Hide Your Lungs||SMPLive AU

Chapter Three

"Cooper!" Travis bolted up in his bed in a panic. His hand shot to his left, where Cooper normally was, and when he wasn't there it caused Travis to panic more. His heart was beating so fast it hurt and was causing his vision to shake as he wildly looked around the room. He put his head in hands as he tried to get his breathing under control.

Breath... it's fine... you're safe... Cooper is safe... just breathe...

Slowly, his heart stopped beating so fast, and he lifted his head up out of hands. His room was dark, but looking to the windows showed the sky slowly lighting up. He took a few more breaths as he removed the blankets from himself and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

He stood up, the floor cold beneath his feet, crept over to the door and opened it just a crack. He poked his head out into the dark hallway, none of the rooms had their doors open, all were closed and Travis figured that he probably one of the few people up.

He considered going back into his room, closing the door and just waiting for the rest of the house to wake up. But as he was retreating back into his room, he heard muffled voices and the sound of things being moved around downstairs.

People are awake... could maybe see if they need help...

He fully opened the door and left his room, quietly closing the door so that he didn't risk waking anyone. He shuffled past a few doors and started down the stairs. He gripped the banister and cringed when the stairs beneath his feet creaked. He continued at a slow pace, and as he got closer to the bottom floor the voices grew louder. When he got to the bottom of the stairs he noticed two things. One of the voices were coming from the kitchen and two, it was extremely warm.

Odd... either I'm freezing to death... or they have heating... let's hope for heating...

Walking down the hallway where he remembered the kitchen being, shuffled awkwardly into the doorway of the kitchen, and quickly found who had been speaking. Ted was sitting at the large table with a mug in hand and a tired smile. At the counters by the sink, stood a kid that Travis guessed was no older than seventeen, who was mixing things together in a large blue bowl. He stood in the doorway awkwardly for a few more seconds before Ted turned to him, giving him a smile and raising his cup in greeting.

"Morning Travis... you wanna pull up a seat?"

Travis blinked before nodding and stepping into the room. He walked over to the table and pulled up a chair of his own. The boy, stopped mixing and turning around, whipping his hands on his pants and stuck his hand out to Travis, "Hi! I'm Nicolas, or Nick."

Travis smiled and shook his hand, "Hi... I'm Travis..."

Nick nodded, a smile still on his face, "I know! You guys came last night right? I told Ty you guys had a working car and he didn't believe me, but you do have a car right?"

Travis only blinked, trying to process everything that was being asked, "Uh... yeah, we do have a car..."

Nick's smile seemed to grow even more, "Dude! That's so cool! Could we-"

"He just woke up, give him a minute," Ted took a sip of what Travis assumed to be coffee placing it down on the table, "By the way, you finished with that?"

Nick sighed and shook his head as he returned to the bowl, "No, I almost have the batter done, but since you're just sitting there, could you get everything for the scramble...?"

Ted nodded, grabbing his coffee and drinking the last few drops before standing up and doing a quick stretch, "Yeah, no problem. Travis you wanna come with me? Good time to show you the garden before everyone wakes up and you're asked to do twenty different things."