A/N: They go to an aquarium. Tom is autistic and gets sensory overload (I'm autistic and I hc him as such, don't kill me 💔💔)
James pov:
It's almost Tom's birthday and as a present we wanted to take him to an aquarium.
"You guys got everything we're leaving soon." I say.
"Where are we going? Do the other two know?" Tom asks.
"They do, but it's a suprise for you!" I say.
"Oh, I'm scared." He says.
"It's gonna be okay." Aiden says, hugging him. "We're here if something happens." He continues.
"I'm ready. Are we going?" Jake says.
"Yeah, let's go!" I say.
Aidens pov:
We get into the car. I sit down next to Tom. He's clearly anxious, so I try to calm him down.
"Hey, hey, Tom. It's gonna be okay! It's your day, okay?" I say.
"Yeah, okay." He says. I have his noise-canceling headphones with me just in case.
After a bit, we arrive.
Jake's pov:
"Where are we?" He asks.
"We're at an aquarium!" I say.
"Ohh! I love aquariums!!" He says.
"Let's get in!" James says.
We get in and start looking everywhere. Aiden is around Tom a lot. Tom doesn't like sharing his feelings and thoughts, but Aiden knows how to make sure he does.
Toms pov:
After about half an hour, every noise becomes loud. It's like taking over my brain. It's hurting my ears.
I can feel myself get more anxious and start shaking. My whole body feels tense. There's too much noise and movements.
Not long after, I start crying. Tears slowly go down my face.
Of course, Aiden notices immediately.
"Hey Tom, are you okay?" He asks. I just can't find the words to say how I feel. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Let's go somewhere quieter."
He takes my hand and takes me to a quiet place. "Here, take these." My headphones. "Why did you bring these?" I ask.
"Incase of something like this." He says as he puts them on and turns on music.
"How did you know?" I ask. "Oh, trust me, I've been around you for a very long time. I've read a lot about autism to understand you, and I just want to help you out." I nod."Is it okay if I inform the others?" I nod again.
I start to calm down a little, James and Jake are already here. "Hey Tommy, do you feel better?" Jake asks.
I nod. "A little." Aiden wraps his arms around me. I usually don't like being touched, but this time, I don't really care.
"Are you ready to continue?" James asks. "We can take it slow. Also, why don't you just wear your headphones?"
I nod. "Okay! I will. Let's continue now." I say.
Jake walks next to me this time, leaving James and Aiden in front of us.
Jake then kisses me. "I love you." He says. "I love you too." I reply.
I noticed I've calmed down a lot more since I wore my headphones. Sometimes, I would take them off to talk about the fish and what kind it is.
'I don't understand how they're not bored of me yet.' I ask myself.
We continue walking, and I continue rambling about the different animals.
Aidens pov:
Tom has calmed down a lot. He's been talking for a long time. Honestly, I don't really mind, he sound cute doing it.
"I'm glad Tom is doing better." I say. "Me too." Jake says. He puts his arm around me. "Look at Tom and James. They look so sweet like that." I say. Jake nods. James and Tom are sitting next to each other. They're talking about the fish.
Jake's pov:
After a while, we go home. Aiden is driving, and I'm next to him. James and Tom are in the back. Tom is asleep. "He looks so peaceful." I say. "He really does." James says, smiling at him and kissing his forehead.
We get home not long after. Tom is asleep on the couch with James and Aiden next to him. I got everyone something to drink.
Toms pov:
I slowly wake up, noticing I'm already home. "Oh, huh."
"Hey, sleepy head." James says, kissing me.
"Hey." I say, still waking up.
"Are you okay now?" Aiden asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" I say.
"Okay." Aiden says.
"Thanks for the amazing day, guys." I say.
"Anything for you." Jake says.
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Jamjaiden again!!
- Sander, 745 words.
