Ready To Run - [Larry Stylinson]

• the one where he feels like he can't breathe •

LOUIS POV

I feel sweat droplets building up on my forehead as my feathery fringe sticks to my forehead.

"T-ten laps... i-is so brutal..!" Liam pants beside me. I nod in agreement, also panting. At this point I can feel my heart beating so loudly I feel like it's going to come out my throat.

Coach Styles was in a bad mood earlier and some kid in the group pissed him off so bad he decided to punish the entire team, and the second line, by running ten laps around the entire pitch.

It was me. That kid was me.

In my defense, it was stupid to give me an extra warm up lap just for arriving 5 minutes late. That stupid geography teacher Mr. Vinick was a proper dick and decided to keep me extra time after school just for talking a bit with Niall in class!

I flipped out on coach and said a bunch of stuff I wouldn't normally regret saying. Except now I do. My legs are so sore and so tired I wouldn't be surprised if I throw up of nowhere.

As we approach the final finish line I start to feel very light headed. My eyes start to droop down as my legs weaken by the second. Oh shit.

I had asthma as a kid, and it wasn't pretty. But over the years I had gotten more into shape and I haven't had an attack in 6 years. I had even gotten rid of my inhaler.

But now, the world around me seems to slow down. My footsteps come to halt as I lift my head up to the sky. My eyes flutter close and I can feel my chest heaving up and down. All of a sudden my chest feels clenched and my windpipe seems to close up blocking the air trying to make its way into my lungs.

"Oh shit- mate are you okay?" Zayn's distorted voice asks me. My knees give out as I fall to the ground. My vision becomes blurry and I see heads bob up above me. I cough and gasp for air.

"Move it!" A deep voices orders. I see the blurry outline of his chocolate curls as he kneels down on the ground next to my almost limp body.

"Louis?" He asks softly but sternly. I attempt to answer but whatever breath I had is stuck in my throat. I cough once more feeling the familiar burn down my throat.

"Lou do you have asthma?" He asks rather harshly.

I feebly nod my head.

"Where's your inhaler?" He asks.

I squeeze my eyes shut as I concentrate on breathing. I weakly shake my head.

"Shit," he mutters under his breath.

My throat tightens and I cough painfully. I feel my body being lifted off the ground by two strong arms.

"The rest of you get into pairs and practice passing! Now!"

I feel my head roll backwards as I lay in someone arms pathetically. I feel my eyes flutter close again as my chest tightens in a painful burn.

"You're gonna be okay. Just hang in there Lou..."

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HARRY POV

I place the feathery haired boy on the bleachers and sit him up so he's looking at me.

I can see the fear in his wide,beautiful, blue eyes as he struggles to breathe and gasps for air. I crouch in front of him.

I place my left hand on his shoulder to steady him and lift my right hand to his chin so that he keeps his attention on me.

"Louis I need you to focus on me. Only me. Try to block out every single detail except my face." I say softly, as if he were going to faint right in front of me. As if. This boy has too much spunk and sass for his own good, I know he wouldn't just break down.

I see his eyes scan over my face but I know he still can't concentrate on me from his raspy gasps as he coughs, begging for air.

Thankfully, I have dealt with many kids who have had asthma so I have the general gist of what I have to do.

I lean up a little so that his face is almost directly in front of mine, our noses just a couple inches apart.

"Lou I know this is difficult but focus on my eyes okay?" I mutter softly as I lock eyes with him, not caring that I let the nickname slip, again. "I need you to describe the color of my eyes as clearly as possible. Can you do that for me?"

I can see he's still having a lot of trouble breathing as his chest heaves up and down and as he pants for air. Guilt fills my heart because I know I forced him to run 10 laps not even knowing about his condition. I would never have guessed, he's one the best players on the team. Might ever be better than Payne. He's never shown any signs of weakness on the field except for panting, sweating and being exhausted, but that's the same for everyone not just him.

"Describe the color of my eyes Louis." I repeat slowly.

I see him take a few pained breaths as he squints his eyes, trying to focus on mine.

"They're.... they're g-green..." he stammers uncertainly, still attempting to take in deep breaths.

"Good. Great, you're doing great. What else about them?"

"U-uuuhh..." he panicked while breathing deeply, "th-they have.. a ring of d-dark green, around the... edge..." he stutters, still squinting his eyes.

I nod in approval, he's getting a little better.

"Keep going..." I encourage him. His chest is still rising up and down rather quickly but I can tell he's regaining a little bit of his consciousness.

"Th...they have a-a little... bit of b-blue... kind of..." he breathed out, no longer squinting.

"Take your breaths with me okay? In....out....in...out..." I say as I take deep breaths, him mirroring my actions with shaking shoulders and hands.

After a couple minutes he calms down and is almost breathing properly again, though his face is a little red. I straighten my back and pull my face a little further away from his.

"Call your mom, you're going home, you can't stay for the rest of practice." I say sternly, I see his eyes widen and his mouth open, but I cut him off before he can protest. "That wasn't an offer. You need to get all your strength back for practice on Friday." I say, softer this time.

His face settles into a deep pout as he rolls his eyes in defeat. I almost let the corners of my lips rise at the sight. This boy is just too adorable.

I cut my thoughts off before I think anything else and internally shake my head.