Experiment 101 (Aris x Reader)

6) Emotional Intelligence

"You, what's your name?"a man barked at Aris. He didn't know what to say as he stared at the ground. While he used to love his name, since it was something his parents had poured their souls into, it starts with an a. A is the very first letter of the alphabet, and apparently that's the order they like doing things around here. While he wasn't quite sure what here was yet he didn't like it. Despite everything going on, being given an orange and water bottle, clean clothes, and a real bed, things he had been doubting were more than legends, he wanted to be with someone who cares for him. Maybe his mom and dad, or even Y/N. Because even though to most she had given basically every indication of feeling indifferent towards him, he knew that wasn't true.

So he didn't answer that man as he stared at the ground.

"Your name?"the man repeated, burning holes through his head. He just kept quiet and focused on the blue socks on his feet. It was the shade he imagined an ocean or even measly pond with be, and the thought of those being real always filled him with hope.

Right now though, there was none. None at all.

As the guard moved on so he didn't show the kids what this place was capable of (yet) he dropped a clipboard he was holding. Being the first to spot it, after living on edge his entire life, Aris's reflexes were quick as he picked it up. It truly was an accident.

But once he had it in his hands, accident wasn't the right word. Fate had brought him to her.

"Section A, Room 5-44, experiment 101,"He repeated to himself, having this gut feeling these words were important. When his eyes traveled directly below those first few lines barely a second later for the thousandth time in one hour the gut feeling of needing to leave increased. Because staring back at him was a photo of Y/N. Though she was a few months younger and her hair was longer, her face seemed burned into his brain. At least, that's what it felt like at the time.

Scanning the words as quickly as possible he caught phrases like unfeeling, cold, pain, merciless, cruel, and soldier.

"I'll take tha-"
"What are you gonna do to her?"He dared to interrupt, finally looking at the guard. The stranger was taller than Aris thought should be trustworthy. With cold, beady eyes, and a permanent scowl on his face, he could tell that this man was the worst kind of evil.

Because he may have been a child, and the justifications may seem odd, but he was smart. He knew how to read expressions and intent. He used to spend hours looking at photos and imagining what people were feeling just by what he saw. He had something a lot of people lacked, and his dad had always said it was a weapon that most people search years for only to be right back where they started.

It all came natural to him though.

Emotional intelligence. He could read people, and he was good at it.

"Friend of yours?"the guard asked, his face almost unmoving as he spoke. He didn't let his discomfort of this place show any longer as he held his head high.

"Yes. She is,"He nodded, not backing away from his spot.

"Really? What's her name then?"He smirked.

"Why's it matter? Don't you know it?"He pointed out.

"Of course I do,"He scoffed, his defensiveness and ego coming to light. While the purpose may have been to be tough Aris thought that it was stupid to prove your power to some kids. He bit his tongue though. Not because he wanted to but because he was getting an idea of how things went around here. That and the way that he was seeing right through someone and letting them know, while also silently humiliating him, was more than enough to not back down.