Tayvis One-Shots

midnight mess

Taylor's POV

The darkness closed in around me, heavy and suffocating. In the dream, I was running, my legs burning with every step, but I wasn't moving fast enough. The walls were closing in, the voices around me louder, harsher, telling me everything I didn't want to hear: You're not enough. You're failing. You're nothing without him.

I tried to scream, but my voice didn't come out. My chest ached, tightening as if someone had strapped a band around it, pulling it tighter and tighter. My feet tripped over nothing, and I fell.

I woke with a start, gasping for air, my body drenched in sweat. My hands fumbled for the lamp on the bedside table, knocking over a water bottle in my panic. The soft glow of the room did little to calm me. My heart was racing, my chest rising and falling erraticalay, and it felt like there wasn't enough air in the room.

It wasn't real, I tried to tell myself. It was just a dream.

But the shadows in the corners of the room still felt like they were watching me, creeping closer. My throat tightened, and the world spun around me.

I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to ground myself, but it didn't help. My breathing was sharp and shallow, every gasp a reminder of how out of control I felt.

"Travis," I croaked instinctively, but the empty side of the bed was a brutal reminder that he wasn't here. He was out of town for the game, and I was alone.

A wave of nausea hit me, fast and unrelenting. I barely made it to the bathroom before I was doubled over, the contents of my stomach spilling out into the toilet. My whole body shook as tears blurred my vision.

When I finally sat back, my head rested against the cool tile of the bathroom wall. My stomach churned, my skin clammy and cold. The room felt like it was spinning, the remnants of the nightmare still gripping me.

I needed someone.

I grabbed my phone with trembling hands, scrolling to the one person I knew would answer, no matter the hour.

Tree.

The phone rang once, twice.

"Taylor?" her voice was soft but immediately alert.

"I- I can't-" I choked out, my voice breaking.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

I tried to form words, but all that came out was a sob.

"It's okay," she soothed. "Take your time. I'm here."

I gripped the phone tightly, as if it were the only thing tethering me to reality. "I... I had a nightmare," I managed, my voice shaking. "And now I can't... I can't breathe, Tree."

Her voice was steady, a lifeline in the chaos. "Taylor, I need you to listen to me. Can you do that?"

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me.

"Good. First, I want you to try and slow your breathing. In through your nose for four seconds, out through your mouth for six. Can you do that for me?"

I tried to follow her instrucuons, but the breaths came out jagged and uneven.

"It's okay if it's not perfect," she said gently. "Just keep trying. I'm right here."

After a few attempts, my breathing began to slow, though my chest still felt tight.

"Better?" she asked softly.

"A little," I whispered.

"Good. Now, are you safe? Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, then realized she couldn't see me. "I'm... I'm okay. I just... I threw up."