Victor Van Dort X Reader Imagines || Corpse Bride

Oneshot #6 - Paralysis

((Oneshot of which Victor has recurrent episodes of sleep paralysis, this one being the first episode. Reader tries to comfort him in the morning after.))

After a long hard day of sketching and roaming outside, Victor comes home to his bed and plops himself down on it. He sighed, remembering the days events of going to your house and snuggling with you most of the time. He smiled. He enjoyed being with you. After nearly 2 years of being together with you. He'd get off the bed and peel his clothing off, wearing only his underwear now. The sun was just setting over the horizon, and the boy yawned. He slipped himself under the covers on his bed and rested his head on the pillow, slowly closing his eyes as he drifted to sleep. Slowly... ever... so slowly...

××××××××××

Hours had passed. Not a single dream had entered his mind, though Victor slept soundly. It was midnight, the near-full moon shone through his window and down onto his bed. A dream finally entered his mind, which started out peaceful.

He was outside, spending his time with you. You two were laughing, enjoying a cup of tea. Everything seemed bright and colourful, until things took a turn for the worst. It was as if it was straight out of a horror film, everything started to melt, the two of you were frightened, demonic voices began to chant incoherent whisperings, and the next thing he knew he was spiraling downwards into a pit of insanity. Faces of his loved ones melted off like candle wax, exposing the skull, people being murdered, screams filled his mind, and the bodies of the dead rising to murder him in cold blood.

He woke up.

His heart thumped loudly in his chest as he tried to breathe. When he attempted to sit up, he couldn't do it. He couldn't move anything. Not even his head, nor his fingers or toes. Not his feet, nor his hands. He was paralysed. His eyes moved constantly, shifting from one corner of his room to the next. His back laid flat on the bed, which wasn't the way he was placed when he fell asleep. Victor's breathing quickened when he began to feel a choking sensation in his chest, a tightening if you will. His eyes continued to dart all around the room as he began to sweat profusely.

Now came the hallucinations. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadowy figure sitting on his desk. He could have sworn he saw a sharp-toothed smile from it. Another figure zipped across his field of vision, which made him want to jump. He heard voices saying "hurt her", "kill them", "take your life" and "it's not my fault". All of this scared him. He couldn't move at all. He saw a dark, clawed hand make its way up the side of his bed. He wanted this to end. Victor couldn't find his voice, he was trapped like this. The voices continued to mutter the same things over and over, growing louder and louder as the shadows approached him quicker and quicker. He wanted to scream. He wanted to move, to be free. 'It's all a bad dream...' he thought. 'It's all a bad dream... it's all a bad dream...' He thought he was going to die tonight. He tried to move to the best of his abilities.

Then it stopped. Everything went away as he blinked.

Thud, thump.

Victor inhaled loudly and he looked up. He had fallen off of his bed, managing to have bottled up enough force to throw himself off. He gasped and exhaled loudly, the choking feeling now vanishing. He pressed a hand against his chest as he backed himself against the wall, attempting to control his breathing. He felt like someone had been sitting on him the entire time. He shook violently, tears streaking down his cheeks. "God..." he muttered softly. His head pounded. He wished this would never happen again.

××××××××××

It was morning. 10:30 in the morning, to be exact. Victor's parents, Nell and William Van Dort, were conversing amongst themselves downstairs in the living room. Probably about something in the newspaper. Victor hadn't slept after the sleep paralysis episode. He was afraid of another episode happening again. He'd put on some decent clothing and walk downstairs to grab something to eat. He would pass the living room to go to the kitchen, grab a bowl of cereal, and head back. He was stopped by a concerned Nell. "Victor dear, what happened? You look like you hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Is something troubling you?" she'd ask.

"No mother, I-I'm alright. I just haven't been sleeping well is all." he'd respond. William would walk over, having set the newspaper down. "You can tell us what's troubling you Victor. We won't get angry." his father spoke.

"Father, I promise. I'm alright." Victor lied. He knew how to mask it well though. He would then make his way upstairs, eat his breakfast, and then put on proper clothing. He would prefer to speak to you about all of this anyways. He'd walk back down and put his shoes on, heading out without another word.

Victor would make his way to your house, knocking on the door and waiting for you to answer. You did, opening the door. "Victor, good morning! Is everything alright?" you'd ask. "I-I'd like to talk to you. I-if you wouldn't mind, could we take a walk?" he'd ask, fidgeting with his tie. You were confused, but agreed. You were wearing outdoor clothing anyways. The two of you held hands as you walked through the forest by the church. It was how you and Victor calmed yourselves. He was shaking, and you could tell. You were tense yourself, and dreaded the worst. You imagined the possibility of him dumping you, and him thinking you weren't good enough for him. You decided to speak to cut the tension.

"Victor..." you began. "Is... is this talk about me?"

"Oh, goodness no. There's nothing wrong with you, or our relationship. In fact, if anything you're perfect, the best I could ask for." he said with a smile as he looked into your eyes. You felt yourself blush. "But... I wanted to talk about what happened to me last night." he said, smile fading into a frown. Your expression morphed into one filled with concern for your lover. Victor would lead you to a fallen log and the two of you sat on it. "Something... very terrible happened to me last night." he began, almost wincing at the memory. "It was midnight, and I had a dream. It started nice, you and I having a cup of tea. Until it spiraled into incoherent and demonic mumblings and everything around us began to melt." he said. You looked at him with worry. "Victor..." you said.

"That's not the worst part. After I presumably "woke up", I couldn't move. I could only watch as I hallucinated and heard voices and saw shadowy figures..." he looked down as tears welled up in his eyes. "I couldn't breathe... I was scared..." his voice cracked. You took his hands into yours. "Sweetheart..." you said, now wrapping your arms around him. He seemed shocked at first, but then returned the hug as tears streamed down his cheeks. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of your neck. "It's okay darling... cry if you need to. I'm here for you." you said softly, rubbing his back. He nodded as his inhaled, letting out a quiet sob.

After a few minutes of this, he pulled back and wiped his tears away. "I-I'm sorry..." he sniffled.

"Love... don't be sorry. It's okay, I'm glad you told me. What you'd experienced is called sleep paralysis, which means you might have woken up but your body hasn't. I know, I've experienced an episode or two after not sleeping for a few days straight." you responded, brushing a strand of his black hair out of his face.

"Darling, y-you could've told me you didn't sleep for a few days straight." he said, furrowing his brows upwards.

You shrugged. "Things happen. Besides, I'm more worried about you."

He smiled now. You leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips. "I love you, Victor." you said.

"I love you too, darling." he replied.

××××××××××

A few days later, Victor was at your house for the evening. You were sleeping peacefully until you felt a jerk against your back. Victor had his eyes wide open as they darted all around the room. You had never seen this from an outside point of view. "V-Victor?" you said, voice shaking. You then went over and shook him, "Victor?! W-wake up!" He gasped as he sat upright on the bed, his hand on his chest as he breathed heavily. "Oh thank god!" you said as you threw your arms around him. He wrapped his arms around you in response as he felt tears well up in his eyes. "Th-thank you for waking me..." he said. You continued to hug him as you cried quietly. It was scary just to see someone in that state.

He laid back down with you in his arms, your cheek now resting against his chest. Victor began to gently stroke your hair as he hummed a soft tune to you. It slowly eased you back into your sleep, your eyes fluttering closed. "I love you..." you managed to say before falling asleep. "I love you too, darling." he whispered, falling asleep as well.