The Odds | ✓

10

aden and neo's talk

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As messed up as it sounds when Aden internally admits it, the obvious nervousness of Neo's face eases some of his own.

Which is probably the only reason why he looks scarily composed even though he feels anything but, as he walks over to the booths at the end of the café where Neo had chosen to take a seat. Although Aden would never say it out loud, he internally has an entire crisis over where he's supposed to sit.

Beside him? In front of him? Won't that be weird? The space beside him is empty...

Neo doesn't notice him walk over, his eyes on his phone. The straw of his now-finished milkshake absentmindedly is held between his teeth, his beanie now off his (messy) hair and sitting on the table looking lonely. Aden shakes his head and tries to squash the fluttering feeling returning in his stomach when his eyes fall on Neo's previously rolled-up sleeves now half covering his palms.

He is in the process of resisting an urge to shove his entire fist inside his own mouth at the realization that he's probably never going to get used to how adorable Neo is when he taps his knuckles on the table twice, grabbing the other boy's attention.

The other boy looks up with his blue eyes a little too wide, straightening up so quick that he almost drops his phone. "Oh, hi!"

"Hey," Aden replies, mildly amused by his reaction. Just suck it up, he tells himself and takes the empty spot beside Neo instead of the one in front of him. "Did you enjoy your food? Can I get you anything else?"

Neo shakes his head in reply, eyes following Aden's movements a little absentmindedly. It probably registers inside his head that he replied to just one question because he opens his mouth to say something else.

But before he can backtrack, Aden jokingly asks, "You didn't enjoy your food?"

When Neo's eyes widen comically, Aden can't help but the chuckle that escapes his mouth. He waves it off, yet another part of his nervousness ebbing away at the reminder that he isn't the only one feeling unnerved. "I know what you meant. I'm just messing around."

Neo blinks at him, then looks away. There's a wry smile on his face when he mumbles, "I guess I deserved that."

Although Aden is a little unnerved at how their roles seem like they have suddenly reversed, he knows he needed to see this side of Neo. The mix of awkward and panicked for once instead of the Neo he saw around school. The Neo who always knew what to say, the Neo everyone admired, the Neo Aden would have never approached on his own.

Neo isn't perfect.

It's a stupid, unreasonable thing to seek confirmation about, but Aden is relieved either way.

"That wasn't an attack," Aden admits with a faint blush blooming on his cheeks to match the one already on Neo's. He's embarrassed that his harmless sentence came out that way. This is why I think fifteen times before I let a string of words leave my mouth.

"Oh..." Neo scratches the back of his neck, grimacing a little. "I still deserved that. But it's good to know that you aren't —" He cuts himself off, peeking up at Aden through his lashes. "Wait... are you? Mad at me, I mean."

He wants to tease Neo a bit, because mad or not, Aden was miserable these past few days. But he shakes his head. He'd probably feel horrible about it later.

"Oh," Neo breathes again, sounding so relieved that Aden is glad he didn't jokingly say otherwise. He fiddles with his fingers on his lap, looking down for a few seconds before finally speaking. "I'm uh," He clears his throat, taking a deep breath before he adds, "I'm really sorry. For um, y'know... making you uncomfortable at the party —"