Aris Jones X Reader One Shots

I’m hiding it pretty well. All of it. I don't think he has any idea about the nightmares or the things people have been saying to me or how stressed all the extra work actually made me. I’m a Keeper so that's part of the job. I have to accept that people are going to complain about me and nothing I do will ever be good enough.

I'm the most passive Keeper there is. I try to work things out without involving anyone, but that doesn't seem to be working.

It's fine though. I’m totally chill with it all.

I’ve hated this the most from the start. Having to banish someone. I’m helping kill an already dying human. Someone's friend or maybe even mine.

It haunts me. The faces they’ll make, the screams, all of it. It haunts me, and because it's known I’m the only Keeper who won't do something about it, if it's someone's well liked the frustration gets taken out on me. Small things. Whispering loud enough for me to hear about how I’m a killer, spouting insults under their breath as they walk past, tripping me, bumping into my side hard enough to leave bruises, and a few other things. I even had a Slicer cut me with her knife once.

I had to do it again. At the end of the day, I had to push someone into the Maze, where they would never leave.

I’ll go through it all over again tomorrow. I’ll be reminded of the painful memory every second. After inevitably having a nightmare about it. They happen for about a week after, which means a week of telling Aris I have to sleep in my own room since I’m not feeling well. Even if it does get difficult since he promises he'll just cuddle and take care of me.

The insults started early today. I got called a heartless monster when I was walking home to tell Aris the same excuse as always. That's totally fine and does not get under my skin at all. There is no reason to react.

With a very heavy sigh, I just walked into his place, prepared for the usual lie.

“Hey. How was your day?”He greeted.

“It was alright. I’m just-”
“Not feeling well,”He finished.

“Yeah. Not feeling well.”

It's not even a lie actually. I am genuinely exhausted. Life feels so much more horrible than it should despite already being rough. I just want to sleep forever at this point.

He didn't say anything as he stood off his cot. Walking the two feet to me, he tightly wrapped his arms around me, keeping me close and resting his head on my shoulder. Giving in, I loosely hugged back, shutting my eyes as I took in his soft touch.

“I love you,”He whispered against my neck, rocking me back and forth while standing.

“I love you too,”I mumbled.

Keeping me in his embrace, he rubbed my back. Sighing, I wondered why all of life couldn't feel like this.

Pulling away, he placed his hands on my shoulders as he looked at me, his eyes full of concern in a way that made my stomach turn.

“When’s the last time anything was okay?”He asked softly.

Losing the ability to speak, barely having energy to react, much less think of an answer or lie, I pulled him closer, burying my face in his chest as I gripped the back of his shirt. Letting the tears fall, I silently cried in his arms as he hummed to me, rubbing circles on my back.

“I love you. No matter what, that'll never change. I promise.”

“I’m tired, Aris,”I admitted through shaky breaths.

“I know. I know you are.”

“Life sucks.”

“I know it does.”

Shutting my eyes, I let myself go as limp as I could while standing, every part of me seeming to drain at once.

“Let's go to sleep. We can talk about it in the morning. Does that sound okay?”

“Mhm,”I answered, still not making the effort to move yet.

“You want me to hold you like this a little younger?”

“Please?”

“Okay. Whatever you need, Y/N. Whatever you need.”