Jaylor One Shots

Overwhelmed

This weekend both of their families are over, and it's just a little too much for Taylor to handle. She isn't quite sure why but she's feeling a bit overwhelmed. Every second she spends surrounded by everyone, her anxiety spikes a little higher. It's odd, these are the people she loves most in the world, and yet she feels suffocated. She knows Joe can sense her unease, he hasn't left her side all day and for that, she's grateful. He's always kept her grounded. It had been a hectic week for the two of them, flying from Croatia late at night to spend the week here in London. Taylor had been busy re-recording all her old music, the both of them having been up late doing their jobs. Their anniversary is soon, five years, but neither of them have had much time to think about that. So she thinks maybe it's a combination of all that. She used to be good at doing a million things at once, it had been something she'd thrived on. But in the past couple of years, she can feel herself needing more breaks, less travelling all over the world in a week. That scares her, she doesn't like feeling like she can't do everything. 

So when lunch has been finished, their families are just talking amongst themselves, Elizabeth and her mom discussing some painfully detailed memory from her youth, Taylor slips from the room. Just needs a minute to collect herself. Faking a smile only works for so long, until you completely shatter underneath that facade with no idea of how to collect yourself again. She'd learnt that years ago. She retreats to their bedroom, knowing they wouldn't come looking for her here - well, except maybe Joe. She sits on the floor, her back pressing against the bed. She takes a few deep breaths, trying to collect her thoughts, find the root of the problem. Taylor knows she's being silly, is more than aware of that. But she can't stop this feeling, it's buried in her chest and she just wants to scream at their family to leave. Just wants to be able to retreat from this situation and recover from whatever she's feeling. Obviously she can't do that, she loves their family, hasn't seen any of them in a while. She wonders if they've picked up on her fake smiles, or whether that was just Joe. 

Some time passes, she isn't actually quite sure how much, but she's hoping only a few minutes. She hears a knock on the door, lifts her head out of her hands to see Joe leaning against the doorframe. 

"You okay love?" His voice is gentle, soothing. He isn't coming any closer, knows that people are the reason for her feelings - wanting to be respectful by giving her space. Taylor just shakes her head, biting her lip. She doesn't have anything to vocalise, still having no conclusive understanding of her own feelings. "Everyone's distracted downstairs, mum's telling them all about a recent interaction she had; they're all quite drunk." She knows what he's doing, he's trying to tell her that she can take her time to collect herself, she doesn't need to worry about them looking for her. After a moment, Taylor pats the spot next to her, letting him know she's okay with him coming closer. He quickly obliges, sitting down next to her, their shoulders pressed up against each other. That little bit of contact from him allows her to sigh, it brings her guard down. She can trust him, she knows he only cares about her. She rests her head against his shoulder, his warmth allowing her to centre herself further. 

This feels like peace, as close to it as she can get at the moment. She'd love to just abandon their guests and spend the rest of the night cuddled up with him, trying to get to the bottom of her thoughts. His arm wraps around her, holding her firmly. He doesn't ask any questions, is letting her make the first move here. She knows he probably has an inkling of what's going on, but isn't being presumptuous and for that, she's thankful. They've gotten to know each other completely over the past years, it's astounding to Taylor just how well they understand each other. It's times like these where she's incredibly grateful for that. Whether he's down, or she is. It's nice to know how to approach the situation to best help the person that you love. 

"I'm sorry." She murmurs, feels him brush her hair off her face, gently tucking it behind her ear. 

"You don't need to be sorry love, there's nothing wrong with getting overwhelmed." He plants a soft kiss to her head, his lips feel nice against her skin, almost as if she can pull herself together again. She doesn't explain, isn't ready to yet. She figures that's a conversation for when their family is in bed. She just allows herself to enjoy his comfort for a few more moments, before grasping his hand and standing up. She feels like she can keep herself together for a few more hours now. Joe pulls her body in for a hug,