A Summer Fling (Aris x Reader AU)

2) The Reunion

I’m not sure when, but I must have fallen asleep reading sometime during the night. That wasn't a shock, but it still threw me off to wake up in a completely different yet nostalgic environment, staring back at my groggy reflection in the television.

Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes as I yawned. Stretching my arms, I heard my elbows pop as I did, making me wince for a moment at the intense sound.

Unzipping my bag, I placed my book that has fallen on my lap inside before folding the blanket exactly as I found it. Placing it back in its spot, I brushed the wrinkles out before finally standing.

As I looked around, I saw that things were mostly the same. It was the same hardwood table, same plain chairs, same brown color on the walls. There was some updated art though. From abstract painting to realism sketches, there was plenty of variety and personality.

I wonder if she made them? That would mean she's at least in contact with her, right? And maybe the other two as well then?

That's yet another thing I will find out.

Walking into the hall, I turned slightly to look at the guest room door. Or maybe it still is. I’m not sure what secrets it holds now.

“Now if you didn't run off you wouldn't have had to see if anything around here changed,”Someone remarked.

I turned around on the heel of my feet to see a girl just inches from my face. I immediately backed up a few feet, mumbling apologizes as I twisted the sleeves of my hoodie.

“Nervous as ever,”She said simply.

I looked back up in disbelief, trying to process it. Now taking in her features, I took a breath for a moment as I tried to force my brain to believe what my eyes were seeing.

She was leaning against the frame of the wall, her arms folded. Her skin, even now, had some streaks of paint and charcoal, adding a touch of personality to her. Her hair was up and mostly out of her face, a few strands falling and framing it just right. Her eyes still had this sparkle of playfulness that perfectly matched her lopsided grin.

“Y/N,”I breathed out, throwing my arms around her. She laughed for a second, a soft sound that made my heart flutter, as she tightly hugged back, firmly wrapping her arms around me. Burying my face in the crook of her neck, I shut my eyes as I took in her presence.

“I missed you,”I whispered.

“I missed you too. It's been a little too quiet without you,”She sighed as she pulled away but kept her hands on my shoulders.

“Life’s been so bland without you. I needed my partner in crimes ages ago,”I agreed, placing my hands over hers, lightly tracing my thumbs over her skin.

“Whelp, are you hungry?”She grinned.

“Yeah, I could eat,”I shrugged.

“Come on then. Breakfast is on the table.”

“When'd that happen?”

“When you were sleeping the whole morning away.”

“I was not sleeping the morning away,”I argued, following her down the hall, passing the living room.

“You were,”She shrugged, taking my hand and rushing me into the kitchen. I nearly slipped from the combination of hardwood and socks only for her to pull me back up. “Now eat,”She grinned, taking a seat at the counter by my aunt. She patted the seat beside her that had its own plate right in front of it.

Yeah. Today's gonna be good.

⁠☆ ⁠☆ ⁠☆

“So you remember how to work with horses, right?”Y/N checked, glancing back at me.

“Yeah. I mean I would still go and see horses sometimes. It was just a little bit of a drive,”I answered.

“They have horses in the cities?”

“The suburbs are way different from cities. No for both of them though. I’d drive out somewhere and just hang with the horses for the day. It wouldn't be worth it for just a few hours.”

“But not daily?”

“No, but it's like riding a bike. Once you have the hang down, you never forget. Unless you get dementia or amnesia or something.”

“Still a realist, aren't you?”She grinned.

“Yep. Still getting mistaken for a pessimist too,”I shrugged.

“Reality is pretty grim sometimes,”She pointed out, stopping right in front of the barn door to look at me.

“Yeah, but it's still different than just seeing the bad side. Being a pessimist would mean stepping into a house that's just too much room with too little nature and believing that means you’ll never see your old life again. Being a realist means stepping into the house with too many rooms and realizing that it won't be easy to get back to what you love, no matter how many stars you wish on at night. And maybe accepting that it seems like there are a lot less to wish on,”I explained, meeting her Y/E/C eyes towards the very end.

“I tried to call you. A lot,”She whispered.

“I got a new number when I moved.”

“Mine never changed.”

“I’m sorry. I know I should have called.”

“I’m not mad at you, Aris. I just never really found out why, you know? I woke up one day, and you were gone. No note, no bike, no you.  I guess I’m just asking why you left like that?”She asked, sitting down in front of the doors. I took a spot beside her, placing my feet under me as I looked at her.

“I didn't know we were leaving either. Not until the day before. I was just so upset that I couldn’t see anybody. I would have just cried. I mean I did cry, but I didn't want the last memory you would have of me for a while to be that,”I confessed.

“I just would rather have a few sadder memories than less when it comes to you. It hurt knowing you left and not knowing when you were coming back. I know it couldn't have been easy for you, but I just couldn't understand how you could be happier away from me. I know you didn't have a choice now, but at the time it felt like I had done something wrong. We just always told each other everything. People would be like, “don't tell anybody” and I’d nod while knowing you would know exactly what was going on in a day. It just sucked,”She whispered, playing with the grass by her feet.

“It’s okay if you're mad at me for it.”

“I was. For a while. I would wish every night for you to have some common sense and come back home,”She admitted.

I winced a little at her bluntness, looking back at the grass again. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I asked I wasn't really sure I wanted to know.

“Are you still mad at me?”

“No. I started to just wish that you were happy, even if it was without me. That you had new friends and experiences.”

“I did, but I don't think I was ever really happy. Not in the way other people are. I had to be doing something to make me happy, and even then it didn't always work. I guess what I mean is I never really learned to just be happy. I always had to have something to make me feel the way people always said I should, content. Ever since I left, I haven't known happiness I wasn't searching for.”

“You should have been. You deserved to be happy. You should have been happy,”She said softly.

“I think being here for a while will fix that though. Being with you again,”I told her, ignoring the tint of red crossing my cheeks.

“Yeah?”She mumbled, her face turning a light pink.

“Yeah.”