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“NEXT TIME YOU WON’T BE SO DISRESPECTFUL YOU LITTLE BITCH” they screamed.
Aiden’s face stung where the red imprint of a hand marked his cheek. As soon as the footsteps disappeared, Aiden allowed his mask to crumble, and he sobbed into his beaten hands. How had it gotten this bad? He was used to physiological abuse and even the mild beating, but this?
His entire body burned in agony, cuts on his face bleed from where their wedding bands the wore sliced into his flesh upon impact, his ankle was swollen and had taken shades of blue and violet, his side sluggishly bled from where the flesh was pierced with a sharp tool that he didn’t get a good look at, and his left shoulder was certainly dislocated. He was sure that there were more injuries scattered across his body, he just couldn’t feel them right now.
As Aiden’s luck would have it, Ben wasn’t even home right now, for he was at the Hernández’s house for a sleepover. Though that was probably for the best. If the man found out, even Aiden wouldn’t be able to keep him calm. That’s probably why his parents choose tonight of all nights to get their anger out on him.
With a quick look over himself, it was clear that Aiden wouldn’t be able to patch himself up. And while he would rather just curl up in his closet and sleep away the pain, he knew that Ben would want him to take care of himself. With a quick glance at the clock, he wondered if Ashlyn would still be awake. It was only around an hour since they returned from the phantom realm after all. So, his numb brain fumbled for the doorknob, and began the twenty minute walk to his house in the frigid winter air.
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For the first time in a while, Ashlyn felt herself drifting towards sleep. She had just taken out her earbuds, and the sweet embrace of sleep was calling her name. And yet, a subtle tug of her heart told her not to sleep yet. Confused, she checked the time. It was after midnight, so they were free from the phantom’s wrath for tonight. So, why was her entire being telling her to not give in to slumber? As if a sign, she heard subtle thumps on her door. Most would miss them, but with a hearing like hers, you couldn’t miss it. She tiptoed down the stairs to avoid waking her parents, and made her way to the door. Yet, this wasn’t what she was expecting to find.
“Aiden?!” she exclaimed. Slumped against her door was Aiden.
His lips and fingers had a blue hue to them, he was seemingly covered in various injuries, his eyes were clouded and dazed, and he was in no means what so ever dressed for this frigid weather, for he was only wearing a thin t-shirt and shorts. Without wasting another second, she rushed to his side, and as gently as she could, she tapped his cheek.
“Hey, Aiden! Can you hear me?!” she exclaims.
By now, she could hear thumping in her house, no doubt her parents waking up from the commotion she was causing. Before she could focus too much on that, she heard a faint groan from the boy below her.
“Ash..?...” he slurred. His eyes were still hazy, yet there seemed to be a faint glimmer of recognition.
“Hey, you with me?” she asked softly.
“Mmhm.” was the only response she received from the no doubt exhausted boy.
“Ashlyn?” Her father suddenly appears behind her.
“D-dad..” she mumbles, her own mask of confidence breaking. She had no clue what the hell was happening, or how to help her friend.
“What’s going on- Aiden?!” he shouts when he lays eyes on the boy laying limp at her side.
Military training kicking in, he quickly assesses the situation, and makes swift movement to pull the boy inside. After pushing the coffee table aside, he gently laid Aiden on the ground, grabbing a throw pillow and resting it below his head.
“Ashlyn, honey, please go grab the big med kit from the closet, and wake up your mom.” he instructs. After a hesitant look at Aiden, she moves to go complete the tasks.
Turning his attention back to the boy, he attempted to rouse him once more.
“Aiden, hey kid, can you hear me?” he asks softly. Frozen eyelashes flutter open to gaze at him.
“Mmhmm…” he mumbled out. Letting out a sigh of relief that the boy was at least partially conscious, Mike continues,
“I’m glad kid, now, do you want me to call your parents?” he asks.
While he thought that it was a simple, reasonable question, pure terror fills Aiden’s eyes, his breath rapidly increasing as his chest heaves in panic.
“Hey, hey, Aiden. Breath, it’s okay, I won’t call them if you don’t want me to.” he assures the panicking boy.
At his words, Aiden seems to sag in relief. Before Mike could comment on that, Ashlyn comes running down the stairs, with his wife in tow.
“Aiden!” Ashlyn exclaims as she rushes towards the boy.
She slides to her knees by his side, and clutches his still-blue hand in hers. Even if they noticed, neither Mike nor Emma would comment on how Aiden got ten times calmer, more aware, and seemed to be desperately trying to focus on her. Before beginning to deal with his many injuries, Emma gently laid a heated blanket on his chest, and set it to a low setting, so as to not shock his body. Using calm and deliberate movements, Emma and Mike began to patch Aiden up. After cleaning and bandaging the cuts on his face, they wrapped his ankle which was sprained at worst, and began to stitch up his side wound.
“Almost done Aiden, we’re almost done.” Ashlyn softly told him whenever he tensed up. Soon, that was finished, and all that was left was his shoulder.
“Hey, Aiden. This is really gonna hurt, so just focus and Ashlyn, okay?” Mike told him. So, Emma helped position Aiden so that he was facing Ashlyn, and that Mike could easily access his side.
“Hey, Aiden. So it looks like you may be staying with us for a bit, so what do you like for breakfast? And-” Ashlyn rambled as her father made the swift movement of popping his shoulder back in place. Aiden screamed a loud, agonizing, horrible scream as he sobs.
“Shh, Aiden. It’s okay, we got you.” Ashlyn whispers to him again, and again until the sobs die down. As he falls limp against Ashlyn, Emma repositions the heating pad on him, turning it up a few settings.
“Hey Aiden, do you think you could tell us what happened?” Mike asks gently. Aiden groans and tries to sit up, but many hands gently push him down. Giving up on that idea, Aiden attempts to clear his throat.
“C-call, B-ben… tell ‘m c-code four… he’ll expl’n.” he slurs out. As Ashlyn pulls out her phone and dials his cousin, Emma brings him some warm tea, and places the mug against his lips, helping his weak body drink it.
“Hey, Ben? Aiden showed up at my door, in really bad shape. It’s been about an hour-” Aiden hears Ashlyn say. Huh? Has it really been that long?
“He said to tell you Code four? Ok, yeah I’ll ask..” she says before turning her attention to him.
“Hey Aiden? Ben wanted to ask if he can bring the others, Logan is also there and everyone is really worried.” she gently says.
“Th-ts ‘kay.” he slurs. He doesn’t hear the rest of her phone call, but he didn’t really try to hear anyways.
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He must’ve dozed off, because next thing he knew, Ben was at his side, looking at him with sad, sympathetic eyes, with Taylor, Tyler, and Logan behind him, mimicking the same expression. At the sight of so many familiar, safe faces, Aiden breaks down into tears.
“B-ben ‘m sorry! I-I couldn’t do ‘nything!” he sobs.
At his words, Ashlyn tightens her hug on him, before Ben and the others join in, minding his injuries. Before long, Aiden had fallen asleep in their arms. After a while, they all released their grip, and Ashlyn lays Aiden back down, returning the heated blanket to its former resting place over him.
“Hey Ben? What’s Code four?” Taylor hesitantly asks. Ben gives them a grim look, everyone turning to face him as he pulls out his phone and opens the notes app.
“Aiden’s parents are abusive. It’s never, ever gotten this bad, there's only ever been a few cuts, but we made up a code just in case. He didn’t want any of you to know.” Ben’s phone tells them. They all look at Aiden in horror. In the background, they can see Emma and Mike get up, and get on the phone. But before they could focus on that, a voice from below draws their attention.
“Pl’se don’t take Ben aw’y. I don wanna leave you guys..” Aiden slurred, voice muddled with sleep. Ben gently grabs his hand before whispering,
“Don’t worry Aiden, I’m not going anywhere.” he says, voice raw from disuse.
That was the first time anyone but Aiden ever heard his voice. At the comforting words, Aiden allowed himself to give in to the darkness. In his sleep, a faint smile graced his face, a stark contrast to the many bandages covering his now brighter face.
These kids had been through hell. They have fought phantoms, narrowly escaped death repeatedly, so there was no way that they were going to let some assholes take away all they have together. From now on, they would make sure that no one touched their resident daredevil ever again.
(Aiden’s parents were soon sentenced to jail, and custody of Aiden (And Ben) was given to Emma & Mike, seeing as though they had their foster licences up to date. Aiden and Ashlyn grow closer, (romantic or platonic is up to you) and for once, Aiden feels truly safe. )