Lily Of The Valley (Aris x Reader)

11) Alive

We were back on top of the train. For a while we had been jumping back and forth between the compartments.

With me on the other side, I grinned as I waited for him to join me. Going back for a moment, he did his usual thing of counting to three in his head. It keeps him in check before he goes to make an impulsive and possibly dangerous decision. I forced him to do that a while ago, and he’s stuck by it. By now, I doubt he even thinks about it. Seeing as it’s been years since he's had to do that but automatically did when we got out of the bunker without me even mentioning it, it just stuck.

Getting his running start, he sprinted to my side. Leaping over the steep edge, he let out a whoop of joy as his face lit up. With what seemed to be pure ecstacy radiating off of him, he flew through the air.

As he was almost over he was about to trip as his bad foot connected with the train. Grabbing his arms before he could fully fall, I grasped him by his wrists as I pulled him over the edge.

Breathing heavily, he laid on his back, the joy replaced with disappointment. Shutting his eyes for a moment, he let out a sigh with so much sorrow even the coldest person's heart would ache for him.

“I’m sorry,”He apologized.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,”I promised.

“No matter what, I’m just gonna slow us down. If I can't even jump over three feet how am I supposed to protect you if something happens?”

“I don't need protection,”I pointed out.

“It doesn't matter. I can't even-”
“Aris, stop,”I said firmly.

“It's true. I-”
“Shut up, and listen to me,”I demanded.

Closing his mouth, he sat up and nodded his head, gesturing for me to speak.

“You're struggling a little bit. You're always going to. No matter what, you will always have a limp. Not by choice. Not because it's your fault. Because you were trying to save everyone. You did your best, and you suffered from others' actions. It’s terrible, but that's how it is.”

“Gee. Than-”
“I’m not done,”I cut him off. Shutting up again, he looked at me.

“You will always struggle, but you're something a lot of people aren't. You're something a lot of people never will be. You are alive. Not just surviving. Not just getting by. You're living, Aris. You're living.”

“Why can't you let me wallow in self pity?”He complained, a playful smile on his lips.

“Because I’d be a fake friend. If I let you sit there and feel sorry for yourself and put yourself down when you can always get back up, I’d be a shitty friend,”I answered with full honesty anyway.

Sitting up a little more, his bittersweet smile grew a little wider.

“You're alive, Aris. Can you feel it? The sun on your face? The wind in your hair?”

“Yeah. I can.”

“Can you hear it? Your voice where the world can know? The birds in the morning?”

“Yeah. It's nice.”

“You're alive, Aris. You're finally alive.”

“I’m alive,”He repeated, standing beside me.

“Then, let the world hear you.”

“I’m alive!”He screamed, his voice seeming to echo in the open air. Grabbing my hand, he raised it in the air as he laced our fingers together.

“We're alive!”I shouted to whatever was out there.

“We're alive, we’re alive, we’re alive! After years, we’re alive!”