Phoenix (Alternate Universe)

One

I walked into the AA meeting and stood in the back of the room, looking around and hoping no one noticed me.

"Hey Niko!" Millie said, standing beside me. "You look amazing! I love your short shorts! And you are rocking that sweater!"

I nodded and looked around, noting all the people. Millie leaned in close. "Look over there."

She gestured at an unfamiliar guy across the room. "He's pretty cute, right?"

I nodded, admiring his purple tinted black hair and blue suit. His deep purple eyes were mesmerizing.

"Go talk to him." Millie said, breaking me from the trance. "He looks like he could use a friend."

I shook my head. "He'd think I'm weird."

She pushed me and I stumbled across the room, falling right in front of him. I sat there for a moment, on my hands and knees as I tried to collect a decent breath.

"Hey, uh, are you alright?" Someone asked.

I hesitantly looked up at the voice, finding the man looking down at me, confused.

"Yeah. I- I'm fine." I managed to whisper, quickly gathering my things and shoving them back into my bag, shrieking when he knelt to help. "You don't have to do that."

He handed me my lipstick and smiled warmly. "I'm Phoenix."

I quickly got up and ran from the room, dropping my bag and running down the hall. I collapsed on the floor at the end, forgetting my lungs couldn't handle it.

I gasped for breath, falling and rolling onto my back. Millie came down the hall with my bag, grabbing my inhaler out and forcing me to inhale the medication. "Come on. Breathe."

I managed a few proper breaths and relaxed, panting as my head fell to the floor. "Thank you."

"Just breathe. I'm gonna call for an ambulance." She said, taking her phone out.

"No it's okay. I'm fine. I wasn't out of breath long enough to cause damage. Just a few seconds." I whispered. "Just, maybe get me some water?"

She nodded and got up, running off. I laid on the floor still, too exhausted to get up. It was late and I'd gone to the meeting straight from work, so a nap was out of the picture.

When Millie came back, the guy from before, Phoenix, was following her, talking.

"Here Niko. Sit up." She said, kneeling beside me. "Drink this."

She helped me sit up and drink the water, still talking to Phoenix.

"He has a condition. He's not supposed to run or do anything really. His lungs don't work properly anymore and he gets out of breath easily. Like athsma but worse." She explained. "It acts up when he's nervous, or scared, or really happy. He doesn't talk much because it takes a lot of air to speak. He prefers to use sign language most of the time."

"I'm sorry, Niko." He said, his eyes full of worry.

"It's fine." I signed. "I should go home."

"No. You need to be at the meeting." Millie said. "Come on."

"Niko, if you'd like, I have to leave early for a business meeting. Maybe I could take you home when I leave?" He suggested.

"You don't have to do that. I can walk home." I signed, leaning against the wall and catching my breath back.

"Please it's the least I can do." He said. "And I don't want a pretty guy like you to end up getting hurt walking home."

I looked at Millie and she nodded. "I'll check on you after the meeting. I just want you to be around someone so you can get to the hospital if you need to."