Sequel: Carry You ›
Status: Almost finished, get ready for a sequel! :]
Breathe Me
Fiction
My lips felt like they were on fire as we both pulled away, needing oxygen. He kept me close to his warm body, his arms still wrapped tightly around me. The kiss had taken me by surprise, his lips had been incredibly soft and warm. My arms remained around his neck, fearing that this was just a dream and I was about to wake up at any moment. Everything had been so perfect. One moment I had been crying and sobbing, and the next moment I felt as if I was on top of the world.
“I've been waiting so long to do that” he whispers, removing one of his heavy arms from my waist to my face. His fingers lightly graze my cheek, leaving a trail of fire behind his touch. I bite my lower lip hard, nearly breaking the sensitive skin. My eyes close for a moment, and the I speak the first thought that comes to my clouded mind. I cling on to him as tightly as I can.
“Just don't hurt me, please” My voice is shaking as I realize just how much I trust this man. His hands move to my hips and bring me close to him, and he holds me. He holds me so tightly and lovingly, as if to keep me together. He brings his lips to my ears and lightly kisses the sensitive skin behind my earlobe.
“I will never hurt you, je vous promets”
It's a heavy promise, the words hold a lot of meaning, and the tone of his voice is so sincere it brings tears to my eyes. I cling on to him, and he seems surprised when I pull my head away from his. I stand on my toes and kiss him again, realizing that I'm not dreaming.
No, this was better than any dream.
****
The sound of giggling and loud murmurs lull me from my deep sleep. A small figure is curled up against my chest, almost like a kitten, and when I open my eyes I'm greeted by the harsh rays of sunlight. I look towards the doorway to see Max and Jordan standing there with huge smirks on there faces. I realize why when I look down and see the small figure that I'm holding, is indeed Sophia.
“I knew you two had a thing!”
I roll my eyes at Jordan, as he continues to gush about how it was about time and how adorable we are together.
Max interrupts him, “Dude, you sound so gay right now.” Jordan huffs and turns around. Max throws me one last smile before following Gronk out the door.
I look down at Sophie, and my mind wanders to the events that took place last night. After she had kissed me for the second time, she had started to get sleepy, asking me if I could stay with her for the rest of the night.
I couldn't deny her anything.
I remembered the way her lips had felt on mine, the way she had fit snugly in to my body, the way her skin had felt underneath my fingertips. Everything was perfect.
Sophia shifted lightly, still somewhat sleeping she pulled the comforter up to her nose and moved her head so it was resting on the space in between my shoulder and neck. Her warm breath left goosebumps on my skin, and her long hair tickled my arm.
“Good morning”
She sounds different from last night. Her voice is full of hope and joy, and my insides turn to pudding at how happy she sounds.
“Good morning. Did you sleep good?” I ask, running my hand through her hair.
“Amazing actually. I don't think I've slept that good in a few years” She yawns, and stretches her arms and legs. I chuckle when she struggles to sit up, obviously still in a sleepy state. She sits there cross-legged for a few moments. She grabs a hair tie from the little night table next to the bed and puts her long hair into a messy bun, some strands still managing to fall almost perfectly around her face. She grabs her glasses and pushes them onto her face, turning around to give me a sheepish look.
“Thanks for staying here with me. I don't really like to be alone” she admitted shyly
“It's no problem, really. Besides, I don't like be alone either. To me it's one of the worst feelings in the world” I understand completely where she's coming from. She smiles at me, a real genuine smile that displays her dimples.
“I should go downstairs and make breakfast now. Everyone is probably starving” She chuckles.
“Alright, I'll be down in a few.”
She nods her head and pulls on the slippers Vero had gotten her for Christmas. Before she gets up I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her close to me. She giggles loudly when my fingers brush against her ticklish spot. I grab her chin lightly, and press my lips to hers. She smiles into the kiss, and when she pulls away her blue eyes are sparkling and they seem lighter than usual
“Mr. Letang, are you trying to keep me in here all to yourself?” She asks playfully
I grin, “What would give you that idea?”
She giggles, leaning forward and giving me a soft kiss, before getting up to leave the room, throwing me one last smile before she exits the room.
I smile to myself and sink back into the bed. I look around the room, noticing all of the artwork that is scattered on her desk. I get up from the bed, ready to leave, until I notice a picture on her desk. I walk over to the table, picking up the frame. In it contains a picture of an older man, and what I'm guessing is a younger Sophia, both standing on an outdoor ice skating rink. Sophia, who can't be more than 5 in the picture, is wearing a pair of pink ice skates and an oversized hockey helmet. The man is holding Sophia by her wrists above the ice and it looks like the picture had been taken as he was laughing, while Sophia is looking up at the man with the biggest grin, her dimples more prominent then ever. The older man has the same eye colour and hair colour as Sophia, and I realize that the man is her dad. I stare at the picture for a few more moments, noticing how happy they both looked, especially Sophia. Without a care in the world, with no fear of anyone hurting her, without having to worry about being verbally and physically abused everyday. I carefully set the frame back on her desk.
****
All the guys were dancing around in the playroom as I cooked breakfast. Max had gotten a hold of one of the Wii remotes, and found Just Dance. He had bragged to Pascal about how amazing he is at the game, and how he can kick anyone's butt. Well, Pascal, never one to back down from a challenge, had immediately grabbed another Wii remote, and with determination accepted Max's challenge. Aunt Carol had gratefully helped with breakfast, cooking the bacon, while I flipped the chocolate chip pancakes. Jordan had insisted on hash-browns to go with breakfast, but he had refused to cook them and ended up driving through Mcdonalds.
“So... you and Kris are together finally?” Aunt Carol pipes up as she flips a strip of bacon.
My cheeks instantly heat up, “How did y-”
She giggled “Please, Max and Jordan can't keep there mouths shut.” She smiles at me when I look down at the pancakes, blushing, “It's okay Sophia, I think you two are really good for each other. Besides, Kris is a real sweetheart, I can tell he really cares about you. You deserve to be loved Soph, don't ever let tell anyone tell you differently.”
“Thank you Aunt Carol, for everything. For giving me a second chance, a new family, a home. Just... I will never be able to describe how appreciative I am of everything you've done for me” For once I don't get teary eyed, instead I let a smile make it's way onto my face, not even realizing when the corners of my mouth had lifted up. Aunt Carol let out a squeal before throwing her arms around me and pulled me into a bone crushing hug.
“GROUP HUG!” Max yelled when he entered the kitchen, seeing Carol and I hugging. Suddenly I was being engulfed by a bunch of huge hockey players. We all quieted down when we heard a 'click' noise, and looked to see where the source came from.
“Christmas card!” Kody yelled, waving the camera around in his hands. He squealed when Pascal started to chase him.
All the guys stood around in the kitchen, obviously waiting for food. When I handed Max a plate full of pancakes and 5 pieces of bacon, he smirked at me, “About time, woman”
“Stop being such a fat ass Max” I grin when I see his shocked face.
“Did you hear what your niece just said to me Carol!”
Carol grinned at me, “You go girl!”
****
“Are you sure this is a good idea Kristopher?” I look around the empty ice rink. We had gotten bored at home, and he had offered to take me skating. Though it had been nearly 10 years since i've been skating.
He smiles at me, before grabbing my ankle and carefully pulling it onto his lap to tie the laces.
“Why not? It's like riding a bike, you never forget how to do it”
I scoff, “Easy for you to say,” but I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face. He grins when he finishes. He had insisted on tying my skates, explaining it was the gentlemanly thing to do. He grabs my mitten covered hand and leads me to the ice. When I get to the step I hesitate, but Kris gives me a reassuring smile, and with confidence I step onto the ice.
It's definitely more slippier then I remembered it to be, but I'm thankful that I'm not completely terrible, and I still remember how to skate somewhat.
“See I told you it wasn't that bad” Kris states smugly.
I roll my eyes and playfully punch his arm.
His eyebrows shoot up, “Have you been taking fighting lesson from Deryk?”
I laugh, “Can you tell?” I throw another punch at his arm, but he catches my fist in air.
“No way, you suck at fighting. I don't think you could even bruise Sid”
I gasp at his insult, “Ouch”
I go to punch him in his chest, except he catches my fist, and with his other hands tickles my stomach. I squeal and try to get out of his grasp.
“Oh my god, I'm seriously going to hurt you!” I laugh when I fall on my butt. He grins, bending down to wrap his arms around my torso, and picking me up like I weigh nothing. He gently sets me back on my feet, and brushes the ice out of my hair.
There's no way I can be mad at him.
****
“My feet hurt” Sophia pouts after we've been skating around for nearly an hour.
“Yeah, that tends to happen when you haven't skated for the past 10 years” I playfully nudge her, but I notice her smile fade, and I wondered what I said to make her frown.
“I used to skate a lot, especially with my dad.”
“Why did you stop?” I ask curiously.
“Well, my mom's boyfriend was very controlling. Well... I guess both of them were. They got mad whenever I went places,” She got silent for a moment, her mouth swishing to the side as she bit the inside of her lip, “I wonder what they're doing right now” She murmurs.
She looks over at me sheepishly, “Sorry I'm rambling”
“Don't be sorry, I like it when you ramble. A lot of the stories you've told me of your childhood, well... they're interesting. It may sound weird, but you've had such a tough life, everything you've had to go through just to be who you are today is unbelievable.”
She smiles, “Uncle Pascal used to tell me that all the time. He always says that if I wrote a book about my life, most people would think it's fiction,” she looks down at her skates, “but, I think it's made me a stronger person, at least I like to think so.”
She looks at me, her blue eyes have a sparkle to them.
“You're the strongest person I know.” I return the smile, squeezing her hand.
I lightly pull her to the step where the team's bench is located. We both sit down, and she giggles loudly when I pull her onto my lap and wrap my arms around her. Her arms wrap around my neck, and she rests her head on top of mine.
My eyes close and I take in this perfect moment.
Let this life just set me free
Took a piece of you inside of me
All this hurt can finally fade
Promise me you'll never feel afraid
“I've been waiting so long to do that” he whispers, removing one of his heavy arms from my waist to my face. His fingers lightly graze my cheek, leaving a trail of fire behind his touch. I bite my lower lip hard, nearly breaking the sensitive skin. My eyes close for a moment, and the I speak the first thought that comes to my clouded mind. I cling on to him as tightly as I can.
“Just don't hurt me, please” My voice is shaking as I realize just how much I trust this man. His hands move to my hips and bring me close to him, and he holds me. He holds me so tightly and lovingly, as if to keep me together. He brings his lips to my ears and lightly kisses the sensitive skin behind my earlobe.
“I will never hurt you, je vous promets”
It's a heavy promise, the words hold a lot of meaning, and the tone of his voice is so sincere it brings tears to my eyes. I cling on to him, and he seems surprised when I pull my head away from his. I stand on my toes and kiss him again, realizing that I'm not dreaming.
No, this was better than any dream.
****
The sound of giggling and loud murmurs lull me from my deep sleep. A small figure is curled up against my chest, almost like a kitten, and when I open my eyes I'm greeted by the harsh rays of sunlight. I look towards the doorway to see Max and Jordan standing there with huge smirks on there faces. I realize why when I look down and see the small figure that I'm holding, is indeed Sophia.
“I knew you two had a thing!”
I roll my eyes at Jordan, as he continues to gush about how it was about time and how adorable we are together.
Max interrupts him, “Dude, you sound so gay right now.” Jordan huffs and turns around. Max throws me one last smile before following Gronk out the door.
I look down at Sophie, and my mind wanders to the events that took place last night. After she had kissed me for the second time, she had started to get sleepy, asking me if I could stay with her for the rest of the night.
I couldn't deny her anything.
I remembered the way her lips had felt on mine, the way she had fit snugly in to my body, the way her skin had felt underneath my fingertips. Everything was perfect.
Sophia shifted lightly, still somewhat sleeping she pulled the comforter up to her nose and moved her head so it was resting on the space in between my shoulder and neck. Her warm breath left goosebumps on my skin, and her long hair tickled my arm.
“Good morning”
She sounds different from last night. Her voice is full of hope and joy, and my insides turn to pudding at how happy she sounds.
“Good morning. Did you sleep good?” I ask, running my hand through her hair.
“Amazing actually. I don't think I've slept that good in a few years” She yawns, and stretches her arms and legs. I chuckle when she struggles to sit up, obviously still in a sleepy state. She sits there cross-legged for a few moments. She grabs a hair tie from the little night table next to the bed and puts her long hair into a messy bun, some strands still managing to fall almost perfectly around her face. She grabs her glasses and pushes them onto her face, turning around to give me a sheepish look.
“Thanks for staying here with me. I don't really like to be alone” she admitted shyly
“It's no problem, really. Besides, I don't like be alone either. To me it's one of the worst feelings in the world” I understand completely where she's coming from. She smiles at me, a real genuine smile that displays her dimples.
“I should go downstairs and make breakfast now. Everyone is probably starving” She chuckles.
“Alright, I'll be down in a few.”
She nods her head and pulls on the slippers Vero had gotten her for Christmas. Before she gets up I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her close to me. She giggles loudly when my fingers brush against her ticklish spot. I grab her chin lightly, and press my lips to hers. She smiles into the kiss, and when she pulls away her blue eyes are sparkling and they seem lighter than usual
“Mr. Letang, are you trying to keep me in here all to yourself?” She asks playfully
I grin, “What would give you that idea?”
She giggles, leaning forward and giving me a soft kiss, before getting up to leave the room, throwing me one last smile before she exits the room.
I smile to myself and sink back into the bed. I look around the room, noticing all of the artwork that is scattered on her desk. I get up from the bed, ready to leave, until I notice a picture on her desk. I walk over to the table, picking up the frame. In it contains a picture of an older man, and what I'm guessing is a younger Sophia, both standing on an outdoor ice skating rink. Sophia, who can't be more than 5 in the picture, is wearing a pair of pink ice skates and an oversized hockey helmet. The man is holding Sophia by her wrists above the ice and it looks like the picture had been taken as he was laughing, while Sophia is looking up at the man with the biggest grin, her dimples more prominent then ever. The older man has the same eye colour and hair colour as Sophia, and I realize that the man is her dad. I stare at the picture for a few more moments, noticing how happy they both looked, especially Sophia. Without a care in the world, with no fear of anyone hurting her, without having to worry about being verbally and physically abused everyday. I carefully set the frame back on her desk.
****
All the guys were dancing around in the playroom as I cooked breakfast. Max had gotten a hold of one of the Wii remotes, and found Just Dance. He had bragged to Pascal about how amazing he is at the game, and how he can kick anyone's butt. Well, Pascal, never one to back down from a challenge, had immediately grabbed another Wii remote, and with determination accepted Max's challenge. Aunt Carol had gratefully helped with breakfast, cooking the bacon, while I flipped the chocolate chip pancakes. Jordan had insisted on hash-browns to go with breakfast, but he had refused to cook them and ended up driving through Mcdonalds.
“So... you and Kris are together finally?” Aunt Carol pipes up as she flips a strip of bacon.
My cheeks instantly heat up, “How did y-”
She giggled “Please, Max and Jordan can't keep there mouths shut.” She smiles at me when I look down at the pancakes, blushing, “It's okay Sophia, I think you two are really good for each other. Besides, Kris is a real sweetheart, I can tell he really cares about you. You deserve to be loved Soph, don't ever let tell anyone tell you differently.”
“Thank you Aunt Carol, for everything. For giving me a second chance, a new family, a home. Just... I will never be able to describe how appreciative I am of everything you've done for me” For once I don't get teary eyed, instead I let a smile make it's way onto my face, not even realizing when the corners of my mouth had lifted up. Aunt Carol let out a squeal before throwing her arms around me and pulled me into a bone crushing hug.
“GROUP HUG!” Max yelled when he entered the kitchen, seeing Carol and I hugging. Suddenly I was being engulfed by a bunch of huge hockey players. We all quieted down when we heard a 'click' noise, and looked to see where the source came from.
“Christmas card!” Kody yelled, waving the camera around in his hands. He squealed when Pascal started to chase him.
All the guys stood around in the kitchen, obviously waiting for food. When I handed Max a plate full of pancakes and 5 pieces of bacon, he smirked at me, “About time, woman”
“Stop being such a fat ass Max” I grin when I see his shocked face.
“Did you hear what your niece just said to me Carol!”
Carol grinned at me, “You go girl!”
****
“Are you sure this is a good idea Kristopher?” I look around the empty ice rink. We had gotten bored at home, and he had offered to take me skating. Though it had been nearly 10 years since i've been skating.
He smiles at me, before grabbing my ankle and carefully pulling it onto his lap to tie the laces.
“Why not? It's like riding a bike, you never forget how to do it”
I scoff, “Easy for you to say,” but I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face. He grins when he finishes. He had insisted on tying my skates, explaining it was the gentlemanly thing to do. He grabs my mitten covered hand and leads me to the ice. When I get to the step I hesitate, but Kris gives me a reassuring smile, and with confidence I step onto the ice.
It's definitely more slippier then I remembered it to be, but I'm thankful that I'm not completely terrible, and I still remember how to skate somewhat.
“See I told you it wasn't that bad” Kris states smugly.
I roll my eyes and playfully punch his arm.
His eyebrows shoot up, “Have you been taking fighting lesson from Deryk?”
I laugh, “Can you tell?” I throw another punch at his arm, but he catches my fist in air.
“No way, you suck at fighting. I don't think you could even bruise Sid”
I gasp at his insult, “Ouch”
I go to punch him in his chest, except he catches my fist, and with his other hands tickles my stomach. I squeal and try to get out of his grasp.
“Oh my god, I'm seriously going to hurt you!” I laugh when I fall on my butt. He grins, bending down to wrap his arms around my torso, and picking me up like I weigh nothing. He gently sets me back on my feet, and brushes the ice out of my hair.
There's no way I can be mad at him.
****
“My feet hurt” Sophia pouts after we've been skating around for nearly an hour.
“Yeah, that tends to happen when you haven't skated for the past 10 years” I playfully nudge her, but I notice her smile fade, and I wondered what I said to make her frown.
“I used to skate a lot, especially with my dad.”
“Why did you stop?” I ask curiously.
“Well, my mom's boyfriend was very controlling. Well... I guess both of them were. They got mad whenever I went places,” She got silent for a moment, her mouth swishing to the side as she bit the inside of her lip, “I wonder what they're doing right now” She murmurs.
She looks over at me sheepishly, “Sorry I'm rambling”
“Don't be sorry, I like it when you ramble. A lot of the stories you've told me of your childhood, well... they're interesting. It may sound weird, but you've had such a tough life, everything you've had to go through just to be who you are today is unbelievable.”
She smiles, “Uncle Pascal used to tell me that all the time. He always says that if I wrote a book about my life, most people would think it's fiction,” she looks down at her skates, “but, I think it's made me a stronger person, at least I like to think so.”
She looks at me, her blue eyes have a sparkle to them.
“You're the strongest person I know.” I return the smile, squeezing her hand.
I lightly pull her to the step where the team's bench is located. We both sit down, and she giggles loudly when I pull her onto my lap and wrap my arms around her. Her arms wrap around my neck, and she rests her head on top of mine.
My eyes close and I take in this perfect moment.
Let this life just set me free
Took a piece of you inside of me
All this hurt can finally fade
Promise me you'll never feel afraid