starving [hailee steinfeld one-shots]

shock to your system [H.Steinfeld]

summary: your move to new york isn't as panic-free as you would have hoped but thankfully, your girlfriend knows just what to do to help.

warnings: panic attack + general mentions/descriptions of anxiety; hailee being the sweetest person in the world even in stressful situations; cute cheesy fluff; one day i'll figure out how to write endings, i promise; me dragging new york again, i'm so sorry

wordcount: 1.3k

a/n: title (and inspiration) comes from shock to your system by tegan and sara, i cannot recommend the song enough, holy crap. this request by sent in via pm and it's slightly heavier on the anxiety side than some of my past works. important disclaimer: i've never experienced a panic attack before despite living with major anxiety so hopefully the descriptions aren't totally awful. hope you enjoy <3

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You should've known better than to keep your growing anxiety to yourself. Despite the nagging feeling in the back of your mind, you had dismissed it at first. You were sure it was just the average amount of discomfort that comes with moving to a different city and because of it, you didn't say anything to your girlfriend.

Clearly, that had been a bad idea.

You didn't know where it stemmed from but it was obvious the move to New York had left you a little more uneasy than you had anticipated. It's not like you were a stranger to the city but living here is something completely different to visiting every few months. Everything about it is loud and overwhelming and incredibly different from the ocean-blue views of L.A that you're so used to.

Not only were you dealing with the move, but you were also dealing with Hailee's absence most days. Hawkeye had been picked up for a season 2, hence your hurried move to New York, and your girlfriend was on set pretty much every hour she was awake. She didn't technically have the title of executive producer like she did with Dickinson but she certainly behaved like one, choosing to stay on set even when she didn't have any scenes to film.

In hindsight, the signs were obvious. And yet you managed to ignore them over and over again until you finally snapped.

You had spent most of the week laying in bed and pretending like everything was fine. Hailee was distracted enough that she didn't question you even when it was obvious you were avoiding things and you made no effort to fill her in on what was going on inside your mind. You didn't see anything wrong with it...until today when your anxiety got way out of your control.

You don't even know how it happened. One second you were fine, relaxing on the couch and texting your girlfriend who was on her way back to your apartment, and the next you felt the walls closing in on you. All it had taken to tip you over the edge into an ocean of panic was a genuinely sweet question from Hailee, an offer to go out tonight and explore the city together.

The mere thought of stepping foot outside of the walls of your new home was more than enough to make you spiral.

And spiral you did.

You're not sure how much time passed, it felt like both an eternity and a second to your overwhelmed mind, but the tightness in your chest slowly increased until you were left gasping for breath.

You're so lost in trying to remember how to properly breathe that you miss the sound of the door opening until the caring voice you love so much calls out for you. "y/n?"

You open your mouth to say something but all that comes out is a choked sob full of more desperation than sadness. You want to look up at Hailee but you feel frozen in place like all you can do is shake and struggle to get enough air into your lungs.

"Hey, it's okay," she says as she crosses the space between you until she's kneeling in between your legs. "Can you look at me, baby?"

"Can't- Too much-"

"Shh, I know, I know. Take your time, you're safe, love."

Her gentle hands come up to caress your face, her thumbs wiping away the tears you hadn't even realized had been slipping out of your tired eyes. Her touch helps ground you despite the chaos swirling around your mind, almost as if she's the only thing keeping you anchored to reality.

She moves slowly but she manages to help you lift your head enough to be able to look into the loving eyes you call home. "There we go. Focus on me, alright? I'm not going anywhere."

You sort of mumble in agreement although the sound comes out slightly muffled and incoherent. Hailee doesn't judge your panicked response and instead does her best to comfort you, keeping her eyes trained on your face for any subtle hints that the panic attack may be growing stronger. There's an underlying sweetness to the moment that not even the demons in your mind can argue against.

You do your best to focus on the sweetness of the moment and the sheer warmth she radiates so effortlessly while you struggle to get your breathing back under control. It's a slow process filled with Hailee's whispered words of encouragement and soft caresses but eventually, your shaking subsides and your breath starts coming in somewhat steadier than before.

You feel as if you've run a marathon despite having been frozen in place for who knows how long. The relieved smile that spreads along your girlfriend's face offers more solace than the air that fills your lungs. "Better?"

"Yeah." Your voice is barely louder than a whisper but at least you can finally talk without hyperventilating. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," she replies with a small shake of her head. "I'm just glad I could help you."

You reach for her with shaky hands and she instantly understands your silent request. She joins you on the couch, her arm instantly wrapping around your waist and offering you more comfort than she could ever imagine. You shift your body toward her and rest your head against her shoulder while making sure to keep your breaths slow and deep.

A few moments of silence go by before Hailee speaks up, the question she asks breaking your heart a little. "y/n...why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't realize it had gotten so bad." Your words are laced with both honesty and small traces of guilt. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, baby, I should've known." Her grip on you tightens the slightest bit and it's obvious to you how genuine her concern is. It makes your heart flutter in your chest, the love that flows between you being more than enough to help your leftover discomfort disappear.

"Hailee, you've been so busy lately, it's okay."

"That's not an excuse," she argues. "I made you move here with me and then ditched you every day when I didn't even need to be on set."

You hate the way she blames herself but you know it's only because she cares about you so much. It turns the whole situation into an easy pill to swallow. "Lee, I moved here with you because I wanted to. I love you, and I love New York, it's just a lot to wrap my head around and that's not your fault."

She chuckles but the sound comes out a tad too deflated for your liking. "I'm supposed to be comforting you, not the other way around, love."

"We can comfort each other. It doesn't have to be a competition." You tilt your head slightly so you can gaze up at the proud owner of your heart. You pretend not to notice the thin layer of tears in her eyes, not wanting to spend any more time dwelling on the bad.

You're in your girlfriend's arms with nothing but time to spend with each other. And that's what matters to you.

"You...are way too sweet for your own good, you know that?"

She doesn't give you time to argue with her. Instead, she leans down and captures your lips with her own. You practically melt in her arms. After going almost a full day without her, this was heaven on Earth, you were sure of it.

You reluctantly pull away from the kiss, the smile on your face wider and more genuine than it's been all week. "I know you wanted to go out but how about we order pizza and watch a trashy rom-com?"

"You read my mind, baby."