We Met By Chance(Aris Jones x Reader)

19) In The Dark

By the time night fell we were still not where we needed to be. Instead, we were out in the open. As far as I know, the same place as always wasn't special or really anywhere we wanted to be.

“Here we are,”Jorge announced, stopping at nothing. We all looked at each other as we took in the news that he was completely psycho. “Everyone stand back,”He instructed, walking to some random boards on the ground. Without a word he pulled them up to reveal some sort of pitch black hole.

“Wow. I’ve always dreamed of being murdered,”I gasped, wearing an overly excited grin.

“That's not funny,”Newt tried to tell me.

“It's kind of funny,”Rachel shrugged.

“That’s up for debate,”Aris chipped in.

“Hey hermanas. Are you all coming?”He called.

“Nah,”I shrugged.

“It's probably not that bad,”Jeremy defended.

“Then, you can get your head chopped off,”I muttered. Probably not hearing me, he approached the place, following Jorge’s lead of sliding down whatever that place. As the group looked at each other, David went next. Shaking his head, he jumped after them down into the darkness. As if it was nothing Rachel waited a minute before putting her arms up like a kid at a playground and going with them. Mumbling something about not talking to strangers, Newt was next, his distaste for this idea clear from even back here as he went down. Leaning over it, Minho must have decided five seconds was long enough as he slid with him. Being last in that line, Frypan said something under his breath before going with the group, leaving Aris.

“You coming?”He asked.

“That's stupid. Really, really stupid.”

“A little, but it’s better than staying out in the open,”He pointed out.

“Well, I don't want to go to some place I don't know,”I defended, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Isn't that your thing?”

“I’m not going,”I repeated.

“What's the worst that can happen? As long as we're together it'll be okay,”He tried to assure me.

“I'm not going somewhere in that dark, okay?”I snapped, glaring at him.

“You're afraid of the dark,”He stated. Not asked. He was sure of that.

I mean he's not wrong, but that’s not the point.

“Come on. I’ll go with you,”He offered, extending his hand.

“I don't-”
“It’ll be quick, and I won't let go,”He promised, still keeping his arm out. I looked at him for a while in hopes that he would just leave. “If something goes wrong you can't protect everyone from up here,”He reminded me. Shuck. He knows what gets to me now.

“Together?”I asked.

“Yes. Together,”He promised.

“And you won't tell anyone about this?”

“Not a soul.”

“You won’t let go?”

“Not until we reach the bottom.”

Before I could back out, I accepted his invitation. Walking to the edge, as promised he was still holding my hand as we looked down.

“Come on. It's now or never,”He said, sitting on the side with me. Counting to three in my head while already regretting this, I let him pull me into the darkness, keeping my eyes shut as I intertwined our fingers so he wouldn’t drift. Taking a breath, I kept telling myself that it was okay as we kept heading down this never ending slide making my stomach twist in knots. Just as I thought I was going to vomit we hit the bottom with a thud. With light shining through my closed eyes, I opened them to see an underground room. The normalcy of it was wild, with wooden walls, a few bunk beds, two normal ones, a couch, and even side tables or whatever those are called.

“Took you long enough,”Rachel remarked from a top bunk.

“We got held up,”Aris lied, standing from the floor, taking me with him. Realizing I had never let go, I pulled my hand out of his.

“This is where we want to be for the night. Because you two are late you can share the couch,”Jorge instructed, pointing at it against the wall as if we didn't have eyes.

“Fun,”I deadpanned.

“You snooze, you lose,”Jeremy pointed out.

“I guess I should have snoozed then,”David sighed, putting his hand to his head before flopping on his bed.

“Ah, yes. I would have loved being in a cramped space next to you. It's my lifelong dream.”

“Shouldn't we just get to bed?”Aris spoke up.

“Don't get too eager now. It's a bit early for that,”Rachel said.

“I’m just tired,”He mumbled.

“Then, to bed we go,”I sighed, heading to my sleeping space for the night. Seeing the light green fabric, I ran my fingers over it before deciding on the left corner.

“Can you turn the left switch off and the right switch on?”Jorge asked. Glancing at it beside my head, I decided on the left switch, putting me black in pitch black. Before I could panic a small light from the wall came on. Looking up, I saw that Aris had flicked the switch that apparently had dim lights.

“Come on. Let's get some sleep,”He whispered, sitting beside me as a cool breeze filled the room. Seeming to feel it too, he moved closer. Laying down, I was facing him from the inside portion.

Without a word we just looked at each other. Little things become visible about him. Like his light freckles lining his face, his ocean blue eyes having small bits of gray in them, and how his lips were a subtle shade of pink. Then, I realized that I was staring at his lips and pulled my attention back to his eyes only to see him staring at mine. Doing everything to think nothing of it, I closed my eyes for good this time and attempted to doze off.

ᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗ

Hours later (probably), and I was no closer to falling asleep than when I had started. Aris did not seem to be having that problem, though I didn't ask.

I also didn't have to as there was the sound of something dropping and echoing through the walls. Feeling someone quickly put their hands around my waist, despite there only being one possible person I still opened my eyes.

“Sorry,”He whispered, turning red despite the darkness.

“It’s okay,”I shrugged.

“I just panicked and had to make sure that you were there,”He explained.

“As you can probably tell, I am.”

“Yeah. You are,”He whispered, yawning as his eyes started to barely close.

“Mhm,”I agreed, placing my hand over his that was still on my waist. Too tired to reject whatever this was, I just forced myself to sleep for real this time.