Rasey One-Shots

Just Breathe (Human AU)

~This is for the song above (or on the side, whatever you're reading on). It's "Just Breathe" by Anna Nalick. I like writing one-shots based on songs, they really help me out. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!~

Raph rushes to his room once he gets home, slamming the door shut behind him. He throws his bag a few feet away from him, and slides down the wall to a crouch, putting his head in his knees. Many people tell him that he isn't open enough, and that it isn't really healthy. Now he's starting to believe them. He has been completely stressed out with pretty much everything in his life. Homework, grades, friends, his brothers, his love life - everything. He gets lots of it, making him unable to complete some of it just for time for more. Which bring his grades down. His friends give him a hard time about pretty much everything, which isn't helping him at all. His brothers give him the same lectures, and when they don't, they're annoying him with something else. And the one friend who doesn't yell at him for everything is straight, and Raph is in love with him. Because of both of their sexual orientations, he stays quiet. Not just that, but Casey thinks Raph is straight. So he refuses to say anything on the subject. He also hates lying to him, so if he ever feels the need to ask him if he likes anybody or if he's straight, then he'd need to tell him the truth. That's just how they work. They've never lied to each other, and they tell each other everything, whether it's right away or a few months from then.

He looks up, standing back up. Making his way to his bed, he flops onto it. He lets out a sigh once his head hits the pillow, eyes shutting quickly. He opens them again, staring up at the ceiling. He needed some way to relax. Just thinking about Casey and a fear of rejection makes his stomach start to turn. He looks to his left at his bedside table. His phone. Picking it up, he unlocks it, plugging in headphones and putting it to a certain song. The one song he always listens to when he's feeling this way. He puts them around his head, putting the small speakers over his ears. About two seconds later, the lyrics start.

Two A.M. and she calls me
'Cause I'm still awake
"Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?
I don't love him, winter just wasn't my season."

This song he was far too familiar with. He started listening to it a lot since he started high school last year. It had never been more helpful to him than now.

Yeah we walk through the doors,
So accusing; their eyes
Like they have any right
To criticize
Hypocrites; we're all here for the very same reason

He knew he'd be picked on and teased if anyone knew he listened to this. So he kept it to himself. This is the one secret he could easily keep to himself without any more stress.

'Cause you can't jump the track,
We're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass
Glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, girl
So cradle your head in your hands

He made sure to exhale on that last line, preparing for what he likes doing at the chorus: breathing with the rhythm. Drawing in a breath on every first word, releasing it on the second.

And breathe
Just breathe
Oh, breathe
Just breathe

Some of the stress already started to leave his body. His mind became calm as his muscles became loose of some of the tension that was in them.

Maybe he turned twenty-one
On the base at Fort Bliss
"Just a day," he said down to
The flask in his fist,
"Ain't been sober since maybe October
Of last year."
Here in town,
You can tell he's been down
For a while,
But my God, it's so beautiful
When the boy smiles
Wanna hold him, maybe I'll just sing
About it

His eyes flutter shut, the soothing music releasing more tension and pressure on his mind. He lets out another sigh. The stress tries coming back up by feeling that fear of rejection all over again. He suppresses it, shaking his head of the thought.

'Cause you can't jump the track,
We're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass
Glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, girl
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe
Just breathe
Oh, breathe
Just breathe
There's a light at each end of this tunnel,
You shout 'cause you're just as far in
As you'll ever be out
And these mistakes you made,
You'll just make them again
If you'd only try turning around

He sighs of relief, a smile coming to his face. He let the gentle music continue to put his mind at ease, allowing the negative, painful thoughts escape his mind.

Two A.M.
And I feel like I'm naked
In front of a crowd
'Cause these words are my diary
Screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them,
However you want to

But you can't jump the track
We're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass
Glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button now
Sing it if you understand.
And breathe
Just breathe
Whoa breathe
Just breathe
Oh, breathe
Just breathe
Oh, breathe
Just breathe.

Raph smiles in content, now that his active mind is at ease. He pauses the song, preventing it from playing a second time. He took the headphones off his head, now having his feelings for his best friend suppressed almost completely. Everything is numbed for him when he listens to it. That is, until he came in. "Yo, Raph, you all right?" Casey asks, poking his head through the door. That knotting feeling in his chest and stomach come rising up to the surface again. He forces a smile to his face, giving his friend a slight nod, "Yeah. Why?" His eyes softened in concern. "Your brothers said you just ran in and slammed the door. You sure you're okay?" Oh that's right. His brothers are home. The redhead swallowed hard, hoping it wasn't visible. His smile grew slightly, "Yeah. I'm fine." Casey smiled back, "That's good." They stilled in an awkward silence for a moment, until Casey broke it saying, "So I was hoping you could come over. You know, right now. I could help you as much as I can with homework if you want to get that done over here, but I really just kinda wanna hang out. I've been bored lately." Raph smiles again with a light laugh. "All right," he said, sitting up. He got up, heading towards the doorway of his room and leaving with Casey. He'd be definitely listening to that song later on.

~Hey guys, I'm sorry I haven't been updating as much as I had hoped to be and I'm sorry that this is pretty crappy. I've just had a lot on my mind lately, also that I've been working on a thousand other things at the same time. I also have homework and stuff that I just want done before school ends in about four weeks. Well, hey, at least it's pretty long...even though most of it is song lyrics. So the next update may be a little while because of my other thousand things I have going on and homework. It won't be as long as it took this one though. I promise, it'll be up in two weeks latest! Thanks for still reading, I really appreciate that!~