𝙴𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚛 𝚡 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 ★ 𝙾𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ★

𝒮𝓁𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝒜𝓃𝓍𝒾𝑒𝓉𝓎 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇

It was a quiet evening in your shared house, the kind of night where the only sounds were the occasional rustling of leaves outside and the faint hum of distant traffic. Eric had just finished his nightly routine—brushing his wild, curly hair, slipping into his favorite worn-out band t-shirt, and padding barefoot into the bedroom. He flashed you a sleepy smile as he slid under the covers beside you, his presence a welcome warmth.

But despite the comfort of having him there, sleep still felt elusive.

You'd been lying awake for what felt like hours, staring at the ceiling, trying to quiet your racing thoughts. Anxiety gnawed at you, a familiar but unwelcome guest that settled in as soon as your head hit the pillow. You glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table—2:34 AM. Your chest tightened as the minutes ticked by, each second reminding you that you weren't asleep. And that you should be.

You tried everything. Closing your eyes tighter. Focusing on your breathing. Counting down from one hundred. But none of it worked. Your mind spun in endless circles, whispering fears of sleepless nights and weary mornings, and what if I never sleep again?

Next to you, Eric stirred slightly, as if sensing your restlessness even in his sleep. His arm unconsciously reached out, draping across your stomach in a gentle embrace, but even his touch—soothing as it usually was—couldn't push away the waves of anxiety.

You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to steady your breathing, trying to pretend like you could calm yourself down. But the harder you tried, the worse it got, like your thoughts were fighting back against your efforts.

Eventually, the weight of your panic became too much to bear alone. Quietly, you turned toward him, your heart pounding in your chest.

"Eric?" you whispered, your voice small in the quiet.

He shifted again, his eyes blinking open slowly, unfocused at first. He mumbled something unintelligible before his gaze sharpened, and he looked at you. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, his voice raspy from sleep, filled with concern.

"I can't sleep," you admitted, your voice trembling slightly. "It's my anxiety... it's just really bad tonight."

In an instant, he was fully awake, his brow furrowing in worry as he sat up slightly to look at you more closely. "Oh, babe," he said softly, his hand moving to gently cup your cheek, his thumb brushing against your skin. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"I didn't want to bother you," you said, feeling a little guilty for dragging him into your sleepless misery.

"You're never a bother," he said firmly, shaking his head as if to dispel the very idea. He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead, lingering there for a moment. "Let me help you, okay?"

You nodded, your body tense with exhaustion and anxiety, unsure if anything could really soothe you at this point. But if anyone could, it was Eric.

He slipped out of bed for a moment, disappearing into the bathroom. You could hear the sound of water running as he filled a glass. When he returned, he handed it to you. "Drink this," he said gently. "And just breathe. You don't have to worry about the time. We'll get through this together."

You took a few sips, the cool water easing the tightness in your throat. Eric slid back into bed beside you, his arm wrapping around your shoulders, pulling you close to his chest. He began tracing slow, lazy circles on your back, a calming rhythm that immediately made you feel a little more grounded.

"Talk to me," he said softly, his voice laced with tenderness. "What's on your mind?"

You hesitated for a moment, the usual embarrassment bubbling up—the irrational feeling that you shouldn't be so anxious about something as simple as sleep. But Eric's patience never wavered. He just waited, holding you like you were the most important thing in the world.

"I don't know," you finally whispered. "It's just... I get stuck in my head, and then I start thinking that I'll never fall asleep. And then I get scared that if I don't sleep, I'll mess everything up tomorrow. And it just spirals."

Eric's lips pressed a kiss to your temple. "I get it," he said softly. "Anxiety's tricky like that. But you don't have to go through it alone. I'm here with you. We'll take it one moment at a time."

You breathed in deeply, letting his words sink in. His calmness was infectious, and slowly, the tension in your muscles began to ease.

"Do you want to try a breathing exercise?" he asked, his voice low and soothing. "We can do it together."

You nodded, leaning into him, grateful for his steady presence. He guided you through it, his voice soft in your ear as you matched your breaths to his—inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four. Slowly, the frantic edge of your anxiety began to soften, replaced by the steady rhythm of Eric's breathing next to you.

"You're doing great," he whispered, his hand still tracing comforting patterns on your back. "Just keep breathing with me."

Minutes passed, and though your thoughts still threatened to spiral, Eric's presence kept pulling you back. Every time you started to feel yourself slipping into that familiar pit of worry, his voice would be there, anchoring you.

"I love you," he murmured softly after a while, his words wrapping around you like a blanket. "I'm so proud of you."

His words felt like a balm, soothing the raw edges of your anxiety. You nestled closer into him, your head resting on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"I love you too," you whispered back, the warmth of his love finally quieting the storm inside you.

Eric shifted slightly, adjusting the blankets around you, making sure you were both comfortable. "Whenever you're ready, close your eyes," he said, his voice like a gentle hum. "I'll be right here."

And you did. You let your eyes close, focusing on the sound of his breathing, on the warmth of his arms around you. The anxiety was still there, but it felt more manageable now, less like it was going to consume you.

You felt Eric press one more kiss to the top of your head before he whispered, "Sleep will come. Just rest now."

And with him holding you, with his calm presence steadying you, you finally felt the tightness in your chest loosen, just a little bit. It wasn't a perfect fix, but it was enough. Enough to let you drift off, your last waking thought being how lucky you were to have him by your side.

And in the peaceful stillness of the night, you finally found sleep.