AJR-Panic Attacks

Cat- 3 (Closet)

(A/N- POV switches a bit, as well as some reverse time skips, hopefully it's not too confusing!)

RYANS POV

"Hey Cat what's up?" I ask, picking up my phone.

"Uhh... nothing... I just wanted to know when you'll be home?" She responds.

"I'm just finishing up with Andy, I should be home in about an hour or so. Why? What's up?" I ask.

"Nothing." She replies. She seems off. I can't quite tell what's wrong, but I know something is.

"Ok. You sure you're ok?" I ask again.

"Yeah." She sighs. "I'll see you soon."

"Ok. See you soon." The phone call ends with a beep.

That was just weird. She doesn't usually call me when I'm in the studio. She just seems off. What could it be though? As far as I know she finished work already, and should be home by now. Did someone call her? Text her? Message her? But who? The tone of her voice made it seem like she was shaking. But why? Is she nervous about something?

Oh no. It's her anxiety.

Alright who do I have to kill. Who made her anxious.

"Great work today Ryan!" Andy says, snapping me out of my head.

"Thanks! It's coming along!" I acknowledge.

"It's sure is! Well, we're done in here for today, so we can go early! Same time tomorrow?"

"Sure thing. Thanks Andy!"

"Thank you!"

I pack up my stuff in my backpack and head out of the studio. It's nice that I got out early, now I can go see what the heck is up with Cat. Luckily the studio is only a 15 minute walk from home. I put in my code to unlock the door and head straight to the elevators. As I press the button, the door opens and I walk in. I press our floor number and grab my keys out of my pocket. The elevator eventually reaches our floor, and I hop out of the elevator and go to our door and unlock it. As I walk in, the apartment looks deserted, and I can faintly hear what sounds like wheezing, coming from our bedroom. I quickly take my backpack and shoes off, and I run over to our door. I open the door, expecting to see Cat on the bed, but she isn't there. I follow the sound of her quick breathing and walk into our closet, where she's hiding. She's curled up in a ball with her back against the wall, hyperventilating and shaking and crying. My heart breaks looking at her, and I mumble,

"Aww, baby..." Her breathing speeds up as she notices my presence, something I do not want her to do.

"R-Ry-Ryan!" She wheezes out, not sounding like anything because of the lack of air in her throat.

"Hold on baby, I'll be right back." I say, running out to grab her weighted blanket off the bed, and her water bottle from her nightstand, quickly running it all back into the closet. I kneel down in front of her, placing the blanket around her, adjusting her to not be against the wall. I sit down cross legged beside her, pulling her into my lap. She faces the door which I had shut to block out any extra unnecessary lights in the room. I wrap my arms around her, adjusting the blanket to wrap around her entirely. Her breathing continues racing, sounding like wheezes and gasps every time.

"Shhhhh, it's ok." I whisper, trying to calm her down.

CATS POV

10 MINUTES EARLIER

I just got off the phone with Ryan because of the message I got. I can feel my anxiety starting to set in, but I'm trying so hard to ignore it. I decide to go into our closet cause I can feel myself sinking down into the pit of anxiety. I keep the lights off, sitting down against the far wall. I pull my knees up subconsciously, hugging them into my chest. My breathing starts to accelerate, my hands start to go numb, and I start shaking. I just need to calm down before Ryan gets back. I would hate it if someone, even Ryan, saw me while I'm having an anxiety attack. He's seen a couple of them before, and he has helped significantly, but it always messes with my mind if he sees me panic. I had just called him because his voice usually calms me down, but it didn't work. My anxiety attack gets even worse. I keep thinking my breathing was back but just as soon as I had it it would leave me again. I suddenly hear a key in the door. No... Ryan's home. I hear him entering the bedroom, then confusion. My breathing basically disappears, then I hear Ryan.