Anxiety x Reader as Serenity [Inside Out 2]

You are my serenity

Anxiety x Reader
as serenity
Suggested by: Ch4rles_art00

The command center was a disaster zone. Joy's usual vibrant starbursts were replaced by crumpled balls of glitter. Sadness huddled in the corner, a raincloud permanently parked over her head. Anger paced in furious circles, smoke curling from his nostrils. Disgust, well, Disgust was doing her usual thing, picking metaphorical lint out of everything.

The culprit? Anxiety. She perched on the central console, wringing her hands like a dishrag about to disintegrate.

"We can't just abandon headquarters!" She squeaked, her voice high-pitched with panic. "What if they come back? What if they're stronger this time?"

"Anxiety," Joy finally sighed, her voice strained. "They were Forgetters. They literally forget things. They're not coming back for a memory about Riley tripping over a fire hydrant."

"But what if they do?" Anxiety insisted, her voice cracking. "What if they take all of Riley's memories? What if-"

A gentle hand settled on her shoulder. Anxiety flinched, her eyes darting around until they landed on a figure she hadn't noticed before. Serenity.

New to headquarters, Serenity wasn't one of the core emotions. She wasn't bold and fiery like Anger, or bright and optimistic like Joy. Serenity was quiet, calm, a gentle blue that settled over the stormy emotions like a soothing balm.

"It's alright to be worried, Anxiety," Serenity said softly, her voice like the tinkling of wind chimes. "But worrying won't stop the bad things from happening, will it?"

Anxiety bit her lip, considering. "No, but-"

"But it will stop you from enjoying the good things," Serenity finished, her smile gentle. "Look, Riley's happy right now. She's having a sleepover with her friends. Isn't that something to celebrate?"

Anxiety peered down at the monitors, where Riley was indeed giggling with a group of friends, faces glowing in the warm light of the laptop screen. A hesitant smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Maybe," she admitted.

Serenity squeezed her shoulder. "Maybe is a good start."

The sleepover continued to unfold on the monitor, a chaotic ballet of popcorn fights and whispered secrets. Anxiety watched, a flicker of something unfamiliar warming her chest. It wasn't the usual frantic energy of worry, but a tentative flicker of... contentment?

"See?" Serenity nudged her with her elbow. "Sometimes, things work out just fine."

Anxiety let out a shaky breath. "But what if they don't?"

Serenity's smile didn't falter. "Then we deal with it, together. That's what emotions are for, right?"

She gestured around the command center. Disgust, still grumbling, was half-heartedly cleaning up the glitter mess. Anger had settled into a simmer, watching the movie Riley and her friends were choosing with a critical eye. Even Sadness seemed a little less... droopy.

Anxiety's gaze drifted back to Riley. On the screen, she was arguing good-naturedly with one of her friends, a goofy grin plastered on her face. A genuine, carefree grin.

Maybe, Anxiety thought, just maybe, Serenity was right. Maybe worrying wouldn't stop the bad things, but focusing on the good things... that could help.

She straightened her sweatshirt collar, a small act of defiance against the usual chaos. "Alright," she announced, her voice firmer than usual. "Let's make a plan."