✔ DRUNK words, SOBER thoughts ✖ hemmings au

20: Breathe with Me

DEDICATED to overthinker16 because she's an amazing writer! Seriously, she's an underrated author who deserves more reads & votes on all her stories! Please check them out! You won't be disappointed! <3

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ARI.

I don't know how long I was crying for, but my eyes were hurting and each breath was getting harder. The news of Brayson dying prematurely broke my heart into billions of tiny pieces. The thought of such a sweet, innocent, little boy being robbed of a fulfilling life crushed me and every fallen teardrop was a representation of that ache. I knew Brayson since he was born - I held him for the first time when he was only a few days old. I watched as he fought through his disease, stayed in hospitals for weeks at a time, and I was even there the first time he stepped foot in Disneyland. Brayson Zachary Cole was my little man and I couldn't bare the thought that one day he'll earn his angel wings.

"Ari, shhh, you're okay now," Luke cooed as he crouched down in front of me. I sat on the curb with my face buried in my hands and I could feel Luke tug on my body to give me a hug. "Breathe with me."

Breathe.

The word made me panic and cry even more. The simple idea of breathing - the act that we do involuntarily, was a luxury that Brayson couldn't have. All we do is breathe. Sitting down, driving a car, or even after a three mile run, our breaths still seemed to catch up with us. Not with Brayson.

"I. Can't. I. Don't. Wanna," I whimpered in between words that were muffled in Luke's warm chest.

"Ari, come on, breathe with me," Luke repeated. He pulled away from the hug, hooking a finger under my chin so I was forced to look at his blue eyes through my teary ones. He pulled onto my hands, standing as he did, "get up."

Luke took a step towards me, his feet on either sides of mine and as I watched him in confusion, he pressed my chest up against his. He hugged me tight; so tight that I could feel his chest rise and fall with each one of his breaths. But I think that was the purpose. Luke wanted me to feel his breathing-- chest to chest.

"Follow my breathing pattern," Luke softly said and I listened to him.

Though my heart was beating at rapid speed and my lungs were practically gasping for air, I let my chest rise and fall with Luke's. It was rhythmic the way his inhale would match my exhale and my exhale would match his. I closed my eyes and concentrated on getting my breathing back to normal after all the crying. Soon enough, air flowed nicely through my lungs and I was no longer hiccuping; no longer yearning to breathe.

"Feel better?" Luke asked, gazing down at me with a smile.

"Yea," I nodded, "thanks."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he questioned, separating himself from me but I oddly didn't want him to let go. He felt so warm around me and it was comforting.

"I just need some answers. I need to talk to my mom," I told him honestly. "Can you take me to the children's hospital?"

"Anything for you Ari," Luke gestured for his car, unlocking it. The headlights blinked as the two of us slipped inside the car in silence.

I leaned my head against the cool window and closed my eyes, feeling another set of tears threaten to skip out of my eyes. I concentrated on the sounds of All Time Low coming from the speakers - trying to lose myself in the lyrics. I guessed Luke sensed my anxiety and woe because he reached over to grab my hand. He laced our fingers together, gently rubbing my thumb with his. The simple gesture put my stomach into a whirlwind but I kind of liked it. I stared at our locked hands before looking up to gaze at Luke whose eyes were glued on the empty streets.