Fix you

1

You never really realise how much oxygen trees provide until your surrounded by them. The brisk air racing through your lungs, filling your bones with ice. You never really realise how much air is around you until there's too much and you can't breathe. Until every breath you take feels like it's only building your distress, the pain. Until you feel like your running out of air even though you are surrounded by it.
The sun shines through the trees, brushes softly against the happy faces of people with children running around them. The echoes of laughter bouncing through the trees, the warm vibe simply passing around you. Like trying to put two positive sides of a battery together. You never really realise how alone you feel until your surrounded by people. Until your head is so clouded by thoughts all you can do is run.

Her feet moved fast through the park, eyes focused, she had to run. Anything to escape. She's bitterly frustrated that you can't exhaust your mind the way you can your body. The way your body is tired after a hard workout. Her brain never does that, it exhausts itself past the point of return but never stops. She laughs bitterly with no hint of amusement in it. If only she could run out the thoughts in her head, she knows it never works, yet her feet keep moving. Her breath fast, too fast in her throat, yet she continues to run through the park, passing the families and feeling the ache of loneliness.
She runs so fast and far she doesn't even know where she's going, she doesn't even know why she runs. It's just what she does. Her blonde hair whipping through the wind, sunglasses shielding her exhausted eyes. The cold whips through her lungs, people all around her covered in winter jackets trying to warm up. But she embraces the cold, it doesn't bother her, it makes her feel something, it reminds her that even if it doesn't feel like it, she's still alive.
She's nearing the end of the park now, less people and deeper in the trees. Her mind is so clouded in thought she doesn't even notice another person on her trail. She's running so fast that before the brunette can move out of the way, they collide with a thump as they both fall to the pavement.
"Oh my god I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" The voice comes from above her, pulling her out of her thoughts, yanking her above the water momentarily. She looks up, opening her eyes wider at the person above her, striking green eyes, short brown hair, a smile that moves something in her gut. That moves her to say something. "Oh shit, I'm sorry, I wasn't even watching where I was going" she says quietly. "Hey that's okay we all have those days, I'm Karlie" the green eyed girl says gently, holding out a hand to help the girl up. "I'm Taylor" she mumbles, taking the hand apprehensively and flinches at its warmth. "Oh crap, your bleeding" Karlie says with worry laced in her voice, worry that confuses Taylor because they literally met 2 minutes ago. Taylor looks down at her knees and hands and sees the grazes oozing blood and begins to feel it, used to the delay in physical pain. "Oh shoot I didn't realise" Taylor mumbles looking down once more. Karlie sees the way Taylors eyes looks at her injuries, like she doesn't even care, her eyes seem hollow, lost. "Well hey that's okay come sit down here for a minute I can fix it" Karlie says, leading Taylor to a park bench. Taylor makes a small sound of amusement at the phrase "I can fix it". "I actually keep a first aid kit in my running bag, I often get a case of clumsiness that calls for it" she giggles softly. The giggle makes Taylor feel something stir in her chest, she's not sure what it is. She unstraps a slim bag that Taylor hadn't seen on her back before and pulls out a bag of medical supplies. "I know I must seem like some weird Mary Poppins but really I'm just an over prepared dork" she giggles again, Taylor once more feeling that weird reaction in her chest. "Thank you, you don't need to do this" Taylor says quietly but grateful for the green eyed girls concern. "Hey it's all good, may I?" She softly asks permission to clean the grazes with a wipe she holds. Taylors nods softly, still confused as to why a stranger would care enough, as to why she's so nice. Karlie patches the girl up, again noticing the emptiness in her beautiful blue eyes. "Hey Taylor, are you okay?" She asks gently. She sees the panic in Taylors eyes at this question and backtracks. "Hey it's okay you don't have to answer if you don't want". Taylor stares into the trees for a minute and then slowly speaks, "I'm just uh..not having a good week" shyly looking into the green eyed girls eyes.
Something about Taylors sentence makes Karlie believe it's not just this week that has been bad for Taylor.
She feels an ache in her heart for the beautiful blonde, she wants to hug her, to make her feel better. She wants to fix her.
"Do you want to talk about it? I know we just met but I've been told I'm an excellent listener" Karlie says, gently touching the girls arm as she sits by her on the bench.
Taylor doesn't know why but she feels a rush of emotions come to the surface at the contact on her arm, at the care in karlies voice. She doesn't know why, but she does want to talk to this girl, this stranger that doesn't feel one ounce like a stranger.
"Um, it's a bit of a uh..dark story, trust me you don't want that on you" Taylor says softly, feeling her cheeks warm up at the attention on her.
"We all have dark times Taylor, myself included, it's okay to not want to talk about it but we can if you want" Karlie says gently to the girl.
"Why are you so..nice? Why do you care I'm just a stranger who carelessly collided with you in careless fashion" Taylor says, not in a negative way, just honestly curious, confused even.
"I don't know, you don't feel like a stranger, I want to help you" Karlie says gently to the girl.
Again Taylor feels the stir of emotions stuck in her chest, frustrated at the weight that held it down, keeping her in this constant state of pain that can't be relieved.
Karlie can see that Taylor isn't going to talk today, that what's inside of her is eating her up too much. She knows because she's been there before. She knows what it looks like.
"It's okay, forget I asked, Taylor do you like coffee, do you want to go get one with me?" She asks hopefully, not yet wanting to leave the girl.
For some reason, Taylor doesn't want to leave Karlie yet either, not feeling the usual fight or flight rush she generally feels around people.
"Yeah, okay let's do that" Taylor says shyly, Karlie's face erupts in a smile that again stirs something in Taylors heavy chest. Momentarily making her feel lighter.
There was something about this girl, something that made Taylor want to know more. Something that made Taylor feel like the air around her was easier to breathe.

AN/ hello hello, not sure where this fic is going, just something new I'm trying out.
Let me know if you like it!