Sleep Paralysis - Josh Franchesci, You Me At Six AU (COMPLETED)

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R O S E ' S  P O V

"Rose?" Max's voice called out. I sniffled quietly, not wanting Max to see me like this. I stood up shakily, rubbing my face to get rid of my red eyes, but I fell down, crashing against the shelves. Max quickly entered the back, concern spread across his face. "Jesus..." he whispered to himself before making his way to me. He crouched down, lifting me up a little.

"What happened?" he asked, inspecting my body for injuries. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the evidence. What's the point? Just tell him.

"I saw Josh, and I got a bit spooked to say the least," I joked, trying to block out what he had only said to me merely minutes ago. Max gave me a look of sympathy before helping me stand up.

"I'm sorry, Rose. Do you perhaps wanna take the rest of the day off? Kelly said that Steph is happy to fill in this week," he offered, making me giggle.

"Wow. You two seem to really know each other - it's cute." I laughed, my mood brightening a bit. A smile spread across his face, a light blush across his cheeks.

"Come on," he murmured, brushing my joke off. He sat me down at the counter, letting me eat my lunch. Kelly joined us a few minutes later, gasping at the state of me. She ran over, cupping my face softly.

"What happened?!" She questioned, worry in her eyes. I placed down my toastie.

"I had a fall - that's all. But I've hit my head pretty badly, so Max thinks I should head home," I lied, resulting in a quizzical look from Max. She gasped once more, nodding in understanding. She pulled out her phone, tapping somethings.

"I just saw Dan - he can probably give you a lift," she told me, dialling his number before heading into the backroom. Dammit. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this to Dan until tomorrow. Max turned to me, the look still on his face.

"Why did you lie to Kelly?" he asked, confusion in his voice.

"She worries a lot about me. At the moment, she only knows about the sleep paralysis, but if I tell her about seeing Josh outside of those episodes, she'll freak out. And I don't want her to worry about me all the time - she doesn't need to," I told him, finishing my coffee. He smiled once more, crossing his arms.

"You're a kind person, Rose. Don't let anyone take that away from you," he said. Before I could thank him, Kelly re-entered the store with my bag, hanging up her phone.

"Dan will be here in a second. I hope you feel better, Rose," she frowned. I thanked her, standing up as I saw Dan appear outside the store. Her eyes suddenly brightened before grabbing me and pulling me towards the door. She pushed it open, waving at Dan.

"Here she is - make sure she get home safe. You know what to do," she said to Dan. He nodded, before beginning to walk with me. I chuckled softly, looking back.

"What was that about?" I questioned as we stopped in front of his car. He inhaled deeply, staring into my eyes.

"Alright, here we go," he mumbled, making me raise an eyebrow. What is he on about?

"I-I really like you, Rose. I know we're best friends, but I would love to take you out on a date. I-I understand if you don't want to, but I'd be grateful if I could," Dan mumbled, smiling sheepishly. My eyes flickered to Josh, who appeared behind Dan.

'Don't you fucking dare, Rose. I will slit his throat,' he growled, shooting daggers at me with his eyes.

If you hurt him I will not hesitate to stop talking to you.

"When are we going?" I smiled cheerfully as Dan's sheepish smile turned into the happiest grin on earth, his cheeks pink.

"Uh- I- um, wherever you'd like to go!" he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Take me to wherever you think I'll like it the most," I answered. Dan looked up, his eyes bright.

"Tomorrow night. I'll pick you up at six," he told me, fidgeting.

"Sounds good," I replied. We entered the car, both grinning like idiots. We reached my house in no time, sadly.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," I confirmed, kissing him on the cheek. I stepped out onto the pavement before watching him drive away. I felt Josh's fingers curl around the back of my neck, gripping tightly.

'Don't you dare fucking disobey me like that again. You're lucky I let him slide just then,' he muttered in my ear. I rolled my eyes, ignoring his aggression.

Too bad, Josh. I'm going on that date wether you like it or not. He appeared in front of me, his hand around my throat.

'You're going to wish you never said that later, Rose. I'm going to have to give you a punishment when I see you tonight,' he threatened, making me tremble softly.

"I-I'm sorry, Josh," I tearfully whispered. He smirked softly, letting his hand drop.

'It's a bit too late for that now, babe,' he chuckled, disappearing as rain drops began to fall.

I don't ever want to sleep again.

---

My eyes opened softly, my vision slightly blurred. Josh stood at the foot of my bed, a smirk on his face.

'Ah, you're awake. Now we can start,' he chuckled, pulling my duvet off my body. Climbing onto my bed, he grabbed me by the ankles and pulled me towards him. He ripped off my shirt, leaving hickeys along my throat, collarbones and chest. He tugged my shorts off, eyeing my half-naked body. Tears rolled down my cheeks and onto my pillows as Josh sat on top of me.

Please, Josh. Don't do this.

'You should've thought about that when you disobeyed me,' he smirked, the light from the thunder illuminating his face. He dragged his hands down my soft, exposed skin, gripping my waist roughly. He pulled out a switchblade, and I began to panic. He cut my skin, ignoring my begging for him to stop. He leaned down to the biggest cut and began to drink my blood, moaning quietly.

'You're fucking delicious,' he groaned, licking all my other cuts. My tears were coming quicker, like a flood.

'Remember my proposal. Within than a week - you've still got time, baby,' Josh murmured against my skin.

Why don't you do it? Wouldn't it be easier for you to get rid of people from my life? He paused, looking up at me.

'If it was that easy, I would've done it by now,' he explained, kissing me harshly. The metallic taste of blood in my mouth made me feel sick. I closed my eyes, praying that he would leave.

'Think about what's best for you, Rose,' he growled into my ear before letting me fall back asleep.