Sanders Sides Oneshots

Keep On Breathin' (Moxiety)

Story Squad - Moxiety Amino
Theme: Thomas's Original or Covered Songs

Human AU
TW: Mention of panic attack
Song Chosen: Breathin'

For as long as he could ever remember, Patton was strictly raised to not show or receive any physical affection to anybody, not even his own family minus his parents.

He was never given any specific reasoning for it, only the promise of an unknown punishment if he broke the rules.

No hugs, no hand holding, no comforting cuddles or soft and reassuring forehead kisses from anybody but his mother and father. Even at sixteen years old, this rule was still enforced in his house better than most of the laws in his state. Poor Patton even followed the rule in school, jumping away and stumbling over his own stuttering words to explain his situation if someone got close. He hadn't touched another person in a total of ten years, making him incredibly touch starved and longing for some kind of affection.

On a cold October day, Patton sat in his math class, doodling away on his the loose-leafed paper he was using for his notes. His right hand allowed his pen to smoothly glide along the paper in soft strokes while his left hand clutched his right upper arm in an attempt to stay warm in his fuzzy, dark blue sweater. He hardly knew what the teacher was talking about at this point, as he had long ago tuned out of the teacher's review lecture. The teacher had noticed and didn't seem to care nor call him out, as she had promised at the beginning of the year that she wouldn't do that to her students.

Feeling something bit the back of his head, Patton turned a bit in his chair, spotting a balled up piece of paper. He discreetly picked it up, opening it up out of curiosity. His face went pale as he read he words written in horrid handwriting and red pen. He sat the paper down, tucking it under another paper before raising his hand.

"Yes, Patton?" The teacher asked.

Heads turned his way. What on Earth would the quiet, introverted and nerdy kid need in the middle of class?, they wondered.

"B-B-Bathroom!" Patton blurted out, shaking hard as he heard nearly the whole class laugh at his outburst. As soon as he saw the teacher nod, he was out of there quickly. As the door fell closed behind him, he could hear his teacher reprimanding the class for their behavior. Tears spilled down his cheeks and he ran down the empty hall towards the bathrooms. However, he didn't get too far before collapsing, his legs refusing to carry him any longer. He laid slumped against the wall like a forgotten and fragile doll.

Back in the classroom, Virgil, who was constantly labeled as the 'emo kid' glanced to Patton's desk worriedly. Despite sitting beside him, he respected his privacy and hadn't read the note earlier. However, as soon as the teacher was looking away, he grabbed the note and read it. His face contorted into that of pure anger and hatred for the bullies who had written the note to Patton. Shoving the note in his hoodie pocket, he asked to go to the bathroom, to which he was given a slight nod.

His boots made soft thuds on the hall floor as he walked in the direction of the bathroom. However, their pase quickened as he caught sight of Patton curled up in a little ball. He was crying heavily, head down and unaware of Virgil.

The darker teen knelt beside Patton. He said, quietly, "Breathe. You need to breathe."

Patton's trembling body froze for a moment at the sound of his voice. He tried to take a shaky breath, but he was clearly struggling.