Aiden x Reader (but you're Ashlyn)

Episode 18 (pt.2 of 17)

"Ready?" I ask before doing my relevé and spinning out of it.

Aiden nods, trying to push down the nerves that are building up. He knows the last part is crucial, and he has to catch me to complete the dance. As I spin out of the relevé, he positions himself to catch me. Time seems to slow down as I come twirling towards him, and in what seems like a desperate attempt, he reaches out and catches me, his arms wrapping around me, holding me tightly.

Aiden's chest is heaving up and down with each labored breath, his heart racing after the intensity of the dance. As I turn to face him, his eyes are still glued to me, his gaze locked onto mine. He's panting just as heavily as I am, his grip on my body tight as he holds me close.

The quiet of the room suddenly feels deafening as the only sound is the two of us trying to catch our breaths.

"Aide—?"

I'm cut off by the sudden amount of gravity force on me. I accidentally bring him down with me.

Aiden's eyes widen as gravity pulls us both down. He instinctively tightens his grip on me in an attempt to cushion my fall. He lands on the ground with a thud, with me lying on top of him.

The sudden fall leaves him momentarily dazed, but he quickly recovers and looks up at me, concern etched on his face as he tries to catch his breath.

"Damn... are you okay? That was quite a fall."
"Heh—yeah, I'm fine... Are you—"

I stop in my sentence when I realize how close I am to his face.I nearly jump out of my skin. I can feel my face starting to get a little flushed. I quickly recover myself, helping him up after.

Aiden notices how close my face is to his own, the sudden proximity making his heart beat just a bit faster. He can feel heat rushing to his cheeks, and he's grateful when I quickly get up and help him up as well.

He clears his throat awkwardly, trying to act nonchalant, although his racing heart betrays him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit sore from the fall."

He rubs the back of his neck, his eyes darting away from mine.
"Well—uh, I guess you could go now..." I avert my eyes from his as I lower myself onto my bed.

Aiden stands there for a moment, still slightly flustered by the situation. He hesitates, noticing the way I'm avoiding eye contact.

He takes a deep breath, seeming like he's trying to find the right words to say.
"Yeah... I guess I should go. It's getting pretty late, huh?"

Aiden nods, a mix of uncertainty and disappointment in his eyes. He glances at me one last time, taking in the sight of me sitting on my bed.

"Thanks for teaching me tonight. I won't be such a klutz next time, I promise."
He attempts to joke, trying to lighten the slightly awkward atmosphere.
"Heh—" I gesture him a small wave before throwing my blanket over me.

Aiden smiles at the small wave I give him. He notices how I bury myself under the blanket, possibly signaling that I'm ready to call it a night. He hesitates for a moment, feeling reluctant to leave.

"Goodnight, Ash."
He whispers as he turns to walk towards the window, preparing to leave through it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I sit on my bed, I can't stop replaying what just happened in my head. The way Aiden caught me, his arms wrapping around me like that, it was... unexpected. And then, when we fell—ugh, how clumsy can I be? It's not like me, to be caught off guard easily.

But it wasn't just the fall. It was the way he looked at me afterward, his eyes full of concern, like he was genuinely worried about me.
 It made my heart skip a beat, and that's not something I want to admit, even to myself.

Why did he have to be so... him? 

So, Aiden. One minute, he's goofing around, making light of everything, and the next, he's looking at me like that, making my pulse race and my thoughts all scrambled. And the way he held me close after catching me—it felt... safe?

 That's not something I'm used to feeling around him. I usually just find him annoying, always pushing my buttons. But tonight, there was something different.

And then, when I ended up practically on top of him, our faces just inches apart—what was that?
For a split second, I thought he might... No, that's ridiculous. Absurd even!
He's just Aiden, the same Aiden who always makes sarcastic comments and never takes anything seriously. But tonight, he wasn't just that.
He was more, and I don't know what to do with that.

Why did I have to say something stupid like "You can go now"? It was like I didn't even know how to handle the moment, so I just shut down.
But maybe that was for the best. The way he looked at me when he was leaving, like he was disappointed—I'm not sure if it was about the dance or something else....

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