A Summer Fling (Aris x Reader AU)

1) The Arrival

No amount of headphones could fix the snoring from the guy next to me. He also seemed fairly occupied so I didn't want to turn on the overhead light to read. That would probably make me the villain in his eyes. Plus, I saw his eyebags. While I know some people just tend to have them and they never leave, with me being a great example, I also was always a horrendous sleeper, even as a kid. I was supposed to grow out of leaving my bed in the middle of the night to go look for things nobody else really cared about.

I didn't. The hobby just matured from sneaking out to the barn to stay with the animals to sneaking out to random fields to take photos. I’m like Batman that way, but instead of fighting crime I develop photos because I hate melatonin so much I’d rather just live with insomnia. So a less cool version of him then.

I'm here now though. I told the taxi to just drop me off at the very end of the farm, which he seemed more than fine with. Probably because it's around midnight, practically pitch black out, and he was falling asleep at the wheel, but who knows at this point?

Now that I think about it, I could totally just walk away. I have my stuff, I have money, and I have two working legs. I could just start walking somewhere totally new. I could also call the taxi back and tell him to take me as far away from here as possible.

I won't though. That's exactly why my dad just handed me more money on top of what I already have and said to be responsible with it. He knew that I would be. I’m just a goodie two shoes like that. Always listening to authority. I hate that. It makes me feel like I’m having a crisis, which I should be way too young for.

Am I supposed to knock? I mean the kitchen light's on, but I haven't seen anybody here in years. I used to be able to just come in after a long day with my friends. It was a relatively small group of four, if you include me, which also technically has duos since I was closer to one girl and the other two were planning a wedding in the barn before we knew what that actually meant.

I wonder if they still live here. Can I still just walk for a few minutes and have that chaotic group back together?

That's something else I’ll find out I guess. I’ll be finding out quite a bit it seems.

I should probably knock now.

Raising my fist to the wooden door, I counted to three in my head before wracking my knuckles against it. Almost instantly, the sound of harsh barks' came from the other side along with a women repeatedly saying down. I readjusted the straps of my bag just as the porch light shone down on me like a theatre spotlight. Shifting in my spot, I stoos there until the door swung open so fast I thought it would send me backwards.

“Well, it took ya’ long enough to get here,”Aunt Susan immediately grinned, pulling me in for a hug before I could react. I forced myself to hug back for the sake of impressions. Even if it does knock the wind out of me.

“Good to see you too,”I managed to say as she let go after about five seconds. I let my arms flop back to my sides as I looked at her.

“Well, you just get on inside, and-Brutus! You too!”She called. I looked just past my feet to see a big black dog begrudgingly listen, dragging his paws as he did. “Come on. I’ve got the couch set up for you,”She invited.

“You renovate the guest room?”I guessed, walking in the house. I took a breath as she shut the door, the odd yet familiar smell of her home, pine and cooking, filling my nose while I did.

“Not exactly. You’ll have plenty of time to get reaquainted tomorrow,”She said simply, lightly pushing me into the living room. I sort of let her while also dragging myself over, glancing at the photos on the light brown walls. It seemed like she hung up every one that Mom sent her, along with a few of mine, which was admittedly a surprise. There were also those three faces that I swore I knew like the back of my hand, but I didn't get to clarify with my eyes before I was in the living room.

“I’m sure you're all tuckered out, but are ya’ hungry?”She checked.

“No. I ate on the plane,”I shrugged.

“That fills nobody up. We just got finished with the cookies today, if you’d like one?”She offered.

“Who’s we?”I kind of pushed as I set my stuff down and sat on the couch.

“I already told you, you'll get aquatinted tomorrow. Now do you want a cookie?”She repeated.

“No thanks,”I said again.

“Well, they’ll be there tomorrow then. You’ll be starvin’ by sundown. That's a guarantee,”She grinned, showing off the gap in her teeth that had skipped my mom and past down to me. Same with the hair. Mom just has this thick curly hair that takes forever, Dad has super light blonde straight hair, and my aunt always has plain dirty brown hair that she always did love in a ponytail or braid. As long as it was simple. I got Mom’s eyes and Dad’s nose though, only to get my aunt’s freckles. Genetics are weird like that.

Life was simple here. Maybe it still is. Maybe it will be.

“I’m going to bed now. There’s extra blankets under the table if you need ‘em.”

“I should be fine. Thanks though,”I nodded, watching as she left, flicking off the lights as she did.

Sighing, I wrapped the blanket around me and pulled out the book that was tucked away in my jacket pocket. Opening to where I left off, I read with nothing but the light from the stars and the moon shining through the window behind me.