was expecting Logan to come earlier, but apparently the glass wearing boy had spilled a lot of soil on the floor. Aiden didn’t understand why he couldn’t just leave it for later. He did remember Ben saying something about Logan dropping all of it on a white carpet.

Aiden still doesn’t understand.

While he was busying himself chomping down on the food that was supposed to be for the whole group, he started thinking about a specific someone. Halfwit. The bleach blonde pauses in his food massacre to ponder and gather his thoughts.

‘I mean, he is growing out his hair… It looks really good too. Every time his bangs fall in his eyes I want to get it out of the way, and lean in, and kiss his, probably dry li- ENOUGH, OKAY. EAT YOUR FOOD AIDEN.’

The red eyed boy decides to widen his smile and keep chewing.

Yes, open mouthed, and yes, crumbs are probably falling out.

But when the chip he bit into-which by the way, amazing flavor- lets out a beautifully loud crunch, he glances up and sees Tyler. THE halfwit. The one he was talking about, HIM? He hadn’t even taken two steps!

They make very intense eye contact while Aiden slowly chews his food. Tyler intensely squints his eyes,

and then looks away.

The blonde isn’t sure if he should cheer that he won the unsaid staring challenge or not.

—
Taylor hadn’t told Ashlyn what the plan was yet. They were planning on conversing while the others were eating.

Ashlyn was watching the cousins- well only Aiden, eat when she hears knocking coming from the front door. She walks to the door on her toes. The ginger had decided to start studying the science behind hair care recently, and there is definitely a shine and thickness in her hair that wasn’t there before. Ashlyn can’t help but feel slightly proud of herself.

When she opened the door she saw Tyler first, he was frowning like usual. But after they got out of the cranes catastrophe he’s become nicer. In a way.

Then she saw Taylor.

Ashlyn swore she was glowing. Although as quickly as she started admiring her girlfriend she remembered what she got herself into.

’Maybe I should have stayed single.’

Chapter Text

While the girls were conspiring in the bathroom about something that Ben guessed was connected with Tyler's suspicious glances, he and Aiden were playing an exhilarated (nerve-wracking) game of truth of dare that was honestly much more filled with silly antics and dramatics than actually properly playing the game.
They had long ago pushed the coffee table to the side to make space for Aiden's cartwheels that resembled a helicopter at times, was what Ben thought at least. Logan kept adding silly quips that motivated Aiden to make the dare harder to accomplish.
Tyler was watching in casual exasperation, rolling his eyes in all the perfect times, and… Looking across the room at something as if the cranes might jump out? Maybe there was more to his reactions? Ben decided to mind his own business, and maybe just observe Tyler a bit more.

By this point, Tyler was the only one actually sitting on the couch properly. If looking around anxiously (which he managed to do in that red tinted way he goes through life. Aggressive, angry, and surprisingly full of care) and sitting at the edge of the couch (that is closest to the front door mind you) could be called proper. Ben absentmindedly got reminded by an angry wet kitten, minus the water. Ben awkwardly looked back at what Aiden was doing but was abruptly interrupted by a short brown haired girl tripping over the edge of the light-brown coffee table, face first.

Everyone's eyes strayed to the couple, Tyler jumped up from the couch and Logan playfully rolled his eyes, then quickly reminded aiden to not trip over his hand a second time (Ben was happy that Logan had gotten so comfortable with the group again, after Taylor and Logan reunited with the group they had become slightly standoffish, maybe even a bit guilty?).

Taylor was supported to her feet by her brother. Meanwhile Aiden was dragged into the dreaded abyss (the bathroom) by Ashlyn, for whatever reason that Ben hadn’t figured out yet.

—

(Authors note: Yes I know it’s weird that I’m putting it in the middle of the chapter, but I wanna add something. Aiden's pov was purposefully written to be slightly more silly. If I can get criticism on if this was a bad idea or too childish, I would appreciate it!)

Aiden grinned “So” he drawled. “What may I be of service?”. The bleached blonde idly looked around. He took notice of how there were four tooth brushes instead of the measly three he expected.

“Stay here while I bring something.” Ashlyn replied quickly.

Aiden was more than lost, what was she up to? Was she gonna tell him a crazy secret that left his jaw on the floor? Or will she slap him across the face and call him a jerk for some reason he didn’t even know? The thrill of not knowing had him jumping up and down. But then he looked in the mirror and jumped back instead of up.

‘Wow, I’m never getting used to me without red eyes, am I?’ he thought with a mix of amusement and anxiety.

The brown eyed boy, who had gotten into the habit of breaking the fourth wall (which he didn’t know actually existed) had an extensive thought that you will have the grace of knowing. You’re welcome.

‘Now. You might be thinking “Aiden, why are you still acting like your old self, I thought all of you were getting therapy?” And to that I say one thing: let me be whimsy! We need more of it in this group anyways. Plus, I don’t endanger my life anymore, and I see life’s worth. That should be enough!’

During Aiden's plea to the universe, a frowning boy got pushed into the bathroom. When Aiden was pleased with his counter-argument he turned around and realized that his current-probably-obsession (in normal circumstances he would never admit this, even in his head. But after an hour of break dancing and cartwheels he was a bit “lackadaisical”. As in, careless or lax, for anyone who doesn’t speak Aiden.) was standing behind him.

Soft but marked, brown arms were crossed on top of each other. They were thin but toned, in a way where Aiden hoped Tyler wasn't forgetting to eat well (not like he could be talking). His hair was disheveled in a way that had Aiden’s ears burning up. The best part was that he was sporting a small AHHH frown (AHHH as in, will probably have an outburst soon, for the people who have not yet understood Aiden's language).

“…Uh- psycho, pink eye, crazy eye, hello?” As suddenly as he started (honestly, checking his best friend/frenemy out) looking at Tyler, he was interrupted by the other boy waving his hand in front of his face.

Aiden was seriously considering drowning himself in the toilet. Not being aware that the boy in front of him was having similar thoughts.

—

Tyler was seriously considering drowning Aiden in the toilet.

Maybe even his sister, maybe even all his friends. This was one of the most stupid pranks he has had to suffer through. I mean what was the point of pushing him into a room with the guy he definitely does not like? (Tyler is completely aware of his… Crush, but pushing it down is ten times better than facing his feelings. Especially considering how much more academically he has to work now when he had quit the baseball team.)

‘If Aiden finds out my crush, I might just move to France or wherever AWAY from him’

The brown haired boy walked past the guy he does NOT like and sat on the toilet (lid down, obviously..) Sighing loudly, he glares at Aiden.

“…What's up idiot?”