The Pack and Sidemen Oneshots

Vikklan- Don't

Lachlan's P.O.V.

I dangled my feet over the edge of the railing, staring down into the abyss below. There's nothing to stop you from falling, I told myself, tears forming in the corners of my eyes, just jump.

I had been reflecting on my life for far too long, everything was falling apart underneath my fingers and there was nothing I could do about it. Everything I ever loved was crumbling to dust and now I pondered if I would be the next to, sitting on a bridge ready to tip myself off. Death was inviting, warm and comforting, compared to the cold hard reality of life.

In my jacket pocket, zipped up so the water couldn't leak in and destroy my last words, was the note that addressed everything I could never say. As much as I had wanted to say it, scream it out so the world could hear my pain and anguish, I never had the courage to and now it was my writing, not my voice, that would tell them how I was really feeling.

Suicide is never something I had really considered, at least until my life started falling apart around me, crumbling to ashes like it had never existed. First I made my choice to come out, thinking everyone I considered family would at least care enough to still consider me their son, brother, grandson, nephew. But no. I found myself on the streets with nowhere to turn.

I had no job, no home, no family, no friends but still he had the nerve to tell me it was my fault for being who I am. He beat me within an inch of my life and then expected me to come running back to him after everything he had done, because he knew I had nowhere to go. I didn't run to him, I ran as far away as I could and that's how I ended up here.

A stranger in a strange country, nowhere to go and no one to help me. That was how I ended up standing on a bridge ready to jump, to end everything.

My name is Lachlan Ross Power, 23, from Australia. My last wish is to have ashes scattered anousmously in a forest where I can be forgotten by everyone. As if I never existed.

When my body is found don't both to tell my family. They never really cared.

I thought over my note one last time as I stared out to the horizon, the last remainints of sun creeping away, leaving only darkness. My last sunset. I realised, watching closely as the last sunset I would ever see faded away. The stars and the moon would be my only companions when I took my last breath.

Somewhere, distantly, I recognised that there were cars crawling along the bridge. They were but tens of metres away from me, they could clearly see me sitting on the railing as the last light faded but none of them stopped. It just confirmed my thoughts that I was completely forgotten, that no one really cared.

I had been sitting on the railing before, but now I slipped off it so I was standing on the wrong side of it, inches from falling. If I let go of my death grip on the railing then I knew I would fall and if everything went well, according to my plan at least, then I would never wake up.

I was so focused on the thought of falling that I didn't hear the hurried footsteps behind me, the hesitation as they got right up close to me, and I didn't know they were there until a gentle hand was placed on top of mine and I jolted, almost falling. I yelped in fright and tugged my hand away, now only hanging on with one hand.

Turning to face the person behind me I saw a young man about the same age as myself looking both scared and absolutely terrified. He was a lot shorter than me with dark hair, dark skin and dark eyes but I saw the kindness behind them and knew, even though he was a stranger, even though I was hanging off a bridge with one hand, I could trust him.

"Please." He whispered, holding out his hand to me. His voice quivered. "Don't jump. Suicide doesn't make anything better."

I shook my head, now the tears were falling thick and fast. He didn't know. He didn't know what it was like to feel so hopeless that the only option was to end it all, to feel so alone and abandoned and scared that there was nothing else.

"There's nothing for me here." I mumbled, closing my eyes and very nearly letting go. "There's no one looking for me."

That seemed to inspire something in him because he stepped a little closer, still holding out his hand for me to take if I wanted to. He wasn't pushing me to take it, trying to pull me back over the railing, he was simply talking to me with a soothing voice, telling me what he thought I didn't know or couldn't see.

"There doesn't need to be anything here." He said, stepping right up to the railing. "You don't need anything to keep going, you can build it. Build a new life, move on from everything that happened in the past."

He gestured his hand out to me and against everything in me that was screaming not to, to push myself over the edge, I took it anyway. His grip was soft but firm, it wasn't like he was trying to stop me from falling, his hand was just there as a lifeline to help me back over the railing and onto solid ground.

As soon as I had clambered back over I just collapsed to the ground, dissolving into tears. I felt like a baby, sitting on the ground in the middle of a bridge with a strangers hand in mine, and then he wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me to his chest. I just cried. I bawled into my sleeves and rocked back and forth because I was alive, even though I didn't want to be.

"It's alright." He said in a hushed whisper. "Come on, come home with me. You don't have anywhere to go, do you?" I shook my head. "You need a hot chocolate, some food and some sleep. Then you need someone to talk to."

He was right. I wanted something to eat and drink, I wanted to sleep and then I wanted to talk.

"What's your name?" I whispered, tucking my hand into his as we walked up the road.

"Vikk. What's yours?" I hesitated for a second.

"Lachlan."

"That's a nice name." He smiled. "I like it."

I smiled shyly back and ducked my head. I didnt understand why he was being so kind to me, he was a stranger and had found me about to commit suicide, and now he was inviting me back to his house. It was strange, but it wasnt as if I minded. He had saved my life, Vikk had, and now he was trying to build my life back up.

His flat was nice, it was a two bedroom, modern, simple flat about 6 floors up in an unassuming apartment complex only a 5-minute walk from where I tried to take my life.

He lived alone, with only a few houseplants for company and in one room a saw a massive computer set-up, three monitors and very fancy cameras and microphones. Vikk saw my look and smiled, explaining that he had a job as a YouTuber, someone who filmed gaming videos for the general public. It was interesting. I had never heard of a YouTuber before.

The first thing he did was led me into his own room, where it was clear that it was a well-loved room. There were clothes scattered on the floor, personal trophies lining the shelves and things that told me this was his room. I had glanced the guest bedroom on the way up and compared to here it seemed barren and empty.

"Do you want a hot chocolate?" He asked, helping me sit down on his bed. I was physically and mentally exhausted, but I nodded. Something warm to drink would be good, comforting even.

He came back a couple of minutes later with two steaming mugs and a plate of plain toast with butter, setting it and one cup down on the dresser beside me.

"Have something to eat and drink and then sleep, alright?" I nodded. "You can explain in the morning if you want but dont feel like you have to."

I stayed in silence while I sipped on the sugary drink, the warm liquid pouring down my throat and making me feel much warmer. I barely nibbled at the toast, only taking tiny bites when Vikk glanced at me, concerned, but I was too tired to eat. I only got through half the hot chocolate before my eyes started to slide closed.

"Okay." Vikk said softly, taking the mug from my hands. "Bed time."

Once again I felt like a child as he helped me take my shoes and hoodie off, leaving me in just sweatpants and a t-shirt, but I didnt fight it. I was too exhausted to care or even really process what was going on. With gentle hands he tucked me into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin.

"Sleep. You'll feel better." His footsteps were light as he headed to the door, pulling it closed behind him.

For once, I felt peaceful. For once, I felt okay.