It's amazing how in all of the years Aden has known Neo, and all of the weeks he's spent crushing on him, there wasn't one time he got left alone with the guy.

But the day after he accidentally almost suffocates him to death, he ends up in the same room as him.

If there's a higher power running the world from above, it definitely isn't very fond of Aden.

He doesn't have to turn around to tell that Kiara has already left. So pretending like he just forgot to say something to her and has to go back is out of the question. Because his eyes have already met Neo's, he can't pretend like he didn't see him. And he has also missed the chance to flip around, dash through the hallway, and continue running like hell until he hopefully stops breathing.

Like Neo almost had the other day.

Now he's standing at the door like an idiot while Neo looks up at him from one of the beds, eyes a little surprised but thin lips painted with a smile nonetheless. His head is tilted to one side in a very specific way that reminds Aden of a golden retriever. Legs swinging back and forth on the edge, Neo probably has no idea that even though Aden looks calm on the outside, he's dramatically clutching his chest inside his head and it feels like there's an entire orchestra playing in place of his heartbeat because Oh, my God, does he have to be this adorable?

On another note, though, Neo looks fine. Not at all like he had choked on a piece of paper the other day.

Aden mentally shakes himself when he realizes that the slight surprise on Neo's face is slowly getting replaced by concern, his lips forming words that don't make sense to Aden.

"What?" he asks dumbly, blinking.

If Neo thinks he's weird, he doesn't show any signs of it on his face and simply repeats his words. "Are you okay?"

Feeling the flush on his cheeks already, Aden says, "Yeah! Yeah..." That locker definitely hurt me harder than I thought. "I uh, hit my head so I'm... a little out of it, I think." You're always out of it in front of him, though.

Aden curses the voice inside his head.

"Oh." Neo's legs have stopped moving, his frown deepening. "Where? The nurse is going to come back in a bit. Are you going to be okay till then?" Before Aden can reply, Neo is already shifting a little, patting the space beside him. "Come sit down."

Too dumbfounded by his concern to register the fact that there are other perfectly fine and empty beds in the room to sit on, Aden makes his way over and sits down beside Neo, eyes falling on his knee like a camera zooming into focus. On the bandage peeking out of his dark-green shorts.

He gestures at it with his chin. "What happened?"

Neo blinks once, meeting his eyes and then looking down at his leg with a little frown. As if he didn't remember he was hurt. "Oh..." He definitely didn't remember. "I scraped it on the field during practice today." Aden watches a sheepish look cross his face, watching him raise a hand to rub the nape of his neck. "It was kind of my fault, though. It's not that bad, but Coach Tate wasn't having it since we have a really important game coming up soon."

Aden has always been a little envious about how easy it is for Neo to talk. While Aden finds it hard to collect his thoughts and even harder to articulate it into words, talking seems to come as easy as breathing to Neo. Words always leave him in a rush, yet he somehow holds himself back from rambling.

Even when they're at the café, Aden mostly only goes as far as taking Neo's order and greeting him back. Neo, on the other hand, sometimes waits by the counter and asks Aden about his day.

"Wait... I can see your bump from here," Neo adds, pointing at Aden's forehead. "That looks like it hurts. Where did you hit it?"

Aden grimaces, looking away and resisting the urge to put a hand on it. "Am I allowed to pretend I don't remember?"

He regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth, really. But there's no way he's telling Neo that he hit his forehead on a locker of all things.

There's a sound of an exhale, and then a low chuckle, followed by, "You're funny. If it's embarrassing, you don't have to tell me." I made him laugh. He thinks I'm funny. "If it makes you feel better, though, I hurt myself because I threw the ball in my friend's face and when he tried to chase me back, I turned around too fast and stumbled."

Aden has never seen Neo on the soccer field, but that's because he hates going there. Plus, he finds the game hard to understand. Watching a bunch of guys he can't recognize from a distance chase a ball in an overwhelmingly green field? Aden has decided that he's going to pass.

Besides, it's loud. And there are too many people.

Their school takes the game very seriously, though.

"Ouch."

"Ouch," Neo echoes. "Are you going to come? To the game? It's on Thursday."

His first instinct is to say Of Course I Would How Stupid Would It Be Of Me If I Didn't but then he remembers that he can't. And his face falls.

Crap. "Ah... I would, but..." He would. He really would. That's how big his ridiculous crush on Neo is. He would sit in the middle of all those people that probably smell like sweat and try to actually understand how the game works. For him. Ridiculous. He gives Neo an apologetic smile. "I have an early shift at the café. Right after school."

"Oh."

Aden wants to believe that he hears a teeny-tiny bit of disappointment there. But he doesn't want to get his hopes up. So he squashes the red little blooming flower in his chest and throws it away.

"What about the bonfire after?" Neo asks.

"Bonfire?"

"Yeah! We usually gather around the beach late in the evening to celebrate our win?"

Aden had no idea that was a thing. They live in a small town, one where everyone pretty much knows everyone. So he feels an unnecessary pang of hurt at the feeling of being left out even though he knows he has no one else to blame but himself.

And the fact that Neo had asked the question like he already expected Aden to be there somehow makes him feel even worse.

There's shuffling outside the door before Aden can think of a reply, and they look up at the same time to see the familiar face of their school nurse. Her tiny figure pauses by the door for a second upon seeing a new addition in the room.

"Aden?"

"Hi, Ms. Carr."

She gives him a look, and Aden recognizes the question in her eyes because he's usually in the nurse's office when he wants to hide. He's been around to help whenever he could, the result of which is that she's more of a motherly figure, and less of an authority figure in Aden's eyes.

Sometimes, Aden gets more anxious than usual. And when he does, the nurse's office is usually his hiding place.

He smiles at her in reassurance, pointing at his forehead.

"Ah." She frowns a little, stepping closer to look at his injury. "Silly kid. How did this happen?" Then she pauses and looks at Neo, who had been staring at the side of Aden's face without blinking. "Are you the reason, by any chance?" There's a lightness to her tone when she looks at Aden and referring to Neo, says, "Do you know this boy has been here every other day since last month?"

"It's an aggressive sport!" Neo says defensively.

"I see no other kid from your team around."

Neo grumbles something under his breath. The corners of Aden's lips twitch at the sound. He doesn't think he has ever seen Neo like this. And neither has he ever talked to, or around him this much before.

"I didn't think you would actually stay behind," Ms. Carr says, sighing. "It's good that you did, though. Do you have any trouble walking?"

"Nah. I didn't even want to come."

"Neo."

"Sorry."

She sighs again, and Aden assumes she knows Neo well, too.

"Try not to run around for the day, will you? Other than that, you should be free to move your leg normally."

"Good. Can I go?"

Giving him a look for a few seconds but then breaking into a wry smile, she shakes her head like a mother who can't be mad at her child. "You're free to go. Do not get in trouble for at least a week now, okay?"

Neo grins, and Aden is yet again reminded of how beautiful the boy is. He doesn't know if he's ever going to get used to seeing him smile.

"No promises."

She makes a disapproving noise at the back of her throat before looking away. "I don't know what I was expecting. Shoo now."

He's quick to make his way to the door as if desperate to be somewhere. Probably just the field again.

Aden is a little surprised when Neo stops, turning back around and locking eyes with Aden. He raises a finger as if making a mental note while giving Aden a serious look. "Bonfire. Come. Please."

And then he's walking away, leaving Aden to blink after him.

"Now," Ms. Carr says, getting Aden's attention before he can think too much about Neo's words. "Where did you hit your head?"