Aris Jones X Reader One Shots

The Center of Attention

“I told you that this was a bad idea. I said that we should have been out in pairs,”I scolded, glaring at Minho and Frypan as we walked past people our age too out of it to be even the slightest bit of help.

“He's not a child. He doesn't need to be watched,”Minho reasoned as I shoved through more people.

“I didn't say that he needs to be watched. I just didn't want anyone to get separated. You know? The way we are right now?”I snapped.

“Don't even start. We all know that you just don't want to be away from that shank. I mean could it be any more obvious that you're in love?”

“You are so fucking funny, making jokes, at a time where Aris is missing. Oh wait. You aren't.”

“Nobody told him to go running off,”He shrugged.

“He was following the stupid plan that you all thought was a good idea for some reason.”

“Because it was. We have Thomas and Brenda,”He reminded me.

“And we have lost Aris! When will that get through your thick skull?!”

“He was supposed to be hiding near the front doors. You know? Hiding the way he always does?”He had the nerve to joke.

“Are you kidding me? He does not just hide, you birdbrain of a man.”

“I mean he does,”He shrugged again as we nearly stumbled through what was probably a group of friends.

“If he always hides like that, he should really get some more practice in,”Frypan remarked.

“What are you,”I started, trailing off when I saw Aris on the very middle of the floor, dancing like this was a normal thing for him.

But at the same time like he was just learning how to walk.

“Now this is a show,”Minho grinned, nodding his head. As he was about to cheer him on I clapped my hand over his mouth to shut him up.

“Handle him. I’m going to get Aris,”I directed, not bothering to get a reply as I dragged myself through all the sweaty skin that made me want to throw up and die. I swear to god if Aris doesn't have a reason for putting me through this I am going to kill him, bring him back to life, and kill him again.

“Aris! We need to leave!”I demanded, stepping over someone as I got to him.

“Hi!”He loudly greeted, wearing a wide grin. Getting a little closer, I realized just how much stronger the alcohol smell was.

“You were alone for five hours. What the hell happened?”I sighed, pulling his jacket sleeve to drag him back to the group.

“I got liquid courage!”He announced, like it was supposed to mean anything. Realizing that he wasn't going to be making sense any time soon, I kept pulling him.

“Y/N-”
“Not now,”I snapped, looking for Minho and Frypan who were now just gone.

“But Y/N-”
“Not now,”I repeated, tightening my grip on his hand.

“Y/N-”
“Damnit Aris! Not now! We have to go look for two other people after finding you because you had to be so fucking irresponsible!”I yelled, glaring at him.

“Yeah. I did,”He scowled, his eyes watering as he glared back.

“What are you talking about?”I asked, done with this.

“Maybe I did want to be irresponsible! Maybe I just wanted to be more than whatever the hell I am now! Because I don't even know what I am! Do you know what I am?! Because nobody does! Not really! It's always “boy in a Maze full of girls” and “that one kid that's always hiding” but never just me! I have never just been me! There's always been something over it, and I’m sick of it! I’m tired of it! So maybe I just wanted to be something else and actually be fun! Maybe then you would actually notice me! Maybe then you would actually like me!”He screamed, tears violently streaming down his face.

“Aris, I do like you,”I unintentionally whispered, just barely tugging him forward so I could wipe some of them away.

“No you don't,”He denied as more came.

“I really do. I do like you, and I do like being around you. You're sweet and funny and smart and patient and positive and bright. You're amazing, Aris,”I listed, sitting him at one of the round tables and handing him my extra water, still holding his hand as I sat across from him.

“It wasn't supposed to go like this,”He uttered as he put his head on the table.

“What wasn't supposed to go like what?”

“Just this. Everything. I just, I just needed you to know that I like you. I really, really like you, and I really want to be able to call you mine. But you don't like me. Because you talk to people. You react. You get angry. But not at me. Never at me. You just see through me, like I’m not even supposed to be here. Like I’m invisible. Like I’m so small and everything else is so big. And it is, but still. I don't want it to be like that. I want it to mean something. I want to mean something. I’m just invisible though so I don't,”He spilled, tightening his hold on my hand while still not looking at me. “I thought that maybe if I was someone else I would be someone worth hanging out with,”He whispered.

“Aris, you are someone worth hanging out with. You are fun,”I assured him. As he just shrugged though, I knew I would have to explain a bit more. “When we would have snowball fights and go ice skating or run off in the woods late at night, that was all fun. When we would talk and watch the stars when everyone was asleep, that was fun. That was all something that I could do forever and ever and not even think about doing something different. I could do that for any activity really,”I admitted, running my thumb over his knuckles. “Just as long as whatever I’m doing has you.”

“What?”He asked quietly, finally meeting my gaze.

You are somebody's someone. You're my someone, and you don't need to be someone else for that. Even if you were somehow someone else, you wouldn't be my person anymore.”

“So am I not your person now?”He whispered, his voice only cracking more despite how out of tears he was. With his face puffy and the way he would just let out hiccuped coughs every now and then, he was drained yet hungry for answers.

“You are. You just did something that messed up the plan so we couldn't find you. We were just looking for you, and that scared me. That terrified me, because I need you. I will always need you. You're the piece of me that keeps me on the ground. You keep me sane. You always make being alive worth it.”

“Why wouldn't it be worth it without me?”

“That's just, that's a really long story. A story without good answers,”I admitted.

“Oh,”He mumbled. “I’m sorry,”He whispered, seeming to understand anyway.

“So do you get it? I need you, Aris. I need the real you. I always have,”I promised.

“Would you ever need me as more than friends?”He asked slowly.

“No, but I want you like that.”

“So can I kiss you?”

“Not now.”

“Awe,”He mumbled to himself.

“But when you're sober you can kiss me until the sun rises in the east and sets in the west,”I assured him. Which maybe was a bad idea since the second I said that he started chugging the water like his life depended on it, downing the whole thing in two seconds. “You good?”

“I’m sobering up faster,”He shrugged, making me laugh a little bit.

And then I also realized that it was the first time in a while.

It also makes sense that he would be the one to make me do so.