Long Way Home
3
Bree couldn't sleep. I mean, she pretty much expected not to be able to sleep, but it was still annoying being awake at 3 a.m. when her roommate was snoring soundly in the bed next to her. She sighed, grabbing her book and glasses from the bedside table, padding out into the living room.
Bree found Luke, awake on the couch, watching TV.
"Couldn't sleep?" She asked the blonde boy softly.
He turned his head and offered her a small smile.
"I haven't slept in a week" He sighed.
Bree's heart went out to the blonde boy, knowing what that felt like.
"Scoot over." Bree whispered.
Luke did as told, and moved over so that Bree could sit with him on the couch.
Once she sat down with him, Bree put her arms out, silently asking if it was okay to touch him. When he nodded, Bree lay down and gently pulled him so that he was laying with his head on her stomach. She ran his hands through his hair.
"Now, I know I'm not really one to be saying this, but you need to sleep, Luke. What's been bothering you?"
She felt Luke shrug and she sighed, continuing to run a hand through his hair. Then, she got a idea.
"Hey, Luke, I can read to you if you want. Maybe that'll relax you."
The answer was almost immediate.
"Please."
The purple haired girl smiled softly and grabbed her worn copy of Paper Towns and her glasses, opening it and starting to read from the beginning. Luke buried his face in her stomach, and after 2 chapters, she could feel his breathing even out, and he was asleep.
"Goodnight, Luke." She muttered before going to the chapter she was originally on and reading to herself.
She got so emerged in her book, that she didn't realize when it had become morning, until she heard the others stir and get up.
"Bree?" Sasha called as Ashton called at the same time for Luke.
When they came out into the living room, Bree looked up at them and put a finger to her lips, silencing them as she pointed to the blonde boy, who was now drooling on her stomach. They both cooed silently as Calum and Michael emerged from their room.
"I'm gonna go make breakfast." Mikey whispered. "Then we'll wake him up so he can eat and then get to his therapy appointment, which is at 9."
Bree nodded, and watched as Mikey went to the sink, washing his hands before grabbing some eggs from the fridge, as the other teens sat at the table, talking quietly to each other.
She watched him move about the kitchen, making eggs and toast, washing his hands after he touched anything.
It made the process slower, but he eventually finished, coming out to talk to the purple haired girl.
"I finished making breakfast." He said softly. "So I can wake him up and you can come eat."
Bree gulped nervously, but nodded as Mikey knelt down and shook Luke's shoulder lightly.
"C'mon, Lukey, breakfast." He sang.
The blonde boy groaned and nuzzled closer to Bree's stomach as she chuckled.
"5 more minutes." He begged.
"Y'know, Mikey, I'm okay with sitting here with him while he wakes up. You go have your breakfast before it gets cold."
"Bree, you need to eat too." He argued.
She waved him off with her hand.
"I'll have left over toast." She said. "Now go."
Michael looked at the younger girl for a minute before sighing and going back into the kitchen to eat. Bree then turned her attention to Luke.
"C'mon, Luke, I know this sucks, but you've got to get up."
Luke let out a huff of air.
"But this is the best I've slept in a month." He whined.
Bree's heart broke.
"Luke, you've gotta get up and eat and go to therapy." She said. "But I'll make you a deal."
"What's the deal?"
"If you get up now and go eat the food Mikey made for you I'll read to you on the nights we both can't sleep. We'll finish Paper Towns and if you like it I have his other books with me. They're all great."
The blonde boy then moved so he was sitting up, looking at Bree.
"You'd do that for me?" He asked shyly.
"Course I would, Luke. You're my friend, and I don't want to see you hurting, yeah?"
Then, the blonde haired boy threw himself at the girl, surprising her as he pulled her in for a tight hug.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"Anytime, Lukey, now go eat."
Luke stood up and tried to pull Bree with him, but frowned when she didn't stand up.
"I'm gonna go shower. I told Mikey to save me toast though."
"Bree-"
"Go."
The word was harsh, and Luke didn't have to be told twice. He scrambled to the kitchen with his friends, and Bree got up to go shower, but not before missing Michael's pointed look as she passed the kitchen.
She brushed it off, along with the grumbling of her stomach, and got in the shower, mentally preparing herself for her day of therapy with obnoxious doctor Bill.
Bree found Luke, awake on the couch, watching TV.
"Couldn't sleep?" She asked the blonde boy softly.
He turned his head and offered her a small smile.
"I haven't slept in a week" He sighed.
Bree's heart went out to the blonde boy, knowing what that felt like.
"Scoot over." Bree whispered.
Luke did as told, and moved over so that Bree could sit with him on the couch.
Once she sat down with him, Bree put her arms out, silently asking if it was okay to touch him. When he nodded, Bree lay down and gently pulled him so that he was laying with his head on her stomach. She ran his hands through his hair.
"Now, I know I'm not really one to be saying this, but you need to sleep, Luke. What's been bothering you?"
She felt Luke shrug and she sighed, continuing to run a hand through his hair. Then, she got a idea.
"Hey, Luke, I can read to you if you want. Maybe that'll relax you."
The answer was almost immediate.
"Please."
The purple haired girl smiled softly and grabbed her worn copy of Paper Towns and her glasses, opening it and starting to read from the beginning. Luke buried his face in her stomach, and after 2 chapters, she could feel his breathing even out, and he was asleep.
"Goodnight, Luke." She muttered before going to the chapter she was originally on and reading to herself.
She got so emerged in her book, that she didn't realize when it had become morning, until she heard the others stir and get up.
"Bree?" Sasha called as Ashton called at the same time for Luke.
When they came out into the living room, Bree looked up at them and put a finger to her lips, silencing them as she pointed to the blonde boy, who was now drooling on her stomach. They both cooed silently as Calum and Michael emerged from their room.
"I'm gonna go make breakfast." Mikey whispered. "Then we'll wake him up so he can eat and then get to his therapy appointment, which is at 9."
Bree nodded, and watched as Mikey went to the sink, washing his hands before grabbing some eggs from the fridge, as the other teens sat at the table, talking quietly to each other.
She watched him move about the kitchen, making eggs and toast, washing his hands after he touched anything.
It made the process slower, but he eventually finished, coming out to talk to the purple haired girl.
"I finished making breakfast." He said softly. "So I can wake him up and you can come eat."
Bree gulped nervously, but nodded as Mikey knelt down and shook Luke's shoulder lightly.
"C'mon, Lukey, breakfast." He sang.
The blonde boy groaned and nuzzled closer to Bree's stomach as she chuckled.
"5 more minutes." He begged.
"Y'know, Mikey, I'm okay with sitting here with him while he wakes up. You go have your breakfast before it gets cold."
"Bree, you need to eat too." He argued.
She waved him off with her hand.
"I'll have left over toast." She said. "Now go."
Michael looked at the younger girl for a minute before sighing and going back into the kitchen to eat. Bree then turned her attention to Luke.
"C'mon, Luke, I know this sucks, but you've got to get up."
Luke let out a huff of air.
"But this is the best I've slept in a month." He whined.
Bree's heart broke.
"Luke, you've gotta get up and eat and go to therapy." She said. "But I'll make you a deal."
"What's the deal?"
"If you get up now and go eat the food Mikey made for you I'll read to you on the nights we both can't sleep. We'll finish Paper Towns and if you like it I have his other books with me. They're all great."
The blonde boy then moved so he was sitting up, looking at Bree.
"You'd do that for me?" He asked shyly.
"Course I would, Luke. You're my friend, and I don't want to see you hurting, yeah?"
Then, the blonde haired boy threw himself at the girl, surprising her as he pulled her in for a tight hug.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"Anytime, Lukey, now go eat."
Luke stood up and tried to pull Bree with him, but frowned when she didn't stand up.
"I'm gonna go shower. I told Mikey to save me toast though."
"Bree-"
"Go."
The word was harsh, and Luke didn't have to be told twice. He scrambled to the kitchen with his friends, and Bree got up to go shower, but not before missing Michael's pointed look as she passed the kitchen.
She brushed it off, along with the grumbling of her stomach, and got in the shower, mentally preparing herself for her day of therapy with obnoxious doctor Bill.