Upstead comfort fics

Arachnophobia

(I got a request for Hailey being absolutely terrified of spiders and she finds one in the apartment. Jay is at Molly's so Hailey sits on the counter until he gets home, freaking out. They're married in this one and it is a little shorter than normal. Things have been a little hectic)
——
"Are you sure you don't want to come to Molly's tonight?" Jay asked for what felt like the hundredth time that day as he and Hailey gathered their belongings.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's guy's nightc babe. I'm just going to go home, order take out, and watch a movie and read," Hailey responded with an eye roll and a smile.

"Okay, just checking. I love you," Jay smiled and hugged his wife.

"I love you, too. Now go have fun, I'll see you later," Hailey insisted as she pushed him towards the door of the district.

"Copy," Jay laughed as he walked out to his truck.

Hailey drove home, picking up some Chinese food on the way. When she got inside their apartment, she put the food on the kitchen counter then went to take a shower and put her pajamas on. After her shower, she piled up on the couch with her dinner and found Miss Congeniality, one of her absolute favorite movies.

When the movie ended, Hailey went to throw everything away and clean up. As she was closing the trash can, she saw something move behind it, so she moved the trash can, thinking it was food. It was not. It was a large, brown spider, and Hailey screamed and jumped onto the counter as panic coursed through her.

Only Jay, Vanessa, Trudy, Will, Natalie, and Hailey's brothers knew just how terrified Hailey was of spiders. At work, if she saw one she'd immediately yell for Jay to kill it and laugh it off. After all, none of the others would try to kill a cockroach if they saw one, but she had no issues with those and that was her territory. She was also fine with snakes and had been basically the only one that didn't freak out when they saw a few during a case.

Spiders though, they were a huge no. Hailey was more afraid of spiders than she was of bees, and she was highly allergic to bees. So, she was now sitting on the kitchen counter, breathing fast, trying so hard not to cry.

"I need Jay," she groaned, eyeing the microwave for the time. "Dammit." It was 8:30, she had no idea how late Jay would be.

"I'll call him," she muttered to herself, only to realize her phone was in the living room, and she was way too scared to go get it, the spider was huge and she would have to walk right by it.

Tears filled her eyes at the thought and she started sweating as she picked at her cuticles. Her phobia was irrational, she knew that, but she was terrified of spiders and had been for a very long time. It wasn't that she just didn't like them and would rather have someone else kill them, she was completely petrified of them. It was worse if she was alone, too.

"I hope Jay comes home soon," she whimpered to herself as she hid her face in her knees, trying to avoid a panic attack or breakdown.
——
Over at Molly's, Jay was having a wonderful time with the guys, but he was exhausted and wanted to get home to Hailey. It was 9:30, so he told everyone goodbye and left, eager for some time with his wife.

Hailey was sitting on the kitchen counter, her hands were bleeding, she was shaking, she was sweating, and she'd been crying off and on for a while. She was desperate for Jay to get home, and was contemplating going for her phone or not when the door opened.

"Jay!" She cried from the counter, fighting back sobs of relief.

Jay walked in and stopped short when he saw Hailey. "Hails, what the hell happened?!" He asked, alarmed.

"Spider," she mumbled.

"Where?" He asked, coming and kissing her.

"Behind the trash can. It's big," she informed him in a small voice, still shaking.