School bus graveyard oneshots:

Idiot (III)

---> "Too Close for Comfort?" part III

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As soon as I began to settle into the silence, the balcony door slid open behind me.

I stiffened, shit.

I didn't have to turn around to know it was him. He had a way of announcing his presence without saying a word, even if he hardly ever stayed quiet for long. Sure enough, the moment he stepped outside, his voice followed.

"Up late, huh? Can't say I'm surprised."

Aiden.

I didn't answer right away. I kept my gaze on the horizon, hoping the silence would speak for me. But he wasn't giving up that easily.

"I figured you'd be out here," he said quietly as he walked over to sit beside me. "You're avoiding me, aren't you?"

My heart skipped a beat, but I kept my eyes trained on the stars. "I'm not avoiding you."

He snorted softly, but there was no humour in it. "Sure you're not."

I bit my lip, not knowing how to respond. His presence beside me felt both comforting and terrifying at the same time. I hated that. I hated how he could make me feel so many things just by being there.

"I dont bite, you know," he spoke again.

I risked a glance at him, finding his eyes already on me, red and intense. His gaze felt too knowing, too sharp, like he could see right through the walls I'd tried so hard to put up. I quickly looked away, the familiar swirl of panic rising in my chest.

"I'm not good at this," I blurted out, my voice breaking the stillness. I didn't know why I said it. It wasn't what I planned, but the words tumbled out before I could stop them. "At... being close with people."

"So It's about the other night, isn't it?" His voice was softer now, no teasing, no jokes. Just him, laying it out there.

My heart raced, and I tightened my grip on the railing. I didn't know how to talk about it—how to explain that something as simple as a hug had shaken me. Its pathetic.

"It's not—" I started, but stopped myself, unsure of what to say. "okay, maybe it is." I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He let out a quiet laugh, the sound warm and soft. "I figured" the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, though his eyes were still serious. He shifted beside me, his posture a little more relaxed.

"I didn't mean to freak you out," he added, his voice lower now, like he was trying to be careful with his words. "I'm just... not the best at thinking things through when it comes to you. Sometimes I get it wrong."

The way he said it, so straightforward, made me more unsure on how to respond. But the knot in my chest loosened just a little.

I swallowed hard, still staring ahead, my mind racing with a thousand different responses. "You didn't freak me out," I said, my voice barely audible. "I just... I don't know how to be around people like you. People who... care."

God this is humiliating.

I could feel him shift beside me again, like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how.

"It's easier when I'm alone," I added, the words falling out quietly. "I mess things up less that way."

Aiden's fingers drummed softly on the balcony's edge, the rhythm slow and thoughtful. I could sense him looking at me again, but I kept my eyes on the stars, the only thing steadying the jumble inside me.

"Ash," he started, his voice a bit softer, "you don't mess things up."

I swallowed against the tightness in my throat, trying to process his words. They sounded simple, but they didn't feel simple. They felt like something I wasn't sure I could accept.

I shook my head slowly, a small gesture, not wanting to argue but not believing him either. "You don't get it," I whispered.

"I get more than you think."

His voice was low, almost distant, as if he was speaking more to himself than to me. I turned my head slightly, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. He wasn't looking at me anymore. His gaze was fixed ahead, but his expression was unreadable.

Aiden shifted again, his fingers brushing against the railing before settling in his lap. "I used to think it was easier to... disappear, too. Like no one would notice, or care. But, uh..." he hesitated, his voice faltering for the briefest second before he pushed through, "turns out, even when you think you're better off alone... you're not."

I blinked, caught off guard by the weight of his words. I'd never seen him so serious before—Aiden was always the one with the easy grin and carefree attitude. There had only been a few times where I'd glimpsed the side of him that didn't wear a smile, and each one felt like catching a fleeting shadow. It made me realise just how much he kept hidden beneath his usual charm.

I opened my mouth, ready to ask him what he meant, to pry just a little deeper into the shadows behind his eyes. But before I could speak, he stood up and walked toward the door, breaking the moment.

I watched him in silence, my pulse quickening with every step he took. His hand brushed the doorframe, and he glanced back at me with that smile, the one which made something inside me twist.

"Goodnight, Ashlynn,"

Is he... okay?

Before I even realised what I was doing, my hand shot out, catching the sleeve of his sweatshirt. "Wait," I blurted, my voice sharper than I intended.

Aiden paused, looking down at where my fingers had gripped his sleeve, then back at me, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Ash?"

For a second, I didn't know what to say, my heart hammering against my ribs. But then, without thinking, I tugged him back toward me and stood up, closing the distance between us.

I hugged him.

I, Ashlynn, actually hugged him—my face pressed against his chest. His body stiffened in surprise at first, but then his arms slowly came around me, his warmth and the soft fabric of his sweatshirt easing the tension in my shoulders.

"You're so annoying," I mumbled against him, my voice muffled.

He let out a soft laugh, the sound vibrating through his chest. "I could say the same about you."

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips despite myself. "I'm serious," I added, my words still half-hidden in his shirt. "You cant just leave after saying something like that."

When did I become so concerned for Aiden? AIDEN, of all people?

"Okay, okay," he said, his voice light, then with a grin, added, "Didn't know you had such a soft spot for me. Guess I'm irresistible, huh?"

I loosened my grip completely, glaring up at him. "Don't make this a habit," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm still getting used to all this 'caring stuff.'"

Aiden grinned again, his red eyes soft but playful. "You say that like you're not gonna hug me again."

I huffed, giving him a shove. "Don't push your luck."

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(thanks for reading!, this is the official end of the 'Too Close for Comfort' oneshot. Usually when i make these i always have to ask myself 'would Ashlynn actually do this?' or 'does this seem fitting to their character?' because its honestly a pet peeve for me to write stories that seem to make the characters entirely different to their actual personalities. Though ig the point of fanfiction is to fill the void that the real plot misses so idk! :) lmk if you liked this oneee)