Aris Jones X Reader One Shots

Well Played

Aris's P.O.V

This killed me to do. It hurts more than what I had been forced to do to Thomas. Thomas hadn't been in love with me. She was or is. Even worse, she seemed to genuinely understand why we did what we did. She didn't get angry or upset even when I told her about the kiss with Teresa, in hopes that she would break it off herself.

"Aris?"She asked, joining me away from the group. I didn't say anything as I avoided looking at her. I swear that I'm going to be sick. I never wanted to do anything like this, ever.

But I had to. It was part of the plan that I didn't have a choice in.

"I like you, Y/N,"I started, choking on the words.

"I would hope so,"She joked, making the guilt so much worse.

"Listen. You're really cool. You're really great to be around. You're nice and smart and funny, and I really like hanging out with you,"I got out.

"Look at me,"She suddenly demanded. I didn't have it in me to do that as I stared at the ground. "Aris, look at me. If you're going to break up with me look me in the eyes while you do it."

"I really like being around you. I honestly do, and I didn't want to from the start. I really, really didn't want to, but I didn't have a choice. I like you-"
"What I'm asking is simple. Look at me while you break my heart,"She repeated, sounding unusually calm. Taking a breath and blinking away tears, I finally did to see that she was completely stone faced.

"Say it,"She said, gesturing for me to continue.

"You're great, but I don't like you that way. I never did. WICKED made me, because you had been close to Thomas so it would rub salt in the wound. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. I had to kiss you, because that's normally what you do when you're with someone. I had to say that I love you, because you had to believe it,"I confessed. Closing my eyes, I waited for something. For any kind of reaction.

"Okay,"She replied in a dry voice.

"Okay?"I asked, looking at her. Her expression, or expressionless, face didn't change.

"Yeah. Okay,"She shrugged. I tried to wrap my head around her casual response to all of this. I don't know what I expected, but this was more confusing than upsetting.

"What? You want me to cry? Scream? Maybe start hitting you in rage?"

"I don't understand,"I admitted.

"You thought that I would try and hurt you, didn't you?"She asked. I didn't know how to answer that. I had imagined a thousand ways this went down, and none of them were this nonchalant.

"Do you think that I didn't know, Aris?"She asked. Thinking I was hearing wrong, I kept staring at her while trying to figure out what was happening. "It was pretty easy actually. The way you 'coincidentally' became more affectionate around him,"She explained, using air quotes.

"I don't understand. If you knew then why wouldn't you say anything?"I asked in disbelief.

"Because I knew it would make you feel worse when you did something to him. Knowing you had used someone else, I knew that would kill you on the inside. Think of it as a little bit of salt on the wound,"She mocked.

"I already feel bad,"I defended.

"And you felt even worse, right?"

"Of course I did."

"Exactly. You got what you wanted, and I got what I wanted."

"What did you even want?"

"Just to screw with you a little bit. See how long until you told the truth. I didn't know the exact betrayal or even if there was one. The theories ranged from hurting him to being in love with him. I guess you did hurt him though."

"That's not fair. I didn't have a choice,"I argued. Except, she wasn't arguing. She was just cold.

"Aris, that's not how this works. You try to cut me, I'll leave you looking like an idiot."

"This is insane,"I mumbled.

"So am I though. I'm gonna go talk to Minho. I hope that salt isn't burning you,"She smiled. It looked so sweet and innocent that it was terrifying. She's just, I don't even know. That interaction just chilled me to my core.

I mean it didn't hurt her, but damn, that was unexpected. She played me better than I ever could have.

I guess we're even now, but I'm probably going to think about that conversation a lot. She didn't just rub salt in the wound. She had me wrapped around her finger while she did it.

Well played, Y/N. Well played.