DOREMIFA | luke patterson

twenty | stand tall

" I love you, Luke." I used my remaining strength to bring my hand to run it along his cheek. It was almost as if a minute passed and I didn't feel any change. If anything, I felt worse. I felt my eyes flutter close from how tired I felt. I felt the shake of Luke's body from him crying, " Why aren't you getting better?". 

In the corner, I could hear Caleb let out a laugh," You really think " I love you" would make everything better? You really are a group of kids." Caleb moved forward from the dresser he was leaning against, " Honestly, it's either one of you doesn't really love the other."

" You're wrong." Luke grunted. " or it's just not your unfinished business. It's not going to be that easy to find out what it is.  Remember, Y/N, come with me and all of this is over. You could still be alive. It's the easiest way out." Caleb finished as he hovered over Luke's shoulder. He was ready to reach down and grab Y/N. 

"Move another inch and I swear." Reggie contained himself, avoiding to get too close to Caleb.  " Aren't you upset to see her like this? Her face isn't as bright. Her pain can be taken away in a second." Caleb reasoned. He wasn't wrong. I was ready to just let myself join him but to be imprisoned? Not an ideal.  "I'd never join you. Not even over my dead body." As my eyes squinted open, I moved my hand that was on Luke's cheek to his hair," I think... I don't think I can hold any longer.". I felt so bad as  Luke started to sob more and lean his head down to place it between my shoulder and neck.

 " I'm sorry I took so long." 

"Hey... it was me too. In the end, I got what I wanted and that was you. My life is complete the way it is right now." There was actually a lot more that I wanted to do with my life but getting Luke to actually love me back was at the bottom of my list of things on bucket list. But that isn't something I should say in the moment. " You don't have to let go, let's keep finding out what your unfinished business is." 

" But it hurts." 

" And I'll hurt with you. You won't be on your own." He grabbed my hand that was laying on my side to squeeze it. " Just stay with me, Y/N. Stay with us." 

I wanted to try so badly to keep trying but I have never felt so weak in my life. I felt another presence next to me as my eyes fluttered close," Cmon, Y/N, open your eyes."

" Luke, give him her." I heard Reggie say.  Luke's grip got tighter on me instead, " You know you need to.". OK, I get that I terrorize him a lot but is he really trying to sacrifice me to the tall slender man in the glittery outfit. 

I felt my body being passed to the other being but Luke's hand continued to stay tighty enclosed with mine. As my eyes opened to a slit, I could only see the figure of who was now holding me. It was Alex, the rims of his eyes red. "Stay with us, Y/N." In the years that've I've been with his family, I've never seen him cry for me before. But I guess the impossible was possible now. In any normal event, I would be endlessly teasing him but it's the fact that I didn't have the energy to do so, that scared me. " Alex, I don't know if I can."

" I don't tell you this a lot, or at all. But I love you. We love you." 

Before I could say something, he continued," And I don't think you understand how much love that we hold for you. I know you will beg to differ, but sometimes I just wish that you would love yourself as much as we love you." 

That's when it hit me. I was so distracted on pleasing everyone and wanting Luke's attention that I forgot all about myself. But loving myself isn't as easy when I found nothing to like about myself. I haven't done much except be a side character. " I really am not needed, Alex. It's okay " 

" You are the drive that pushed us to go further with the band." Reggie pointed. " If you didn't tell us that being such babies and to stop being scared of what would happen in the future with the band. we wouldn't have gone forward with the idea." 

" I didn't see the beauty of ballet even though my whole family was grown up around it. Then you came along and showed me." 

" I haven't known you that long but I know it was you who pushed that box in the alley, so thank you for giving me that push I needed to perform tonight." 

I looked at all of them as my eyes brimmed with tears again. Luke came into view," It's always been you, by the way. No matter what you saw or what you thought, I have always loved you. Only you." 

A weight was lifted off my chest and I finally felt like I could breath normally. I sat up with the strength that I was gaining. As soon as I was up, Luke engulfed in a bear hug. I smiled and gave him a kiss on the neck. "You really thought it'd that easy to leave me? Trust me, baby, we still got so much more to do together." He was about to pull me in for kiss before I pushed him away after realizing something. So, my unfinished business was to love myself. " That was it." I scoffed. "I don't care what fate is telling me, I always knew I was that bitch." I looked at Luke and Alex for affirmation who only nodded but it felt as if they were disagreeing and rubbed my head. "Yeah, you really are that bitch." Julie mused. Oh, I was so ready to go on girl dates with her now.  I quickly searched the room to call out Caleb but he was already gone. 

I realized that I was still here, just like the boys. They crossed over onto the living. And they were able to touch Julie. The room went silent as I slowly took everything in.  " What a pussy." Peter coughed, the room soon being consumed by all of our laughter. I quickly stood up and ran to hug him. " Thank you for everything.". I could feel Peter being thrown off by the surprise hug but he simply patted my back and hugged me 10 times tighter. 

" Keep those hands above the waist, Johnson." Luke watched us. I looked over at him to see his hands on his hips. " Shut up and join the hug." I motioned at all of them to come. One by one, we stood up in our little circle. 

And I couldn't ask for anything more.