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Six months later
~Lyla's POV~
"Sweetheart, you okay? You didn't come down for breakfast."
"It's loud. It's all too damn loud and bright sometimes." I grumbled and held my head.
Six months ago, I came back to life. Six months ago, I received an essence of the Phoenix Force thanks to Jean saving me and all my abilities increased tenfold.
And since then, most days feels like I'm in a living nightmare.
"I know, baby... I know." Scott said, closing the curtains to my room and I sighed in relief. "It's just one of those mornings."
"I can hear everyone today, Scott. Student's cheating on their tests, Hank mumbling to himself in his office, Peter zooming around... even the lightest pencil scrape."
"Remember what Jean said. Focus on a single voice to ground you." He frowned as I covered my ears. "Do you want me to get the headphones again? They're in your desk."
"It's not just the noise, hon. It's everything... It's like I can feel, see, smell, taste and hear every single atom passing through and I can't turn it off. It's suffocating."
"Focus on me. All five senses on me." Scott ordered and held my face. "Just focus on me, Lyla."
I took a deep breath and focused on how his thumbs slowly stroked my cheeks and the steady beat of his heart.
"That's it... It's just the two of us here." He whispered and rested his forehead against mine. "It's just me."
"Thank you." I breathed out and tangled my hands in his hair.
"You don't have to thank me. I'm here for you, always."
"I hate this... I hate feeling like I'm a ticking time bomb... What if one day my senses get too much and I'll hurt someone, Scott?"
"I won't let that happen. You're stronger than you think, Lyla. And we're all here to help you and Jean control it."
"But what if I accidentally hurt you?" I choked out and Scott pulled back slightly to wipe the tears I didn't notice were falling. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't hurt me, Lyla. And you can control it, you already are."
"Some days it feels like I'm losing myself and I don't know what to do."
